University of Virginia Library

Prologue of Robert Copland copyier and prynter of this boke.

To dyspyse poore folke is not my appetite
Nor suche as lyue/of veray almesdede
But myn intent is onely for to wryte
The mysery of suche as lyue in nede
And all theyr lyfe in ydlenesse dooth lede
Wherby dooth sue suche incōuenyence
That they must ende in meschaunt indygence

Chryst in this worlde ryght pouerte dyde sue
Gyuyng vs example to folowe that degre
Sayng/beati pauperes spiritu
Beati mites/beati mundo corde
Blyssed be they that poore in spyryte be
And ben clene in herte/and meke therwith all
For they shall possede the realme celestyall

They be not poore that haue necessyte
Except therwith they ben ryght well content
Nor they be not ryche that haue grete plente
If that they thynke that they haue competent
And euer pleased with that god hath them sent
For surely it is our lordes ordynaunce
That eche sholde be pleased with suffysaunce

That man that hath more than suffycyent
With goodes at wyll/and dayly dyth encrease
And euer is bare/hungry and indygent
Scrapynge/and snudgynge/without ony cease
Euer coueytynge the mynde hath no pease
But lyueth by rapyne and vsury
And careth not how he cometh therby

---

Eke in dystres/doyng no benyfyte
Letyng the poore/dye in great mysery
His neyghbour in pryson/dooth not vysyte
Nor yet forgyue/small parcell of duety
Wery traueylers/in the stretes let ly
The deed bodyes/without ony buryall
His goodes/his god/a man may full well call

Of suche ryche men recyteth the gospell
Makyng lykenes of impossybylyte
Sayeng that more casyly a great Camell
May passe and go through a nedyls eye
Than a ryche man in heuen for to be
For who so mys vseth that god hath hym sent
with cursed Diues in hell shalbe brent.

These trewāt beggers begging fro place to place
Nor yet these nedy of all maner facyon
These apprentyces that do ren̄e from all grace
These hyred seruaunts that kepe no condycion
Nor all that feyne parfyt deuocyon
Nor many other lyuyng in nede couert
Though they lacke good/be not poore of hert.

Se ye not dayly of all maner estate
How in the lawe they trauers and coniect
How neyghbours do fall at anger and debate
Twene man wyfe eke the lyfe imperfect
The father and chyld/from quyetnes abiect
And all for good/they make eche other smart
Which is a sygne they be not poore of hart.

---

If that our prynce do aske a subsedy
From our ennemyes vs to defend
Or yf our credytours demaund theyr duety
To confesse pouerte than we do pretend
But yf our neyghbour in ought vs offend
Than we fynd money to play ouerthwart
Which is a token we be not poore at hart

How many poore that haue lytell in store
Is content/with his small substaunce
But euer they grudge and wysh for more
To be promoted and haue furtheraunce
The very beggers for theyr pytaunce
From bag and staffe are lothe for to depart
Which is a token they be not poore at hart

Of these two estates there be four degrees
A ryche ryche, a poore poore/a ryche poore also
A poore ryche in all necessytees
The two can agre/but the other no
A proud hert/a beggers purs therto
The ryche purs/and the poore spyryt
May well agre/and be in one parfyt.