[The Ploughman's tale]

The prologue

They mowe by lawe / as they sayne Us curse and dampne to helle brinke Thus they putten vs to payne With candels queynte and belles clynke

¶ They make vs thralles at her lust And sayne we mowe nat els be saued They haue the corne / and we the dust Who speketh ther agayn they say he raued ¶ What man / {quod} our host / canst thou preche Come nere and tell vs some holy thyng ¶ Syr / quod he / I herde ones teche A preest in pulpyt a good prechyng

¶ Say / on quod our host / I the beseche Syr I am redy at your byddyng I pray you that no man me reproche Whyle that I am my tale tellyng.

Thus endeth the prologue / and here foloweth the fyrst parte of this present worke.

ASterne stryfe is stered newe In many stedes in a stounde, Of sondrie sydes that be sewe It semeth that some ben vnsounde: For some be great growen vngrounde Some ben souble / symple and small, Whether of hem is falser founde The falser foule mote hym befall.

¶That one syde is / that I of tell. Popes / cardynals / and ••relates Parsons / monkes / and Freres fell Priours / abbottes of great estates Of heuyn and helle they kepe the yates And Peters successours they ben all This is demed by olde dates But falshed foule mote it be fall

The fyrst parte

¶The other syde ben poore and pale And people put out of prease And seme caytyffes sore a cale And euer in one without encrease I clepeth lollers and londlese Who toteth on hem they ben vntall They ben arayde all for the peace But falshed foule mote it befall

¶ Many a countrey haue a sought To knowe the falser of these two But euer my traueyle was for nought All so ferre as I haue go But as I wandred in a wro In a wodde besyde a wall Two foules sawe I sytte tho The falser foule mote hym befall

¶ That one dyde plede on the Popes syde A Gry••••on of a grymme stature A Pellycane withouten pride To these lollers layde his lure He mused his mater in measure To counsayle Christ euer gan he call The Gry••••on shewed as sharpe as fyre But falshed foule mote it be fall

¶ The Pellycan began to preche Bothe of mercy and of mekenesse And sayd / that Christ so gan vs teche And meke and mercyable gan blesse The Euangely bereth wytnesse A lambe he lykeneth Christ ouer all In tokenyng that he mekest was Sith pride was out of heuyn fall

¶ And so shulde euery Christned be Preestes / Peters successours Beth lowlyche and of lowe degre And vsen none erthly honours

Neyther crowne / ne curious couertours Ne pylloure / ne other proude pall Ne nought to cofren vp great treasours For falshed foule mote it befall

¶ Preestes shulde for no catell plede But chasten hem in charite Ne to no bateyle shulde men lede For inhaunsyng or her owne degree Nat wylne syttynges in hye see Ne souerayntie in house ne hall All worldly worshyppe defye and flee For who so wylleth highnes foule shal fall

¶ Alas who may suche sayntes call That wylneth welde erthly honour As lowe as Lucifere suche shall fall In balefull blackenesse buylden her boure That eggeth the people to errour And maketh them to hem thrall To Christ I holde suche one traytour As lowe as Lucifere suche one shall ••all

¶ That wylleth to be kynges peeres And higher than the Emperour Some that were but poore Freres Nowe wollen waxe a warryour God is nat her gouernour That holdeth no man his permagall Whyle couetyse is her counsaylour All su••he falshed mote nede fall

¶ That hye on horse wylleth ryde In glytterande golde of great aray I paynted and portred all in pride No cōmen knyght may go so gaye Change of clothyng euery day With golden gyrdels great and small As boystous as is bere at baye All suche falshed mote nede fall

¶ With pride ponysshed the poore And some they sustayne with sale Of holy churche maketh an hore And fylleth her wombe with wyne and ale With money fyll••th many a male And chaffren churches whan they fall And telleth the people a leude tale Suche false faytours foule hem fall

¶ With chaunge of many maner metes With songe and solace syttyng longe And fylleth her wombe / and fast fretes And from the mete to the gonge And after mete with harpe and songe And eche man mote hem lordes call And hote spyces euer amonge Suche false fayto••rs foule hem fall

¶ And myters mo than one or two I perled as the quenes hedde A staffe of golde / and pyrrey lo As heny as it were made of ledde With clothe of golde both newe and redde With glytterande golde as grene as gall By dome woll dampne men to dedde All suche faytours foule hem fall

¶ And Christes people proudly curse With brode bokes / and brayeng bell To putte pennys in her purse They woll sell bothe heuyn and hell And in her sentence and thou wylt dwell They wyllen gesse in her gay hall And though the sothe thou of hem tell In great cursyng shalte thou fall

¶ That is blessed / that they blesse And cursed that they curse woll And thus the people they oppr••sse And haue their lordshyppes at full

And many be marchantes of wolle And to purse pennyes woll come thrall The poore people they all to pull Suche false faytours foule hem fall

¶ Lordes mote to hem loute Obeysaunt to her brode blessyng They ryden with her royall route On a courser / as it were a kyng With saddyll of golde glytteryng With curyous harneys quayntly crallyt Styroppes gaye of golde mastlyng All suche falshed foule befall it

¶ Christes mynysters clepen they bene And rulen all in robbery But An••ichrist they seruen clene Attyred all in tyranny Wytnesse of Iohēs prophesy That Antichrist is her admyrall Tyffelers attyred in trechery All suche faytours foule hem fall

¶ Who sayth that some of hem may synne He shalbe done to be deed Some of hem woll gladly wynne A••l ayenst that / whiche god forbede All holyest they clepen her heed That of her rule is regall Alas that euer they eten breed For all suche falshed woll foule fall

