Jack Upland :: :: University of Virginia Library

Jack Upland

Langland, William (1330?-1400?)

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Jacke Upland.

The Reply of Friar Daw Topias, with Jack Upland's Rejoinder.

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Jacke Upland.

1401.

I, Jacke Upland, make my mone to very God,
and to all true in Christ,
that Antichrist and his disciples,
by colour of holines,
walking and deceiving Christs church
by many false figures,

where through (by Antichrist and his) many vertues
been transposed to vices.
But the felliest folke
that ever Antichrist found,
been last brought into the church,
and in a woonder wise;
for they been of diverse sects of Antichrist,
sown of diverse countries and kindreds.
And all men knowne well that
they bee not obedient to bishops,
ne leege men to kings;
neither they tillen ne sowen,
weeden ne reapen,
wood, corn, ne grasse,
neither nothing that man should helpe,
but onely themselves,
their lives to susteine.
And these men han all manner power
of God, as they seyn,
in heaven and in yearth,
to sell heaven and hell
to whom that them liketh;
and these wretches weet never
where to been themselves.
And therefore, freer, if thine order and rules
been grounded on Goddis law,
tell thou mee, Jacke Upland,
that I aske of thee,
and if thou be or thinkest to be on Christes side,
keepe thy paciens.
Saint Paule teacheth that all our deedes
should be do in charitie,
and els it is nought worth,
but displeasing to God,
and harme to oure soules.
And for that freers challenge
to be greatest clerkes of the church,

and next following Christ in living,
men should for charitie
ask them some questions,
and pray them to ground their answeres
in reason and holy writ;
for else their answer would nought be woorth,
be it flourished never so faire,
and, as me thinke, men might skilfully
aske thus of a freer.

1.

Freer, how many orders bee in earth?
and which is the perfectest order?
of what order art thou ?
who made thine order?
what is thy rule?
is there any perfecter rule
than Christ himself made?
If Christs rule be most perfect,
why rulest thou thee not thereafter?
Without more, why shal a freer
be more punished,
if he break the rule
that his patron made,
than if he break the hests
that God himself made.

2.

Approveth Christ any more religions
than one that saint James speaketh of?
If hee approveth no more,
why hast thou left his rule,
and takest another?
Why is a freer apostata,
that leveth his order,
and taketh another sect,
sith there is but one religion of Christ?

3.

Why be ye wedded faster to your habits
than a man is to his wife?
For a man may leave his wife for a year or two,
as many men done;

and if you leave your habite a quarter of a yeare,
ye should be holden apostataes.

4.

Maketh your habit you
men of religion or no?
If it doe, then ever as it weareth,
your religion weareth;
and after your habit is better,
your religion is better;
and when yee have liggen it beside,
then lig ye your religion beside you,
and been apostataes.
Why buy ye you so precious clothes,
sith no man seeketh such,
but for vaine glorie,
as saint Gregorie sayth?
What betokeneth your great hood,
your scaplerie,
your knotted girdle,
and your wide cope?

5.

Why use ye all one colour
more than other christian men doe?
What betokeneth that ye been clothed
all in one manner clothing?
If yee say it betokeneth
love and charitie,
certes then ye be oft hypocrites,
when any of you hateth another,
and in that that ye wol be said holy
by your clothing.
Why may not a freer weare clothing
of another sect of freers,
sith holinesse stondeth not
in the cloths?

6.

Why hold ye silence in one house
more than another,
sith men ought over all to speake the good
and leave the evill?

Why eat you flesh in one house
more than in another,
if your rule and your order be perfect,
and the patron that made it?

7.

Why get ye your dispensations
to have it more easie?
Certes either it seemeth
that yee be unperfect,
or he that made it so hard,
that ye may not hold it.
And siker, if ye hold not
the rule of your patrons,
ye be not then her freers,
and so ye lie upon your selves.

8.

Why make you as dede men,
when yee be professed,
and yet ye be not dede,
but more quicke beggars than you were before?
And it seemeth evil a dede man
to go about and beg.

9.

Why will ye not suffer
your novises hear
your councels in your chapter house,
ere that they have ben professed,
if your councels been true
and after Gods law?

10.

Why make yee so costly houses
to dwell in, sith Christ did not so,
and dede men should have but graves,
as falleth it to dede men?
And yet ye have more courts
than many lords of England;
for ye now wenden throgh the realme,
and ech night will lig
in your own courts,
and so mow but right few lords doe.

11.

Why heire you to ferme

your limitors,
giving therefore each yeare
a certain rent,
and will not suffer one
in anothers limitation,
right as yee were your selves
lords of countries?
Why be ye not under your bishops visitations,
and leege men to our king?
Why aske ye no letters of bretherheads
of other mens praiers,
as ye desire that other men
should aske letters of you?
If your letters be good,
why grant ye them not generally
to all maner of men,
for the more charitie?

12.

Mowe ye make any man
more perfect brether for your prayers,
than God hath by our beleeve,
by our baptisme and his owne grant?
If ye mow, certes,
then ye be above God.
Why make ye men beleeve
that your golden trentall sung of you,
to take therefore ten shillings,
or at least five shillings
will bring soules out of hell,
or out of purgatorie?
If this be sooth, certes,
yee might bring all soules out of paine;
and that wol ye nought,
and then ye be out of charitie.

13.

Why make ye men beleeve
that he that is buried
in your habit
shal never come in hel,

and ye weet not of your selfe
whether yee shall to hell or no?
And if this were sooth,
ye should sell your high houses
to make many habites
for to save many mens soules.

14.

Why steal ye mens children
for to make hem of your sect,
sith that theft is against Gods hests,
and sith your sect is not perfect?
Yee know not whether the rule that yee bind him to
be best for him or worst.

15.

Why underneme yee not your brethren
for their trespasse after the law of the gospell,
sith that underneming
is the best that may be?
But ye put them in prison oft,
when they do after Gods law;
and by saint Augustines rule,
if any doe amisse,
and would not amend him,
ye should put him from you.

16.

Why coveit ye shrift and burying
of other mens parishens,
and none other sacrament
that falleth to christian folke?
Why busie ye not to heare
to shrift of poore folke,
as well as of rich,
lordes and ladies,
sith they mow have more plentie
of shrift-fathers than poore folke mow?
Why say ye not the gospel
in houses of bedred men,
as ye do in rich mens,
that mowe goe to church and heare the gospell?
Why covet you not to burie

poor folk among you,
sith that they been most holy,
as ye saine that ye ben for your povertie ?

17.

Why will ye not be at her diriges,
as ye have ben at rich mens,
sith God praiseth him more
than he doth other men?
What is thy prayer worth,
sith thou wilt take therefore?
For all chapmen yee need to bee most wise
for dread of simonie.
What cause hast thou that thou wilt not preach the gospel,
as God saith that thou sholdst,
sith it is the best lore.
and also our beleeve?
Why be ye evill apaid
that secular priestes
should preach the gospell,
sith God himselfe hath bodden hem?

18.

Why hate ye the gospell to be preached,
sith ye be so much hold therto?
For ye win more by yeare
with In principio,
than with all the rules
that ever your patrones made.
And in this minstrels
ben better than ye;
for they contrarien not
to the mirths that they maken,
but yee contrarien the gospell,
both in word and deed.

19.

Freer, when thou receivest a penie
for to say a masse,
whether sellest thou Gods bodie for that penie,
or thy praier, or els thy travell?
If thou saiest thou wolt not travell
for to say the masse but for the penie,

that certes if this be sooth,
then thou lovest too litle meed for thy soule;
and if thou sellest Gods bodie, other thy prayer,
then it is very simonie,
and art become a chapman worse than Judas,
that sold it for thirtie pence.

20.

Why writest thou hir names in thy tables
that yeveth thee mony,
sith God knoweth al thing?
For it semeth by thy writing
that God would not reward him,
but thou writest in thy tables,
God would els forgotten it.
Why bearest thou God in hand,
and slanderest him,
that he begged for his meat,
sith he was lord over all?
For then had he beene unwise,
to have begged and have no need thereto.
Freer, after what lawe
rulest thou thee?
Where findest thou in Gods lawe
that thou shouldest thus beg?

21.

What manner men
needeth for to beg?
For whom oweth
such men to beg?
Why beggest thou
so for thy bretheren?
If thou saiest, for they have need,
then thou doest it for the more perfection,
or els for the least,
or els for the meane.
If it be the most perfection of all,
then should all thy brethren do so,
and then no man needed
to beg but for him self,

for so should no man beg
but he needed.
And if it be the least perfection,
why lovest thou then other men
more than thyselfe?
For so thou art not well in charitie,
since thou shouldest seek the more perfection,
after thy power living
thy self most after God;
and thus leaving that imperfection,
thou shouldest not so beg for them.
And if it is a good mean,
thus to beg as thou doest,
then should no man do so,
but they been in this good meane;
and yet such a mean granted to you may never
be grounded on Gods law,
for then both lerid and leaud
that ben in meane degree of this world,
should go about
and beg as ye do.
And if all should do so,
certes well nigh all the world
should go about
and beg as ye done,
and so should there be ten beggers
against one yever.
Why procurest thou men
to yeve the their almes,
and saiest it is so needful,
and thou wilt not thy selfe
win thee that meed.

22.

Why wilt thou not beg
for poore bedred men
that bin poorer
than any of your sect,
that liggen and mow not go about

to help him selfes ?
Sith we be all brethren in God,
and that bretherhed passeth
any other that ye
or any man could make.
And where most need were,
there were most perfection;
either els yee hold them
not your pure brethren,
but worse, but then ye be
unperfect in your begging.
Why make ye so many
maisters among you,
sith it is against the teaching
of Christ and his apostles?

23.

Whose ben all your rich courts that yee han,
and all your rich jewels,
sith ye seyen that ye han nought
ne in proper ne in common?
If ye saine they ben the popes,
why gather yee then of poore men and lords
so much out of the kings hand
to make your pope rich,
And sith ye sain that it is great perfection
to have nought in proper ne in common,
why bee ye so fast about to make
the pope, that is your father, rich,
and put on him imperfection?
Sithen ye saine
that your goods been all his,
and he should by reason
be the most perfect man,
it seemeth openlich
that ye been cursed children
so to slander your father
and make him imperfect.
And if yee saine that the goods be yours,

then do ye ayenst your rule.
And if it be not ayenst your rule,
then might ye have
both plough and cart,
and labour as other good men done,
and not so to beg by losengery,
and idle, as ye done.
If yee say that it is more perfection to beg,
than to travell or to worch with your hand,
why preach ye not openly,
and teach all men to do so,
sith it is the best and most perfect life
to the help of their soules,
as ye make children to beg,
that might have bin rich heirs?
Why make ye not
your feasts to poore men,
and yeveth him yefts,
as yee done to the rich,
sith poore men han
more need than the rich?
What betokeneth that ye goe
tweine and tweine togither?
If ye be out of charitie,
ye accord not in soule.
Why beg ye and take salaries therto
more than other priests,
sith hee that most taketh,
most charge hath?

24.

Why hold ye not saint Francis
rule and his testament,
sith Francis saith that God shewed him
this living and this rule?
and certes, if it were Gods will,
the pope might not fordo it,
or els Francis was a lier,
that saied in this wise.

And but this testament that he made
accord with Gods will,
or els erred, he is a lier,
that were out of charitie;
and as the law saith, he is accursed
that letteth the rightful last wil of a dead man.
And this testament is the last will
of Francis that is a dead man;
it seemeth therefore
that all his freers been cursed.

25.

