THE IMAGE OF IPOCRYSY.[468]

Vpon....

Of the cruell clergy[?],

And the proude prelacy[?],

That now do looke so hie,

As though that by and by

They wold clymbe and fflye

Vp to the clowdy skye:[469]

Wher all men may espye,

By fals hipocrysye

Thei long haue blered the eye

Of all the world well nye;

Comytting apostacie

Against that verytye

That thei can not denye:

In which how shamlessly

They do ... and aye

Ther concyens testyfye

The poppe[?]....

Curte[?]....

The rest of B ... markes,

That be heresyarkes,

Which do com[yt?] ther warkes,

As one that in the darke ys,

And wotes not wher the marke ys,

Do take the kites for larkes.

Suche be owr primates,

Our bisshopps and prelates,

Our parsons and curates,[470]

With other like estates

That were shaven pates;

As monkes white and blacke,

And channons that cane chatte,

Glottons[471] ffayre and fatt,

With ffriers of the sacke,

And brothers of the bagg,

As nymble as a nagg,

That cane bothe prate and bragg,

To make the pulpett wagge

With twenty thousand lyes,

Do make the blind eate flyes,

And[472] blere our symple eyes,

To make vs to beleve

God morowe is god eve;

For pleynly to be breve,

So nye they do vs dreve,

That we, to our great greve,

Must sey that white is blacke,

Or elles they sey we smacke,

And smell we wote not what:

But then beware the catt;

For yf they smell a ratt,

They grisely chide and chatt,

And, Haue him[473] by the jack,

A fagott for his backe,

Or, Take[474] him to the racke,

And drowne hyme in a sacke,

Or burne hyme on a stake!

Lo, thus they vndertake

The trothe false to make!

Alas, for Christ his sake!

Is the sonnelight darke,

Or ignoraunc[e] a clarke,

Bycawse that thei hath powre

To send men to the Towre,

The simple to devowre?

If they lyst to lowre,

Ys suger therfor sowre?

Dothe[475] five and three make ffour?

As well I durst be bolde

To sey the ffier were colde.

But yet they worke muche worse,

When they for blissinge cowrse;

For Father Friska jolly,

And _Pater_ Pecke a lolly,

That be all full of folly,

Doo[476] fayne them seem[477] holy,

For ther monopoly,

And ther private welthe,

That they haue take by stelthe;

And in the churche they lurke,

As ill as any Turke,

So proudely they vsurpe,

Besyde the spritt of Christ,

The office of a pryste

In any wise to take,

As thoughe it were a iape,

To runne in att the rove;[478]

For some of them do prove[479]

To clyme vpp ere they knowe

The doore from the wyndowe;

They may not stoope alowe,

But backe bend as a bowe;

They make an owtwarde showe,

And so forthe one a rowe,

As dapper as a crowe,

And perte as any pye,

And lighte as any ffly.

At borde and at table

They be full servysable,

Sober and demure,

Acquayntans to allure,

Wher they may be sure[480]

By any craft or trayne

To fyshe for any gayne,[481]

Or wayt for any wynnyng,—

A prestly begynnynge!

For many a hyerlinge,

With a wilde fyerlinge,

Whan his credyte is most,

With mikell brag and bost

Shall pryck[482] owt as a post,

Chafyng[483] lyke myne hoste,

As hott as any toste,

And ride from cost to cost,

And then[484] shall rule the rost.

And some avaunced be

For ther auncente,

Thoughe[485] ther antiquitye

Be all innequitye;

Yett be they called

To the charge of the fald,

Because they be balled,

And be for bisshopps stalled.

And some kepe ther stations

In owtwarde straunge natyons,

Lernynge invocatyons,

And craftye incantatyons;

And so by inchantement

Gette theyr avauncement.

And some by fayned favour

For honour or for havour,

By voyses boughte and solde,

For sylver and for golde,

For lande, for rente or ffee,

Or by authoritye

Of menn of hye degree,

Or for some qualitye,

As many of them bee,

For ther actyvitee,

Ther practyse and industrye,

Sleyght, craft, and knavery,

In matters of bawdery,

Or by helpe of kynne,

An easy liffe to wynne.

I swere by Saincte Mary,

He that thus dothe cary

Is a mercenary,

Yea, a sangunary,

A pastore for to pull

Of bothe skynne and wolle.

Thoughe Christ be the doer,

They force not of his looer,

They sett therby no stoore;

Ther stody is for moore:

And I tell youe therfore

That they ther tyme temper

With a provisoo _semper_

An other wey to enter,

For love of wordely good,

Not forcinge of the fflode

Of hyme that bledd the roode;

It is not for ther moode.

They make deambulacyons

With great ostentations,

And loke for salutations

On every mannes face,

As in the merkett place

To saye, God saue your grace!

Thus in churche and chepinge,

Wher they may haue metinge

With lordes and with ladyes,

To be called Rabyes:

Nowe God saue these dadyes,

And all ther yonge babyes!

The holy worde of God

Is by these men forbod;

_Pater noster_ and Creede

They vtterly forbeede

To be said or songe

In our vulgar tonge.

Ohe Lorde, thou hast great wronge

Of these that shoulde be trustye,

Whiche sey the breade is musty,

And with ther lawe vnlusty

Make it rusty and dusty!

But I do thinke it rustye

For lacke of exercyse:

Wherfore they be vnwise

That will the lawe despise,

And daylye newe devyse,

So dyvers and so straunge,

Which[486] chaunge and rechaunge

Of fastinges and of feestes,

Of bowes[487] and behestes,

With many of ther[488] iestes,

As thoughe lay men wer bestes;

As many of vs bee,

That may and will not see,

Nor ones cast vpp an eye,

These jugglinges to espye;

For this that nowe is vsed

Is efte ageyne refused,

Chaunged or mysvsed,

That we be still abused:

The lawe that servethe nowe,

Ageyne they disalowe.

Thus forthe and backe,[489]

With bryve and with bull

They dayly plucke and pull,

And yett be never ffull;

For wher one bull makes,

An other bull forsakes;

The thyrde yett vndertakes

To alter all of newe:

Thus none will other sue.

Wherfore, by swete Jesu,

I thinke they be vntrewe

That iuggle tyme and tyme

To gett thyne and myne;

Yea, thoughe the worlde pynne,

No man wyll they spare,[490]

So they ther pelfe prefarre,

The lawes to make and marre,

To bynde vs nere and farre;

Wherto may be no barre

In peace tyme nor in warre;

For none ther is that darre

Replye ageyne or speake,

This daunce of thers to breake;

The trouthe it is so weeke:

They make all men cry creake,

Or fry them to a steake,—

Adieu, Sir Huddypeake!

Lo, Peters barge is leake,

And redy for to synke!