¶ Her heed loueth all honour And to be worshypped in worde and dede Kynges mote to hem knele and coure To the Apostels / that Christ forbede To Popes hestes suche taketh more hede Than to kepe Christes cōmaundement Of golde and syluer mote ben her wede They holdeth hym hole omnypotent

¶ He ordayneth by his ordynaunce To parysshe preestes a powere To another a greatter auaunce A greatter poynt to his mystere But for he is hyghest in erthe here To hym reserueth he many a poynt But to Christ that hath no pere Reserueth he neyther opyn ne ioynt

¶ So semeth he abouen all And Christ abouen hym nothyng Whan he sytteth in his stall Dampneth and saueth as hym thynke Suche pride tofore god dothe stynke An Angell badde Iohn̄ to hym nat knele But onely to god do his bowyng Such wyllers of worship must nede yuel fele

¶ They ne clepen Christ / but Sctūs de{us} And clepen her heed / Sanctissimus They that suche a secte sewys I trowe they taken hem amysse In erthe here they haue her blysse Her hye mayster is Bellyall Christes people from hem wysse For all such false wyll foule fall

¶ They mowe bothe bynde and lose And all is for her holy lyfe To saue or dampne they mowe chose Betwene hem nowe is great stryfe Many a man is kylled with a knyfe To wete which of hem haue lordship shall For suche Christ suffred woūdes fyue For all suche falshed woll foule fall

¶ Christ sayd / Qui gladio percutit With swerde he shall dye He bade his preestes peace and gryth And bade hem nat drede for to dye

And bade hem be bothe symple and slye And carke nat for no catall But trusteth on god that sytteh on hye For all ••alse shull ••oule fall

¶ These wollen make men to swere Ayenst Christes cōmaundement And Christes membres all to tere On Roode / as he were newe yrent Suche lawes they maken by cōmen assent Echone it choweth as a ball Thus the poore be fully shent But euer ••alshed foule it fall

¶ They vsyn no Simony But sellen churches and priories Ne they vsen no Enuy But cursen all hem contraries And hyereth men by dayes and yeres With ••trength to holde hem in her stall And culleth all her aduersaries Therfore falshed ••oule thou fall

¶ With purse they purchase personage With purse they paynen hem to plede And men of warre they woll wage To brynge her enemyes to the dede And lordes lyues they woll lede And moche take and gyue but small But he it so gete / ••rom it shall shede And make suche false right foule fall

¶ They halowe nothyng but for hyr•• Churche / ••ont / ne vestement And make orders in euery shyre But preestes paye ••or the parchement O•• ria••ours they taken rent T••erwith they smere the shepes skall For many churches ben ofte suspent All suche falshed yet foule it fall

¶ Some lyueth nat in lechery But haunten wenches / wydowes / & wyues And punyssheth the poore for putry Them selfe it vseth all her lyues And but a man to them shriues To heuyn come neuer he shall He shalbe cursed as be caytyues To hell they sayne that he shall fall

There was more mercy in Maximyen And in Nero / that neuer was good Than is nowe in some of them Whan he hath on his furred hoode They ••olowe Christ that shedde his blode To heuen / as buckette in to the wall Suche wreches ben worse than wode And all suche ••aytours foule hem fall

¶ They gyue her almesse to the ryche To mayn••••ynours / and to men of lawe For to lordes they woll be lyche An harlottes sonne nat worthe an hawe Sothfastnesse suche han slawe They kembe her crokettes with christall And drede of god they haue downe drawe All suche faytours foule hem fall

¶ They maken parsons for the penny And canons of her cardynals Unnethes amongest hem all any That he ne hath glosed the gospell fals For Christ made neuer no cathedrals Ne with hym was no cardynall With a Redde hatte as vsyn mynstrals But falshed foule mote it befall

¶ Their tythyng / and her offryng both They clemeth it by possessyon Thero•• nyll they non forgo But robben men as raunsome

The tithyng of Turpe lucrum With these maisters is meynall Tithyng of bribry / and larson Wyll make falshed full foule to fall

¶ They taken to ferme her sompnours To harme the people what they may To pardoners / and false faytours Sell her seales I dare well say And all to holden great array To multiply hem more metall They drede full lytell domes day Whan all suche shall foule fall

¶ Suche harlottes shull men dysclaunder For they shullen make her gree And ben as proude as Alexaunder And sayne to the poore / wo be ye By yere eche preeste shall paye his ••ee To encrease his lemmans call Suche heerdes shull well yuell the And all suche false shull foule fall

¶ And if a man be falsely famed And wolde make purgacioun Than woll the offycers be agramed And assigne hym fro towne to towne So nede he must paye raunsome Though he be clene / as is christall And than haue an absolutioun But all suche false shull foule fall

¶ Though he be gyltie of the dede And that he maye money pay All the whyle his purse woll blede He maye vse it fro day to day These bysshoppes offycers gone full gay And this game they vsen ouer all The poore to pyll is all their pray All suche false shull foule fall

¶ Alas / god ordayned neuer suche lawe Ne no suche crafte of couetyse He forbade it by his sawe Suche gouernours mowen of god agryse For all his rules is rightwyse These newe poyntes ben pure papall And goddes lawe they dispyce And all suche fayt••urs shull foule fall

¶ They sayne that Peter had the key Of heuyn and hell / to haue and hol••e I trowe Peter toke no money For no synnes that he solde Suche successours ben to bolde In wynnyng all their witte they wrall Her conscience is waxen colde And all suche faytours ••oule hem fall