Why will ye not touch no coined money
with the crosse ne with the kings head,
as ye done other jewels
both of gold and silver?
Certes if ye despise the crosse,
or the kings head,
then ye be worthy to be despised
of God and the King;
and sith ye will receive money
in your hearts, and not with your hands,
it seemeth that ye hold more holinesse
in your hands than in your hearts,
and then be false to God.

26.

Why have ye exempt you from our kings lawes,
and visiting of our bishops,
more than other christen men
that liven in this realme,
if ye be not guiltie of traitorie to our realme,
or trespassers to your bishops?
But ye will have the kings lawes
for the trespasse doe to you,
and ye wil have power of other bishops
more than other priests,
and also have leave to prison your brethren,
as lords in your courts,
more than other folks han
that ben the kings leege men.

27.

Why shal some sect of you freers
pay ech a yere a certaine
to her generall provinciall or minister,
or els to her sovereines,
but if he steal a certaine number
of children, as some men saine?
And certes, if this ben sooth,
then yee bee constreined upon certein pain
to do theft, against Gods commaundement,
Non furtum facies.

28.

Why be ye so hardie to grant by letters
of fraternitie to men and women,
that they shall have part and merite
of all your good deedes?
And ye weten never whether God bee apayed
with your deeds, because of your sinne.
Also yee witten never whether that man or woman
be in state to bee saved or damned,
then shall he have no merit in heaven
for his owne deeds ne for none other mans.
And all were it so that he should have
part of your good deeds,
yet should hee have no more that God would give him
after that he were worthie;
and so much shall each man have of God's yeft,
without your limitation.
But if ye will say that ye been Gods fellowes,
and that he may nought doe
without your assent,
then ye be blasphemers to God.

29.

What betokeneth
that yee have ordeined,
that when such one as ye have made
your brother or sister,
and hath a letter of your seale,
that letter nought bee brought in your holye chapter,

and there be rad,
or els yee will not pray for him.
And but ye willen pray especially
for all other that were not made
your brethren or sistren,
then were ye not in right charitie,
for that ought to be common,
and semely in ghostly things.

30.

Freer, what charitie is this,
to overcharge the people by mightie begging,
under colour of preaching,
or praying, or masses singing?
Sith holy write biddeth not thus,
but even the contrarie;
for all such ghostly deedes should be done frely,
as God yeveth them freely.

31.

Freer, what charitie is this,
to beguile children
or they commen to discretion,
and bind hem to your orders,
that ben not grounded in Gods law,
agains hir friends will?
Sithen by this follie been many apostataes,
both in will and deed,
and many beene apostataes in hir will
during all her life,
that would gladly be discharged,
if they wist how;
and so many ben apostataes,
that shoulden in other states have been true men.

32.

Freer, what charitie is this,
to make so many freers
in every country,
to the charge of the people?
Sith persons and vicars alone,
ye, secular priests alone,
ye, monkes and cannons alone,

with bishops above them,
were ynough to the church
to doe the priests office.
And to adde more than ynough,
is a foule errour,
and great charge to the people,
and this openly against Gods will,
that ordained all thyngs
to be done in weight, number, and measure.
And Christ himselfe was apaied
with twelve apostles and a fewe disciples,
to preach and doe priests office
to all the whole world;
then was it better doe than is nowe at this time,
by a thousand dele.
And right so as foure fingers
with a thombe in a mans hand
helpeth a man to worch,
and double number of fingers in one hand
should let him more;
and so the more number that there were
passing the measure of Gods ordinaunce,
the more were a man letted to worch;
right so, as it seemeth,
it is of these new orders
that ben added to the church,
without ground of holy write and Gods ordinance.

33.

Freer, what charity is this,
to the people to lie,
and say that ye follow Christ in povertie
more than other men done?
And yet in curious and costly housing,
and fine and precious clothing,
and delicious and liking feeding,
and in treasure and jewels,
and rich ornaments,
freers passen lords
and other rich worldly men,

and soonest they should bring
her cause about,
be it never so costly,
though Gods law be put abacke.

34.

Freer, what charitie is this,
to gather up the books of holy write,
and put hem in tresorie,
and so emprison them
from secular priestes and curats,
and by this cautell
let hem to preach the gospell
freely to the people
without worldly meed,
and also to defame
good priests of heresie,
and lien on hem openly,
for to let hem to show Gods law
by the holy gospell
to the Christian people.

35.

Freer, what charitie is this,
to faine so much holines
in your bodily clothing,
that ye clepe your habit,
that many blind fools desiren to die therein
more than in another?
And also that a freer that leveth his habit,
late founden of men,
may not be assoiled
till he take it againe,
but is apostata, as ye saine,
and cursed of God and man both?
The freer beleeveth truth and patience,
chastitie, meeknesse, and sobrietie,
yet for the more part of his life
he may soon be assoiled of his prior;
and if he bring home to his house
much good by the yeare,
bee it never so falsely

begged and pilled
of the poore and needie people
in countries about,
he shall be hold a noble freer;
o Lord, whether this be charitie!

36.

Freer, what charity is this,
to prease upon a rich man,
and to intice him to be buried among you
form his parish church,
and to such rich men give letters of fraternitie,
confirmed by your generall seale,
and therby to bear him in hand,
that he shal have part of all your masses,
mattens, preachings,
fastings, wakings,
and all other good deeds
done by your brethren of your order,
both whilest he liveth,
and after that he is dead;
and yet ye witten never whether your deeds
be acceptable to God,
ne whether that man
that hath that letter
be able by good living
to receive any part of your deeds.
And yet a poore man,
that ye wite well or supposen in certen
to have no good of,
ye ne given to such letters,
though he be a better man to God
than such a rich man.
Neverthelesse this poore man
doth not retch therof;
for as men supposen,
such letters, and many other
that freers behoten to men,
be full false deceits of freers,

out of all reason,
and Gods law,
and Christian mens faith.

37.

Freer, what charitie is this,
to be confessors of lords and ladies,
and to other mightie men,
and not amend hem in hir living?
but rather, as it seemeth,
to be the bolder
to pill hir poore tenants,
and to live in lechery;
and there to dwell in your office of confessor
for winning of worldlie goods,
and to be hold great
by colour of such ghostly offices?
This seemeth rather pride of freers,
than charitie of God.

38.

Freer, what charitie is this,
to fain that who so liveth after your order,
liveth most perfectlie
and next followeth the state of apostles
in povertie and penance;
and yet the wisest and greatest clerkes of you
wend and send or procure to the court of Rome,
to be made cardinals or bishops
of the popes chaplens,
and to be assoiled of the vow of povertie
and obedience to your ministers;
in the which, as ye sain, standeth most perfection
and merit of your orders;
and thus ye faren as Pharisees
that sain one and do another to the contrarie,
Why name ye more
the patron of your order
in your Confiteor,
when ye begin masse,
than other saints,

apostles, or martyrs,
that holy church hold[eth]
more glorious than hem,
and clepe hem your patrons
and your avowries?
Freer, whether was saint Francis
in making of his rule that he set thine order in,
a foole and a liar,
or else wise and true?
If ye sain that he was not a foole, but wise,
ne a liar, but true,
why shew ye contrarie by your doing,
when by your suggestion to the pope
ye said that your rule that Francis made
was so hard,
that ye mow not live to hold it,
without declaration and dispensation of the pope?
And so by your deed,
ne let your patron a foole,
that made a rule so hard
that no man may well keepe;
and eke your deed prooveth him a liar,
where he saith in his rule,
that he tooke and learned it
of the Holy Ghost;
for how might ye for shame pray the pope
undo that the Holy Ghost bit,
as when ye prayed him to dispense
with the hardnesse of your order?
Freer, which of the foure orders
of friers is best,
to a man that knoweth not
which is the best,
but would faine enter into
the best, and none other?
If thou saiest that thine is the best,
then saiest thou that none of the other

is as good as thine;
and in this ech freer in the three other orders
wooll say that thou liest,
for in the self same maner ech other freer
wooll say that his order is best.
And thus to ech of the foure orders
bin the other three contrary in this point,
in the which if any say sooth,
that is one alone,
for there may be but one
be the best of foure.
So followeth it that if ech of these orders
answered to this question as thou doest,
three were false, and but one true,
and yet no man should wite who that were.
And thus it seemeth that the most part
of freers bin or should be
liars in this point,
and they should answere thereto.
If you say that another order of the freers
is better than thine, or as good,
why tooke ye not rather thereto as to the better,
when thou mightst have chose at the begining /
And eke why shouldst thou be an apostata,
to leave thine order and take thee to that is better,
and so why goest thou not
from thine order into that?
Freer, is there any perfecter
rule of religion
than Christ Gods sonne gave
in his gospell to his brethren?
or than that religion that saint James
in his epistle maketh mention of?
If you say yes, then puttest thou on Christ,
that is the wisedom of God the Father,
unkunning, unpower,
and evill will:

for then he could not make his rule
so good as an other did his,
and so he had be unkunning;
that he might not so make
his rule so good
as another man might,
and so were he unmightie, and not God;
as he would not make his rule
so perfect as another did his,
and so he had bin evill willed,
namely to himselfe.
For if he might and could,
and would have made a rule perfect,
without default, and did not,
he was not Gods Sonne almighty.
For if any other rule
be perfecter than Christes,
then must Christes rule
lacke of that perfection,
by as much as the other
weren more perfecter;
and so were default, and Christ had failed
in making of his rule;
but to put any default or failing in God
is blasphemie.
If thou say that Christes rule,
and that religion
which saint James maketh mention of,
is perfectest,
why holdest thou not
thilke rule without more?
And why clepest thou the rather
of saint Francis or saint Dominiks rule,
or religion or order,
than of Christes rule or Christes order?
Freer, canst thou any default assigne
in Christes rule of the gospell,

with the which he taught all men
sikerly to be saved,
if they kept it to her ending?
If thou say it was too hard,
then saiest thou Christ lied;
for he said of his rule,
“My yoke is soft and my burden light.”
If thou say Christes rule
was too light;
that may be assigned for no default,
for the better it may be kept.
If thou saist that there is no default
in Christes rule of the gospell,
sith Christ himself saith
it is light and easie,
what need was it to patrons of freers
to adde more thereto,
and so to make an harder religion to save freers
than was the religion of Christes apostles,
and his disciples helden,
and were saved by?
But if they woulden that her freers
saten above the apostles.
in heaven for the harder religion
that they keepen here,
so would they sitten in heaven above Christ himselfe,
for their more and streict observations,
then so should they be better
than Christ himslef, with mischance.
Go now foorth, and fraine your clerks,
and ground ye you in Gods law,
and gif Jacke an answer;
and when ye han assoiled me
that I have said sadly,
in truth I shall soile thee
of thine orders,
and save thee to heaven.

If freers kun not, or mow not,
excuse hem of these questions asked of hem,
it seemeth that they be horrible giltie
against God and her even christian;
for which gilts and defaults
it were worthy that the order,
that they cal their order,
were fordone.
And it is woonder that men susteine hem,
or suffer hir live in such maner.
For holie write biddeth
that thou do well to the meeke,
and give not to the wicked,
but forbed to give hem bread,
least they be made thereby
mightier through you.

The Reply of Friar Daw Topias, with Jack Upland's Rejoinder.
[_]

Square brackets denote editorial insertions or emendations

1401.

