University of Virginia Library

[Enter King John.]
K. Johan

[Enter] Ynglond Vidua.
Englande
Than I trust yowre grace wyll waye a poore wedowes cause
Ungodly usyd as ye shall know in short clause.

K. Johan
Yea, that I wyll swer, yf yt be trew and just.

Englande
Lyke as yt beryth trewth so lett yt be dyscust.

K. Johan
Than, gentyll wydowe, tell me what the mater ys.

Englande
Alas, yowre clargy hath done very sore amys
In mysusyng me ageynst all ryght and justyce;
And for my more greffe therto they other intyce.

K. Johan
Whom do they intyce for to do the injurye?

Englande
Soch as hath enterd by false hypocrysye,
Moch worse frutes havyng than hathe the thornes unpleasaunt,
For they are the trees that God dyd never plant,
And, as Christ dothe saye, blynd leaders of the blynd.

K. Johan
Tell me whom thow menyst to satysfy my mynd.

Englande
Suche lubbers as hath dysgysed heades in ther hoodes,
Whych in ydelnes do lyve by other menns goodes:
Monkes, chanons, and nones in dyvers coloure and shappe,
Bothe whyght, blacke and pyed. God send ther increase yll happe!

K. Johan
Lette me know thy name or I go ferther with the.

Englande
Ynglond, syr, Ynglond my name is—ye may trust me.

K. Johan
I mervell ryght sore how thow commyst chaungyd thus.

[Enter Sedition.]
Sedicyon
What, yow two alone? I wyll tell tales, by Jesus!
And saye that I se yow fall here to bycherye.

K. Johan
Avoyd, lewde person, for thy wordes are ungodlye.

Sedicyon
I crye yow mercy, sur, I pray yow be not angrye.
Be my fayth and trowth, I cam hyther to be merye.

K. Johan
Thow canst with thy myrth in no wysse dyscontent me
So that thow powder yt with wysdom and honeste.

Sedicyon
I am no spycer: by the messe, ye may beleve me.

K. Johan
I speke of no spyce, but of cyvyle honeste.

Sedicyon
Ye spake of powder, by the Holy Trynyte!

K. Johan
Not as thow takyst yt, of a grosse capasyte,
But as Saynt Pawle meanyth unto the Collessyans playne,
‘So seasyne yowre speche that yt be with owt dysdayne.’
Now, Ynglond, to the: go thow forth with thy tale
And showe the cawse why thow lokyst so wan and pale.

Englande
I told yow be fore the faulte was in the clergye
That I, a wedow, apere to yow so barelye.

Sedicyon
Ye are a Wylly Wat, and wander here full warelye.

K. Johan
Why in the clargye? Do me to understande.

Englande
For they take from me my cattell, howse and land,
My wodes and pasturs with other commodyteys;
Lyke as Christ ded saye to the wyckyd Pharyseys,
‘Pore wydowys howsys ye grosse up by long prayers,’
In syde cotys wandryng lyke most dysgysed players.

Sedicyon
They are well at ese that hath soch soth sayers.

K. Johan
They are thy chylderne; thow owghtest to say them good.

Englande
Nay, bastardes they are, unnaturall by the rood!
Sens ther begynnyng they ware never good to me.
The wyld bore of Rome— God let hym never to thee—
Lyke pyggys they folow, in fantysyes, dreames and lyes,
And ever are fed with his vyle cerymonyes.

Sedicyon
Nay, sumtyme they eate bothe flawnes and pygyn pyes.

K. Johan
By the bore of Rome I trow thow menyst the Pope.

Englande
I mene non other but hym—God geve hym a rope!

K. Johan
And why dost thow thus compare hym to a swyne?

Englande
For that he and his to such bestlynes inclyne.
They forsake Godes word whych is most puer and cleane,
And unto the lawys of synfull men they leane.
Lyke as the vyle swyne the most vyle metes dessyer,
And hath gret plesure to walowe them selvys in myre,
So hath this wyld bore, with his church unyversall,
His sowe with hyr pygys and monstr[e]s bestyall,
Dylyght in mennys draffe and covytus lucre all.
Yea, aper de sylva the prophet dyd hym call.

Sedicyon
Hold yowre peace, ye whore, or ellys, by masse I trowe,
I shall cawse the Pope to curse the as blacke as a crowe.

K. Johan
What arte thow, felow, that seme so braggyng bolde?

Sedicyon
I am Sedycyon, that with the Pope wyll hold
So long as I have a hole with in my breche.

Englande
Commaund this felow to avoyd, I yow beseche,
For dowghtles he hath don me great injury.

K. Johan
Avoyd, lewd felow, or thow shalt rewe yt truly.

Sedicyon
I wyll not awaye for that same wedred wytche;
She shall rather kysse wher as it doth not ytche.
Quodcumque ligaveris I trow wyll playe soch a parte
That I shall abyde in Englond, magry yowre harte.
Tushe, the Pope ableth me to subdewe bothe kyng and keyser.

K. Johan
Off that thow and I wyll common more at leyser.

Englande
Trwly of the devyll they are that do onythyng
To the subdewyng of ony christen kyng.
For be he good or bade he is of Godes apoyntyng:
The good for the good, the badde ys for yll doyng.

K. Johan
Of that we shall talke here after: say forth thy mynd now
And show me how thow art thus becum a wedowe.

Englande
Thes vyle popych swyne hath clene exyled my hosband.

K. Johan
Who ys thy husbond? Tel me, good gentyll Yngland.

Englande
For soth, God hym selfe, the spowse of every sort
That seke hym in fayth to ther slowlys helth and confort.

Sedicyon
He ys scant honest that so many wyfes wyll have.

K. Johan
I saye hold yowre peace and stond asyde lyke a knave!
Ys God exylyd owt of this regyon? Tell me.

Englande
Yea, that he is, ser: yt is much more pete.

K. Johan
How commyth yt to passe that he is thus abusyd?

Englande
Ye know he abydyth not where his word ys refusyd,
For God is his word lyke as Seynt John dothe tell
In the begynnyng of his moste blyssyd gospell.
The Popys pyggys may not abyd this word to be hard,
Nor knowyn of pepyll, or had in anye regard.
Ther eyes are so sore they maye not abyd the lyght,
And that bred so hard ther gald gummes may yt not byght.
I, knowyng yowre grace to have here the governance
By the gyft of God, do knowledge my allegeance,
Desyeryng yowre grace to waye suche injuryes
As I daylye suffer by thes same subtyll spyes.
And lett me have ryght as ye are a ryghtfull kyng,
Apoyntyd of God to have such mater in doyng;
For God wyllyth yow to helpe the pore wydowes cause,
As he by Esaye protesteth in this same clause:
Querite iudicium subvenite oppresso,
Iudicate pupillo defendite viduam:
Seke ryght to poore, to the weake and faterlesse,
Defende the wydowe whan she is in dystresse.

Sedicyon
I tell ye the woman ys in great hevynes.

K. Johan
I may not in no wyse leve thi ryght undyscuste,
For God hath sett me, by his apoyntment just,
To further thy cause and to mayntayne thi ryght,
And therfor I wyll supporte the daye and nyght.
So long as my symple lyffe shall here indewer,
I wyll se the have no wrong, be fast and swer.
I wyll fyrst of all call my nobylyte,
Dwkis, erlyes and lordes, yche on in ther degre;
Next them the clargy or fathers spirituall,
Archebysshopes, bysshoppes, abbottes and pryers all;
Than the great juges and lawers everychon,
So opynyng to them thi cause and petyfull mone,
By the meanys wherof I shall ther myndes understonde.
Yf they helpe the not my selfe wyll take yt in honde
And sett such a waye as shall be to thi conforte.

Englande
Than for an answare I wyll shortly ageyne resort.