¶ Peter was neuer so great a fole To leaue his key with suche a lorell Or to take suche cursed suche a tole He was aduysed nothyng well I trowe they haue the key of hell Their maister is of that place marshall For there they dressen hem to dwell And with false Lucifere there to fall

¶ They ben as proude as Lucifarre As angry / and as enuyous From good faithe they ben full farre In couetyse they ben curyous To catche cattell as couytous As hounde / that for hungre woll yall Ungoodly / and vngratious And nedely suche falshed shall fonle fall

¶ The pope and he were Peters hey••e Me thynke he erreth in this case Whan choyse of bysshoppes is in dispeyre To chosen hem in dyuers place

A lorde shall write to hym for grace For his clerke anone pray he shall So shall he spede his purchase And all suche false foule hem fall

¶ Though he can no more good A lordes prayer shalbe spedde Though ••e ••e wylde o•• wyll or wood Nat vnderstandyng what men han redde A leude boster / and that god ••orbede As good a bysshoppe is my horse ball Suche a Pope is ••oule be stedde And a•• la••t woll ••oule ••all

¶ He maketh bysshoppes for erthly thanke And nothyng ••or Christes sake Suche that ••en full fatte and ranke To soule heale none hede they take All is well done what euer they make For they shall answere at ones for all For wo••ldes thanke / suche worch and wake And all suche ••alse shall ••oule fall

¶ Suche that canne nat her Crede With prayer shull be made prelates Nou••her canne the gospell rede Suche sh••ll nowe welde hye estates The hye goodes frendshyp hem makes They toteth on her sōme totall Suche bere the keyes of hell yates And all suche false shall foule fall

¶ They forsake for Christes loue Traueyle / hungre / thurst / and colde For they ben ordred euer all aboue Out of youthe tyll they ben olde By the dore they go / nat in to the folde To helpe their shepe they nought trauall Hyred men all suche I holde And all suche false foule hem fall

For Christ her kyng they woll forsake And knowe hym nought for his pouerte For Christes loue they woll wake And drynke pyement ale aparte Of god they seme nothyng a ferde As lusty lyueth / as dyde Lamuall And dryuen her shepe in to deserte All suche faytours shull foule fall

Christ had .xii. apostels here Nowe saye they / there may be but one That may nat erre in no manere Who leueth nat this ben lost echone Peter erred / so dyde nat Iohn̄ Why is he cleped the principall? Christ cleped hym Peter / but hym selfe y^• stone All false faytours foule hem fall

¶ Why cursen they the croysery Christes christen creatures For bytwene hem is nowe enuy To be enhaunsed in honours And christen lyuers with her labours For they leuyn on no man mortall But do to dethe with dishonours And all suche false foule hem fall

¶ What knoweth a tyllour at the plowe The popes name / and what he hate His crede suffyseth to hym ynowe And knoweth a cardynall by his hatte Rough is the poore vnrightly latte That knoweth Christ his god royall Suche maters be nat worth a gnatte But suche false faytours foule hem fall

¶ A kyng shall knele and kysse his showe Christ suffred a synfull to kysse his fete Me thynketh he holdeth hym hye ynowe So Lucifer dyd / that hye sette

Such one me thynketh hym selfe foryete Eyther to the trouth he was nat call Christ that suffred woundes wete Shall make suche falshed foule fall

¶ They layeth out her large nettes For to take syluer and golde Fyllen coffers / and sackes fettes There as they soules catche sholde Her seruauntes be to them vnholde But they can doublyn their rentall To bygge hem castels / and bygge hem holde And all suche false foule hem fall

¶ Here ••ndeth the fyrst part of this boke•• and herafter foloweth the seconde parte

TO accorde with this worde fall No more Englysshe can I fynde Shewe another nowe I shall For I haue moche to saye behynde Howe preestes han the people pynde As curteys Christ hath me kende And putte this matter in my mynde To make this maner men amende

¶ Shortly to shende hem / and shewe nowe Nowe wrongfully they worche and walke O hye god / nothyng they tell / ne howe But in goddes worde / telleth many a balke In hernes holde hem and in halke And prechyn of tythes and offrende And vntruely of the gospell talke For his mercy god it amende

¶ What is Antichrist to saye But euyn Christes aduersary Suche hath nowe ben many a day To Christes byddyng full contrary

That from the trouthe clene varry Out of the waye they ben wende And Christes people vntruely cary God for his pytie it amende••

¶ That lyuen contrary to Christes lyfe In hye pride agaynst mekenesse Agaynst sufferaunce they vsen stryfe And angre ayenst sobrenesse Agaynst wysedome wylfulnesse To Christes tales lytell tende Agaynst measure outragyousnesse But whan god woll it maye amende

¶ Lordly lyfe ayenst lowlynesse And demyn all without mercy And couetyse ayenst largesse Agaynst trewth trechery And agaynst almesse enuy Agaynst Christ they comprehende ••or chastyte they maynteyne lechery God for his grace this amende

¶ Ayenst penaunce they vse delightes Ayenst sustraunce stronge defence Ayenst god they vsen yuell rightes Agaynste pytie punysshementes Open yuell ayenst contynence Her wicked wynnyng worse dispende Sobrenesse they sette in to dispence But god for his goodnesse it amende

¶ Why cleymen they holy his powere And wranglen ayenst all his hestes His lyuyng folowen they nothyng here But lyuen worse than wytlesse beestes Of fysshe and flesshe they louen feestes As lordes they ben brode ykende Of goddes poore they haten gestes God for his mercy this amende

¶ With Dyuers suche shall haue her dome That sayne that they be Christes frendes And do nothyng as they shulde done All suche ben falser than ben fendes On the people they ley suche bendes As god is in erth they han offende Sucour for suche Christ nowe sende vs And for his mercy this amende