Beware yett least youe drinke;

God dothe not slepe nor wynke,

But sethe lande and brynke;

And yf ye take the chynke,

I feare me ye will stynke,

And corrupt your vnctyon

With an iniunctyon;

Your[491] pride and presumption,

In[492] abvsing your functyon,

Will breade a consumtion,

And make a resumption,

To bringe youe to compunction;

Youre[493] lawes falsely grounded,

That hath the world surounded,

By trouthe shalbe confounded.

Thoughe ye be lordes digne,

Ye shoulde no man maligne,

But ever be benyngne;

And namely in suche case

Wher God his gyfte or grace[494]

Lyst to plante or place:

The poore man, or the riche,

Is to his pleasure lyche;

For Christ, our derest Lorde,

That made the full accorde,

As Scripture dothe recorde,

Betwyxt God and man,

Suppressynge Sattan

And all his kingdom, whan[495]

Vpon the holy roodd

He shadd his blissed bloode,

As muche for one as other,

Exceptinge not his mother,

Made every man his brother,

As many as ther bee

In faythe and charitee.

But nowe by fals abvsyon,

The clergy by collution,

Without good conclution,

Haue broughte vs to confution,

And made an illution:

By great inyquytie,

Avaunt themselfes to be

No lesse then godes, yee,

Of equall authorytye;

Whiche, by ipocrysye,

To exalt ther dignytye,

Call vs the leudd lay ffee,

Men of temporalitee;

But they pretend to bee

A people eternall,

Of powr supernall:

I fere me, infernall;

For they that be carnall,

Idolaters to Baall,

And nothinge gostely at all,

Be named spirituall;

For so we must them calle,

As we aye do and shall,

What happe soever falle.

Ther successyon may not dye,

But lyve eternallye;

For, without question,

Perpetuall succession

They haue from one to other,

As childer of ther mother;

Yea, they kepe all in store

That other hadd afore,

And daylye gather more.

Lo, thus the people rore,

As on a fistred sore

Of matter most vnpure,

That thei ar dryven to indure

Tyll God himself send cure!

That as you be possessors,

So be yee successors

Vnto your predecessors:

And yet ye be questors,

And hoorders vppe of testers;

Ye[496] daylye cache and gather

Of mother and of father,

And of no man rather

Then of your poore brother,

And of euery other;

Yea, all that comes is gayne,

You passe of no mans payne,

Whiche ye allwey reteyne,

Who ever grudge or playne,

It may not out agayne;

Noughte may be remitted

That to youe is commytted;

Ye be not so lighte witted.

The people thinke it true

That ye possession sue

To haue an easy life,

Without debate or strife,

To lyve without a wife,

Lordely[497] and at ease,

Without payne or disease,

Your belly god to please,

And worldly welth to haue:[498]

Ye do your heeades shave,

To make youe sure and save

In every wind and wave,

That wolde as sone rave

As ones to chippe[499] an heare

So farre aboue your eare,

Or suche an habite weare,

With a polled heade,

To fayne yourselves deade;

But for possessions sake

That ye suche rules take,

And bynde youe to the brake,

That ye maye not forsake

Durynge all your lyves:

So well is he that thrives.

Thus be youe spirituall;

And yett ye do vs call

But lewde and temporall;

And that is for that we

So weake and simple be,

To put oure possession

From oure succession

And heires lyniall

Or kynne collaterall,

That be menn temporall,

And so from lyne to lyne;

For ech man for his tyme

Sayes, While it is myne,

I will give while I maye,

That, when I am away,

They shall both singe and saye,

And for my soules helthe pray,

Tyll it be domes day:

So, after this array,

Alake and well away!

We oure landes straye,

And other goodes decay;

Wherat ye laughe and play:

And natheles allwey

We dayly pay and pay,

To haue youe to go gaye

With wonderfull araye,

As dysardes in a play.

God wolde it were imprented,

Written and indentyd,

What youe haue invented!

So great diversyte

Nowe in your garmentes be,

That wonder is to se;

Your triple cappe and crowne,

Curtle, cope, and gowne,

More worthe then halfe a towne,

With golde and perle sett,

And stones well iffrett;

Ther can be no bett;

And for no price ye lett,

How far of they be fett.

Oh ye kynde of vipers,

Ye beestly bellyters,

With Raynes and Cipres,

That haue so many miters!

And yett ye be but mychers.

Youe weere littell hattes,

Myters, and square capps,

Decked with flye flappes,

With many prety knackes,

Like Turkes of Tartary,

Moores, or men of Moscovye,

Or lyke bugges of Arraby,

With ouches and bosses,

With staves and crosses,

With pillers and posses,

With standers and banners,

Without good life or manners:

Then haue youe gay gloves,

That with your hand moves,

Wroughte with true loves,

And made well, for the nones,

With golde and precious stones:

Ye blisse vs with your bones,

And with your riche ringes,

That quenes and kinges,

At your offringes,

Shall kisse with knelinges;

Which your mynykyns

And mynyon babbes,

Your closse chambred drabbes,

When masse and all is done,[500]

Shall were at afternone:

Your curtells be of sylke,

With rochetes white as mylke;

Your bootes of righte sattyne,

Or velvett crymosyne;

Your shoes wroughte with gold,

To tredd vpon the molde;

Wandring, as Vandals,

In sylke and in sandals,

Ye kepe your holy rules,

As asses and mules;

For on your cloven cules

Will ye never sytt

But on a rich carpett;

And nowe and then a fitt,

After the rule of Bennett,

With, dythmunia vennett,

A gaye a vott gennett,

With Gill or with Jennyt,

Wyth Cycely or Sare;

Yf thei come wher they are,

Thei lay one and not spare,

And never look behind them,

Wher soever they ffynd them;

For whan that thei be hett,

And Asmodeus grett,

They take, as[501] thei can gett,

All[502] fyshe that comes to nett,

For lust fyndes no lett[503]

Tyll hys poyson be spett;

Be she fyne or feat,

Be she white or[504] jett,

Long or short sett,

Do she smyle or skowle,

Be she ffayr or fowle,

Or owgly[505] as an owle;

For vnderneth a cowle,

A surplyse or an amys,

Can no man do amys;

Ye halse them from harmes

With blessinges and charmes,

While the water warmes,

In your holy armes,

Broging in ther barmes,

Devoutly to clipe it,

To caste her with a tryppytt,

With, lusty Sir John, whip it

Vnderneth your tippitt,

_Prætextu pietatis,_

_Quam contaminatis_

_Sub jugo castitatis_,

Your burning heate to cease,

And expell your disease,

Vnder pretens[506] of pease,

The paynes to release

Of poore sely sowles,

That hide be in holes

As hote as any coles.