K. Johan
Do, Ynglond, hardly, and thow shalt have remedy.

Englande
God reward yowre Grace, I be seche hym hartely,
And send yow longe dayes to governe this realme in peace.

God owt Ynglond and drese for Clargy.
K. Johan
Gramercy, Yngland, and send the plentyus increse.

Sedicyon
Of bablyng matters I trow yt is tyme to cease.

K. Johan
Why dost thow call them bablyng maters? Tell me.

Sedicyon
For they are not worth the shakyng of a pertre
Whan the peres are gon: they are but dyble-dable.
I marvell ye can abyd suche byble-bable.

K. Johan
Thow semyst to be a man of symple dyscrescyon.

Sedicyon
Alas, that ye are not a pryst to here confessyon.

K. Johan
Why for confessyon? Lett me know thi fantasye.

Sedicyon
Becawse that ye are a man so full of mercye,
Namely to women that wepe with a hevy harte
Whan they in the churche hath lett but a lytyll farte.

K. Johan
I perseyve well now thow speakyst all this in mockage
Becawse I take parte with Englandes ryghtfull herytage.
Say thu what thow wylt, her mater shall not peryshe.

Sedicyon
Yt is joye of hym that women so can cheryshe.

K. Johan
God hathe me ordeynned in this same princely estate,
For that I shuld helpe such as be desolate.

Sedicyon
Yt is as great pyte to se a woman wepe
As yt is to se a sely dodman crepe,
Or, as ye wold say, a sely goose go barefote.

K. Johan
Thow semyste by thy wordes to have no more wytt than a coote.
I mervell thow arte to Englond so un naturall:
Beyng her owne chyld thow art worse than a best brutall.

Sedicyon
I am not her chyld: I defye hyr, by the messe!
I her sonne, quoth he! I had rather she wer hedlesse.
Thowgh I sumtyme be in Englond for my pastaunce,
Yet was I neyther borne here, in Spayne, nor in Fraunce,
But under the Pope in the holy cyte of Rome,
And there wyll I dwell un to the daye of dome.

K. Johan
But what is thy name? Tell me yett onys agayne.

Sedicyon
As I sayd afore, I am Sedycyon playne:
In every relygyon and munkysh secte I rayne,
Havyng yow prynces in scorne, hate and dysdayne.

K. Johan
I pray the, good frynd, tell me what ys thy facyon.

Sedicyon
Serche and ye shall fynd in every congregacyon
That long to the Pope, for they are to me full swer,
And wyll be so long as they last and endwer.

K. Johan
Yff thow be a cloysterer, tell of what order thow art.

Sedicyon
In every estate of the clargye I playe a part:
Sumtyme I can be a monke in a long syd cowle;
Sumtyme I can be a none and loke lyke an owle;
Sumtyme a channon in a syrples fayer and whyght;
A chapterhowse monke sumtym I apere in syght;
I am ower Syre Johan, sumtyme with a new shaven crowne;
Sumtym the person and swepe the stretes with a syd gowne;
Sumtyme the bysshoppe with a myter and a cope;
A graye fryer sumtyme with cutt shoes and a rope;
Sumtyme I can playe the whyght monke, symtyme the fryer,
The purgatory prist and every mans wyffe desyer.
This cumpany hath provyded for me morttmayne,
For that I myght ever among ther sort remayne.
Yea, to go farder, sumtyme I am a cardynall,
Yea, sumtyme a pope, and than am I lord over all,
Bothe in hevyn and erthe, and also in purgatory,
And do weare thre crownes whan I am in my glorye.

K. Johan
But what doeste thow here in England? Tell me shortlye.

Sedicyon
I hold upp the Pope as in other places many,
For his ambassador I am contynwally
In Sycell, in Naples, in Venys and Ytalye,
In Pole, Spruse, and [Beme], in Denmarke and Lumbardye,
In Aragon, in Spayne, in Fraunce, and in Germanye,
In Ynglond, in Scotlond, and in other regyons elles.
For his holy cawse I mayntayne traytors and rebelles,
That no prince can have his peples obedyence,
Except yt doth stand with the Popes prehemynence.

K. Johan
Gett the hence, thow knave, and moste presumptuows wreche,
Or as I am trew kyng thow shalt an halter streche!
We wyll thow know yt owre powre ys of God,
And therfor we wyll so execute the rod
That no lewde pryst shall be able to mayneteyne the.
I se now they be at to mych lyberte;
We wyll short ther hornys yf God send tyme and space.

Sedicyon
Than I in Englon[d] am lyke to have no place?

K. Johan
No, that thow arte not, and therfor avoyd apace.

Sedicyon
By the holy masse, I must lawgh to here yowre grace!
Ye suppose and thynke that ye cowd me subdewe:
Ye shall never fynd yowre supposycyon trewe,
Thowgh ye wer as strong as Hector and Diomedes,
Or as valyant as ever was Achylles.
Ye are well content that bysshoppes contynew styll?

K. Johan
We are so in dede, yf they ther dewte fullfyll.

Sedicyon
Nay than, good inowgh! Yowre awtoryte and powre
Shall passe as they wyll; they have sawce bothe swet and sowre.

K. Johan
What mennyst thow by that? Shew me thi intente this howre.

Sedicyon
They are Godes vycars: they can both save and lose.

K. Johan
Ah, thy meenyng ys that they maye a prynce depose.

Sedicyon
By the rood, they may, and that wyll appere by yow.

K. Johan
Be the helpe of God, we shall se to that well inow.

Sedicyon
Nay that ye can not, thowgh ye had Argus eyes,
In abbeyes they have so meny suttyll spyes.
For ones in the yere they have secret vysytacyons,
And yf ony prynce reforme ther ungodly facyons,
Than two of the monkes must forthe to Rome by and by
With secrett letters to avenge ther injury.
For a thowsand pownd they shrynke not in soch matter,
And yet for the tyme the prynce to his face they flater.
I am ever more ther gyde and ther advocate.

K. Johan
Than with the bysshoppes and monkes thow art checke mate.

Sedicyon
I dwell among them and am one of ther sorte.

K. Johan
For thy sake they shall of me have but small conforte;
Loke wher I fynd the that place wyll I put downe.

Sedicyon
What yf ye do chance to fynd me in every towne
Where as is fownded any sect monastycall.

K. Johan
I pray God I synke yf I dystroye them not all.

Sedicyon
Well yf ye so do yett know I where to dwell.

K. Johan
Thow art not skoymose thy fantasy for to tell.

Sedicyon
Gesse at a venture— ye may chance the marke to hytt.

K. Johan
Thy falssed to shew no man than thy selfe more fytt.

Sedicyon
Mary, in confessyon under-nethe benedicite.

K. Johan
Nay, tell yt ageyne that I may understond the.

Sedicyon
I saye I can dwell whan all other placys fayle me
In ere confessyon undernethe benedicite,
And whan I am ther the pryst may not bewray me.

K. Johan
Why, wyll ere confesshon soch a secret traytor be?

Sedicyon
Whan all other fayle he is so swre as stele.
Offend Holy Churche and I warant ye shall yt fele;
For by confessyon the Holy Father knoweth
Throw owt all Christendom what to his holynes growyth.

K. Johan
Oh where ys Nobylyte that he myght knowe thys falshed?

Sedicyon
Nay he is becum a meyntener of owre godhed.
I know that he wyll do Holy Chyrche no wronge
For I am his gostly father and techear amonge.
He belevyth nothyng but as Holy Chyrch doth tell.

K. Johan
Why, geveth he no credence to Cristes holy gospell?

Sedicyon
No, ser, by the messe, but he callyth them herytyckes
That preche the gospell, and sedycyows scysmatyckes;
He tache them, vex them, from preson to preson he turne them,
He indygth them, juge them, and in conclusyon he burne them.