¶ A token of Antichrist they be His careckes ben nowe wyde yknowe Receyued to preche shall no man be Without token of hym I trowe Eche christen preest / to prechyn owe From god aboue they ben sende. Goddes worde / to all folke for to showe Synfull man for to amende

¶ Christ sente the poore for to preche The royall riche he dyd nat so Nowe dare no poore the people teche For Antichrist is ouer all her foe Amonge the people he mote go He hath bydden / all suche suspende Some hath he hente / & thynketh yet mo But all this god may well amende

¶ All tho that han the worlde forsake And lyuen loly / as god badde In to her prison shullen be take Betyn and bounden / and forthe ladde Herof I rede no man be dradde Christ sayd / his shulde be shende Eche man ought herof be gladde For god full well it woll amende

¶ They take on hem royall powere And saye they haue swerdes two One curse to hell / one slee men here For at his takyng Christ had no mo

Yet Peter had one of tho But christ / to Peter smyte gan defende And in to the sheth badde putte it tho And all suche myscheues god amende

¶ Christ badde Peter kepe his shepe And with his swerde forbade hym smyte Swerde is no tole with shepe to kepe But to sheperdes that shepe woll byte Me thynketh suche sheperdes ben to wyte Ayen her shepe with swerde that contende They driue her shepe with great dispyte But all this god may well amende

¶ So successours to Peter be they nought Whom Christ made chefe pastoure A swerde no sheperde vsen ought But he wolde ••lee / as a bochoure For who so were Peters succes••our Shulde bere his shepe tyll his backe bende And shadowe hem from euery shoure And all this god maye well amende

¶ Successours to Peter ben these In that that Peter Christ forsoke That had leuer the loue of god lese Than a sheperde had to lese his hoke He culleth the shepe as dothe the coke Of hem taken the woll vntrende And falsely glose the gospell boke God for his mercy them amende

¶ After Christ had take Peter the kay Christ sayd / he muste dye for man That Peter to Christ gan withsay Christ badde hym go behynde Sathan Suche coūsaylours many of these men han For worldes wele / god to offende Peters successours they ben for than But all suche god may well amende

¶ For Sathan is to say no more But he that contrary to Christ is In this they lerne Peters lore They sewen hym whan he dyd mysse They folowe Peter forsothe in this In all that Christ wolde Peter reprehende But nat in that that longeth to heuyn blysse God for his mercy hem amende

¶ Some of the Apostels they sewen in case Of ought that I can vnderstonde Hym that betrayed Christ / Iudas That bare the purse in euery londe And all that he myght sette on honde He hydde and stale / and myspende His rule these traytours han in honde Almighty god hem amende

¶ And at last his lorde gan tray Cursedly through his false couetyse So wolde these / trayen hym for money And they wysten in what wyse They be seker of the selfe ensyse From all sothnesse they ben frende And couetyse chaungen with queyntyse Almighty god all suche amende

¶ Were Christ on erthe here efte sone These wolde dampne hym to dye All his hestes they han fordone And sayne his sawes ben heresy And ayenst his commaundementes they crye And damp••e all his to be brende For it lyketh nat hem suche losengery God almighty hem amende

¶ These han more myght in Englande hete Than hath the kynge and all his lawe They han purchased hem suche powere To taken hem whom lyste nat knawe

And say that heresy is her sawe And so to prysone woll hem sende It was nat so by elder dawe God for his mercy it amende

¶The kynges lawe woll no man deme Angerlyche withouten answere But if any man these mysqueme He shalbe ••eted as a bere And yet wel worse they woll hym tere And in prysone woll hem pende In gyues / and in other gere Whan god woll / it maye mende

¶ The kyng taxeth nat his men But by a••••en••e of the cōmynalte But these eche yere woll raunsom hem Maisterfully / more than doth he Her seales by yere better be Than is the kynges in extende Her offycers han gretter fee But this myschefe god amende

¶ For who so woll proue a testament That is nat all worthe tenne pounde He shall paye for the parchement They thirde parte of the money all rounde Thus the people is raunsounde They say suche parte to hem shulde apende There as they grypen it gothe to grounde God for his mercy it amende

¶ A symple fornycacioun Twenty shyllynges he shall paye And than haue an absolution And all the yere vsen it forthe he may Thus they letten hem go a stray They recke nat though the soule be brende These kepyn yuell Peters key And all suche sheperdes god amende

¶ Wonder is / that the parlyament And all the lordes of this londe Herto taken so lytell entent To helpe the people out of her honde For they ben harder in their bonde Worse beate / and bytter brende Than to the kyng is vnderstande God hym helpe this to amende

¶ What bysshoppes / what relygions Han in this lande as moche laye fee Lordshippes / and possessyons More than the lordes / it semeth me That maketh hem lese charyte They mowe nat to god attende In erthe they haue so hyghe degree God for his mercy it amende

¶ The Emperour yaf the pope somtyme So highe lordshyppe hym aboute That at laste the sely kyme The proude Pope putte hym out So of this realme is in doute But lordes be ware and them defende For nowe these folk•• be wonder stoute The kynge and lordes nowe this amende.