Ho shal graunten to myn eye
a strong streme of teres,
to wailen and to wepyn

the sorwynge of synne?
for charité is chasid
and flemed out of londe,
and every state stakerth
unstable in him silfe.
Now apperid the prophecie
that seint Joon seide,
to joyne therto Johel
in his soth sawis;
the moone is al blodi
and dymme on to lokyn,
that signefieth lordship
forslokend in synne;
the sterres ben on erthe throwun
and fallen to the erthe,
and so is the comounté
treuli oppressid;
the sunne is eclipsid
with al his twelve pointes,
by erroure and heresie,
that rengnith in the chirche.

Now is oure bileve laft
and Lollardi growith;
envie is enhaunsid
and aproched to preestes,
that shulden enforme her flok
and ground in Goddes lawe,
to love her God sovereynli,
and sithen her brothir.
Bot not for thanne now is tauȝt
hindring of states,
and pursuynge of poverte,
that Crist hath approved.
Now is that seed of cisme
sowen in the chirche;
the whete fadith with the floure,
oure fode is for to feche.
Ffoxes frettid in fere
wasten the cornes,
and Cristes vine is vanishid
to the verray rote.
Now Achor spoilith Jerico,
and lyveth of the thefte;
and so lyven this Lollardis

in her fals fablis.
Datan and Abiron
and Chorees children,
with newe senceres ensencen
the auters of synne.
Baal preestes ben bolde
sacrifice to make,
and mortel maladi
crepith in as a canker;
and thus is Jak Uplond
fodid with folie,
and thourȝ formyng of his formere
thus freyneth a frere.
On wounder wise, seith Jak,
freres, ȝe ben growun;
sowen in ȝoure sectes
of Anticristis hondes;
unboxom to bishopis,
not lege men to kynges;
wede corn ne gras
wil ȝe not hewen,
ne lyven with Jakke in labour,
but al to ȝour ese.

Jak, thi formur is a fole,
that thus thee hath yfourmed,
to make so lewid an argument
aȝens so many freres,
that better knowen liȝtles
her doctours and her bible,
than he can rede his troper
bi a long torche.
But, Jak, thouȝ thi questions
semen to thee wyse,
ȝit liȝtly a lewid man
maye leyen hem a water;
ffor summe ben lewid, summe ben shrewid
summe falsli supposid;
and therfore shal no maister,
ne no man of scole,
be vexid with thy maters,
but a lewid frere
that men callen frere Daw Topias,
as lewid as a leke,
to medelin with thi malice
as longe as thou wolt.
That we ben not lege men,
Jak, lowde thou lyest;
ffor lenger than we lyven so,
abide we not in londe,
the sotil witt of wyse men
shulde temte us wel soone,
and fleme us from felowshipe,

and done us of dawe.
We obeien to bishopes,
as boxomnesse askith,
althouȝȝ not so fer forth
as seculer preestes;
ffor holy chirche hath us hent
and happid with grace,
to were us from wederes
of wynteres stormes,
wede corn ne gras
have we not to hewen,
ne with Jakke Uplond
ferme the dikes;
althouȝ Poul in his pistele
laborers preise,
displesith him not the preestes
that syngen her masses.
For riȝt as in thi bodi, Jake
ben ordeyned thin hondis,
ffor thin heed and for thi feet
and for thin eyen to wirken,

riȝt so the comoun peple
God hath disposid,
to laboren for holi chirche
and lordshipis also.
A! for-writhen serpent,
thi wyles ben aspied,
with a thousand wrynkels
thou vexed many soules;
thi malice is so michel,
thou maist not for-hele,
but thi venym with vehemens
thou spittist al at ones.

Thou seist we ben confounders
of prelates and of lordes;
but, Jakke, bi my lewté,
lowde thou lyest;
ffor telle me, bi oure counseile
what lord hath ben confoundid?
or what prelat of ony pepil
put in ony peril?
But sith that wickide worme,
Wiclyf be his name,
began to sowe the seed
of cisme in the erthe,
sorowe and shendship
hath awaked wyde,
in lordship and prelacie
hath growe the lasse grace.
Jak, thou seist with symonye
the seven sacramentes we sellen,

and preien for no men
but ȝif thei willen paien.
God wote, Jakke, thou sparist
here the sothe,
and, er we departen us asoundre,
it shal wel be shewid.
But oon is the sacrament
that we han to dispensen
off penaunce to the peple
whan nede askith.
I trowe it be thi paroche preest,
Jacke, that thou meenest,
that nyl not hosel his parischens
til the peny be paied,
ne assoilen hem of her synne
withouten schrift silver.
Jakke, of thi foli
thou feynest fife erores,
and ȝit ben ther but foure
foundid in the lawe,
ffalsly as thou seist
and soone shal be distroied.
Jakke, thi lewid prophecie
I preise not at a peese.
Somme fantasie of Fiton

hath marrid thi mynde;
thou prophete of Baal,
thi God is aslepe;
the goodnesse of the grost
may not liȝten upon thee.
Whi presumyst thou so proudli
to prophecie these thingis?
and wost no more what thou blaberest
than Balames asse.
Thou mayntenist in thi mater
that matrimony thus we marre;
but this arowe shal turne aȝen
to him that it sent,
ffor thou and thi secte,
sothli ȝe schenden,
in as moche as ȝe may,
the sacramentis seven,
and reles of synne
and grauntyng of grace,
and Cristis bitter passioun
ȝe sette not at an hawe.
Who marrith more matrimonie,
ȝe or the freris,

with wrenchis and wiles
wynnen mennes wyves,
and maken hem scolers
of the newe scole,
and reden hem her forme
in the lowe chaier?
To maken hem profit in ȝour lawe
thei rede ȝour rounde rollis,
and callen hem forth her lessouns
with, “Sister, me nedith.”

Jak, thou seist that we bilden
the castels of Caym.
It is Goodis hous, oold schrewe,
that we ben aboute,
to mayntenen his servauntis
to singe and to reden,
and bidden for the peple,
as we ben beholden.
Clerkis sein that Salomon
made a solempne temple,

and ȝit was it bot figure
of oure newe chirche,
that ech holi hous that Crist
him silf in dwellith.

Jak, thou seist ful serpentli,
and sowdiours us thou callist,
sette for oure sutilté
in Anticristis vaunwarde.
Crist in the gospel
rehersith a rewle,
how ech man shal be knowun
oonli bi his werkes;

and if we were founden
on Anticristis side,
oure werkes shulden shewen,
Jakke, ful soone.
The werkes of Anticrist
pursuen oure bileve,
so do the disciplis
of ȝour sori secte,
shending the sacramentes,
salve to oure soris.
Who tytheth bot ȝe
the anet and the mente,
sterching ȝour faces,
to be holden holi,
blaunchid graves
ful of dede bones,
wanderynge weder-cokkes,
with every wynd waginge;
the spiritis of the devel
mateyn ȝoure tokenys,
thourȝ quenching of torches in ȝou tayl-ende

Ȝe resseyve ȝour wisdom;
ȝoure preching is perilouse,
it poiseneth sone,
as honyed venym
it crepit in swot.
Jak, in the Apocalypse
ful pertli ȝe be peintid,
whan the seven angels
blowun there seven trompis,
to warne Anticristis meyné
of our Lordes comyng,
with her sterne stormes
astonye al the erthe,
reve men of her rest,
and ferli hem afefe.
The first angel with his blast
he noieth ful sore,
hayl and fier he myngit with blood
he sendith to the erthe,
by the tokenyng that ȝour preching, Jak,
makith obstinat hertis.
Ȝour daliaunce inducit
ire and envie.
Who ben more Fariseis
than hinderers of soulis,

the which in her interpretacion
divisioun ben callid;
and ȝour teching in an hour
wil breke mo love-daies,
than ȝe mowe brynge togidere
vij. ȝere after.
The secounde aungel wit his blast
smytith with drede,
and an huge hill is sent adoun
into the salt water;
the thridde party of creaturis
ben bitter therof,
ffor Sathanas by ȝour sawes
is sent into soulis,
that ben ful unsavery,
and saltid by synne.
The bitternesse of ȝour bacbityng
brewith many bales.
The thridde angel sent doun
a sterre from heven,
bremli brennynge as a bround,
wermode it was callid;
wermode, Jak, moost verreli
was Wiclif, ȝour maister,
withinne in his begynnynge
litht lemed he by cunnynge,

but aftir with wrong wrytyng
he wrouȝte mykil care,
and presumynge perilously
foul fel fro the chirche,
missaverynge of the sacrament,
infectyng many other.
Thus brenneth he ȝit as a bronde,
consumyng many soulis,
that in her hard obstinacy
growen schides of helle.
Maximine ne Maniché nevere
wrouȝten more wrake.
Therfore from wele is he went,
and woo mote him wrynge.
The iiije aungel with his blast
smytith riȝt smerte;
the iij. party of the sonne
with dymmenes is dirked,
off the moone and of the sterres,
and of the day also;
and the egle in the eyre
thries vœ! wescheth.

The sonne is holy chirche,
and lordship the moone,
the sterres ben the comuns,
as I seid bifore,
and alle these ben alured
to ȝoure sory secte;
and summe of ech of these astates
ben privyly apoisond.
Therfore thries vœ!
is manassid upon ȝou,
ffor three manere of synnes
that comunly ȝe usen;
vœ for envye, vœ for ipocrisie,
and vœ for ȝour leccherie.
Whan the first angel blew,
ther was a pit opend,
ther rose smotheryng smoke,
and brese therinne,
alle thei weren lich horses
araied into bataile,
thei stongen as scorpioun,
and hadden mannis face,
tothed as a lioun,
with haburjouns of iren.
This pitte is the depnes,
Jak, of ȝour malice;
the smorthering smoke
is ȝour dymme doctrine,
that flieth out from the flawmes

of the develis malice,
that troublith and blindith
the iȝen of mannis resoun.
The breses ben not ellis
but Anticristis menye,
with short legges bifore
and longe bihinde;
the which pretenden first
mekenesse of herte,
and aftir rysyng to arrogaunce,
disdeynynge al other.
That ȝe ben lyke scorpions,
signefieth not ellis,
but that ȝe flateren aforn,
and venym casten bihinde.
Ȝe ben also lich horses
redy into bateil,
by woodnesse and foolhardinesse
for heresie to dien.
Ȝe ben tothed as lyoun
by stynkyng detraccion.
Ȝour haburjons that ȝe han upon,
ben cauteles and sleiȝtes.
ech intrikid in other,
to snarre symple soules;
but that thei ben of iren,
obstinacie is shewid,
ffor the which with Farao
in helle ȝe wil be dampned.

In the siȝt of aungels blast
foure aungels there were lousid,
the whiche were redye bothe day and nyȝte
men for to noien,
to sleen the ferthe part of men
with fiyr, smoke, and brymstone.
Ffoure angels singnefien
foure general synnes,
sett up bi sir Adam, Jakke,
among ȝour maistris,
cediciouns, supersticions,
the glotouns, and the proude.
Poerte preamblis to presse
aforne Anticristis comyng,
to sleen the thridde party of men
with ther deedly dartis
off envie, pride,
and leschry stynkynge.
Ffor sum ben perfit, sum ben yvel,
sum ben unstable;
the perfit wole not ben hirt,
the yvel ben al redy,
but thei that ben unstable
resseyven the strokes,
and thei ben clepid the thridde part
of hem that ben dede.
The seventhe angel blew his trumpe,
and noise in heven was made,

that the kyngdom of this world
shulde falle to Cristis hondis;
betokenyng that thouȝ Anticrist,
with his myȝti meyné,
shulde for a short tyme
by tirantrie intrusyve,
ȝit shal God gader his flok togider,
and rengne without eende.
Jak, thus to dubby with scripture,
me thinkith grete folie;
ffor as lewid am I as thou,
God wote the sothe,
I know not an a
from the wynd-mylne,
ne a b from a bole foot,
I trowe, ne thi silf nother;
and ȝit for al my lewidhed,
I can wel undirstonde
that this prevy processe
perteneth to ȝour secte,
and we as giltles therof,
as ȝe of Cristis blessyng.
It ar ȝe that stonden bifore,
in Anticristis vauwarde,
and in the myddil and in the rerewarde,
ful bigly enbatailid.