K. Johan
We rewe to here this of owre Nobylyte;
But in this behalfe what seyst of the spretuallte?

Sedicyon
Of this I am swer— to them to be no stranger
And spesyally whan ther honor ys in dawnger.

K. Johan
We trust owre lawers have no such wyckyd myndes.

Sedicyon
Yes, they many tymys are my most secrett fryndes.
With faythfull precheres they can play leger demayne,
And with falce colores procure them to be slayne.

K. Johan
I perseyve this worlde is full of iniquite.
As God wold have yt, here cummyth Nobylyte.

Sedicyon
Doth he so in dede? By owre Lord, than wyll I hence.

K. Johan
Thow saydest thow woldyst dwell where he kepyth resydence.

Sedicyon
Yea, but fyrst of all I must chaunge myn apparell
Unto a bysshoppe to maynetayene with my quarell,
To a monke or pryst or to sum holy fryer.
I shud never elles accomplych my dysyre.

K. Johan
Why, art thow goyng? Naye, brother, thow shalte not hence.

Sedicyon
I wold not be sene as I am for fortye pence.
Whan I am relygyouse I wyll returne agayne.

K. Johan
Thow shalt tary here, or I must put the to payne.

Sedicyon
I have a great mynd to be a lecherous man—
A wengonce take yt— I wold saye a relygyous man.
I wyll go and cum so fast as evyre I can.

K. Johan
Tush, dally not with me! I saye thow shalt abyde.

Sedicyon
Wene yow to hold me that I shall not slyppe asyde?

K. Johan
Make no more prattyng for I saye thow shalt abyde.

Sedicyon
Stoppe not my passage: I must over see at the next tyde.

K. Johan
I wyll ordeyne so: I trowe thow shalt not over.

Sedicyon
Tush, tush, I am sewer of redy passage at Dover.

Her go owt Sedwsion and drese for Syvyll Ordere.
K. Johan
The devyll go with hym! The unthryftye knave is gon.

[Enter Nobility.]
Nobylyte
Troble not yowre sylfe with no soch dyssolute persone,
For ye knowe full well very lyttell honeste
Ys gote at there handes in every commynnalte.

K. Johan
This is but dallyaunce: ye do not speke as ye thynke.

Nobylyte
By my trowthe I do, or elles I wold I shuld synke.

K. Johan
Than must I marvell at yow of all men lyvynge.

Nobylyte
Why mervell at me? Tell me yowre very menyng.

K. Johan
For no man levyng is in more famylyerite
With that wycked wrech, yf it be trew that he told me.

Nobylyte
What wrech speke ye of? For Jesus love intymate.

K. Johan
Of that preseumtous wrech that was with me here of late,
Whom yow wyllyd not to vexe my selfe withall.

Nobylyte
I know hym not, I, by the waye that my sowll to shall!

K. Johan
Make yt not so strange, for ye know hym wyll I now.

Nobylyte
Beleve me yff ye wyll, I know hym not, I assuer yow.

K. Johan
Ware ye never yett aquantyd with Sedissyon?

Nobylyte
Syns I was a chyld both hym and his condycyon
I ever hated for his iniquite.

[Enter Clergy.]
K. Johan
A clere tokyn that is of trew nobelyte.
But I pray to God we fynde yt not other wyse.
Yt was never well syns the clargy wrowght by practyse
And left the scriptur for menns ymagynacyons,
Dyvydyng them selvys in so many congrygacyons
Of monkes, chanons and fryers of dyvers colors and facyons.

Clergye
I do trust yowre grace wyll be as lovyng now
As yowre predysessours have bene to us before yow.

K. Johan
I wyll suer wey my love with yowre behavers;
Lyke as ye deserve so wyll I bere yow favers.
Clargy, marke yt well; I have more to yow to say
Than, as the sayeng is, the prist dyd speke a Sonday.

Clergye
Ye wyll do us no wrong, I hope, nor injurye.

K. Johan
No, I wyll do yow ryght in seyng yow do yowre dewtye.
We know the cawtelles of yowre sotyll companye.

Clergye
Yf ye do us wrong we shall seke remedy.

K. Johan
Yea, that is the cast of all yowre company.
Whan kynges correcte yow for yowre actes most ungodly
To the pope syttyng in the chayer of pestoolens
Ye ronne, to remayne in yowre concupysens.
Thus sett ye at nowght all princely prehemynens,
Subdewyng the ordere of dew obedyens.
But within a whyle I shall so abate yowre pryde
That to yowre popet ye shall noyther runne nor ryde,
But ye shall be glad to seke to me yowre prynce
For all such maters as shall be with in this provynce,
Lyke as God wyllyth yow by his scripture evydente.

Nobylyte
To the Church I trust ye wyll be obedyent?

K. Johan
No mater to yow whether I be so or no.

Nobylyte
Yes, mary, is yt, for I am sworne therunto:
I toke a great othe whan I was dubbyd a knyght
Ever to defend the Holy Churches ryght.

Clergye
Yea, and in her quarell ye owght onto deth to fyght.

K. Johan
Lyke backes, in the darke y[e] alweys take yowre flyght,
Flytteryng in fanseys, and ever abhorre the lyght.
I rew yt in hart that yow, Nobelyte,
Shuld thus bynd yowre selfe to the grett captyvyte
Of blody Babulon the grownd and mother of whordom—
The Romych Churche I meane, more vyle than ever was Sodom,
And to say the trewth a mete spowse for the fynd.

[Enter Civil Order.]
Clergye
Yowre grace ys fare gonne: God send yow a better mynd.

K. Johan
Hold yowre peace, I say, ye are a lytyll to fatte.
In a whyle, I hope, ye shall be lener sumwhatte.
We shall loke to yow and to Civyll Order also:
Ye walke not so secrett but we know wher abowght ye goo.

Cyvyle Order
Why, yowre grace hath no cawse with me to be dysplesyd.

K. Johan
All thynges consyderyd we have small cause to be plesyd.

Cyvyle Order
I be sech yowre grace to graunt me a word or too.

K. Johan
Speke on yowre pleasur and yowre hole mynd also.

Cyvyle Order

K. Johan
Aganste amendement no resounable man can be.

Nobylyte
That sentence rysyth owt of an hygh charyte.

K. Johan
Now that ye are her assembled all together,
Amongeste other thynges ye shall fyrst of all consyder
That my dysplesure rebounyth on to yow all.

Clergye
To yow non of us ys prejudycyall.

K. Johan
I shall prove yt, yes. How have ye usyd Englond?

Nobylyte
But as yt becommyth us so fare as I understond.

K. Johan
Yes, the pore woman complayneth her grevosly,
And not withowt a cawse, for she hath great injurye.
I must se to yt, ther ys no remedy,
For it ys a charge gevyn me from God allmyghtye.
How saye ye, Clargye, apperyth it not so to yow?

Clergye
Yf it lykyth yowre grace, all we knowe that well ynow.

K. Johan
Than yow, Nobelyte, wyll affyrme yt, I am suer.

Nobylyte
Ye, that I wyll, sur, so long as my lyfe indure.

K. Johan
And yow, Cyvyll Order, I thynke wyll graunte the same?

Cyvyle Order
Ondowghted, ser, yea; elles ware yt to me gret shame.