Ye cappes haue and capes,

With many other iapes,

To cover with your pates;

As hoodes and cowles,

Like horned owles,

With skapplers and cootes,

Courtbies and copes,

White knottyd ropes,

With other instrumentes,

Straunge habilimentes,

And wanton vestementes,

And other implementes,

As tyrantes haue in tentes:

But what therby ment is,

Or what they signifye,

I cane not tell, not I,[507]

Nor you vndowtedlye

Can shew no reason whie.

Ye make it herisy

And treason to the kinge,

Yf we speke any thinge

That is not to your lykynge;

The truth may not be spoken,

But ye will be wroken:

Yett marke and note this token;

Yf Gods worde ones open,

Which wyll er long perdye,

Then shall we here and se

In Cristianitye,

Whether youe or we

The very traytours be.

But, by the Trynite,

It wonder is to me

To se your charite

And hospitalite

So littell to the poore;

And yet vpon a hoore

Ye passe for non expence,

As thoughte it non offence

Were in the sighte of God;

Youe fray not of his rod;

Youe loue your bely cod;

For them that haue no nede

Ye dayly feest and fede:

I thinke it be to dreede

Lest here you[508] haue your mede.

Ye drawe and cast lottes,

In hattes and in pottes,

For tottes and for quottes,

And blere vs with your blottes,

And with your mery poppes:

Thus youe make vs sottes,

And play with vs[509] boopepe,

With other gambaldes like,

To pill oure Lordes sheepe,

Your honour for to kepe,

Vsinge great excesse,

Which I pray God represse,

And soone to sende redresse!

For no man can expresse

The wo and wretchednesse

Youe on oure neckes do lye,

By your grett tyrannye,

Your pride and surquedrye,

That ye do openlye:

But that youe secretly

Practyse pryvylye,

May not be tolde,—and why?

Lest it be herysye,

And than by and by

To make a faggott ffrye.

For we can not deny,

And treuth[510] doth playne dyscrye,

And all wysemen espye

That all the falt doth lye[511]

Vpon oure owne foly,

That ye be so iolye,

For with oure owne goodes

We fether vppe oure[512] hoodes.

Youe sanguinolently,

Your mony is so plenty,

That youe make no deynty

Of twenty pound and twenty,

So youe may haue entry;

And then youe laughe and skorne

To se vs were the horne,

Ridinge here and hether,

Goinge ther and thether,

Lyke cokold foles[513] together,

In colde, wynde, and in wether,

For woll, for ledd, and lether;

And yet do not consydre

We wer an oxes fether:[514]

This is a prety bob,

Oure hedes for to gnob[515]

With suche a gentill job:

And we oure selves rob

Of landes temporall,

And jvelles great and smalle,

To give youe parte of all

In almes perpetuall,

To make our heyres thrall

For your[516] hye promotyon,

Through[517] our blynde devotion

And small[518] intellygens,

But that our conscyens,

Laden with offens,

And you vs so incense,

When we be going hens,

To make soch recompens,

By gyvyng[519] yowe[520] our pens,

Our land, goodes, and rentes,

For that[521] holy pretens,

Havyng ffull confydens

That be[522] a safe defens:

So do we styll dyspens

With all remorse and sens

Of harty penytens.

This cane not be denyed;

Your jugglynge is espied,

Your mayster is vntyed,

Which is the prince of pride;

For you on[523] neyther syde

Can suffre or abyde[524]

To here the troth tryed,

Which ye intend to hide

With vehement[525] desyre,

As hote as any ffire.

Thus endeth the ffirst parte of this present treatyse, called the Image

of Ipocrysy.

Alake, for Christes might,

These thinges go not arighte!

Oure lanterns give no lighte,

All bisshopps be not brighte:

They be so full of spyte,

They care not whom they byte,

Both frend and foo they smyte

Wyth prison, deth, and flighte;

So dayly they do fyght

To overturne the ryght:

So[526] we be in the plyte,

That, losing of oure sight,

We[527] know not black from whyght,

And be thus[528] blinded quyte,

We know not[529] day from nyght.

But, by my syres soule,

The true Apostell Paule

Wrott, as we may see

In Tyte and Tymothe,

Who should a bisshoppe be:

A man of holy liffe,

The husbonde of one wiffe;

That vseth not to strife,

Or strike with sworde or knyff,

Nor that at any tyme

Suspected is of cryme,

But wise and provident,

Colde and contynent,

But never vynolent;

That when he eat[530] or drinke,

Slepe, awake,[531] or winke,

Doth styll[532] on measure thinke,

And therof vse a messe,

To put away excesse,

Kepe[533] hyme lowe and chast;

That he make no wast

By prodigalite

Or sensualytye,

A waster for to be,

But, after his degree,

With liberallite

Kepe hospitallite;

He must be sadd and sage,

Vsinge non outrage,

But soberly with reason

To spende in tyme and season,

And so to kepe his meason;

He may in no wise streke,

But suffer and be meke,

Shamefast and discrete,

Temperat, dulce, and swete,

Not speakinge angerly,

But soft and manerly;

And, in any wise,

Beware of covetyse,

The rote of all ill vice;

He must be liberall,

And thanke oure Lorde of all;

And, as a heerde his sheepe,

His childer must he kepe,

And all his family

In vertu edyfy,

Vnder disciplyne

Of holsome doctryne,

With dew subiection,

That non obiection

Be made vnto his heste[534]

Of most or of leste;

For thus he doth conclude,

As by simylitude,

Howe he that cane not skill

His housholde at his will

To governe,[535] rule, and teche,

Within his power and reach,

Oughte to haue no speache

Of cure and diligence,

Of suche premynence,

Within the churche of God;

And eke it is forbode

That he no novice be,

Lest with superbite

He do presume to hye,

And consequently

Fall vnhappely

Into the frenesy

Of pride and of evyll,[536]

Lyke Lucyfer, the devyll;[537]

For he playnly writes,

That of these neophites,

And pevishe proselites,

Springe vpp ipocrites;

A bisshoppe eke must haue,

His honesty to save,

Of all men such a name,

That his outwarde fame

Be clene from any blame,

Impeched with no shame,

To draw all people in,

They may repent of synne,

And so[538] he may them wynne,

That thei fall not vnware[539]

Into[540] the devils snare.