The devel is ȝour duke,
and pride berith the baner;
wraththe is ȝoure gunner,
envie is ȝour archer,
ȝour coveitise castith fer,
ȝour leccherie brennith,
glotony giderith stickes therto,
and sleuthe myneth the wallis,
malice is ȝour men of armes,
and trecherie is ȝour aspie.
Thus semith that ȝe more than we
be Anticristis frendis.
Jak, of perfite pacience holilich
holy chirche thou me prechist,
to kep it if I will sitte
on Cristis owne side;
but, good Jak, herdist thou evere
how judicare cam into crede?
no more skil thou canst of paciens, Jak,
so God me spede,
ffor thi schreude herte and he
ben as afere asundir
as Lucifer is from heven,
and Gabriel from helle,
the which, as many man suposis,
shal nevere mete togider.

On old Englis it is said,
unkissid is unknowun,
and many men speken of Robyn Hood,
and shotte nevere in his bowe.

Now, Jak, to thi questions,
nedes me moste answer,
althouȝ thei wanten sentence
and good thrift bothe.
Which is the moost perfit ordre,
Jakke, thou askist,
and how many ordres
ther ben in erthe.
Off what ordre art thou, frere,
and who made thin ordre?
iff thou wolt have the hiȝest ordre,
seke it in heven,
in the blessid Trinité
that fourmed us alle,
where flowith the Sunne from the Fadir,
the Holigost from hem bothe;
noon gretter in degré,
no more perfite than other,
but the ordre that there is,
is in her proceding;
and if we comen lower,
there finde we holy angels,

stablid in iij. ierarchies,
dividid in ordres nyne.
Seraphin he is the sovereynest,
in charité he brennith;
and of al ordris in erthe
y holde preesthood the hiȝest,
that han the principal partis of men,
and kingis han the bodies;
and this is the popes decré
in comoun lawe.
But peraunter, Jak, thou menest
of religious ordre,
of templeres, hospitalers,
chanouns, monkes, and freres,
Jak, in this mater,
loke seint Thomas bokes,
and thei shal thee techen

and enfourme at the fulle.
How many ordris ther ben
can I not telle,
but if y cowde calkyn
al manere kyndes,
ffor to loken how many kyndes
oure Lord hath yfourmed.
But evermore betwene two and two, Jak,
thou shalt fynden ordre.
Off what ordre I am,
and who made myn ordre,
Jakke, fast thou fraynest,
and fayn woldist wite.
I am of Cristis ordre, Jak,
and Crist made myn ordre,
ensaumple in the gospel,
in many sondry place,
ffor who tauȝte obedience,
chastiti, and poverte?
Hopist thou not it was Crist,
and fulfillid in him silf,
in which ech religion
perfitli is groundid,
reversynge the soorie synnes

notid of the postle,
lust of fleich and lust of iȝe,
and pride in oure lyvynge.
On this three, Jak, by my ewté,
is groundid al ȝour colege.
Iff I breke myn ordre,
I breke Goddis lawe,
and if I be punishid for that oon,
I am ponishid for that other.
Bot the contrarie of this, Jak,
thou falsly afermest.
If ony religioun be more perfit,
than techith seint Jame, Jacke boy,
either more appreved of God,
fayne thou woldist witen.
Iff I seie thee, thou askist
where it is foundid;
and if y nayt seie not that thou seist,
thus thou procedist.
Thou seist that I contrarie
Cristis owne rewles,
bidinge ȝeve to be pore
in peyne of dampnacion,
and we piken from the pore and riche

al that we may geten.
Jak, thou shewist sikirli,
what scole thou hast ben inne,
of sutiltee of arguyng
me thinkith thi brayn ful thinne.
Go grees a shoep undir the taile,
that semeth the beter
than with sotil sillogismes
to parbrake thi witt.
Jack, in James pistles
al religioun is groundid,
ffor there is maad mencion
of two perfit lyves,
that actif and contemplatif
comounli ben callid,
ffulli figurid by Marie
and Martha hir sister,
by Peter and bi Joon,
by Rachel and by Lya.
Thes lyves ben groundid in charité
by diverse degrees,
by men of professiouns
makyng sundri religiouns,
and evident ensaumple
moun techen us the waye.

Ffor sum fleen from the world,
and closen hem silf in wallis,
and steken hem in stones,
and litil wole thei speken,
to fleen sich occasiouns
as foly wole fynden;
and these we clepen ancres
in the comoun speche.
Also in contemplacion
there ben many other
that drawen hem to disert,
and drye myche peyne;
by eerbis, rootes, and fruyte lyven,
for her Goddis love;
and this manere of folk
men callen heremytes.
The thridde degree there is,
not for to be dispisid,
off sich as ben gaderid
in coventis togidere;
off the which men spekith
David in his psalmis,
sith he seith how merie it is
to dwelle togidere;

the which for worldly combraunce
kepen in cloistris,
on hert and oon soule
havyng with the apostlis;
and this clepe we monasticale,
that kendly is knowun.
Mo, Jak, in contemplacion
ther be diverse degrees;
and after that charité growith in hem,
the more is her mede.
Off actif lyf y shulde thee tellen,
yf that y hadde tyme,
and shewen how men by charité ben holden
to helpe her bretheren;
somme with paynymes for to fiȝte,
oure feith to defende;
somme for to make purvyaunce
for seke and for pore;
somme for to preche to the puple
aftir her synne askith;
and somme in bothe lyves
laboren full soore,
liche unto the angels
in Jacobus ladder.

See now, Jak, thi silf,
how these bothe lyves
opinli ben expressid
in the epistle of James:
cleen religioun it is, he seith,
to visite the widewis,
the fadirles and the modirles,
to actif lyf expressid,
and undefoulid us to kepen
from al worldly werkes.
Byhold of contemplacioun
opinli he spekith;
so this may be resonably
the conclusioun of my tale,
that no religion more is
than techith sent Jame.

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?

I praise not, Dawe, the stremerre
that thou herof spekest;
bot of suche wide clothing,
tateris and tagges,
it hirtith myn hert hevyly,
I wil that thou it wite.
Bot ȝour ypocrites habit,
to whiche ȝe ben harde weddid,
doth more harm than thes,
bi thes two skilles;
oon for the coloure,
that signifieth sadnes,
whan ȝe ben most unstedfast
of any folk in erthe;
another for ȝour difformed shap,
that signifieth ȝour holines;
so if it be soth
that ȝe therof saye,
it wold with litil help
make an ape a seint.
The tipet is a comyn reule,
if it be not superflue,
and so it doth gode
to bynde a mannes hede;
bot ȝour misse shapen shelde
bihynde at ȝour shulderes,
blowith ȝour ypocrisie,
and blyndith many foles.

Genimina viperarum, quis demonstravit vobis fugere a ventura ira.

Ȝit, Dawe, me thynkith thou usist
thi customale condicion,
thou hast so lerned to lye,
thou kanst not leve werk,
bot ȝit I am gladde
thou groundist the on the gospel.

Diabolus est audax, et pater ejus.

The secte that thou seggist of,
I wot, is Jhesu Cristis,
tellen litil by clothing,
bot now oon now other;
thouȝ thou accuse the menours
have I not to do,
bot wel I wot ȝe ben alle drawen
in oo maner draggee.
Lewde Dawe, whi laist thou forthe
so many blunt resones?
ffor Salomon spekith not of silence
propirde to an house,
bot of silence in iche place
in tyme and in reson.
Bot the cursid ypocrisie
of etyng of ȝour fleshe,
shuld iche man despise
for ȝour rotun rewle,
and so thes similitudes,
with thes soluciones,
ben not worthe
the devellis dirt, Dawe.

“Fferther more whi make ȝe ȝou
“as men dede?
“sith in begginge ȝe ben as quic
“as ben ony other,
“and unsemeli it is
“to see deed men begge.”
Jak, me thinkith thou lernedist nevere
of Poulis pistlis,
whiche in a fewe shorte wordes
answerith to thi sentence,

Quasi morientes et ecce vivimus; glossa, quasi morientes, i. de vitio in vitium secundum opinionem aliquorum, et ecce vivimus in bonis operibus in rei veritate.

So thouȝ we ben deed to the world,
after thin opynyon,
ȝit is oure soule in the bodi
and grace in the soule.
“Whi,” seist thou, “suffre ȝe not ȝour children

“to come into your conseil,
“if it be good and able,
“and aftir Goddis lawe?”
A, Jak, mafey, me merveilith moche
of thin lewidheed!
Herdist thou nevere how Crist was
transfigurid in the hil,
and ther to his privyté he chees
but three apostlis,
forbedinge hem to telle
that conceil ony ferther,
and so were there nyne
fro that conceil refusid.
Crist also took to him
alle his twelve apostlis,
and tretide of his passioun
in riȝt privy maner,
and the rude peple that folowiden
knewe no thing therof.
Shal we, Jak, therfore seie
his conceil was not able,
suspect and not good
confourmed to Goddis lawe.
Another cause resonable

me thinkith I can telle,
for counceil owith to be kept
and not to be clatrid;
and children ben ay clatringe,
as thou wel knowest.
Another skil may be groundid
of Salomons sawis;
to him he seith that is wiis
it longith to kepe conceil;
and children ful seldum
ben foundun wiis.
Jak, wolt thou telle thi knave
as myche as thi wyf?
Fforthermore thou spekest
of oure costli houses;
thou seist it were more almes
to helpen the nedy,
than to make siche housynge
to men that ben deede,
to whiche longith but graves
and mornynge housis.
Jak, is not a man beter
than a rude best?
Ȝit makist thou to thi sheep a shepen,

and to thi hors a stable;
and many a pore man ther is
that hath noon hillyng,
but oonly heven is his hous,
the bestes stond kevered.
Whi houses thou not pore men
as wele as thi beestis?
Take hede to sumwhat
that is seid biforen,
and thou answere to my question,
answer to thin owne.
Thou carpist also of oure coveitise,
and sparist the sothe;
thou seist we ben more ryal
than ony lordis.

Coventis have wee noon, Jack,
but cloistrers we ben callid,
ffoundid afor with charité,
or that he were flemyd;
but sith entride envie,
and renyd hath oure houses,
that unnethes the hillinge
hangith on the sparres;
and ȝit thou thinkist hem over good,
yvel fare thou therfore!

Jak, where saw thou ever frere houses,
thourȝout the rewme,
liche in ony rialté
to the Toure of Londoun,
to Wyndesore, to Wodestoke,
to Wallingforde, to Shene,
to Herforde, to Eltham,
to Westmynster, to Dover?
How maist thou for rebukyng
lye so lowde,
to saye that oure covetise
passith the lordes?
But so longe, by my leuté,
thou hast lerned to lyen,
that thi tonge is letteroun of lyes,
thou lettest for no shame.