K. Johan
Than for Englandes cause I wyll be sumewhat playne.
Yt is yow, Clargy, that hathe her in dysdayne.
With yowre Latyne howres, serymonyes and popetly playes.
In her more and more Godes holy worde decayes,
And them to maynteyn unresonable ys the spoyle
Of her londes, her goodes, and of her pore chylderes toyle.
Rekyn fyrst yowre tythis, yowre devocyons and yowre offrynges,
Mortuaryes, pardons, bequestes and other thynges,
Besydes that ye cache for halowed belles and purgatorye,
For iwelles, for relyckes, confessyon and cowrtes of baudrye,
For legacyes, trentalles with scalacely messys,
Wherby ye have made the people very assys:
And over all this ye have browght in a rabyll
Of Latyne mummers and sectes desseyvabyll
Evyn to dewore her and eat her upp attonnys.

Clergye
Yow wold have no churche, I wene, by thes sacred bones.

K. Johan
Yes, I wold have a churche, not of dysgysyd shavelynges,
But of faythfull hartes and charytable doynges;
For whan Christes chyrch was in her hyeste glory
She knew neyther thes sectes nor ther ipocrysy.

Clergye
Yes, I wyll prove yt by David substancyally:
Astitit Regina a dextris tuis in vestitu
deaurato circumdata varietate.
A quene, sayth Davyd, on thy ryght hond, lord, I se,
Apparrellyd with golde and compassyd with dyversyte.

K. Johan
What ys yowre meanyng by that same scriptur? Tell me.

Clergye
This quene ys the Chyrch which thorow all Cristen regions
Ys beawtyfull, [deckyd] with many holy relygyons:
Munkes, chanons and fryeres, most excellent dyvynis,
As Grandy Montensers and other Benedictyns,
Premonstratensers, Bernardes and Gylbertynys,
Jacobytes, Mynors, Whyght Carmes and Augustynis,
Sanbonites, Cluniackes, with holy Carthusyans,
Heremytes and Auncors, with most myghty Rodyans,
Crucifers, Lucifers, Brigettes, Ambrosyanes,
Stellifers, Ensifers, with Purgatoryanes,
Sophyanes, Indianes and Camaldulensers,
Jesuytes, Joannytes, with Clarimontensers,
Clarynes and Columbynes, Templers, Newe Ninivytes,
Rufyanes, Tercyanes, Lorytes and Lazarytes,
Hungaryes, Teutonyckes, Hospitelers, Honofrynes,
Basyles and Bonhams, Sclavons and Celestynes,
Paulynes, Hieronymytes, and Monkes of Josaphathes Valleye,
Fulygynes, Flamynes, with Bretherne of the Black Alleye,
Donates and Dimysynes, with Canons of S. Mark,
Vestals and Monyals, a worlde to heare them barke,
Abbottes and doctors, with bysshoppes and cardynales,
Arche decons and pristes, as to ther fortune falles.

Cyvyle Order
Me thynkyth yowre fyrst text stondeth nothyng with yo[w]re reson,
For in Davydes tyme wer no such sectes of relygyon.

K. Johan
Davyd meanyth vertuys by the same diversyte,
As in the sayd psalme yt is evydent to se
And not munkysh sectes; but yt is ever yowre cast
For yowre advauncement the Scripturs for to wrast.

Clergye
Of owre holy father in this I take my grownd,
Which hathe awtoryte the Scripturs to expond.

K. Johan
Naye, he presumyth the Scripturs to confownd.
Nowther thow nor the Pope shall do pore Englond wronge,
I beyng governor and kyng her peple amonge
Whyle yow for lucre sett forth yowre popysh lawys
Yowre selvys to advaunce ye wold make us pycke strawes.
Nay, ipocrytes, nay! We wyll not be scornyd soo
Of a sort of knavys. We shall loke yow otherwyse too.

Nobylyte
Sur, yowre sprytes are movyd I persayve by yowre langage.

K. Johan
I wonder that yow for such veyne popych baggage
Can suffyre Englond to be impoveryshyd
And mad a begger; ye are very yll advysyd.

Nobylyte
I marvell grettly that ye saye thus to me.

K. Johan
For dowghtles ye do not as becummyth Nobelyte;
Ye spare nouther landes nor goodes, but all ye geve
To thes cormerantes; yt wold any good man greve
To se yowre madnes, as I wold God shuld save me.

Nobylyte
Sur, I suppose yt good to bylde a perpetuite
For me and my frendes to be prayed for evermore.

K. Johan
Tush, yt is madnes all to dyspayre in God so sore
And to thynke Christes deth to be unsufficient.

Nobylyte
Sur, that I have don was of a good intent.

K. Johan
The intente ys nowght which hath no sewer grounde.

Clergye
Yff yow continue ye wyll Holy Chyrch confunde.

K. Johan
Nay, no Holy Chyrch, nor feythfull congregacyon,
But an hepe of adders of Antecristes generacyon.

Cyvyle Order
Yt pyttyth me moche that ye are to them so harde.

K. Johan
Yt petyeth me more that ye them so mych regarde.
They dystroye mennys sowlles with damnable supersticyon,
And decaye all realmys by meyntenaunce of sedycyon.
Ye wold wonder to know what profe I have of this.

Nobylyte
Well amenment shalbe wher any thyng is amysse,
For, undowtted, God doth open soche thynges to prynces
As to none other men in the Cristyen provynces
And therfor we wyll not in this with yowre Grace contend.

Cyvyle Order
No, but with Godes grace we shall owre mysededes amend.

Clergye
For all such forfetes as yowre pryncely mageste
For yowre owne person or realme can prove by me,
I submytte my selfe to yow, bothe body and goodes.

Knele.
K. Johan
We pety yow now, consyderyng yowre repentante modes,
And owre gracyous pardone we grante yow upon amendment.

Clergye
God preserve yowre Grace and Mageste excelent!

K. Johan
Aryse, Clargy, aryse, and ever be obedyent,
And as God commandeth yow take us for yowre governere.

Clergye
By the grace of God, the Pope shall be my rulare.

K. Johan
What saye ye, Clargy? Who ys yowre governer?

Clergye
Ha, ded I stomble? I sayd my prynce ys my ruler.

K. Johan
I pray to owre Lord this obedyence maye indewre.

Clergye
I wyll not breke yt ye may be fast and suer.

K. Johan
Than cum hether all thre: ye shall know more of my mynde.

Clergye
Owre kyng to obeye the Scriptur doth us bynde.

K. Johan
Ye shall fyrst be sworne to God and to the crowne
To be trew and juste in every cetye and towne,
And this to performe set hand and kysse the bocke.

Cyvyle Order
With the wyffe of Loth we wyll not backeward locke
Nor turne from owre oth, but ever obeye yowre grace.

K. Johan
Than wyll I gyve yow yowre chargys her in place
And accepte yow all to be of owre hyghe councell.

Clergye, Nobylyte, Cyvyle Order
To be fayth full than ye us more streytly compell.

K. Johan
For the love of God loke to the state of Englond!
Leate non enemy holde her in myserable bond.
Se yow defend her as yt becummyth nobilite,
Se yow instrutte her acordyng to yowre degre,
Fournysh her yow with a cyvyle honeste.
Thus shall she florysh in honor and grett plente.
With godly wysdom yowre maters so conveye
That the commynnalte the powers maye obeye,
And ever be-ware of that false these Sedycyon,
Whych poysennyth all realmes and bryng them to perdycyon.

Nobylyte
Sur, for soche wrecches we wyll be so circumspectte
That neyther ther falsed nor gylle shall us infecte.

Clergye
I warrant yow, sur, no, and that shall well apere.

Cyvyle Order
We wyll so provyde yff anye of them cum here
To dysturbe the realme they shall be full glad to fle.

K. Johan
Well, yowre promyse includeth no small dyffyculte:
But I put the case that this false these Sedycyon
Shuld cum to yow thre and call hym selfe Relygyon:
Myght he not under the pretence of holynes
Cawse yow to consent to myche ungodlynes?

Nobylyte
He shall never be able to do yt veryly.

