University of Virginia Library

Jak, thou seist we piken
from the pore and from the riche,
and not ȝeven aȝenward,
thouȝ that thei ben nedy;
that almes is pykyng,
y fynde it in thi boke,
and I herde it nevere aforn
in no maner scripture.
But if alwey pikers, Jak,
thou wolt us maken,
ther we piken but seely pans,
thi secte pikith poundis.
What we ȝeven to the pore,
it nedith not thee to telle;
ffor almes-dede shul be hid,
and sweten in thi hondis.
Whi, bi mannes mariage,
ȝe ben weddid to ȝour abitis
wele harder than worldly men
ben weddit to her wyves,
which thei mowe leeve and lete go
as longe as him list.
Jak, for siche manere scole
ȝe cacchen Cristis curse,
so freli to mayntenen
Manichés errours,
to make men breke her matrimonye,
and leeve her wyves,
and whanne the good man is oute,
playe hey god rode.
Jak, to oure abite
be we not weddid
more than eny preest is
weddid to his coroun,
that is over growun with heer,
and he preest nevere the lesse;
or ellis shulde every barbour
make newe preestes.
Riȝt so oure clothis maken us
not men of religion,
but oonli oure profession
byndith us to the stake;
and so apostasie
mowen we maken in oure soule,
liche men of religion
abidinge in oure abitis.
If Sathanas were transfigurid
into his former fairnesse,
trowist thou he were ouȝt ellis
but a dampnid aungel?
and so not for the levynge of oure clothis
we be not punishid,
but bicause it bitokeneth
forsakyng of oure reule;
and, Jacke, no more than thi sadil
makith thin hors a mere,
no more makith oure abitis
monkes ne freris.
Jak, of oure presciouse clothis
fast thou carpist,
the which ben so fyne
that noman werith better.
Every man may perseyve apertli,
Jakke, that thou liest.
Were we no sendal ne satyn,
ne goldun clothis,
and these passen in presciousitee
many foold ouris.
But if my cloth be over presciouse,
Jakke, blame the werer;
ffor myn ordre hath ordeyned
al in good mesure.
Thou axist me, Jacke, of my grete hood,
what that it meneth,
my scapelarie and my wide cope,
and the knottide girdil.
What meenith thi tipet, Jakke,
as longe as a stremer,
that hangith longe bihinde,
and kepith thee not hoot?
an hool cloith of scarlet
may not make a gowne;
the pokes of purchace
hangen to the erthe,
and the cloith of oo man
myȝte hele half a doseyne.
Why is thi gowne, Jakke,
widder than thi cote,
and thi cloke al above
as round as a belle,
sith taille myȝte serve
to kepe thee from coold?
Jak, answere thou to that oon,
and I shal to that other.
My grete coope that is so wiid,
signefieth charité,
that largeli longith to be sprad
to sibbe and to frende,
figurid in the faire cloith
of Salomons table,
and bi wedding garnement
that Crist hadde at his feeste.
My greet hood behynde,
shapun as a sheeld,
suffraunce in adversitee
sothely it scheweth,
herbi to reseyve repreef
for oure Goddis sake;
or ellis bisynesse of oure feith
it may wel bitokene,
whiche that ȝe Lollardes
constreyne ȝou to distroie.
The scapelarie also
that kevereth the schuldris,
it bitokeneth boxumnesse
dewe unto oure prelatis,
and boxomly bere burthuns
that they wole leyen upon us.
Off the knottide girdel
knowe I no mysterie;
therfore what it meeneth
axe frere menours.
But, Jacke, amonge oure chateryng,
ȝit wolde I wite,
whi that the Lollardis
weren moost greye clothis;
I trowe to shewe the colour
that signefieth symplenesse,
and withinne, seith Crist,
ȝe ben ravenous wolves.
Whi, seist thou, holde we more scilence
in oon hous than another,
sith over al a man is holden
for to seie the goode?
To thi lewide question
Salomon thus answerith,

Est tacens sciens tempus apti temporis, et homo sapiens tacet usque ad tempus; tempus tacendi, tempus loquendi; et iterum, Sicut urbs patens et absque murorum ambitu, ita qui in loquendo non potest cohibere spiritum suum.

Thus perfit scilens
by scripture is approved.
Jakke, if thou undirstonde no Latyn,
go to thi paroche prest,
and undir ȝou bothe, with Goddis grace,
marren ȝe wolen ful yvele.
Whi also ete we no fleish
in every hous iliche,
but chesen therto an hous,
and leeven another?
Jak, if every hous were honest
to ete fleish inne,
than were it honest
to ete in a gonge.
Whi is not thi table sett
in thi cow-stalle?
and whi etist thou not in thi shipun
as wele as in thin halle?
But al is good ynowȝ for thee,
where that evere thou sittist.
Whi with not thi cow make
myry weder in thi dish?
But, Jacke, in this mater
appose thou the monkes;
for thei kepen this serimonie
more streiter than freris.
Moreover thou mevest,
Jak, another mater;
if oure patrouns be perfit,
and oure reule also,
whi renne we to Rome,
to be assoilid of the oth
that we han maad,
and be popis freris?
Jak, summe rennen to Rome,
but mo ther ben at hoom,
and dewli done her dever
aftir that thei han chosen;
and that the Lollardis
forthinken sul soore.
Ȝe wolden that there where oon lesse,
ȝe ȝave nevere tale,
that ȝe myȝten have ȝour reyke
and prechen what ȝou list,
and with ȝour privy pestilence
enpoisoun the peple.
Jak, that Judas was a shrewe,
what was Crist the worse?
and so that summe ben exempt,
and rennen to ȝour ritis,
and summe bi apostasie
ben Sathanas servauntis,
whi shulde owre patrouns
be ever the lasse perfit?