We leten, thou seist, to lymytours
al this rewme to ferme,
as that we were welders
and lordes of alle.
Unsikir thing sothli
it were to sette to ferme,
and fooles were the fermeres
to taken it to tax.
I trowe thou menys the pardonystres
of seint Thomas of Acres,
of Antoun, or of Runcevale,

that rennen so fast aboute;
for of the kynges rewme
have we no more astate,
than thou hast of paradis,
or of the blisse of heven,
for the which y trowe thou maist
of hasilwode singe.
Why, seist thou, paye ȝe to no taliage
to oure cristen kynge,
sith Crist paiede tribut
to the hethene emperour?
Jak, of no dewté ne of no dette
paide Crist noo tribute;
but oonliche of mekenesse
performynge the lawe,
and for to fleen occasioun
of aftirward apechinge,
whan that afore Pilat
he shuld be forjugid.
But aftir the scripture,
preesthode shulde not paien
to tax ne to taliage
with the comun peple.
For whan the folk of Israel
were put undir servage,
Pharao suffride preestes
in her former fredome
to be saved and susteyned

of the comoun store.
But now is the compleynt
of Jeremye trewe,
the prince of provynces
sugette is under tribute.
Not for thanne the comun lawe
may wel suffren,
that preesthode may paye
bi assent of prelatis,
ffreli of her owne wille
no thing constreynede,
and thus prelatis and persouns
aftir her state,
ben stended to paien
what that nede askith;
but neither freres ne annuellers,
save now late.
God woot, it worchipith not
to beggen of beggers.
Off lettris of brotherhood
also, Jak, thou spekist,
and wounders that we wynnen noon
of pore men and of preestis;
and ȝit ȝe desiren that every man
shulde have ȝour;
of pore mennes preieris
to be parteners we wolden,
and of her lettris and of her sele,
if autentike thei weren.

But of ȝour preestis pater-nosters
we desiren noon,
for comunliche her blake bedes
thei delen to freris;
but thei shal cleve unto thi chekes,
and Cristis curse also,
as wysly as we holde us
not more perfit than ony other,
ne non suffragies selle
for a certeyn bi ȝere,
ne maken men more perfit
than her blessid baptisme;
ffor praier may not satyllyn
but oonliche on them alle,
and so that gilden trentels
that thou spekist of,
that now is purchasid of preestis
out of freris hondis,
delyverith noo soule
out of the peyne of helle,
ne purgen may of purgatory,
but as it is deserved.
Ffor charité is the mesure
that demeth that meyné.
Also thou seist, Jak,
that we men enformen
that oure holy abite
shulde helpen men fro helle,

and nameliche tho that be
beried therinne;
and Cristis clothis dide not so,
ne noon of the apostlis.
Jak, that frere was over lewid
that lernede the this lessoun,
or on thi ficul fantasie
thou faynyst this fable.
Ffor Austyns ne prechours
proponen no siche pointis.
Whether the Carmes of her copes
mayntenen siche an errour,
or whether seint Fraunce
hath geten to his habite
that vertu be his grace,
witterly me ne wote.
But wel I wote that Cristis cloith
helide a womman
ffrom the longe fluxe of blood,
as the gospel tellith;
but his predestinacion
may onlich save soulis,
and his prevy presciens
may dampne whom him list.

Jak, ferthermore of felony
thou felly us enpechest,
of stelyng of children,

to drawe hem to oure sectis.
To tille folk to God-ward,
I holde it no theft,
but if thou calle Crist a theef,
that dide the same,
sayyng to the riche man,
“Go and selle thi goodis,
“and ȝif hem to the pore,
“ȝif thou wole be perfit;
“and aftirward folowe me,
“and be my disciple.”
And in the same gospel
se what he seith also:
“Whoso forsaketh not
“his fadir and his modir,
“his sone and his douȝtir,
“his sistir and his brother,
“his lond and his tenementes,
“and him selven also,
“he nys not worthi
“to ben my folower.”
And to his twelfe chosen
eftsoones he seide,
“Behold, from the world
“I have chosen ȝou alle,
“that ȝe gon and beren frayte,
“and ȝour fruyte may dwellyn.”

And thus to reven the world,
and spoilen him of his persouns,
it ne is no robery,
but Crist appreved thefte.
Thou seist also ferthermore
that prestis shul not enprisoun,
ffor it nys not foundid
in al Goddis lawe,
but undermyn bi charité,
and so wynnen her brother,
and ȝif he wil not be so wonnen,
have him as hethene;

and thus bi thin opynyon
no man shulde be enprisound.
But, Jakke, in thi frensy,
thou fonnest more and more,
thou wenyst to make to me a diche,
thou fallist thi silf therinne.
Ffor if thou pursue thi purpos,
thou assentist thi silf in tresoun,
menusynge the kyngis majesté,
privyng him of his power.
For if we taken the gospel
aftir the menynge,
nether emperour ne kyng
may honge ne drawe,
heved ne enprisoun,
no haunte no domes,
but al in fair manere
shulen ben undirnomen,
and who wil not amenden him,
ȝeve him the brydil;
and be robberis and revers,
mansleeris and treytours,
and al maner mawfesours
shulden ben unponnishid.
Jak, the pope hath a prisoun,
the bishop of Cantirbury,
and of Londoun also,
and many other bishopis,
by leeve of her kyng;

art thou hardy to seien
it is not Goddis lawe.
But y blame thee not gretli,
thouȝ thou bere hem hevy;
ffor goldsmythis of thi crafte
ofte haveth hem haunted,
and ȝit thei shulen ofter,
bi the helpe of heven.
Also thou seist no sacrament
we covetyn ne desiren,
but shrift and biryyng,
that longeth to the peple.
Alas, Jak, for shame!
whi art thou so fals,
ffor to reverse thi silf
in thin owne sawes?
Thou seidist in thi begynnynge,
whan thou seidist of freres,
thei sellen seven sacramentes
with Symoundis eyris;
and now that we coveite noon
but the sacrament of schrifte.
Ffor beriynge is no sacrament,
but an almes-dede.
Thou jawdewyne, thow jangeler,
how stande this togider,
by verré contradiccion
thou concludist thi silf,
and bryngest thee to the mete

there I wolde have thee.
Who wolde take entent
to suche wreches wordes,
that nevere more ȝeveth tale
to be take with a lesyng?

Daw, thi wordes ben many,
and ever medled with venym;
ffor aȝenes gode men
strecche Jus malice,
ne non of thilk Cristis secte
that myn callist,
bot aȝenes heritikes,
bosteres and lieres,
whiche han chosen hem a reule
with blabereres of Baal;
and ȝit shal tyde the tyme
when Josie shal regne,
and make an ende of suche fendes,
and Cristis reule shal renue.
Ȝee, Jamnes and Mambres
japid not so the kyng,
as thou with thi cursid secte
the kyng and the puple.

Attendite a falsis prophetis, qui veniunt ad vos in vestimentis ovium.

I til thee, Daw, without dout,
thes wordes ben said of ȝou,
with other pregnant prophecies
of Peter and of Poule.

Daw, thou laborist fast
to lede thi self to helle,
and blyndist many lewde foles
with thi stynking brethe;
ffor bi this apis argument
that thou here now ratelist,
he that drynkith a quart wyne
most nedis drynk a galon.
Bot aȝen house in mesure, Dawe,
grucche I riȝt nouȝt;
and thouȝ thou saye a scorne,
a shepe house I have,
that hath more grounde in Goddis lawe
than alle ȝour Caymes castelles;
I thank God, I beldid it
with trwe bygeten gode.
Bot ȝe ȝoures with beggery,
bargenyng and robberye;
ffor grounde have thai non,
bot if it be here.

Non habemus hic manentem civitatem. Et idem, Vœ qui ædificatis civitatem in sanguinibus. Et, Vœ qui conjugatis domum ad domum.

Ȝit, Dawe, thowȝ thou accusest
pardoneres that ben fals,
thou lovest lesse a trwe prest
than thou dost hem alle,
ffor thai gon heere ȝou apostatas
in gilyng of the puple.
Bot that ȝe ferme to limitours,
it maye be denyed,
lye thou never so lowde,
and therto sette a sele,
bote thus with many fals meenes
oppresse the cuntrees.
Bot as to payng of tribut,
as Crist hym self did,
thou lyknist ȝou to Pharoes,
and so ȝe ben and werse.
Aȝenes Cristes paying
and alle other mekenes,
thou autorisest ȝour pride,
aȝenes his holi werkes.

Qui non est mecum, contra me est; et qui non colligit mecum, dispergit.

Dawe, I seide first to thee
oon of thi groundes was eirsyng,
whare autorisist thou this lewde
answere nowe.
Thi resones ben a staf of rede
that liȝtly persen the honde,
I mervel that thou, a clerk,
blaberist thus blyndely.
Thou takest comynly no grounde
of Crist ne of his lawe,
bot apr the pope
as if he were thi God,
or of other fantasies
that han no grounde hem self;
ffor whi shuld not alle prestes
be meke after Crist,
in payng of tribut
and alle other werkes?
Daw, late thi false glose,
it drivith thee to the devel.

Benedicite et nolite maledicere.

Lo, Dawe, with thi draffe,
thou liest on the gospel;
ffor Crist said it hym self,
“The vertu passid fro me.”
And here thou maist see,
I knowe a b fro a bole fote;
ffor I cacche thee in lesynges
that thou laist on the gospel.
Bot thus to stele a childe
is a gretter theft,
than to stele an axe,
for the theft is more.
Dawe, for thou saist ȝe robbe
him fro the worlde;
ȝe maken hym more worldly
than ever his fadir;
ȝee, thowȝ he were a plowman,
lyvyng trwe lyf, ye robbe hym
fro the trwe reule,
and maken hym apostata,
a begger and a sodomit;
for suche thai ben many.

Vœ vobis qui facitis unum proselytum! supple, filium Gehennæ duplo quam vos.

Daw, I do thee wel to wite,
frentike am I not;
bot it semith thi sotil witte
marrith many man.
Bot how stondith this togedir,
ȝe sle men in ȝour prison?
ȝe have ȝour conspiracies,
when ȝe gode likith,
ȝe damme the trwe, ȝe hyen the false,
deme, Dawe, wher this be gode.
And the kyng by his juges trwe
execute his lawe,
as he did now late,
whan he hangid ȝou traytours;
wilt thou, Dawe, allegates
compere ȝou to the kyng,
or to other lordes,
that han her grounde in God?
Lefe, fole, thi losengerie,
and studie Cristis lyf.

Quæ conventio Christi ad Belial? Quid communicabit cacabus ad ollam?

Whi, axist thou ferthermore,
wil we not shryven
ne birien the pore
as wel as the riche,
and do other dedes of almes
done at her nede?
But if we schryve not the pore,
whi ben perssons so wrothe,
and paroche preestes also,
for schryvynge of her paishens?
For every Lenten us aȝen
thei aleggen the lawe
off omnis utriusque sexus,
with the favourable glooses.
But, Jak, do thi won,
and lette not to lyene;
I have as leef thy leesing
as thi soth saw.
Ffor who is oonis suspect,
he is half honged.
Thou seis that we prechen
fallace and fables,
and not Goddis gospel
to good undirstondinge;

and we ben more holdun therto
than to alle other reulis.
For we wynnen more therwith
than Crist and his apostlis,
what we ben holdun
and wil not forsake.
For moche of oure lyvynge
is of the gospel;
so dide Poul
and other disciples,
and lyvede of colectis
made generali bi chirchis,
ffor sustinance of prechours,
and also of the pore.
And if thou leve not me,
loke Poulis pistlis,
and the glose therwith,
and there thou shalt fynde it.

Quis, inquit, militat suis stipendiis unquam? Et iterum, Dominus ordinavit iis qui evangelium annunciant de evangelio vivere.