K. Johan
God graunt ye be not deceyvyd by hypocresye.
I say no more, I. In shepes aparell sum walke
And seme relygeyose that deceyvably can calke.
Beware of soche hipocrites as the kyngdom of hevyn from man
Do hyde for awantage, for they deceyve now and than.
Well I leve yow here; yche man consyder his dewtye.

Nobylyte
With Godes leve, no faute shall be in this companye.

K. Johan
Cum, Cyvyle Order, ye shall go hence with me.

Cyvyle Order
At yowre commandmente I wyll gladlye wayte upon ye.

Here Kyng Johan and Sivile Order go owt: and Syvile Order drese hym for Sedewsyon.
Nobylyte
Me thynke the kyng is a man of a wonderfull wytt.

Clergye
Naye, saye that he ys of a vengeable craftye wytt,
Than shall ye be sure the trewth of the thyng to hytt.
Hard ye not how he of the Holy Church dyd rayle?
His extreme thretynynges shall lytyll hym avayle:
I wyll worke soch wayes that he shall of his purpose fayle.

Nobylyte
Yt is meet a prince to saye sumwhat for his plesure.

Clergye
Yea, but yt is to moch to rayle so withowt mesure.

Nobylyte
Well, lett every man speke lyke as he hathe a cawse.

Clergye
Why do ye say so? Yt is tyme for me than to pawse.

Nobylyte
This wyll I saye, sur, that he ys so noble a prince
As this day raygneth in ony Cristyne provynce.

Clergye
Mary, yt apereth well by that he wonne in Fraunce!

Nobylyte
Well, he lost not ther so moche by marcyall chaunce,
But he gate moche more in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Clergye
Yea, God sped us well: Crystmes songes are mery tales!

Nobylyte
Ye dysdayne soche mater as ye know full evydent.
Are not bothe Ireland and Wales to hym obedyent?
Yes, he holdyth them bothe in pessable possessyon,
And—by cause I wyll not from yowre tall make degressyon—
For his lond in Fraunce he gyveth but lytell forsse,
Havyng to Englond all his love and remorse;
And Angoye he gave to Artur his nevy in chaunge.

Clergye
Owre changes are soch that an abbeye turneth to a graunge.
We are so handled we have scarce eyther horse or male.

Nobylyte
He that dothe hate me the worse wyll tell my tale.
Yt is yowre fassyon soche kynges to dyscommend
As yowre abuses reforme or reprehend.
Yow pristes are the cawse that Chronycles doth defame
So many prynces and men of notable name,
For yow take upon yow to wryght them evermore;
And therfor Kyng Johan ys lyke to rewe yt sore
Whan ye wryte his tyme for vexcyng of the clargy.

Clergye
I mervell ye take his parte so ernestlye.

Nobylyte
Yt becommyth Nobelyte his prynces fame to preserve.

Clergye
Yf he contynew we are lyke in a whyle to starve:
He demaundeth of us the tenth parte of owre lyvyng.

Nobylyte
I thynke yt is then for sum nessessary thyng.

Clergye
Mary to recover that he hath lost in Fraunce,
As Normandy dewkedom and his land beyond Orleaunce.

Nobylyte
And thynke ye not that a mater nessesary?

Clergye
No, sur, by my trowth, he takyng yt of the clergy.

Nobylyte
Ye cowde be content that he shuld take yt of us?

Clergye
Yea, so that he wold spare the clargy, by swet Jesus!
This takyng of us myght sone growe to a custom,
And than Holy Churche myght so be browght to thraldom,
Whych hath ben ever from temporall prynces free
As towchyng trybute or other captyvyte.

Nobylyte
He that defendeth yow owght to have parte of yowre goodes.

Clergye
He hath the prayers of all them that hathe hoodes.

Nobylyte
Why, ys that inowgh to helpe hym in his warre?

Clergye
The Churche he may not of lyberte debarre.

Nobylyte
Ded not Crist hym selfe paye trybytt unto Cesere?
Yf he payd trybute, so owght his holy vycar.

Clergye
To here ye reson so ondyscretlye I wonder.
Ye must consyder that Cryst that tyme was under,
But his vycar now ys above the prynces all;
Therfor be ware ye do not to herysy fall.
Ye owght to beleve as Holy Churche doth teche yow,
And not to reason in soche hygh materes now.

Nobylyte
I am unlernyd, my wyttes are sone confowndyd.

Clergye
Than leve soch materes to men more depely growndyd.

Nobylyte
But how wyll ye do for the othe that ye have take?

Clergye
The keyes of the Church can all soche materes of shake.

Nobylyte
What call ye those kyes? I pray yow hartly, tell me!

Clergye
Owre Holy Fathers powre and his hygh autoryte.

Nobylyte
Well, I can no more say: ye are to well lernyd for me.
My bysynes ys soche that here now I must leve ye.

Clergye
I must hence also so fast as ever maye be,
To sewe unto Rome for the Churches lyberte.

Go owt Nobylyte and Clargy. Here Sedycyon cummyth in.
Sedicyon
Have in onys ageyne, in spyght of all myn enymyes,
For they can not dryve me from all mennys companyes;
And thowgh yt wer so that all men wold forsake me,
Yet dowght I yt not but sume good women wold take me.
I loke for felowys that here shuld make sum sporte.
I mervell yt is so longe ere they resorte.
By the messe, I wene the knaves are in the bryers,
Or elles they are fallen in to sum order of fryers.
Naye, shall I gesse ryght? They are gon into the stues.
I holde ye my necke anon we shall here newes.
Seyng the Leteny.
Lyst, for Godes passyon! I trow her cummeth sum hoggherd
Callyng for his pygges: such a noyse I never herd!

Here cum Dyssymulacy[on] syngyng of the Le[t]any.
Dissymulacyon
syng
Sancte Dominice, ora pro nobis.

Sedicyon
syng
Sancte pyld monache, I beshrow vobis.

Dissymulacyon
syng
Sa[n]cte Francisse, ora pro nobis.

Sedicyon
Here ye not? Cockes sowle, what meaneth this ypocryte knave?

Dissymulacyon
Pater noster, I pray God bryng hym sone to his grave;
Qui es in celis, with an vengeable sanctyficetur,
Or elles Holy Chyrche shall never thryve, by Saynt Peter.

Sedicyon
Tell me, good felowe, makyste thow this prayer for me?

Dissymulacyon
Ye are as ferce as thowgh ye had broke yowre nose at the buttre.
I medyll not with the, but here to good sayntes I praye,
Agenst soch enmyes as wyll Holy Chyrche decaye.
Here syng this:
A Johanne Rege iniquo, libera nos, Domine.

Sedicyon
Leve, I saye, or by the messe, I wyll make yow grone.

Dissymulacyon
Yff thow be jentyll, I pray the, leate me alone.
For with in a whyle my devocyon wyll be gone.

Sedicyon
And wherfor dost thow praye here so bytterly,
Momblyng thy Pater noster and chauntyng the Letany?

Dissymulacyon
For that Holy Chyrch myght save hyr patrymonye,
And to have of Kyng Johan a tryumphnt vyctorye.

Sedicyon
And why of Kyng Johan? Doth he vexe yow so sore?

Dissymulacyon
Bothe chyrchys and abbeys he oppressyth more and more,
And take of the clergye —yt is onresonable to tell.

Sedicyon
Owte with the Popys bulles, than, and cursse hym downe to hell.

Dissymulacyon
Tushe, man, we have done so, but all that wyll not helpe.
He regardyth no more the Pope than he dothe a whelpe.

Sedicyon
Well, lett hym alone; for that wyll I geve hym a scelpe.
But what arte thow callyd of thyn owne munkych nacyon?

Dissymulacyon
Kepe yt in counsell: Dane Davy Dyssymulacyon.