Thus endeth the seconde parte of this boke / and herafter folo∣weth the thirde

MOyses lawe forbode it tho That preestes shuld no lordshippes welde Christes gospell byddeth also That they shulde no lordshippe helde Ne Christes Apostels were neuer so bolde No suche lordshippes to them enbrace But smeren her shepe and kepe her folde God amende hem for his grace

For they ne ben but countrefete Men may knowe hem by her fruite Her gretnesse maketh hem god foryete And take his mekenesse in dispyte And they were poore and had but lyte They nolde nat demen after the face But norisshe her shepe / and hem nat byte God amende hem for his grace

¶ What canst thou preche ayenst chanons That men clepen seculere? They ben curates of many towns On erthe they haue great powere They han great prebendes and dere Some two or thre / and some mo A personage to ben a playeng fere And yet they serue the kynge also

¶ And lette to ferme all that fare To whom that woll most gyue therfore Some woll sp••nde / and some woll spare And some woll laye ••t vp in store A cure or soule they care nat fore So they mowe money take Whether her soules be ••onne or lore Her profytes they woll nat forsake

¶ They haue a gederyng procuratour That can the poore people enplede And robben hem as a rauynour And to his lorde the money lede And catche of quicke and eke of dede And richen hym and his lorde eke And to robbe the poore can gyue good rede Of olde and yonge / of hole and syke

¶ Therwith they purchase hem lay ••ee In londe / there hem lyketh best And buylde also brode as a cyte Bothe in the Est / and eke in the west

To purchase thus they ben full prest But on the poore they woll nought spende Ne no good gyue to goddes gest Ne sende hym some that all hath sende

¶ By her seruyce suche woll lyue And trusse that other in to treasour Though all her parysshe dye vnshriue They woll nat gyue a rose floure Her lyfe shulde be as a myrrour Bothe to lered and to leude also And teche the people her lele labour Suche myster men ben all mysgo

¶ Some of hem ben harde nygges And some of hem ben proude and gay Some spende her good vpon gygges And fynden hem of great aray Alas / what thynke these men to say That thus dispenden goddis good At the dredefull domes daye Suche wretches shulbe worse than wood

¶ Some her churches neuer ne sye Ne neuer o peny thyder ne sende Though the poore parysshens for hungre dye O peny on hem wyll they nat spende Haue they receyuynge of the rente They recke neuer of the remenāt Alas the deuyll hath clene hem blen•• Suehe one is Sathanas soiournant

¶ And vsen horedome and harlotry Couetyse / pompe / and pride Slouthe / wrathe / and eke enuy And sewen synne by euery syde Alas / where thynke suche tabyde Howe woll they accomptes yelde From hye god they mowe hem nat hyde Suche wyllers witte is nat worth a nelde

¶ They ben so roted in richesse That Christes pouert is foryet Serued with so many messe Hem thinketh that Manna is no mete All is good that they mowe gete They wene to lyue euermore But whan god at dome is sette Suche treasour is a feble store

¶ Unneth mote they matyns saye For countyng and for court holdyng And yet he ••angleth as a iaye And vnderstont hym selfe nothyng He woll serue bothe erle and kyng For his fyndyng and his fee And hyde his ty••hynge and his offryng This is a feble charite

¶Outher they ben proude / or coueytous Or they ben harde / or hungry Or they ben lyberall or lecherous Or els medlers with marchandry Or maynteyners of men with maistry Or stewardes / coun••ours / or pledours And serue god in hypocrisy Suche preestes ben Christes false traytours

¶ They ben false / they ben vengeable And be gylen men in Christes name They ben vnstedfast and vnstable To tray her lorde / hem thynketh no shame To serue god they ben full lame Goddes theues / and falsly stele And falsely goddes worde defame In wynnyng is her worldes wele

¶ Antichrist these seruen all I pray the who may say nay? With Antichrist suche shull fall They folowen hym in dede and fay

They seruyn hym in riche array To serue Christ suche falsely fayne Why / at the dredefull domes day Shull they nat folowe hym to payne?

¶ That knowen hem selfe that they done yll Ayenst Christes cōmaundement And amende hem neuer ne wyll But serue Sathan by one assent Who sayth sothe he shalbe shent Or speketh ayenst her false lyuyng Who so well lyueth shalbe brent For suche ben gretter than the kyng

¶ Pope / bysshoppes / and cardyuals Chanons / persons / and vycayre In goddes seruyce I trowe ben false That sacramentes sellen here And ben as proude as Lucifere Eche man loke whether that I lye Who so speketh ayenst her powere It shall be holden heresy

Loke howe many orders take Onely of Christ / for his seruyce That the worldes goodes forsake Who so taketh orders / or other wyse I trowe that they shall sore agryse For all the glose that they conne All sewen nat this assyse In yuell tyme they thus begonne

Loke howe many amonge hem all Holden nat this hye way With Antichrist they shullen fall For they wolden god betray God amende hem that best may For many men they maken shende They weten well the sothe I say But the dyuell hath foule hem blende

¶ Some on her churches dwell Appayrelled poorely / proude of porte The seuyn sacramentes they done sell In cattell catchyng is her comforte Of eche matter they wollen mell And done hem wronge is her dispor••e To affray the people they ben fel And holde hem lower than dothe the lorde

¶ For the tithynge of a duke Or of an apple / or an aye They make men swere vpon a ••oke Thus they foulyn Christes fay Suche beren yuell heuyn kay They mowen assoyle / they mowe shriue With mennes wyues strongly play With tr••we tyllers sturte and stryue

¶ At the wrestlyng / and at the wake And chefe chauntours at the nale Markette beters / and medlyng make Hoppen and houten with heue and hale At fayre fresshe / and at wyne stale Dyn•• and drinke / and make debate The seuyn sacramentes sette at sayle Howe kepe suche they keyes of heuyn gate?