And so to his prechours
Crist also thus seide,

In quamcunque domum intraveritis, manete in eadem edentes et bibentes, etc., dignus est enim operarius mercede sua. Et ad Romanos, Probaverunt Macedones et Achaia collationem facere in pauperes sanctorum qui sunt in Jherusalem.

Aȝens that that thou saist that we prechen
but fallace and fables,
and leve the gospel
that moste us al save,
loke that every werke is knowen,
plenili bi his eende,
and so the peple hath the pathes
of feith and of bileve,
and God woote freres prechinge
hath wrouȝt to this ende.

But ȝe han cast cursidly
Cristendome to distroye,
and of Cristis gospel
make Machometis lawe,
aȝens whom with opin mouth
other while we romee,
and sum tyme brynge ȝou til a bay
if God wil it graunte.
For this cause ȝe calle us
bastard branchis,
pursuyng preestes to prisoun
and to fire also;
but, Jak, thei ben bastard braunches
that launchen from oure bileve,
and writhyn wrongli away
from holy chirche techinge,
siche beren yvel fruyte
and soure to atasten,
worthi to noon other good,
but in the fire to brenne;
and so for to pursue an heretike
to fire or to prisoun,
I holde it more holsum
than to halewe a chirche,
inprisonynge of the poysen
that mortherith many soulis,

aftir Cristis doctrine
in the holy gospel.

Omnis, inquit, arbor quæ non fert fructum bonum, excidetur, et in ignem mittetur. Et iterum, Qui non manserit in me, mittetur foras sicut palmes, et arescet, et colligent, et in ignem mittetur.

Disseverynge ȝou from the tree
that is Crist him silfe.
But how shulden freres
pursue heresie,
and many of hem wite not
what heresie meneth.
Jak, I am not lettered,
but I am frere Dawe,
and can telle wel a fyn
what heresie amounteth;
heresie, that is Grw,
is divisioun on Latyn,
the whiche in oure langage
meneth sunderyng and partyng.
He thanne that sundrith him
from Crist and his chirche,
and frely forgith sentences
contrarious to oure feith,
siche manere of forgers
heretikes we callen,
and also her felowis

taken the same name,
and her sory sentences
ben clepid heresies,
but namely when thei ben holdun
of obstinat hertis.
And I shal this mater
more largely declare.
Sixe maner of heretikes
ben foundun in the lawe.
For he is callid an heretike
that rasith oure bileve;
and he is callid an heretike
that heresies sowith,
as Arrians, Wyclyfanes,
Sabellyanes, and other;
and the corruptours of scripturis
heretikes ben holdun,
that other wise undirstondin
than the Holi Goost techith.
Also we clepen hem heretikes,
that sacramentis sellyn,
or ben from hem dividid
bi cursynge of the chirche.
He is also an heretike
that doutith our bileve,
and with a litil evydence
goith out of the waye.
And also an heretike

him shulde we holde
that distrieth privyleges
grauntid of the pope.
This sixe maners
put Hostiensis in his Summe,
and if this sentence be soth,
y can noon other seien,
but thou and thi secte
ben heretikes alle.

Daw, hou maist thou saye for shame
that Crist stale thus childre,
and Poule beggid as ȝe don,
ȝe lyven bi the gospel?
ȝee, Dawe, ȝe selle derrere
lesynges and poyson,
than ever did Poule
alle his holy writyng;
ever thou likynest ȝou to Crist,
whan ȝe ben verrei Anticrist.
And if bisshopes byside wel to knowe
alle ȝour dedes,
thai founde ȝou werse than harlotes,
or jogulours ether;
ffor ȝe begge or ȝe preche
many tymes and oft,
somen men and threten hem,
bot if thai ȝif ȝou gode.
Bot the harlot wil drawe
the blode of his arse,
or he ask any gode,
or any rewarde.
And, Dawe, truly ȝour dedes
contrarie Crist.

Mordent dentibus et prædicant pacem, et si quis non dederit in ore eorum quippiam, sanctificant super eum prælium.

Daw, here thou blaberist togedir
falsenes and trouthe;
ffor a bastarde is he
that holdith aȝenes the sothe.
God and trwe men discusse
wher that be ȝe or I.
Ffor if thou seyst holi chirche
the techyng of Crist,
the reules of apostles,
the lyf of hem alle,
I summitte me to hem,
and wil wile I lyve.
If thou callist, Dawe,
ȝour Dominikis reules,
with determinacion
of many false prestes,
holi chirche, as I wene,
as oft thou hast done,
I forsake the for ever,
with this cursid chirche,

Odivi ecclesiam malignantium.

If thou purposist to pursuwe
and drawe men to dethe,
I mervel not meche,
for it is thin office.
The fadires of freres,
whiche were the Pharisees,
pursuwed Crist to the paynful dethe,
ȝe, callid hym a blasfeme,
as ȝe clepen hem heritikes
that holde aȝenes ȝour falsehede,
alle if thai men truthe.

Et vos implete mensuram patrum vestrorum.

Jak, thou spekist ferthermore
of messis and of preires,
and askist what we sellen,
wen we seyen oure messe,
whether the sacrament,
our preieres, or our traveile;
and if ony of this we done,
thou arguest a greet errour.
Jak, unto this questioun
on wyse may be answerith,
aftir that seint Austyn
spekith of the apostlis.
The apostlis a seye
reseyved freely her breed
of hem that freely
token her techinge;
and so, Jak, freely graunte
we our masse
to hem that freely
ȝeven us her almesse,

and synnen no wyse
bi noon other vice,
to selle no sacramentis
ne spiritual preier.
And thus among freres
gete thei no logginge,
but bete hem to gretter men
and geten her herbegage,
of patronis of chirchis,
or privyly with preestes,
wich to fatte benefices
wolde be promotid.
Jak, I suppose
That my labour y selle,
what wil thou seie therto,
do y ony symonye?
How than shal the persons seye
that setten her chirches to ferme,
that ben more spiritual
than bodili traveile;
and these paroche preestes
that ministren the sacramentis,
for a certen sawd bi ȝeer
of ten mark or of twelfe;

and al these annuellers
that syngen for a tyme,
takyng for her traveil
as thei may acorde;
but thei can answere for hem silf,
and we shal for us.
Another mater ther is meved,
that touchith begging;
thou seist that we falsly
Crist him silf disclaundren,
to seie that he beggid,
sith he was lord of al,
and al in his demeyns.

But for this mater, Jacke,
thou most undirstonde,
that Crist in his godhede
is lord of alle thingis,
as testimonie of Scripture
preveth in many places;
as touching his manhood
he was nedi and pore,
for of his nede spake
David in his psalmes.

Ego, inquit, mendicus sum et pauper, et Dominus solicitus est mei.

And after Austin and Jerom
this word of Crist was seid,
so thanne these twey
stonden wel togidere,
that Crist after oo kynde
was lord of alle,
and after that other

nedide to begge.
For if Crist seie soth,
him silf ne hadde noon harborow,
to resten in his owne heed,
and steken out the stormes.

Vulpes, inquit, etc., ubi caput suum reclinet.

And if we shulen ȝeve credence
to doctours wordes,
heere what seith seint Jerom,
and seint Bernard also.

Cave, inquit Jeronimus, ne mendicante Deo tuo alienas divitias augeas; et Bernardus. Ut te, Domine, per omnia nostræ paupertati conformares, quasi unus in turba pauperum stipem per hostia mendicabas.

Wherfore thou feynest fonnedli

that oure Lord we sclaundre;
or ellis oure holy doctours
diden not her dever.
Jak, have no merveyle
that y speke Latyn,
for oones I was a manciple
at Mertoun halle,
and there y lernede Latyn
by roote of clerkes.
Of clamourus also begging
thou chaterist and criist,
and seist it is uttirli
forbodun in Goddis lawe.
Jak, the blynde begger
sat bi the weye,
and lowde criede uppon Crist,
as the gospel tellith;
but him was ȝovun iȝe-siȝt,
for al his grete noise,
and also the pore man
at the specionus ȝate
praiede to the apostlis
to parten of her almes;
and ther the begger unreproved
of crokidnesse he was heelid.

I forȝete not the lazar
that beggide of the riche,
and criede lowde at his ȝate
to cachen his almes.
Where redist thou that he was
repreved of his begging?
I rede wel he was ful soone
in Abrahams bosum.
Thou makist also more ado
for writing in oure tablis
of sich mennes names
that ȝeven us her almes,
“Wenynge that God were a fool,
“not knowinge mennes dedes,
“but if he were mengid
“bi weie of ȝour writyng.”
Jak, writyng was ordeyned
for slipernes of mynde,
not of God, but of us men,
hirt in oure nature,
and bi bodili buystousnesse
fallen to forȝetynge.
Now special preier,
as clerkes seien,

100

moste helpeth the soulis,
and that may not be done
withouten special mynde.
Thanne for oure forȝetfulnesse
it nedith us to noten,
and this is cause whi
we writun in oure tablis.
And Esdras wroot a newe book,
to have the lawe in mynde.
To seint Joon in the Apocalips
it was bodun also,
that privy revelacion
to writun in his book,
for unstabilnesse of mynde,
seith the comoun glose.
“Whi,” also thou axist,
“make ȝe so many maistris,
“aȝens Cristis bidding
“in the holi gospel?”
For sothe, Jak, among other,
this is a lewid question.
Taking heed to thin astaate,
thou art but a knave,
and ȝit thou lokist that thi knave

101

shulde calle thee maistir.
Leve Jacke Jawdewyn,
how kepist thou the gospel?
Nevertheles to thi question
answerith the comoun glose,
that neithir the acte of teching,
neither the acte of maistir,
ben forbodun of Crist,
but oonli ambicion,
and the nyce appetite
of worldly worship.

Thou askist also ferthermore,
whos ben alle oure jewels;
and we seyen we han riȝt nouȝt
in propre ne in comoun,
but gederen the goodes of the rewme
to make the pope riche.
Jak, the foure and twentithe pope
Joon wroot aȝens this mater,
and frere menours aȝens him,
as her actis shewen.
Examyne her actis
and loke who hath the beter,
and knowe noon other ordre
this perfitnesse approveth.
Thou grucchist also that we gon
two of us togider;

102

for of the perfit apostlis
wenten but oone aloone.
Thou seist that we pretenden
the perfeccioun of apostlis.
Parfay, Jak, in scripture
thou failist here ful foule,
herdest thou nevere the processe
of the actis of the apostlis,
in what maner the Holi Goost
chees Bernabé and Poule,
to gone bothe togidere,
and Cristis seed to sowun;
and aftirward whan Bernabas
from Poul was departid,
another felowe, Tymothé,
toke Poul to his feere.
And ȝit thei weren perfit
bi fastinge and bi preieris,
and resseyved hadde the Holi Goost
bi the apostlis hondis.
And thus we gon two togider,
folwinge her stappis;
but more for the mysterie
includid in the noumbre,
for to bi workes of charité
fulfilling the lawe;
and two tablis of Moises

103

there the lawe was writun;
and two cherubyns in the temple,
and two in the tabernacle.
It was not good to Adam
for to be aloone;
and Crist seith woo to sool
in aventure that he falle.
Also for fraternité
ful harde thou us holdist,
to graunt part of merit,
and also of messis,
bicause that we witen not whether
that we ben in grace or in synne,
and happili for we praien for suche
that ben dampned in helle.
Jak, if this cause were good,
al preier were reproved,
and thanne were set at nouȝt
bothe messe and matynes,
and holy bedis and orisons
seid in holi chirche.
Thanne shulde we leve Cristis bede,
the holy pater-noster.
Thanne was the memento
put fally in the masse,
and hooli chirche voidli
or madli biddith preye,
and alle siche ȝonge impossibilitees
folowen therof.