Thus Paule, as ye may se,

Taughte Tyte and Tymothe,

Who should a bisshoppe be:

And Christ oure maister dere,

While he lyved here,

Full poorly did appere,

Mekely borne and bredd;

The bare earth was his bedd,

For where to hele his headd,

Or where to lye and rest,

He had no hole nor nest;

But in great poverty

He lyved soberly,

His worde to multyply;

And thus did edifye

His churche that is so holy,

Suppressinge synne and foly:

But not with friska ioly,

As somme do nowe a dayes,

That haue so many wayes

All maner[541] gaynes to reape,

Ther tresures one a heap

To gather and to kepe,

By pillinge of his shepe,

Not forsyng who do wepe,

And to his flocke repayre

As it were to a ffayre;

To sit in Peters chayer

With pride and ambition,

Sowyng great sedition;

And by superstition

Blinde vs with remission,

By bulles vnder led,

To serve both quicke and dead;

And by that way pretend

To clyme vpp and ascend

That Lucifer did discend.

I thinke that suche frykars

Be not Christes vickars,

But crafty intrycars,

And pryvy purse pykars;

For they that be sekars

Of stores newe and olde,

May perceyve and beholde

Howe euery thinge is solde

For sylver[542] and for golde:

The craft[543] can not be told,

What is and hath bene done

By Antychryst[544] of Rome;

For thens[545] the sourdes springe

Of every naughty thinge,

Hide vnderneth the whynge

Of the Sire of Synne;

At whom I will begynn

Somwhat for to speake,

And playnly to intreate

Of this farly freake,

That sitteth in his seat,

Devouringe synne as meatte,

Whiche he and his do eate

As they may catch and geate:[546]

They spare not to devower

Cyty, towne, and tower,

Wherat no man may lower;

For be it swete or sower,

Or be it good or yll,

We must be muett still,

The lustes to fulfill

Of that cocodryll,

Which at his[547] only will

May ech man[548] save or spyll.

This wicked man of warr

So hault is that he darr,

As he lyste,[549] make and marr,

His owne lawe to prefarr

Aboue the worde of God;

It passeth Godes forbod

That ever it should be;

A man to clyme so hy,

By reason of his see,

To clayme auctoritye

Aboue the Deyte,

It is to hy a bost,

And synne one of the most

Ageynst the Holy Gost,

That is not remissable:

For as for the Bible,

He taketh it for a ridle,

Or as a lawles lible,

Which, to the hy offence

Of his conscience,

He dare therwith dispence,

And alter the sentence;

For wher God do prohibitt,

He doth leve exhibite,

And at his[550] lust inhybyte;

And wher God doth commaunde,

Ther he doth countermaunde;

After his owne purpose

The best text to turne and glose,

Like a Welshe manes hose,

Or lyke a waxen nose:

But wyse[551] men do suppose

That truth shall[552] judge and trye,

For lyars can but lye.

He is so hault and taunt,

That he dare hyme avaunt

All erthly men to daunt;

And faynes to give and graunt,

In heaven above or hell,[553]

A place wherin to dwell,

As all his lyars tell,

Which he doth dayly sell,

After his devise,

If men come to his prise;

It is his marchaundyse;

For, as ye will demaunde,

He can and may commaunde

A thowsande, in a bande,

Of angells out of heaven,

To come throughe the leven,

And make all thinge even,

His biddinges to obey,

Which beares the greatist swaye,

Your soules to convey

Frome all decaye

Out of the fendes wey;

But provided alwey,

That ye first mony paye;

At the appoynted daye

Ye present, if it maye;

Then,[554] vnder thi petycion,

Thou gettest true remyssion,[555]

From synnes the absolution,

By this his owne commyssion,

By bryve or els by bull,

To fill his coffers full;

Ye may aske what ye wull.

Alas, ye be to dull

To se this lorde of losse,

The fo of Christes crosse,

This hoore of Babilon,

And seede of Zabulon,

The enemy of Christ,

The devels holy pryst,

And very Antechrist,

To revell and to ride,

Like the prince of pride,

That of euery syde

Warres the worlde wyde,

Whom no strenghe may abide—

The devill be his guyde!

For loke in his decrees,

And ye shall finde out lyes,

As thik as swarme of byes,

That throughe the worlde flyes,

Making parsemonyes

Of Peters patrimonyes,

But great mercymonyes

Of his seremonyes,

To smodder vs with smoke:

For, when he wilbe wroke,

No man may bere his stroke;

So hevy is his yoke,

To Christes full vnlike,

That saide his yoke is swete,

His burthen lighte and meete

For all men that be meke,

To suffer and to bere,

Without drede or fere:

But Popes afterwarde,

That never[556] had regard

Which ende shoulde go forewarde,

Haue drawen vs bakwarde,

And made the yoke so harde

By false invented lawes,

As thoughe lay men were dawes,

And dome as any stone,

With sivile and canon

To serve God and Mammon;

Righte and wronge is one.

Serche his decretalles

And bulles papalles,

_Et, inter alia_,

Loke in his _palia_

And _Bacchanalia_,[557]

With his extravagantes

And wayes _vagarantes:_

His lawes _arrogantes_

Be made by truwantes

That frame his finctions

Into distinctions,

With cloutes of clawses,

Questyons and cawses,

With Sext and Clementyne,

And lawes legantyne:

His county pallantyne

Haue coustome colubryne,

With codes viperyne

And sectes serpentyne:

Blinde be his stores

Of interogatores

And declaratores,

With lapse and relapse,

A wispe and a waspe,

A clispe and a claspe,

And his after[558] clappes;

For his paragraffes

Be no cosmograffes,

But vnhappy graffes,

That wander in the warrayne,

Fruteles and barayne,

To fede that foule carrayne,

And dignite papall;

With judges that scrape all,

And doctours that take all,

By lawes absynthyall

And labirynthyall:

His tabellions

Be rebellions;

His laweres and scribes

Live only by bribes;

His holy advocates

And judges diligates

Haue robbed all estates,

By many inventions

Of sundry suspentions,

Subtile subventions,

Crafty conventions,

Prevy preventions,

And evell exemptions;

So hath his indictions

And his interdictions,

With croked commyssions,

Colde[559] compromyssions,

Cursed conditions,

Hevy traditions,

Elvishe inibitions,

And redy remissions:

Then hathe he inductions

And colde conductions;

His expectatyves

Many a man vnthrives;

By his constitutions

And his subtitutions

He maketh institutions,

And taketh restitutions,

Sellinge absolutions,

And other like pollutions:

His holy actions

Be satisfactions

Of false compactions:

He robbeth all nations

With his fulminations,

And other like vexations;

As with abiurations,

Excomunycations,

Aggravations,

Presentations,

Sequestrations,

Deprivations,

Advocations,

Resignations,

Dilapidations,

Sustentations,[560]

Adminystrations,

Approbations,

Assignations,

Alterations,

Narrations,

Declarations,

Locations,

Collocations,

Revocations,

Dispensations,

Intimations,

Legittimations,

Insinuations,

Pronunttiations,

Demonstrations,

Vacations,

Convocations,

Deputations,

Donations,

Condonations,

Commynations,

Excusations,[561]

Declamations,

Visitations,

Acceptations,

Arrendations,

Publications,

Renunttiations,

Fatigations,

False fundations,

And dissimulations,

With like abbominations

Of a thowsand fasshions:

His holy vnions

Be no communyons:

His trialitees

And pluralytyes

Be full of qualitees;

His tottes and quottes

Be full of blottes:

With quibes and quaryes

Of inventataries,

Of testamentaries,

And of mortuaries,

By sutes of appeales,

And by his[562] ofte repeales,

He oure mony steales.