¶ Mennes wyues they wollen holde And though that they ben ryght sory To speke they shull nat be so bolde For sompnyng to the consistory And make hem saye mouthe I lye Though they it sawe with her eye His lemman holden openly No man so hardy to axe why

¶ He woll haue tythyng & offrynge Mauger who so euer it gruche And twyse on the day he woll synge Goddes prestes nere none suche

He mote on huntyng with dogge and bytche And blowen his horne / and cryen hey And sorcery vsen as a wytche Suche kepyn yuell Peters key

¶ Y••t they mote haue some stocke or stone Gayly paynted / and proudly dight To maken men leuyn vpon And say that it is full of might About suche / men sette vp great lyght Other suche stockes shull stonde therby As darke as it were midnight For it may make no maistry

¶ That it leude people se mowe Thou Mary / thou worchest wonder thinges About that / that men offryn to nowe ••ongen broches / ouches / and rynges The pre••st purchaseth the offrynges But he nyll offre to none ymage Wo is the soule that he for synges That precheth for suche a pylgrimage

¶ To men and women that ben poore That ben Christes owne lykenesse Men shulden offre at her dore That su••••ryn hungre and dystresse And to suche ymages offre lesse That mowe nat fele thurst ne colde The poore in spyrite gan Christ blesse Therfore offreth to feble and olde

¶ Buckelers brode / and swerdes long Baudrike / with ba••clardes kene Suche toles about her necke they hange With Antichrist suche preestes bene Upon her dedes it is well sene Whom they seruen / whom they honoren Antichristes they ben clene And goddis goodes falsely deuouren

¶ Of scarlet and grene gay gownes That mote be shape for the newe To clyppen and kyssen coūten in townes The damosels that to the dauuce sewe Cutted clothes to sewe her hewe With longe pykes on her shone Our goddes gospell is nat trewe Eyther they seruen the dyuell or none

¶ Nowe ben preestes pokes so wyde That men must enlarge the vestement The holy gospell they done hyde For they contraryen in rayment Suche preestes of Lucifere ben sent Lyke conquerours they ben arayde The proude pendauntes at her ars ypent Falsely the truthe they han betrayde

¶ Shrifte syluer suche wollen aske is And woll men crepe to the crouche None of the sacramentes saue askes Without mede shall no man touche On her bysshoppe their warant vouch That is lawe of the decre With mede and money thus they mouche And thus they sayne is charyte

¶ In the myddes of her masse They nyll haue no man but for hyre And full shortely lette forth passe Suche shull men fynde in eche shyre That personages for profyte desyre To lyue in lykyng and in lustes I dare nat sayne / Sans ose ieo dire That suche ben Antichristes preestes

¶ Or they yef the bysshoppes why Or they mote ben in his seruyce And holden forthe her harlotry Suche prelates ben of feble emprise

Of goddis grame suche men agryse For suche matters that taken mede Howe they excuse hem / and in what wyse Me thynketh they ought greatly drede

¶ They sayne / that it to no man longeth To reproue them though they erre But falsely goddis goodesse they fongeth And therwith maynteyne wo and werre Her dedes shulde be as bright as sterre Her lyuyng / leude mannes lyght They say the pope maye nat erre Nede must that passe mannes might

¶ Though a prest lye w^t his lēman all night And tellen his felowe / and he hym He goth to masse anone right And sayth he syngeth out of synne His byrde abideth hym at his inne And dighteth his dyner the meane whyle He syngeth his masse for he wolde wynne And so he weneth god begyle

¶Hem thynketh long tyll they be mette And that they vsen forthe all the yere Amonge the folke whan he is sette He holdeth no man halfe his pere Of the bysshoppe he hath powere To soyle men / or els they ben lore His absolutyon may make them skere And wo is the soule that he syngeth fore

¶ The Gryffon began for to threte And sayd / of monkes canst thou ought The Pellycane sayd / they ben full grete And in this worlde moche wo hath wrought Saynt Benet / that her order brought Ne made hem neuer on suche manere I trowe it came neuer in this thought That they shulde vse so great powere

¶ That a man shuld a monke lorde call Ne serue on knees / as a kyng He is as proude as prince in pall In mete / and drynke / and all thyng Some wearyn myter and rynge With double worsted well ydight With royall mete and riche drinke And rideth on a courser as a knyght

¶ With hauke and With houndes eke With broches or ouches on his hode Some saye no masse in all a weke Of deynties is her most fode With lordshippes and with bondmen This is a royall relygyoun Saynt Benet made ueuer none of hem To haue lordshippe of man ne towne

¶ Nowe they ben qneynte and curious With fyne clothe cladde and serued clene Proude angry / and enuyous Malyce is mouche that they meane In catchyng crafty and couetous Lordly lyuen in great lykyng This lynyng is nat relygyous Accordyng to Benette in his lyuyng

¶They ben clerkes / her courtes they ouer se Her poore tenaunce fully they flyte The hyre that a man amerced be The gladlyer they woll it write This is ferre from Christes pouerte For all with couetyse they endyte On the poore they haue no pyte Ne neuer hem cherysshe but euer hem byte

¶And cōmenly suche ben comen Of poore people / and of hem begete That this perfection han ynomen Her fathers ryden nat but on her fete

And trauaylen sore for that they ete In pouert lyueth yonge and olde Her fathers suffreth drought and wete Many hungry meles / thurst / and colde

¶And all this the monkes han forsake For Christes loue and saynt Benette To pride and ease haue hem take This relygion is yuell be sette Had they ben out of relygioun They must haue honged at the plowe Thresshyng & dykyng fro towne to towne With sory mete / and nat halfe ynowe

¶ Therfore they han this all forsake And taken to riches / pride / and ••ase Full fewe for god woll monkes hem mak•• Lytell is suche order for to prayse Saynt Benet ordayned it nat so But badde hem be cherelyche In churlyche maner lyue and go Boystous in erthe / and nat lordlych