104

For who is that that knowith him silf
worthi for to preien,
but God bi revelacion
specially wolde it shewe;
for noman, seith the scripture, woot,
whether he is worthi love,
or ellis maugree but God
it oonly knowith.
And who can telle ferthermore
whiche shulde be dampned,
sith Goddis privy domes
man may not comprehende;
and so shal noman preie for other,
ne noman for him silf.

Jak, se now thin errour,
and sum tyme sesse for shame;
for thou jangelist as a jay,
and woost not what thou meenest.
Moreover thou monest multipliyng
of so many freris,
whiche encresen combrouseli,
aȝens Goddis wille;
sith preestis with other religious
myȝte serve the peple,
for twelve apostlis and fewe moo
serveden al the world,
and mo fyngris on myn hond
than foure and the thombe

105

amenusith my worching
more than it acresith;
and so thou seist that freris letten
Cristis growinge into heven.
Jacke, thou weenest thou wynne lond,
but thou concludist thi silf;
thou seist that God alle thingis hath maad
in mesure, weiȝte, and noumbre,
and that every frere is sum thing,
thou maist not denye,
and thou seist freris ben maad
aȝens Goddis wille.
Than hath God maad sum thing
that he wolde not make,
and so his sovereyne goodnesse
is contrarious to him silfe.
Lo, Jakke Jospinel,
what folowith of thi sawis.
Jakke, if thouȝ a fewe moo
myȝte serven al the world,
thanne myȝte a fewe preestes
serven a litil rewme.
Whi renne thanne these ȝonge clerkes
so faste to the ordres,
to encresen preestes
above mony hundridis?
And if freris ben combrouse,

106

preestis ben wel more;
or ellis telle a beter skil
thanne thou hast begunne,
whi the toon is chargeaunt
more than the tother.
Also the ensaumple of thin hond
is no thing to purpos;
for kynde hath determyned
the noumbre of thi fyngris,
and if it passe noumbre,
it is clepid monstruosité;
but God and holi chirche
determyned noo noumbre
of preestis ne of freris
to helpen mannis soule.
For the mo good ther ben,
the better is Cristis spouse;
and thouȝ fewer myȝten
done that nedis,
ȝit many hondis togider
maken liȝt werk.

Daw, thou hast lerned
so long to lye,
thou wenest thou saist soth
whan thou liest most lewde,
and sclaunderist the truthe.
Thou saidist thou were no lettred man,
thou prevest thi self fals,
ffor thou spekist of ierarchies,
of herisies also;
thou art gilty in alle thes poyntes,
and thi brether bothe,
that I wolde preve apertly,
if that the tyme suffrid.
Lok ȝour lyvyng, ȝour prechyng,
with other opun dedes,
and laye it by the apostles lyf,
and se how thai acorde,
and as I wene the Holigost
appreveth nether nouther.
Me thynkith ȝe ben tapsteres,
in alle that ȝe don;
ȝe tappe ȝour absoluciones
that ȝe bye at Rome,
ȝour prechyng, ȝour praying,
and also ȝour beryings.
Bot thou accusist other men
that han bot the mote
in the comparison
of alle ȝour gret synnes.

Hypocrita, ejice primo trabem de oculo tuo.

Dawe, ȝe folowen Crist,
as greyhounde doth the hare;
ffor as God ȝaf kyng Saule
in his wodenes,
so ȝe ben clekkid out
to pursuwe holi chirche.

Periculum in falsis fratribus.

Ȝit, Dawe, thou drawist in
many fals promptynges,
ffor to hirt symple men,
bot me never a del;
ffor Crist in his membres
beggid ful oft,
ffor synne of the puple,
when thai were at mischef.
Bot as suche bolde beggers
in bodily hele,
begged never Crist,
ne non of his membres;
ffor Crist, that is truthe,
may in no wise
contrarie him self
ne God that is his fadir;
ffor in many places
thai damnen suche sturdy beggyng,
And, so, Dawe, thou dotest,
alleggyng the water,
the asse, or the herberowe;
for he was lorde of alle,
and so thou mysse takist Jerom,
and lyest on Bernarde,
ffor Alrede his clerke
wrote his reson,
that thou mysse layst,
and dokkist it as the likist.
Herfor a clerke saith,
that evel mot he spede,
that beggith of the puple
more than is nede.

Mendax mendicus non est veritatis amicus. Nutantes transferantur filii ejus et mendicent.

God gif the grace to knowe how
thou art Judas childe;
whiche psalme thou leggist to me,
as to an evel entent;
for ȝit thou schuldest be damned
softly in helle,

Nutantes transferentur filii.

how thes to acorde.

Ȝit, Dawe, thou hewist hye,
and puttist thi mouthe in heven;
thi tong likkith the chesefat,
and the garner also,
and the pore wedowes porse,
thowȝ she have bot a peny.
And ȝit, Dawe Dotypolle,
thou justifiest this harlotrie;
whi lykkennest thou writyng of names,
which thou dost for money,
to the holi scripture,
that is our bileve?
Ffor God ne any godeman
appreved never this symonye;
but thou approvest ȝour capped maistres
with a glasen glose,
whiche galpen after grace
bi symonye ȝour sister,
and after sitten on hie dece
and glosen lordes and ladies.
And this is no liknes
bitwix my knave and hem;
ffor of thes and suche it ben
that Crist specth in his gospel.

Amant enim primos recubitus in cœnis, et primas cathedras in synagogis, et vocari ab hominibus Rabbi.

Daw, thou herdist me not grucche
that ȝe went two togedir;
ffor otherwhile ȝe gon three,
a womman is that oon.
Bot whether ȝe go two or oon,
if ȝe wol do wele,
it were a gret joye to me,
God wot the sothe.
Bot wel I wote that charité
may not duelle there,
where covetise crepith in,
and lecherie is loggid.
Therfor, Dawe, allegge thou
no figur for thin ordre,
bot if it be Zambre
with Corby his lotby,
or Jamnes and Mambres,
Pharaouse freres.

Hi sunt qui penetrant domos, et ducunt mulierculas oneratas peccatis.

with Judas ben ȝoure fadirs.

Another mater thou movest, Jak,
moost to be chargid,
of the solempne sacrament
of Cristis owne bodye,
conteyned in figure of brede,
sacrifise for synne;
thou drawist a thorn out of thi hele,
and puttist it in oure.

107

Thou berist us on honde that we seien
ther is not Cristis bodye,
but roundnesse and whitenesse,
and accident withouten suget.
Jak, we seie with holy chirche,
that ther is Cristis bodi,
and not material breed
with Wiclyf ȝour maistir,
the whiche put ther but as a figure,
and not verré Cristis bodi,
after a manere spekyng
that holy chirche usith,
as we clepen Crist a stoon,
a lomb, and a lioun,
and noon of these is Crist,
but oonli in figure.
This heresie holde not we,
but ȝe his false folowers,
privyly as ȝe doren,
and opinli ȝe wolden,
ne were the sharp ponishinge
of ȝour former fadirs.

108

And now I will thee telle
the freris confiteor,
touching to this sacrament,
how that thei bileven.
Thei seie breed is turned into fleish,
and wyne into blood,
thourȝ the myȝt of oure God,
and vertue of his wordis;
the fleish is mete, the blood is drynke,
and Crist dwellith [therin],
no thing rasyd, no thing dividid,
but oonli broken in signe,
and as moche is in oo partie
as is al the hole;
thus leeveth not of the breed,
but oonli the licnesse,
which that abidith therinne
noon substeyned substans.
It is deth to the yvel,
lyf to good encresing of oure grace.
It wole not be confect
but oonli of a preest,

109

that lawfulli is ordeyned
bi holi chirche keies;
and so carpenters ne sowters,
card-makers ne powchers,
drapers ne cutellers,
girdelers, coferers, ne corvysers,
ne no manere of artificeris,
this sacrament mowe treten,
but the privité of preesthode
wer prickid in her soulis.
And ȝit ȝour sect susteynes
wommen to seie massis,
shewyng to trete a sacrament
as preestes that thei were,
reversynge holy doctours
and decree of holy chirche.
Allas! ȝour brymme blastis
awake the wilde wawlis,
and scalen sely Peter ship,
and putt it in hiȝe perile;
ne were God the giour,
and kept the stern,
with the sterne stormes
that reufulli ȝe reisin,
al schulde wende to wrak

110

into the waast watris.
The releef of Cristis feeste
ȝe renden and ratyn,
that his alumners the postlis
gaderid togidere,
and delith it to dogges
and ravenous beestes;
and the presciouse perlis
ȝe strowun to hogges,
the sutil metis of scripturis
to cherlis stomakes,
and maken hem als comoun
as the cart weye,
aȝens Poulis sentence,
and Poulis owne doctrine.

Non, inquit Paulus, potui vobis scribere quasi spiritualibus, sed quasi carnalibus, etc.

Se also what Crist seith,
in the holy gospel.

Multa habui vobis dicere, sed non, etc.

Also in many other place thus spekith he
to his perfit disciplis:

Vobis datum est noscere mysterium regni Dei, cæteris autem in parabolam, etc.

111

Than the lewide and the lered
auȝt not yliche,
the scripturis ben scaterid
in his privy pointes.

Jak, thou seist at the last,
that charité is chacid,
to vengyn oure defautis,
and mende us of oure mysse,
levynge oure rotyn ritis,
folowinge Goddis lawe.
Jak, oure ritis ben nouȝt rotyn,
her rootis ben al freishe,
plantid in the gospel,
as I seide biforen;
but, good Jak, ȝour grace,
where be ȝe foundid?
not in Goddis gospel,
but in Sathanas pistile,
wher of sorowe and of snowcrie
noon is to seken,
but al maner of dolosité
to ȝou is enditid,
as in thi lewid daliaunce
apertli thou hast preved;

112

but moche mawgré mote thou have
thus to frayn a frere,
that slily wolde have slent aweye,
and noman have greved.
But for thi grete labour
thi gardoun thou shalt gete;
thou shalt have the popis curse,
and al holi chirchis;
and if thou sett this at nouȝt,
God mowe sende thee more,
the curse that he hath ȝovun to Caym
and Choreis sone also;
thou shalt also have the curse
that Crist ȝaf to Phariseis,
figured in the figre tree
that nevere bare fruyte aftir.
Thou shalt have the weleaway
of Gelboth hilles,
the sorowe of Sodome,
and al sinful citeis.
Take for thi faire speche
the preier of Deus laudem,
the greable gardoun
for al opin sclaundris;
thou shalt have the malisoun
of Moab and Ariel;

113

the benysoun of Bethsaida
shal make thy beddis heed;
and, Jakke, for thou apprisist not
the curse of seint Franceis,
but scornyst the malisoun
of the foure ordris,
take the malisoun that God ȝaf
to brekers of his lawe,
in the book of Deutronomye,
the seven and twenty chapitre;
but evere be ware of Cristis curse,
and of cattis tailis,
the which if thou have grace to cacchen,
nevere shal thou thryve.
Now fare forthe to thi fourmures,
and, Jak, thou hem telle
the matere of oure talkynge,
and loke how hem likith;
and if hem thinke not thi sawes
sufficientli assoilid,
lat hem senden aȝen,
it shal be amendid;
and sai hem that it nedith not
to sharpen oure clerkes,
for frere Dawe is scharpe ynowȝ
for al sich enditinge.