Sedicyon
What, Dyssymulacyon? Cokes sowle, myn old aquenteunce!
Par me faye, mon amye, je [suis] tote ad voutre plesaunce.

Dissymulacyon
Gramercyes, good frend, with all my very hert.
I trust we shall talke more frely or we deperte.

Sedicyon
Why, vylayn horson! Knowyst not thi cosyn Sedycyon.?

Dissymulacyon
I have ever loved both the and thy condycyon.

Sedicyon
Thow must nedes, I trowe, for we cum of two bretherne:
Yf thow remember, owre fatheres were on manns chylderne—
Thow commyst of Falsed, and I of Prevy Treason.

Dissymulacyon
Than Infydelyte owre granfather ys by reason.

Sedicyon
Mary, that ys trewe, and his begynner Antycrist,
The great Pope of Rome or fyrst veyne popysh prist.

Dissymulacyon
Now welcum, cosyn, by the waye that my sowle shall to!

Sedicyon
Gramercy, cosyn, by the holy bysshope Benno.
Thow kepyst thi old wont; thow art styll an abbe mann.

Dissymulacyon
To hold all thynges up I play my part now and than.

Sedicyon
Why, what manere of offyce hast thow within the abbey?

Dissymulacyon
Of all relygyons I kepe the chyrch dore keye.

Sedicyon
Than of a lykelyhod thow art ther generall porter.

Dissymulacyon
Nay, of munkes and chanons I am the suttyll sorter.
Whyle sum talke with Besse, the resydewe kepe sylence.
Thowgh we playe the knavys we must shew a good pretence.
Where so ever sum eate a serten kepe the froyter;
Where so ever sum slepe sum must nedes kepe the dorter.
Dedyst thow never know the maner of owre senyes?

Sedicyon
I was never with them aqueyntyd, by Seynt Denyes.

Dissymulacyon
Than never knewyst thow the knavery of owre menyes.
Yf I shuld tell all I cowd saye more than that.

Sedicyon
Now, of good felowshyppe, I beseche the show me what.

Dissymulacyon
The profytable lucre cummyth ever in by me.

Sedicyon
But by what meane? Tell me, I hartely pray the.

Dissymulacyon
To wynne the peple I appoynt yche man his place:
Sum to syng Latyn, and sum to ducke at grace;
Sum to go mummyng, and sum to beare the crosse;
Sum to stowpe downeward, as ther heades ware stopt with mosse;
Sum rede the epystle and gospell at hygh masse;
Sum syng at the lectorne with long eares lyke an asse.
The pawment of the Chyrche the aunchent faders tredes,
Sumtyme with a portas, sumtyme with a payre of bedes;
And this exedyngly drawth peple to devoycyone,
Specyally whan they do se so good relygeon.
Than have we imagys of Seynt Spryte and Seynt Savyer:
Moche is the sekynge of them to gett ther faver;
Yong whomen berfote and olde men seke them brecheles.
The myracles wrowght ther I can in nowyse expresse.
We lacke noyther golde, nor sylwer gyrdles, nor rynges,
Candelles, nor tapperes, nor other customyd offerynges.
Thowgh I seme a shepe, I can play the suttle foxe:
I can make Latten to bryng this gere to the boxe.
Tushe, Latten ys alone to bryng soche mater to passe;
Ther ys no Englyche that can soche profyghtes compasse.
And therfor we wyll no servyce to be songe,
Gospell nor pystell, but all in Latten tonge.
Of owre suttell dryftes many more poyntes are behynde;
Yf I tolde yow all, we shuld never have an ende.

Sedicyon
In nomine Patris, of all that ever I hard
Thow art alone yet of soche a dremyng bussard!

Dissymulacyon
Nay, dowst thow not se how I in my colours jette?
To blynd the peple I have yet a farther fette.
This is for Bernard, and this is for Benet,
This is for Gylbard, and this is for Jhenet;
For Frauncys this is, and this is for Domynyke,
For Awsten and Elen, and this is for Seynt Partryk.
We have many rewlles, but never one we kepe;
Whan we syng full lowde owre hartes be fast aslepe.
We resemble sayntes in gray, whyte, blacke and blewe,
Yet unto prynces not one of owre nomber trewe—
And that shall kyng Johan prove shortly, by the rode.

Sedicyon
But in the meane tyme yowre selves gett lytyll good;
Yowre abbeys go downe, I here saye every where.

Dissymulacyon
Yea, frynd Sedysyon, but thow must se to that gere.

Sedicyon
Than must I have helpe, by swete Saynt Benettes cuppe.

Dissymulacyon
Thow shalt have a chyld of myn owne bryngyng uppe.

Sedicyon
Of thy bryngyng uppe! Cokes sowle, what knave is that.

Dissymulacyon
Mary, Pryvat Welth; now hayve I tolde the what.
I made hym a monke and a perfytt cloysterer,
And in the abbeye he becam fyrst celerere,
Than pryor, than abbote of a thowsand pownd land, no wors.
Now he is a bysshoppe and rydeth with an hondryd hors,
And, as I here say, he is lyke to be cardynall.

Sedicyon
Ys he so in dede? By the masse, than have att all!

Dissymulacyon
Nay, fyrst, Pryvat Welth shall bryng in Usurpyd Powre
With his autoryte, and than the gam ys ower.

Sedicyon
Tush, Usurpyd Powre dothe faver me of all men,
For in his trobles I ease his hart now and then.
Whan prynces rebell agenste hys autoryte
I make ther commons agenst them for to be.
Twenty thousand men are but a mornyng breckefast
To be slayne for hym, he takyng his repast.

Dissymulacyon
Thow hast, I persayve, a very suttyll cast.

Sedicyon
I am for the Pope as for the shyppe the mast.

Dissymulacyon
Than helpe, Sedycyon, I may styll in Englond be:
Kyng Johan hath thre[t]ned that I shall over see.

Sedicyon
Well, yf thow wylte of me have remedy this owre,
Go feche Pryvat Welth and also Usurpyd Powre.

Dissymulacyon
I can bryng but one be Mary, Jesus mother.

Sedicyon
Bryng thow in the one and let hym bryng in the other.

Here cum in Usurpyd Powre and Private Welth, syngyng on after another.
Usurpid Powre
syng this:
Super flumina Babilonis suspendimus organa nostra.

Privat Welth
syng this:
Quomodo cantabimus canticum bonum in terra aliena.

Sedicyon
By the mas, me thynke they are syngyng of placebo.

Dissymulacyon
Peace, for with my spectakles vadam et videbo.
Cokes sowll, yt is they: at the last I have smellyd them owt.

Her go and bryng them.
Sedicyon
Thow mayst be a sowe yf thow hast so good a snowt.
Sures, marke well this gere for now yt begynnyth to worke:
False Dyssymulacyon doth bryng in Privat Welth;
And Usurpyd Powre, which is more ferce than a Turcke,
Cummeth in by hym to decayve all spyrytuall helth;
Than I by them bothe, as clere experyence telth.
We four by owre craftes Kyng Johan wyll so subdwe
That for three hundred yers all Englond shall yt rewe.

Dissymulacyon
Of the clargy, fryndes, report lyke as ye se,
That ther Privat Welth cummyth ever in by me.

Sedicyon
But by whom commyst thow? By the messe, evyn by the devyll,
For the grownd thow arte of the Cristen peplys evyll.

Dissymulacyon
And what are yow, ser? I praye yow say good be me.

Sedicyon
By my trowth, I cum by the and thy affynyte.

Dissymulacyon
Feche thow in thy felow so fast as ever thow can.

Privat Welth
I trow thow shalt se me now playe the praty man.
Of me, Privat Welth, cam fyrst Usurpyd Powre:
Ye may perseyve yt in pagent here this howre.