¶ They disclanuder saynt Benette Therfore they haue his holy curse Saynt Benet with hem neuer mette But if they thought to robbe his purs•• I canne no more herof tell But they ben lyke tho before And clene serue the dyuell of hell And ben his treasour and his store

¶ And all suche other counterfeytours Chanons / canons / and suche disgysed Ben goddes enemyes and traytours His trewe relygion han foule dispysed Of Freres I haue tolde before In a makynge of a Crede And yet I coude tell worse and more But men wolde weryen it to rede

¶ As goddes goodnesse no man tell might Write ne speke / ne thynke in thought So her falshed / and her vnright May no man tell that euer god wrought The Gryffon sayd / thou canst no good Thou came neuer of no gentyll kynde Outher I trowe thou wexest wood Or els thou hast loste thy mynde

¶ Sulde holy churches haue no heed? Who shulde be her gouernayle Who shulde her rule / who shulde her reed Who shulde her forthren / who shulde auayle Eche man shall lyue by his trauayle Who best doth / shall haue most mede With strength if men the churche assayle With strength men must defende her nede

¶ And the pope were purely poore Nedy / and nothyng ne had••e He shulde be driuen from dore to dore The wicked of hym nolde nat be dradde Of suche an heed men wolde be sadde And synfully lyuen as hem lust With strength / amēdes suche be made With wepen wolues from shepe be wust

¶ If the pope and prelates wolde So begge / & bydde / bowe and borowe Holy churche shulde stande full colde Her seruauntes sytte and soupe sorowe And they were noughty foule and horowe To worshyppe god men wolde wlate Bothe on euyn and on morowe Suche harlotry men wolde hate

¶ Therfore men of holy churche Shulde ben honest in all thyng Worshypfully goddes workes werche So semeth it to serue Christ her kyng

In honest and in clene clothyng With vessels of golde and clothes ryche To god honestly to make offryng To his lordshyppe none is lyche

¶ The Pellycan caste on houge crye And sayd alas / why sayest thou so Christ is our heed that sytteth on hye Heddes ne ought we haue no mo We ben his membres bothe also And father he taught vs to call hym als Maisters to be called defended he tho All other maisters ben wicked and fals

¶ That taketh maistry in his name Goostly / and for erthly good Kynges and lordes shulde lordshyp hane And rule the people with mylde mode Christ for vs that shedde his blode Badde his preestes no maystershyp haue Ne carke nat for clothe ne ••ode From euery myschefe he wyll hem saue

¶ Her riche clothyng shalbe ryghtwy••enesse Her treasour / trewe lyfe shalbe Charite shalbe her rychesse Her lordshippe shalbe vnyte Hope in god / her honeste Her vessell clene conscience Poore in spyrite / and humylyte Shalbe holy churches defence

¶ What sayd the Gryffon may the greue That other folkes faren wele What haste thou to done with her lyue Thy falshed eche man may fele For thou canst no catell gete But lyuest in londe as a lorell With glosyng gettest thon thy mete So fareth the deuyll that wonneth in hell

He wolde that eche man there shulde dwell For he lyueth in clene enuye So with the tales that thou dost tell Thou woldest other people distry With your glose / and your heresy For ye can lyue no better lyfe But clene in hypocrisy And bringest the in wo and stryfe

¶ And therwith haue nat to done For ye ne haue here no cure Ye serue the dyuell / neither god ne man And he shall paye you your hyre For ye woll fare well at feestes And warme clothed for the colde Therfore ye glose goddis hestes And begyle the people yonge and olde

¶ And all the seuyn sacramentes ye speke ayenst / as ye were slye Ayenst tithīges / offrynges / with your entētes And on our lordes body falsely lye And all this ye done to lyue in case As who sayth / there ben none suche And sayne the pope is nat worth a pease To make the people ayen hym gruche

¶ And this cōmeth in by fendes To bryng the christen in distaunce For they wolde that no man were frendes Leaue thy chattryng with myschaunce If thou lyue well / what wylte thou more Lette other men lyue as hem lyst Spende in good / or kepe in store Other mennes conscience neuer thou nyst

¶ ye han no cure to answere fore What meddell ye / that han nat to done Lette men lyue as they han done yore For thou shalte answere for no man

¶ The Pellycan sayd / Syr / nay I dispysed nat the pope Ne no sacramente / sothe to say But speke in charite and good hope

¶ But I dispyse her hye pride Her richesse / that shulde be poore in ••pirite Her wickednesse is knowe so wyde They serue god in false habyte And turnyn mekenesse in to pride And lowelynesse in to hye degre And goddis wordes turne and hyde And that am I moued by charite

¶ To lette men to lyue so With all my connyng and all my myght And to warne men of her wo And to tell hem trouthe and ryght The sacramentes be soule hele If they ben vsed in good vse Ayenst that speke I neuer a dele For than were I nothyng wyse

¶ But they that vsen hem in mysse manere Or sette hem vp to any sale I trowe they shall abye hem dere This is my reason / this is my tale Who so taketh hem vnrightfulllyche Ayenst the tenne cōmaundymentes Or by glose wreched lyche Selleth any of the sacramentes

¶ I trowe they do the deuyll homage In that they wetyn they do wronge And therto I dare well wage They seruyn Sathan for all her songe To tithen and offren is holsome lyfe So it be done in dewe manere A man to houselyn and to shryue Weddyng / and all the other in fere

¶ So it be notherfolde ne bought Ne take ne gyue for couetyse And it be so taken it is nought Who selleth hem so / maye sore agryse On our lordes body I do nat lye I say sothe thorowe trewe rede His flesshe and blode through his mastry Is there / in the forme of brede