I speake not of his sessions,

Nor of his confessions

Olde and avricular,

Colde and caniculer;

Howe the cubiculer,

In the capitular,

With his pylde[563] spitler,

Playde the knavyculer

Vnderneth a[564] wall:

I may not tell youe all,

In termes speciall,

Of pardon nor of pall,

Nor of confessionall;

For I feare, yf[565] he call

The sentence generall,

I mighte so take a fall,

And haue his bitter curse,[566]

And yett be not the wurse,

Save only in my purse,

Because I shoulde be fayne

To by my state agayne

_Ex leno vel ex lena,_

_Aut pellice obscœna,_

_Res certe inamœna:[567]_

_Papisticorum scena,_

_Malorum semper plena_;

For all the worlde rounde

He falsely doth confounde

By lawes made and founde,

By thyr devyse vnsownde,

With no[568] steadfast grounde,

But with fayned visions

And develyshe devisions,

With basterde religions:

Thus this cursed elfe,

To avaunce his pelfe,

Falsely fayne[s] hymeself

To be _semideus_:

No, youe Asmeodeus,

Ye are Amoreus,

The sonne of Chanaan;

O thou monstrous man,

And childe of cursed Chan,

Arte thou halfe god, halfe man?

Gup, leviathan,

And sonne of Sattan,

The worme _letophagus_,

And sire to Symonde Magus!

O porter Cerberus,

Thou arte so monstrous,

Soo made and myschevous,

Proude and surquedrous,

And as lecherous

As Heliogabalus

Or Sardanapalus!

Hatefull vnto God,

And father of all falsehoode,

The poyson of prestoode,

And deth of good knighthoode,

The robber of riche men,

And murderer of meke men,

The turment of true men

That named be newe men,

The prince of periury,

And Christes enemy,

Vnhappy as Achab,

And naughty as Nadab,

As crafty as Caball,

And dronken as Naball,

The hope of Ismaell,

And false Achitofell,

The blissinge of Bell,

And advocate of hell;

Thou hunter Nembroth,

And Judas Iscarioth,[569]

Thou bloody Belyall,

And sacrifise of Ball,

Thou elvishe ipocrite,

And naughty neophite,

Thou pevishe proselite,

And synefull Sodymite,

Thou gredy Gomorrite,

And galefull[570] Gabaonite,

Tho[u] hermofrodite,

Thou arte a wicked sprite,

A naughty seismatike,

And an heritike,

A beestely bogorian,[571]

And devill meridian,

The patrone of proctors,

And dethe of trewe doctours,

The founder of faytors,

And trust of all traytours,

The shender of sawes,

And breaker of lawes,

The syre of serdoners,

And prince of pardoners,

The kinge of questors,

And rule of regestors,

The eater of frogges,

And maker of goddes,

The brother of brothells,

And lorde of all losells,

The sturrur of stoores,

And keper of hoores

With gloriouse gawdes,

Amonge trusty bawdes,

The father of foles,

And ignoraunce of scoles,

The helper of harlettes,

And captayne of verlettes,

The cloke of all vnthriftes,

And captayne of all caytifes,

The leader of truwantes,

And chefe of all tyrauntes,

As hinde as an hogge,

And kinde as any dogge,

The shipwrake of Noye,—

Christ saue the and Sainct Loy!

Arte thou the hiest pryst,

And vicar vnto Christ?

No, no, I say, thou lyest:

Thou arte a cursed crekar,

A crafty vppcrepar;

Thou arte the devils vicar,

A privye[572] purse pikar,

By lawes and by rites

For sowles and for sprites:

O lorde of ipocrites,

Nowe shut vpp your wickettes,

And clape to your clickettes,—

farewell, kinge of crekettes!

For nowe the tyme falles

To speake of cardinalles,

That[573] kepe ther holy halles

With towres and walles:

Be they not carnalles,

And lordes infernalles?

Yea, gredy carmalles,

As any carmarante;

With ther coppentante

They loke adutante:

For soth, men say they be

Full of iniquite,

Lyvinge in habundance

Of all worldly substance,

Wherin they lodge and ly,

And wallowe beasteally,

As hogges[574] do in a stye,

Servinge ther god, ther belly,

With chuettes and with gelly,

With venyson and with tartes,

With confytes and with fartes,[575]

To ease ther holy hartes.

They take ther stations,

And make dyambulations

Into all nations,

For ther visitations,

Callinge convocations,

Sellinge dispensations,

Givinge condonasions,

Makinge permutations,

And of excomunycations

Sell they relaxations;

For they, in ther progresse,

With Katern, Mawde, and Besse,

Will vse full great excesse,

Withowt any redresse;

And all men they oppresse

In syty, towne, and village;

From olde and yong of age

They robbe[576] and make pyllage,

Thyr lusts for to aswage,

Which they extorte by mighte

As in the churches righte;

They may not lese a fether:

But God, that lyveth ever,

Graunt that they never

Haue power to come hether!

For wher they ones arive,

So cleane they do vs shryve,

That I swere by my life,

The contry ther shall thrive

Yeres tenn and ffive

After them[577] the worse:

Men give them Godes curse

To shute within ther purse;

Both lernyd and lewde

Wolde they were beshrewed,

They never mighte come nere

For to visitt here,

Altho they haue sotch chere

As they cann well desyre,

And as they will requier;

For why, it doth appere,

The hartes ar sett on fyer

Of[578] chanon, monke, and fryer,

That daylye dothe aspyre,[579]

By bulles vnder ledd,

How they should be fedd;

It is therfore great skill

That every Jacke and Gyll

Performe[580] the Popes will,

Hys[581] purse and panch to ffill;

For, as I erst haue tolde,

There lyves not suche a scolde

That dare ons be[582] so bold,

From shorne ne yet from polde,

Nor[583] monye, meate, nor golde,

From soch men[584] to withholde,

Ther favour boughte and solde,

That take a thowsand ffolde

More then that Judas did:

The trouth can not be hid;

For it is playnly kid

Judas for his dispense

Sold Christ for thirty pense,

And did a foule offence,

His Lorde God so to tray;

And they in likewise say,

After Judas way,

What will ye give and pay,

As the matter falles,

For pardonnes and for palles,

And for confessionalles?