Sedicyon
Now welcum, felowys, by all thes bonys and naylys!

Usurpid Powre
Among companyons good felyshyp never faylys.

Sedicyon
Nay, Usurpid Powre, thow must go backe ageyne,
For I must also put the to a lytyll payne.

Usurpid Powre
Why, fellaue Sedycyon, what wyll thow have me do?

Sedicyon
To bare me on thi backe and bryng me in also
That yt maye be sayde that fyrst Dyssymulacyon
Browght in Privat Welth to every Cristen nacyon,
And that Privat Welth browght in Usurpid Powre,
And he Sedycyon in cytye, towne and tower
That sum man may know the feche of all owre sorte.

Usurpid Powre
Cum on thy wayes, than, that thow mayst make the fort.

Dissymulacyon
Nay, Usurped Powre, we shall bare hym all thre,
Thy selfe, he, and I, yf ye wyll be rewlyd by me.
For ther is non of us but in hym hath a stroke.

Privat Welth
The horson knave wayeth and yt were a croked oke!

Here they shall bare hym in, and Sedycyon saythe
Sedicyon
Yea, thus it shuld be. Mary, now [I am] alofte
I wyll beshyte yow all yf ye sett me not downe softe.
In my opynyon, by swete Saynt Antony,
Here is now gatheryd a full honest company.
Here is nowther Awsten, Ambrose, Hierom nor Gregory,
But here is a sorte of companyons moch more mery.
They of the Chirch than wer fower holy doctors,
We of the Chirch now are the fower generall proctors.
Here ys fyrst of all good father Dyssymulacyon,
The fyrst begynner of this same congregacyon;
Here is Privat Welthe which hath the Chyrch infecte
With all abusyons and brought yt to a synfull secte;
Here ys Usurpid Powre, that all kynges doth subdwe
With such autoryte as is neyther good ner trewe:
And I last of all am evyn sance pere Sedycyon.

Usurpid Powre
Under hevyn ys not a mor knave in condycyon.
Wher as thow dost cum that common welth can not thryve.
By owre Lord, I marvell that thow art yet alyve!

Privat Welth
Wher herbes are pluckte upp the wedes many tymes remayne.

Dissymulacyon
No man can utter an evydence more playn.

Sedicyon
Yea, ye thynke so, yow? Now Godes blyssyng breke yowre heade.
I can do but lawgh to her yow, by this breade!
I am so mery that we are mett, by Saynt John,
I fele not the ground that I do go uppon.
For the love of God, lett us have sum mery songe.

Usurpid Powre
Begyne thy self than, and we shall lepe in amonge.

Here syng.
Sedicyon
I wold ever dwell here to have such mery sporte.

Privat Welth
Thow mayst have yt, man, yf thow wylt hether resorte,
For the Holy Father ys as good a felowe as we.

Dissymulacyon
The Holy Father! Why, I pray the, whych is he?

Privat Welth
Usurpid Powre here, which thowgh he apparaunt be
In this apparell, yet hathe he autoryte
Bothe in hevyn and erth, in purgatory and in hell.

Usurpid Powre
Marke well his saynges, for a trew tale he doth tell.

Sedicyon
What, Usurpid Powre? Cockes sowle, ye are owre Pope?
Where is yowre thre crounys, yowre crosse keys, and yowre cope?
What meanyth this mater? Me thynke ye walke astraye.

Usurpid Powre
Thow knowest I must have sum dalyaunce and playe,
For I am a man lyke as an other ys.
Sumtyme I must hunt, sumtyme I must Alysen kys.
I am bold of yow, I take ye for no straungers.
We are as spirituall; I dowght in yow no daungers.

Dissymulacyon
I owght to conseder yowre Holy Fatherhode,
From my fyrst infancy ye have ben to me so good.
For Godes sake wytsave to geve me yowre blyssyng here,
Knele.
A pena et culpa that I may stand this day clere.

Sedicyon
From makyng cuckoldes? Mary, that wer no mery chere.

Dissymulacyon
A pena et culpa: I trow thow canst not here.

Sedicyon
Yea, with a cuckoldes wyff ye have dronke dobyll bere.

Dissymulacyon
I pray the, Sedycyon, my pacyens no more stere;
A pena et culpa I desyre to be clere,
And than all the devylles of hell I wold not fere.

Usurpid Powre
But tell me one thyng: dost thow not preche the Gospell?

Dissymulacyon
No, I promyse yow, I defye yt to the devyll of hell!

Usurpid Powre
Yf I knewe thow dedyst thow shuldest have non absolucyon.

Dissymulacyon
Yf I do, abjure me or put me to execucyon.

Privat Welth
I dare say he brekyth no popyshe constytucyon.

Usurpid Powre
Soche men are worthy to have owre contrybucyon:
I assoyle the here, behynde and also beforne.
Now art thow as clere as that daye thow wert borne.
Ryse, Dyssymulacyon, and stond uppe lyke a bold knyght.
Dowght not of my powre thowgh my aparell be lyght.

Sedicyon
A man, be the messe, can not know yow from a knave;
Ye loke so lyke hym as I wold God shuld me save.

Privat Welth
Thow arte very lewde owre father so to deprave.
Thowgh he for his plesure soche lyght apparell have,
Yt is now sommer and the heate ys withowt mesure,
And among us he may go lyght at his owne plesure.
Felow Sedycyon, thowgh thow dost mocke and scoffe,
We have other materes than this to be commyned of;
Frynd Dyssymulac[y]on, why dost thow not thy massage
And show owt of Englond the causse of thi farre passage?
Tush, blemysh not, whoreson, for I shall ever assyst the.

Sedicyon
The knave is whyght-leveryd, by the Holy Trynyte!

Usurpid Powre
Why so, Privat Welth? What ys the mater? Tell me.

Privat Welth
Dyssymulac[y]on ys a massanger for the clargy;
I must speke for hym, ther ys no remedy.
The clargy of Ynglond, which ys yowre specyall frynde,
And of a long tyme hath borne yow very good mynde,
Fyllyng yowre coffars with many a thowsande pwnde,
Yf ye sett not to hand he ys lyke to fall to the grownde.
I do promysse yow truly his harte ys in his hose;
Kyng Johan so usyth hym that he reconnyth all to lose.

Usurpid Powre
Tell, Dyssymulac[y]on, why art thow so asshamed
To shewe thy massage? Thow art moch to be blamed.
Late me se those wrytynges. Tush, man, I pray the cum nere.

Dissymulacyon
Yowre horryble holynes putth me in wonderfull fere.

Usurpid Powre
Tush, lett me se them, I pray the hartely.
Here Dissimulacyon shall delever the wrytynges to Usurpyd Powre.
I perseyve yt well: thow wylt lose no ceremony.

Sedicyon
Yet is he no lesse than a false knave, veryly.
I wold thow haddyst kyst his ars for that is holy.

Privat Welth
How dost thow prove me that his arse ys holy now?

Sedicyon
For yt hath an hole evyn fytt for the nose of yow.

Privat Welth
Yowre parte ys not elles but for to playe the knave,
And so ye must styll contynew to yowre grave.

Usurpid Powre
I saye leve yowre gawdes and attend to me this howre.
The bysshoppes writeth here to me, Usurped Powre,
Desyryng assystence of myne auctoryte
To save and support the Chyrches lyberte.
They report Kyng Johan to them to be very harde
And to have the Church in no pryce nor regarde.
In his parlament he demaundeth of the clargy
For his warres the tent of the Chyrches patrymony.

Privat Welth
Ye wyll not consent to that, I trow, by Saynt Mary!

Sedicyon
No, drawe to yow styll, but lett none from yow cary.