¶ Howe it is there / it nedeth nat stryue Whether it be subgette or accydent But as Christ was / whan he was on lyue So is he there v••rament If pope or cardynall lyue good lyue As Christ commaunded in his gospell Ayenst that woll I nat stryue But me thynketh they lyue nat well

¶ For if the pope lyued as god bede Pride and hyghnesse he shulde dispyse Rychesse / couetyse / and crowne on hede Mekenesse and pouerte he shulde vse The Gryffon sayd he shulde abye Thou shalbe brent in balefull fyre All they secte I shall distrye Ye shalbe hanged by the swyre

¶ Ye shullen be honged and to drawe Who gyueth you leaue for to preche Or speke ayenst goddes lawe And the people thus falsely teche Thou shalt be cursed with boke and bell And disseuered from holy churche And clene ydampned in to hell Otherwyse but ye woll worche

¶ The Pellycan sayd that I ne drede Your cursyng is of lytell value Of god I hope to haue my mede For it is fashede that ye shewe

For ye ben out of charite And wylneth vengeaunce / as dyd Nero To suffryn I woll redy be I drede nat that thou canst do

¶ Christ badde ones suffre for his loue And so he taught all his seruauntes And but thou amende for his ••ake aboue I drede nat all thy mayntenaunce For if I drede the worldes hate Me thynketh I were lytell to prayse I drede nothyng your hye estate Ne I drede nat your diseace

¶ Wolde ye turne and leaue your pride your hye porte / and your richesse your cursyng shulde nat go so wyd•• God bryng you in to rightwysenesse For I drede nat your tyran••y For nothyng that ye canne done To suffre I am all redy Syker I recke neuer howe soone

¶ The Gryffon grynned as he were wode And loked louely as an owle And swore by cockes herte blode He wolde hym tere euery doule Holy churche thou di••claundrest foule For thy reasons I woll the all to race And make thy flesshe to rote and moule Losell / thou shalte haue harde grace

¶ The Gryffon flewe forthe on his waye The Pellycane dyd sytte and wepe And to hym selfe he gan saye God wolde that any of Christes shepe Hadde herde / and ytake kepe Eche a worde that here sayd was And wolde it write and well it kepe God wolde it were all for his grace

¶ I answerde / and sayd I wolde If for my trauayle any man wolde pay He sayd yes / these that god han solde For they han store of money I sayd / tell me and thou may Why tellest thou mennes trespace? He sayd / to amende hem in good fay If god woll gyue me any grace

¶ For Christ hym selfe is lykened to me That for his people dyed on rode As fare I / right so fareth he He fedeth his byrdes with his blode But these done yuell ayenst gode And ben his fone vnder frendes face I tolde hem howe her lyuyng stode God amende hem for his grace

What ayleth the Gryffon / tell why That he holdeth on that other syde For they two ben lykely And with kyndes robben wyde The foule betokeneth pride As Lucifere / that high flewe was And sithe he dyd hym in yuell hyde For he agylted goddis grace

¶ As byrde flyeth vp in the ayre And lyueth by byrdes that ben meke So these be flowe vp in to dispayre And shenden sely soules eke The soules that ben in synnes seke He culleth hem / knele therfore alas For bribry goddis forbode breke God amende it for his grace

¶ The hynder parte is alyoun A robber and a rauynere That robbeth they people in erthe a downe And in erthe holdeth none his pere

So fareth this foule bothe ferre and nere And with temporell strength they people chas•• As a lyon proude in erthe here God amende hem for his grace

¶ He flewe forthe with his wynges twayne All droupyng / dased / and dull But soone the Gry••••on came agayne Of his ••oules the erthe was full The Pellycan he had cast to pull So great a nombre neuer sene there was What maner of foules tellen I woll If god woll gyue me o•• his grace

¶ With the Gryffon comen foules fele Rauyns / rokes / crowes / and pye Grayfoules / agadred wele I g••rde aboue they wolde hye Gledes and bosardes weren hem by White molles and puttockes token her plac•• And lapwynges / that well cōneth lye This felowshyp han for gerde her grace

¶ Long the Pellycane was out But at last he cometh agayne And brought with hym the Phenixe stoute The Gry••••on wolde haue ••••owe ••ull ••ayne His foules that ••lewen as thycke as rayne The Phenixe tho began hem chace To ••lye from hym it was in vayne For he dyd vengeaunce and no grace

¶ He slewe hem downe without mercy There astarte neyther free ne thrall On hym they cast a xufull crye Whan the Gry••••on downe was fall He bete hem nat / but slewe hem all Whither he hem droue no man may trace Under the erthe me thought they yall Alas they had a feble grace

¶ The Pelycan than axed tyght For my wrytyng if I haue blame Who woll for me fyght of flyght? Who shall shelde me from shame He that had a mayde to dame And the lambe that slayne was Shall shelde me from gostly blame For erthely harme is goodis grace

¶ Therfore I pray euery man Of my writyng haue me excused This writynge writeth the Pellycan That thus these people hath dispysed For I am fresshe ••ully aduysed I nyll nat maynteyne his manace For the deuyll is o••ten disguysed To brynge a man to yuell grace

¶ Wyteth the Pellycane and nat me For herof I nyll nat auowe In hye ne in lowe / ne in no degre But as a fable take i•• ye mowe To holy churche I wyll me bowe Eche man to amende him Christ sende space And for my writynge me alowe He that is almyghty for his grace

¶ Finis

¶ Printed at Lon∣don by Thomas Godfray,

Cum priuilegio,