We may have absolucions

Without restytutyons,

And at oure owne election

Passe without correction,

Besydes Christes passion

To make satisfaction;

We feare for non offence,

So they haue recompence:

By great audacitees

They graunt capacitees;

For heaven and for hell

They mony take and tell:

So thus they by and sell,

And take therof no shame,

But laughe and haue good game,

To all oure souls bane:

God helpe, we be to blame

Sutch lordes to defame;

Yett, by the common fame,

Some bisshops vse the same,

In Christes holy name

Soules to sell and bye:

My mynde is not to lye,

But to write playnlye

Ageynst ipocresye

In bisshopp or in other,

Yea, thoughe it were my brother,

My father or my mother,

My syster or my sonne;

For, as I haue begonne,

I will, as I haue donne,

Disclose the great outrage

That is in this Image;

For[585] he that feles the pricke,

And theron groweth sycke,

May with the gald horse kike;

For, as I erst haue said,

Oure bisshops at a brayd

Ar growne so sore afrayde,

And in[586] the world so wide

Do vse sutch pompe and pride,

And rule on euery syde,

That none may them abide:

Of no[587] prince, lord, nor duke,

They take will a rebuke;

All lay men they surmount,

Makinge non accompte,

Nor cast no reckonynge

Scarcely of a kinge:

This is a wonder[588] thinge;

They stande so suer and fast,

And be nothinge agast;[589]

For that blody judge

And mighty sanguisuge,

The Pope that is so huge,

Is ever ther refuge;

So be the cardinalles

Ther suer defence and walles,

With whom they stifly stande

By water and by lande,

To gett the overhande

Of all the world rounde,

Wher profitt may be founde:

They be so many legions,

That they oppresse regions

With boke, bell, and candell,

Any kinge to handell,

As they haue many one:

For triall herevpon

I take of good Kinge John,

Whom by the bitinge

Of ther subtill smytinge,

First by acytinge,

And after interditinge,

By fulmynations

Of excommunications;

For by ther holy poores

They stored vpp stoores,[590]

And kepte suche stvrre with hores,

And shut vpp all churche doores

For ther princely pleasure,

They lyve so owt of measure,

Till they might haue leasure,

Ther lieg lorde and kinge

So base and lowe to bringe;

Which was a pyttevs thyng,

That he with wepinge yees,

Bowinge backe and thies,

And knelinge on his knees,

Must render vpp his fees,

With kingly dignytees,

Septer, crowne, and landes,

Into ther holy handes:

Alas, howe mighte it be

That oure nobilitee

Could then no better se?

For theyrs was the fault

Oure prelates were so haulte;

Their strength then was to seke

Ther liege lorde to kepe;

They durst not fight ne strike,

They feared of a gleke,

That, no day in the weke,

For any good or cattell,

Durst they go to battell,

Nor entre churche ne chappell

In syxe or seven yere,

Before Christ to appere,

And devine seruice here

In any hallowed place,

For lacke of ther good grace;

Ther was no tyme nor space

To do to God seruice,

But as they wolde devise;

Their lawes be so sinystre,

That no man durst minystre

The holy sacrementes

Till they hadd ther intentes

Of landes and of rentes,

By lawes and by lyes;

To inriche ther sees,

The blind men eat vpp flees;

For by ther constitutions

They toke restitutions

Of cyties and of castells,

Of townes and bastells,

And make ther prince pike wastells,

Till they rang out the belles,

And did as they wold elles,

Like traytours and rebelles,

As the story telles.

But Jesu Christ hymeself,

Nor his appostells twelffe,

Vnto that cvrsyd elfe

Did never teach hym[591] so

In any wise to do,

For lucre or advayle,[592]

Ageynst thyr kyng to rayle,

And[593] lieg lorde to assayle,

Within his owne lande

To put hym vnder bande,

And take brede of his hande:

The Lorde saue sutch a flock

That so could mowe and mock

To make ther kinge a block,

And eke ther laughinge stocke!

They blered hym with a lurche,

And said that he must wurche

By counsell of the churche;

Wherby they ment nothinge

But to wrest and wringe,

Only for to bringe

Ther liege lorde and kinge

To be ther vnderlinge:

Alas, who euer sawe

A kinge vnder awe,

Ageynst all Gods lawe,

All righte and consience,

For doinge non offence

To make sutch recompence?

They gave ther lorde a laske,

To purge withall his caske,

And putt hym to no taske,

But as they wold hyme aske:

This was a midday maske,

A kinge so to enforce

With pacyence perforce.

Take hede therfore and watche,

All ye that knowe this tatche,

Ye make not sutch a matche;

Loke forth, beware the katche,

Ye fall not in the snatche

Of that vngratiovs pacthe,

Before the rope hym racthe,

Or Tyburne dothe hym strache.

But who so[594] preache or prate,

I warne youe, rathe and late

To loke vpp and awake,

That ye do never make

Your maister nor your mate

To sytt withowt your gate;

Take hede, for Christes sake,

And knowe your owne estate,

Or ye be tardy take;

Yea, lest it be to late

To trust on hadd I wist,

Imasked in a myst,—

As good to ly bypist;

For these his primates,

Bysshops and prelates,

And popeholy legates,

With ther pild pates,

Dare conquer[595] all estates:

They do but as they will;

For, be it good or ill,

We must be muett still:

Why lay men can not se,

It is the more pite.

Thus endeth the Seconde Parte of this present treatyse called the Image

of Ipocresy.

Of prechers nowe adayes

Be many Fariseyes,

That leue the Lordes layes,

And preche ther owne wayes;

Wherof nowe of late

Hathe risen great debate;

For some champe and chaffe

As hogges do in draffe,

And some cry out apase

As houndes at a chase,

Whiche for lacke of grace

The playne truthe wold defase.

So busely they barke,

An other in the darke,

That is a busarde starke,

And cane not se the marke,

Wondereth at this warke,

And therfore taketh carke

Bycause he is no clarke.

Some be soft and still

As clappes in a mill,

And some cry and yell

As sprites do in hell;

Some be here and ther,

And some I wote not wher;

Some holde vpp, yea and nay,

And some forsake ther lay;

Some be still and stey,

And hope to haue a daye;

Some wote not what to say,

But dout whether they may

Abide or rune away;

Ther wittes be so weake,

They say they dare not speake,

They be afrayd of heate;

Some be sycke and sadd,

For sorrowe almost madd;

I tell youe veryly,

Ther wittes be awry,

They peyne themselves greatly

To haue the trouth go by;

Some on bokes dayly prye,

And yett perceyve not reason whie;

Tho some affirme, some do deny,

With nowe a trouth and then a ly,

To say one thinge openly,

And an other prively;—

Here be but youe and I;

Say to me your mynd playnlye,

Is it not open heresy?