114

Ffare wele, Jak Jawdewyne,
I thee God bitake;
and nomore of freris
I thee rede to preche.
To lower state than thei ben
thou maist hem not dryve,
and if thei evere come to hiȝer,
the wers shal thou thryve.

Explicit dictamen fratris Daw Topias, quem in fine appellat Johannem Walssingham, contra quæstiones Johannis Uplond.

Oft, Dawe, in thi writtyng,
thou wryngist out contradiccion;
but ȝit thou puttist defaut to prestes,
as erst thou didist to curates.
I wot thai ben defectif,
bot ȝit stondith Cristis religion,
of whose defaut I dout not, Dawe,
ȝe ben the chef cause.
Bi this it suwit not God,
bot Sathanas brouȝt ȝou in.
Thou saist, Dawe, as thou felist,
that there is Cristes body;
bot I afferme faithfully
that that is Cristis body;
Daw, aske thi cappid maistres,
as if thai were heritikes,
what is the sacred host,
and grounde hem in scripture,
to whiche we knele and doffe our hodes,
and don alle this wirchip,
and I bileve that oste sacred,
whiche is bothe whit and rounde,
is verrei Cristis body,
as men shuld bileve,
and did to the tyme
that Sathanas was unbounde.
The wittnesse of this reson
is Crist and his apostles,
with many holi doctouris
of the thousande ȝere.
Bot this ȝe falsely forsake,
with alle ȝour secte, or many,
and blynden the puple with heresie,
and leven Goddis lawe;
ffor ȝe sayen ther is Cristis body,
and nouȝt that sacred host.

Commutaverunt veritatem Dei in mendacium.

Ȝit spekith Jak Uplande.
To make with the a dialogge,
I holde it bot wast,
for thou maryst thy lesynges lowde
with thy false heresyes;
men may se by thy writing,
here, thou jangelyng jay,
how thou bylevest not in the sacrid oste,
for we sey alle,
the sacrid oste that is sene with eye
is verey Cristes body;
but thy secte seyth not soo,
but ȝe say ther is Cristes body,
ȝe tel not where.
But Crist seyth, this is my body,
and not, ther is my body.
Whi, ȝe templers messe sellers,
grante ȝe not Cristes wordes,
syth ȝe chafyr thus therwith,
bygylyng the pupil?
Lete ȝoure secte write ȝoure byleve
of this sacrid oste,
and preche it as ȝe write it,
and sette therto ȝoure sele,
and I am siker of my feith
ȝe schul be stonde to deth;
and than schal ȝoure castels
cache hem new maysters,
for ȝe wil not grante,
ne bot few of ȝoure ordirs,
the ost sacrid, white and rounde,
is verey Cristis body.
I pray oure Lord Jhesu,
that sone be it sene,
who is in the trew wey,
whether ȝe other we.
But towching men of crafte,
whom thou dispisyst,
al they schulde medle hem
to know her byleve,
but as wele of her sacryng,
as wymmen syngynge messe,
alwey thou usest the craft
of thyn old fader.
Why darst not thou of summe
of ȝou false heretykis,
fynde owte such on,
and preve ȝoure lesynges sothe.
And therfor, Daw, I sey nomore
to the at this tyme,
but thou ert on of the falsest
that ever I saw write.
For Mahomete and Serginus,
and al her grete lawe,
wot not so many lesynges
as ben here in thy writynges.

An answere to this tretis,
that a frere hath forgid;
he callith hym self Daw Topias,
ares[oneth] Jak Uplonde.
He groundith hym upon seven thynges,
as his ordre askith,
lesynges with losengery,
cursynges and false glose,
chidyng with blasfemie
or chyteryng as chowȝes.
Thow saist thi name is Dawe,
it may rith wel be so;
ffor thou hast condiciounes
of a [tame] chowȝe.
He chiterith and he bribith
alle that he may gete;
this he doth in dede
asseye of hem that knowith.
Jak Dawe, thou blaberist blasfemies,
and reson hast thou non;
thou leggist oft Goddis lawe,
bot to a false entente;
ȝee, falselier than the fende,
whan he saide to Crist,

Quia angelis suis mandavit de te.

Daw, thou fablest of foxes,
and appliest hem to a puple,
of whom nether thou knowyst kunnyng,
ne her conversacion.
Bot iche man that witte hath,
and happe of discrecion,
may knowe thee and thin ordre,
as Crist saith, bi the werkes.
Take propirté of twey foxes,
and werkes of twye freres,
and than thou fyndest hem meche acorde,
bot freres ben the werse;
if thou saist this is not so,
bot groundid without skil,
loke how Sampson bonde the foxes
two and two togedir,
til that thai destried
the corne alle about hem,
and this was, as a doctour saith,
the figur of freres.

and asken not leve of kynges.

in worde and werke.

for ȝour assent in symonye.

Daw, I have askid questiones
of thee and of thi freres;
bot that I lied oones ouȝt
knewe I me not gilty,
ffor Goddis lawe forbedith this
in many place, I wene.
And thowȝ I be Jak Uplonde,
ȝit drede I Goddis lawe.
Bot I suppose thi secte tristith
so meche in her habites,
that thai kun lye of custom,
as Peter prophecith of hem,

Fuerunt pseudo-prophetæ in populis, magistri mendaces, etc.

Bot to lie thus playnly and openly on men,
ȝe count it not synne,
as ȝour wordes shewen;
ȝour freres ben taken alle day
with wymmen and wifes,
bot of ȝour privey sodomye
spake I not ȝette.
Bot lat see, Dawe, if thou,
or any lyer of thin ordre,
can preve this on oon of hem
that clepest my secte,
and sicerly shalle thou have
of me an hundrith pounde.

Daw, thou leggist Salomon
for ȝour hie houses;
bot olde holy doctoures
ben aȝen thee here,
and specialy Jerom,
that saith in the lawe,
who wil allege the temple
for glorie of our chirche,
fforsake he to be cristen, Jak,
and be he newe a Jewe.

12 q. 2a Gloria episcopi.

Ffor sith the pore lorde, he saith,
halowed his pore chirche,
take ȝe Cristes crosse, he saith,
and counte we delices claye.
Daw, blaberere and blynde leder,
thowg thou bigile symple hertes
with thi gildyn glose,
and with thi costly houses,
thou bigilest not Jak
with ȝour thevishe logges.

Unde in evangelio, vos autem fecistis eam speluncam latronum.

Topias, thou writist me
to be a lewed man;
bot lewed men prechen not,
as thou canst saye,
bot if the list to lye.
Bot I wot thou saist thus,
by vertuouse prestes;
bot thai ben ful bisie
to edifie the chirche,
that the multitude of ȝou
han allemost destried.
Ffor the gospel saith,

Surgent multi pseudo-prophetæ.

Bot of hem ben fewe,
and gretly dispiside;
and of ȝou ful many,
and ever tho mo the werse.

Me mervelith, Daw, thou darst thus lie
on suche a gret clerke,
and in hys tyme knowen wel
a vertuouse man,
of riche and pore
that hym tho knewe.
But thou, as blynde Bayarde,
berkest at the mone,
as an olde mylne dog
when he bygynnith to dote.
Bot wel I wot thi baffyng,
lye thou never so lowde,
may not menuse this seint,
that lyved and tauȝt so truly,

Quia dignus est operari misericordiam.

I drede me, Dawe, the sentence,
of whiche the prophet spekith,
shal falle hevy on thin hede,
and many of thi brether.

Vœ vobis qui dicitis bonum malum et malum bonum.

Ffor alle trwe sentence,
that we taken here,
thou turnest into falsenes,
that woo shal the bitide;
ffor to our secte that is Christis
we drawen bot fewe puple;
ffor thou and other pseudo
han marrid hem in the way,
that bot if God of his grace
sende his honde of help,
the chirche that shuld folowe Crist,
is lykly to sinke.

Qui mihi ministrat me sequatur. Attendite a fermento Pharisæorum, quod est hypocrisis.

Homo apostata, vir inutilis, graditur ore perverso.

Dawe, thou hast liȝt conscience,
thus fynaly to deme;
ffor here thou damnest men to helle
without any condicion.
Whe have leve of scripture
to deme after mennes werkes,
but for to deme as thou dost,
is to robbe God of his power;
ffor the apostil saith,

Noli ante tempus judicare, quoadusque veniat Dominus.

Litil wondir thowȝ lordis myssetyme,
that han suche confusours.

Quia si cæcus cæcum ducat, ambo in foveam cadunt.

Thou saist thou knowist no lettre here,
as if thou wer noo clerke.
To take a clerke as it shuld be,
after his undirstondyng,
than sayst thou here more trwly
than in any other place.
Clark is als meche to mene,
as of the sort of God,
and so thou previst thi self non suche,
if thou loke riȝt,
but a liere apostata,
with alle his other partes.

ȝe saye wirchipith God.

Ȝit, Daw, in this mater,
thou broylist up many lesynges,
ffor grounde of thin ordre
not groundid in the gospel;
ffor see thes thre vertues
whiche thou here rehersist,
ffaylen in thin ordre
welny in every persone.
Ffor in obedience and chastité,
and poverte also,
Ȝe folowen more Anticrist
than Jhesu Crist our Lorde.
Ȝe ben more obedient
to ȝoure owne reules,
than to the reules of Crist
groundid in lawes.
And as to chastité of body,
ȝe breken it ful oft;
bot chastité of soule,
forsakyng Crist our spouse,
ffor ȝe ben apostatas,
gon bak fro holi chirche.

Initium omnis peccati apostare a Deo.

As to verrei poverte,
who that wil riȝt loke,
ȝe ben the most covetouse
of alle men in erthe,
ffor with symonye and begrye,
and sellyng of shrift,
ȝe pillen bothe gret and smal,
and prise hem of bileve

Avaritia, quod est idolorum servitia.

Dawe, thou ratelist many thynges,
bot grounde hast thou non;
ffor where groundist thou in Goddis lawe
to close men in stones,
bot if it were wode men,
or giloures of the puple?
Sith alle that is not groundid
smacchith grete synne;
bot if ȝe taken as ȝe usen
arseworde this gospel,

Non potest civitas abscondi super montem posita; ellis, neque accendunt lucernam et ponunt eam sub modio.

Or wher fyndist thou, Dawkyn,
that men shulden kille her brether?
Sith Crist, our aller duke,
brouȝt us verrei pees,
bot if there be of the rancs
that ran fro Anticristis nose,

Pacem relinquo vobis, pacem meam do vobis.

Touchyng this pagyn, Dawe,
thi lesynges ben ful rif;
ffor her thou spekist of twey lyves,
and ȝe don nother wel,
ffor Martha groundid hir labour
fully in Goddis lawe,
so may not ȝe ȝour beggyng,
ne ȝour castelles nouther.
But of contemplacion
ȝe usen not bot as foxes;
so in this ȝe leven Crist
Martha and Marie both.
As touchyng ȝiftes to pore men,
ȝe pike that thai shulde have,
bothe of godes and faithe of soule,
I, Jak, can see non other.

Panis egentium vita pauperis est; qui defraudat eum, homo sanguinis est.

We can not make mariage, Dawe,
ne pursue no divorse;
we wynne not meche money with thes,
as thi secte doth ful oft.

Quod Deus conjunxit, homo non separet.

University of Virginia Library

Jacke Upland.

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The Reply of Friar Daw Topias, with Jack Upland's Rejoinder.[_] Square brackets denote editorial insertions or emendations

The Reply of Friar Daw Topias, with Jack Upland's Rejoinder.
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Square brackets denote editorial insertions or emendations