Usurpid Powre
Ye know yt is cleane agenst owre holy decrees
That princes shuld thus contempne owre lybertees.
He taketh uppon hym to reforme the tythes and offrynges,
And intermedleth with other spyrytuall thynges.

Privat Welth
Ye must sequester hym or elles that wyll mare all.

Usurpid Powre
Naye, besydes all this before juges temporall
He conventeth clarkes of cawses crymynall.

Privat Welth
Yf ye se not to that, the Churche wyll have a fall.

Sedicyon
By the masse, than pristes are lyke to have a pange;
For treson, murder, and thefte they are lyke to hange.
By cockes sowle, than I am lyke to walke for treason
Yf I be taken. Loke to yt therfor in seasone.

Privat Welth
Mary, God forbyd that ever yowre holy anoynted
For tresone or thefte shuld be hanged, racked or joynted
Lyke the rascall sorte of the prophane layete.

Usurpid Powre
Naye, I shall otherwyse loke to yt, ye may trust me.
Before hymselfe also the bysshoppes he doth convent,
To the derogacyon of ther dygnyte excelent,
And wyll suffer non to the court of Rome to appele.

Dissymulacyon
No, he contemnyth yowre autoryte and seale,
And sayth in his lond he wyll be lord and kyng,
No prist so hardy to enterpryse any thyng.
For the whych of late with hym ware at veryaunce
Fower of his bysshoppes, and in maner at defyaunce:
Wyllyum of London, and Eustace, Bysshope of Hely,
Water of Wynchester, and Gylys of Hartford, trewly.
Be yowre autoryte they have hym excominycate.

Usurpid Powre
Than have they done well, for he is a reprobate.
To that I admytt he ys alwayes contrary.
I made this fellow here the Archebysshope of Canterbery,
And he wyll agree therto in no condyc[y]on.

Privat Welth
Than hathe he knowledge that his name ys Sedycyon?

Dissymulacyon
Dowtles he hath so, and that drownnyth his opynyon.

Usurpid Powre
Why do ye not saye his name ys Stevyn Langton?

Dissymulacyon
Tush, we have done so, but that helpyth not the mater:
The Bysshope of Norwych for that cawse doth hym flater.

Usurpid Powre
Styke thow to yt fast, we have onys admytted the.

Sedicyon
I wyll not one jote from my admyssyon fle:
The best of them all shall know that I am he.
Naye, in suche maters lett men be ware of me.

Usurpid Powre

Dissymulacyon
Yt is takyn, ser. The somme ys un-resonnable—
A nynne thowsand marke: to lyve they are not able.
His suggesteon was to subdew the Yrysh men.

Privat Welth
Yea, that same peple doth ease the Church now and then;
For that enterpryse they wold be lokyd uppon.

Usurpid Powre
They gett no mony, but they shall have clene remyssion,
For those Yrysh men are ever good to the Church;
Whan kynges dysobeye yt than they begynne to worch.

Privat Welth
And all that they do ys for indulgence and pardon.

Sedicyon
By the messe, and that is not worth a rottyn wardon.

Usurpid Powre
What care we for that? To them yt is venyson.

Privat Welth
Than lett them have yt, a Godes dere benyson!

Usurpid Powre
Now, how shall we do for this same wycked kyng?

Sedicyon
Suspend hym and curse hym both with yowre word and wrytyng.
Yf that wyll not holpe, than interdyght his land
With extrem cruellnes; and yf that wyll not stand
Cawse other prynces to revenge the churchys wronge.
Yt wyll profytte yow to sett them aworke amonge;
For clene remyssyon one kyng wyll subdew another.
Yea, the chyld sumtyme wyll sle both father and mother.

Usurpid Powre
This cownsell ys good; I wyll now folow yt playne.
Tary thow styll here tyll we returne agayne.

Here go owt Usurpid Powre and Privat Welth and Sedycyon. Usurpyd Powre shall drese for the Pope, Privat Welth for a Cardynall, and Sedycyon for a monke. The Cardynall shall bryng in the crose, and Stevyn Launton the bocke, bell and candell.
Dissymulacyon

[Usurped Power returns as the Pope, Private Wealth as a Cardinal, and Sedition as Stephen Langton.]
The Pope
Ah, ye are a blabbe! I perseyve ye wyll tell all.
I lefte ye not here to be so lyberall.

Knele and knoke on thi bryst.
Dissymulacyon
Mea culpa, mea culpa, gravissima mea culpa!
Geve me yowre blyssyng pro Deo et sancta Maria.

The Pope
Thow hast my blyssyng. Aryse now and stond asyde.

Dissymulacyon
My skyn ys so thyke yt wyll not throw glyde.

The Pope
Late us goo abowght owre other materes now.

Say this all thre:
We wayte her upon the greate holynes of yow.

The Pope
For as moch as Kyng Johan doth Holy Church so handle,
Here I do curse hym wyth crosse, boke, bell, and candle:
Lyke as this same roode turneth now from me his face,
So God I requyre to sequester hym of his grace;
As this boke doth speare by my worke maanuall,
I wyll God to close uppe from hym his benyfyttes all;
As this burnyng flame goth from this candle in syght,
I wyll God to put hym from his eternall lyght;
I take hym from Crist, and after the sownd of this bell
Both body and sowle I geve hym to the devyll of hell.
I take from hym baptym with the othere sacramentes
And suffrages of the Churche, bothe ember dayes and lentes.
Here I take from hym bothe penonce and confessyon,
Masse of the five wondes, with sensyng and processyon.
Here I take from hym holy water and holy brede,
And never wyll them to stande hym in any sted.
This thyng to publyshe I constytute yow thre,
Gevyng yow my powre and my full autoryte.

Say this all thre:
With the grace of God we shall performe yt, than.

The Pope
Than gett yow foreward so fast as ever ye can
Uppon a bone vyage. Yet late us syng meryly.

Sedicyon
Than begyne the song, and we shall folow gladly.

Here they shall syng.
The Pope
To coloure this thyng thow shalte be callyd Pandulphus;
Thow, Stevyn Langton; thy name shall be Raymundus.
Fyrst thow, Pandolphus, shalt opynly hym suspend
With boke, bell and candle. Yf he wyll not so amend
Interdycte his lande and the churches all up speare.

Privat Welth
I have my massage: to do yt I wyll not feare.

Here go owt and dresse for Nobylyte.
The Pope
And thow, Stevyn Langton, cummaund the bysshoppes all
So many to curse as are to hym benefycyall,
Dwkes, erles and lordes, wherby they may forsake hym.

Sedicyon
Sur, I wyll do yt, and that, I trow, shall shake hym.

[Exit.]
The Pope
Raymundus, go thow forth to the Crysten princes all;
Byd them, in my name, that they uppon hym fall,
Bothe with fyre and sword, that the Churche may hym conquarre.

Dissymulacyon
Yowre plesur I wyll no lengar tyme defarre.

The Pope
Saye this to them also: Pope Innocent the Thred
Remyssyon of synnes to so many men hath graunted
As wyll do ther best to slee hym yf they may.

Dissymulacyon
Sur, yt shall be don with owt ony lenger delay.

[Exit.]
The Pope
In the meane season I shall soch gere avaunce
As wyll be to us a perpetuall furderaunce:
Fyrst eare confessyon, than pardons, than purgatory,
Sayntes worchyppyng than, than sekyng of ymagery,
Than Laten servyce with the cerymonyes many
Wherby owre bysshoppes and abbottes shall get mony.
I wyll make a law to burne all herytykes,
And kynges to depose whan they are sysmatykes.
I wyll all so reyse up the fower beggyng orderes
That they may preche lyes in all the Cristen borderes.
For this and other I wyll call a generall cownsell
To ratyfye them in lyke strength with the Gospell.

Here the Pope go owt ... [Enter the Interpreter.]
The Interpretour