Thus say they secretly,

Whisperinge with sorrowe

That they deny to morowe.

Ther tales be so dobble,

That many be in trobble,

And doubt which way to take,

Themselves sure to make:

A lorde, it makes me shake!

For pyty that I quake.

They be so colde and horse.

That they haue no forse,

So they be prefarred,

Tho all the rest were marred.

Thus the people smatter,

That dayly talke and clatter,

Oure preachers do but flatter,

To make themselves the fatter,

And care not thoughe the matter

Were clerely layde a watter.

Douse men chatt and chide it,

For they may not abid it;

The Thomistes wold hide it,

For _littera occidit_.

Thus these sysmatickes,

And lowsy lunatickes,

With spurres and prickes

Call true men heretickes.

They finger ther fidles,

And cry in quinibles,

Away these bibles,

For they be but ridles!

And give them Robyn Whode,

To red howe he stode

In mery grene wode,[596]

When he gathered good,

Before Noyes ffloodd!

For the Testamentes

To them, they sey, sente is,

To gather vpp ther rentes,

After ther intentes:

Wherby it by them ment is,

That lay men be but lowtes;

They may not knowe the clowtes,

Nor dispute of the doubtes,

That is in Christes lawe;

For why, they never sawe

The bagg nor the bottell

Of oure Arrestotle,

Nor knowe not the toyes

Of Doctore Averroyes;

It is no play for boyes,

Neyther for lay men;

But only for schole men,

For they be witty men,

As wise as any wrenne,

And holy as an henne.

For Doctoure Bullatus,

Though[597] _parum literatus_,

Will brable and prate thus;

Howe Doctoure Pomaunder,

As wise as a gander,

Wotes not wher to wander,

Whether to Meander,

Or vnto Menander;[598]

For of Alexander,

Irrefragable Hales,

He cane tell many tales,

Of many parke pales,

Of butgettes and of males,

Of Candy and of Cales,

And of West Wales.

But Doctoure Dorbellous

Doth openly tell vs

Howe they by and sell vs:

And Doctoure Sym Sotus

Cann goostely grope vs;

For he hathe rad Scotus,

And so the dawe dotus

Of Doctour Subtyles;

Yea, three hundreth myles,

With sutch crafty wyles

He many men begiles,

That never knewe an vnce

At full of Master Dunce.

Then Doctoure Bonbardus

Can skill of Lombardus;

He wonnes at Malepardus,[599]

With Father Festino,

And Doctoure Attamino,

_Dudum de camino_,

With ther _consobrino,_

_Capite equino_

_Et corde asinino;_

_Hi latent in limo_

_Et in profundo fimo,_

_Cubantes in culino_

_Cum Thoma de Aquino,_

_Tractantes in ima_

_De pelle canina_

_Et lana caprina._

Then Doctoure Chekmate

Hath his pardoned pate,

A man yll educate;

His harte is indurate,

His heade eke edentate;

His wittes be obfuscate,

His braynes obumbrate,

Oure questions to debate;

For thoughe cam but late,

His cause is explicate

With termes intricate,

I note wherof conflate;

And therfore must he make

His bull and antedate.

Then Doctour Tom-to-bold

Is neyther whote nor colde,

Till his coles be solde;

His name may not be tolde

For syluer nor for golde;

But he is sutch a scolde,

That no play may hym holde

For anger vnbepyst,

Yf his name were wist;

Ye may judge as ye liste;

He is no Acquiniste,

Nor non Occanist,[600]

But a mockaniste;

This man may not be myste,

He is a suer sophiste,

And an olde papist.

But nowe we haue a knighte[601]

That is a man of mighte,

All armed for to fighte,

To put the trouthe to flighte

By Bowbell pollecy,

With his poetry

And his sophestry;

To mocke and make a ly,

With quod he and quod I;

And his appologye,

Made for the prelacy,

Ther hugy pompe and pride

To coloure and to hide;

He maketh no nobbes,

But with his diologges

To prove oure prelates goddes,

And lay men very lobbes,

Betinge they[m] with bobbes,

And with ther ow[n]e roddes;

Thus he taketh payne

To fable and to fayne,

Ther myscheff to mayntayne,

And to haue them rayne

Over hill and playne,

Yea, over heaven and hell,

And wheras sprites dwell,

In purgatorye holles,

With whote ffier and coles,

To singe for sely soules,

With a supplication,

And a confutation,

Without replication,

Havinge delectation

To make exclamation,

By way of declamation,

In his Debellation,[602]

With a popishe fasshion

To subvert oure nation:

But this daucok doctoure

And purgatory proctoure

Waketh nowe for wages,

And, as a man that rages

Or overcome with ages,[603]

Disputith _per ambages_,

To helpe these parasites

And naughty ipocrites,

With legendes of lyes,

Fayned fantasies,

And very vanyties,

Called veryties,

Vnwritten and vnknowen.

But as they be blowne

From lyer to lyer,

Inventyd by a ffryer

_In magna copia_,

Brought out of Vtopia

Vnto the mayde of Kent,[604]

Nowe from the devill sent,

A virgyne ffayre and gent,

That hath our yees blent:

Alas, we be myswent!

For yf the false intent

Were knowen of this witche,

It passeth dogg and bitche:

I pray God, do so mutche

To fret her on the itche,

And open her in tyme!

For this manly myne

Is a darke devyne,

With his poetry,

And her iugglery,

By conspiracy

To helpe our prelacy,

She by ypocresye,

And he by tyranny,

That causeth cruelly

The simple men to dye

For fayned herisye:

He saythe that this nody

Shall brenne, soule and body,

Or singe his palanody,

With feare till he pant,

To make hym recreante

His sayinges to recante,

So as he shalbe skante

Able for to loke

In writinge or in booke,

That treatithe of the rote

Or of the base and fote

Of ther abhomynation:

He vsethe sutche a fasshion,

To send a man in station

With an evill passion

To his egression,

Before the procession

Slylye for to stalke,

And solempeny to walke,

To here the preacher talke,

Howe he hath made a balke;

And so the innocent,

For feare to be brent,

Must suffer checke and checke,

His faccott on his necke,

Not for his life to quecke,

But stande vpp, like a bosse,

In sighte at Paules crosse,

To the vtter losse

Of his goode name and fame:

Thus with great payne and shame

He kepethe men in bandes,

Confiskinge goods and landes,

And then to hete ther handes

With faccottes and with brandes,

Or make them be abjure:

These thinges be in vre;

Youe leade vs with the lure

Of your persecution

And cruell execution,

That the fyry fume

Oure lyves shall consume

By three, by two, and one;

Men say ye will spare none

Of hye nor lowe degre,

That will be eneme

To your ipocrese,

Or to your god the bele;

For who dare speake so felle

That clerkes should be simple,

Without spott or wrinkell?

Yett nathelesse alwey

I do protest and saye,

And shall do while I may,

I never will deny,

But confesse openly,

That punnysshement should be,

In every degre,

Done with equite;

When any doth offende,

Then oughte youe to attende

To cause hyme to amend,

Awaytinge tyme and place,

As God may give youe grace,

To haue hyme fase to fase,

His fautes to deface,

With hope to reconcyle hyme;

But not for to begile hym,

Or vtterly to revile hyme,

As thoughe ye wold excile hyme;

For then, the trouth to tell

Men thinke ye do not well.

Ye call that poore man wretch,

As thoughe ye hadd no retche,

Or havinge no regarde,

Whiche ende should go forwarde:

Ye be so sterne and harde,

Ye rather drawe backwarde,

Your brother so to blinde,

To grope and sertche his mynde,

As thoughe youe were his frinde,

Some worde to pike and finde,

Wherby ye may hyme blinde;

With your popishe lawe

To kepe vs vnder awe,

By captious storyes

Of interrogatoryes:

Thus do ye full vnkindly,

To feyne yourselves frindley,

And be nothinge but fyndly.

I tell youe, men be lothe

To se youe wode and wrothe,

And then for to be bothe

Th’accuser and the judge:

Then farewell all refuge,

And welcom sanguisuge!

When ye be madd and angry,

And an expresse enemy,

It is ageynst all equitye

Ye shoulde be judge and partye:

Therfore the kinges grace

Your lawes muste deface;

For before his face

Youe should your playntes bringe,

As to your lorde and kinge

And judge in euery thinge,

That, by Godes worde,

Hathe power of the sworde,

As kinge and only lorde,

So scripture doth recorde;

For her within his lande

Should be no counterband,

But holy at his hande

We shoulde all be and stande,

Both clerkes spirituall,

And lay men temporall:

But youe make lawe at will,

The poore to plucke and pill,

And some that do no yll,

Your appetites to ffill,

Ye do distroy and kill.

Lett Godes worde try them,

And then ye shall not frye them;

Yea, lett the worde of God

Be every mannes rode,

And the kinges the lawe

To kepe them under awe,

To fray the rest with terroure,

They may revoke ther erroure:

And thus, I say agayne,

The people wolde be fayne

Ye prelates wolde take payne

To preache the gospell playne;

For otherwise certayne

Your laboure is in vayne;

For all your crueltye,

I knowe that you and we

Shall never well agree:

Ye may in no wise se

Sutch as disposed be

Of ther charitye

To preach the verytye;

Ye stope them with decrees,

And with your veritees,

Unwritten, as ye saye;

Thus ye make them stay:

But God, that all do may,

I do desire and pray,

To open us the day,

Which is the very kaye

Of knowledge of his way,

That ye have stolen awaye!

And then, my lordes, perfay,

For all your popishe play,

Not all your gold so gay,

Nor all your riche araye,

Shall serve youe to delaye

But some shall go astraye,

And lerne to swyme or sinke;

For truly I do thinke,

Ye may well wake or wynke,

For any meat or drinke

Ye geitt, without ye swynke.

But that wold make youe wrothe;

For, I trowe, ye be lothe

To do eyther of both,

That is, yourself to cloth

With laboure and with sweate

And faste till youe eate

But that youe erne and geate;

Like verlettes and pages,

To leve your parsonages,

Your denns and your cages,

And by[605] dayly wages:

God blesse us, and Sainct Blase!

This were a hevy case,

A chaunce of ambesase,

To se youe broughte so base,

To playe without a place:

Now God send better grace!

And loke ye lerne apase

To tripe in trouthes trace,

And seke some better chaunce

Yourselves to avaunce,

With sise synke or synnes;

For he laughe[s] that wynnes,

As ye haue hetherto,

And may hereafter do;

Yf ye the gospell preche,

As Christ hymself did teche,

And in non other wise

But after his devise,

Ye may with good advyse

Kepe your benefise

And all your dignite,

Without malignite,

In Christes name, for me;

I gladely shall agre

It ever may so be.

But this I say and shall,

What happ soeuer fall,

I pray and call

The Kinge celestiall,

Ones to give youe grace

To se his worde haue place;

And then within shorte space

We shall perceyve and se

Howe euery degre

Hath his auctorite

By the lawe of Christ,

The lay man and the prest,

The poore man and the lorde;

For of that monocorde

The scripture doth recorde;

And then with good accorde,

In love and in Concorde

We shall together holde;

Or elles ye may be bolde,

For heate or colde

Say ye what ye will,

Yt were as good be still;

For thoughe ye glose and frase

Till your eyes dase,

Men holde it but a mase

Till Godes worde haue place,

That doth include more grace

Then all erthly men

Could ever knowe or ken.

Thuse endith the thirde parte of this present treatise called the Image

of Ypocresye.

Nowe with sondry sectes

The world sore infectes,

As in Christes dayes

Amonge the Pharisees,

In clothinge and in names;

For some were Rhodyans,

And Samaritans,

Some were Publicanes,

Some were Nazarenes,

Bisshops and Essenes,

Preestes and Pharisees;

And so of Saducees,

Prophetes and preachers,

Doctours and teachers,

Tribunes and tribes,

Lawers and scribes,

Deacons and levytes,

With many ipocrites;

And so be nowe also,

With twenty tymes[606] mo

Then were in Christes dayes

Amonge the Pharisees:

The Pope, whom first they call

Ther lorde and principall,

The patriarke withall;

And then the Cardinall

With tytles all of pride,

As legates of the side,

And some be cutt and shorne

That they be legates borne;

Then archebisshops bold,

And bisshops for the folde,

They metropolitannes,

And these diocysanyes,

That haue ther suffraganyes

To blesse the prophanyes;

Then be ther curtisanes

As ill as Arrianes

Or Domicianes,

Riall residentes,

And prudent presidentes;

So be their sensors,

Doughty dispensors,

Crafty inventors,

And prevy precentors,

With chaplaynes of honour

That kepe the Popes bower;

Then allmoners and deanes,

That geit by ther meanes

The rule of all reames;

Yett be ther subdeanes,

With treasorers of trust,

And chauncelours iniust,

To scoure of scab and rust,

With vicars generalls,

And ther officialles,

Chanons and chaunters,

That be great avaunters;

So be ther subchaunters,

Sextons and archedeakons,

Deakons and subdeakons,

That be ypodeakons,

Parsonnes and vicars,

Surveyors and sikers,

Prevy pursepikers,

Provostes and preachers,

Readers and teachers,

With bachilers and maysters,

Spenders and wasters;

So be ther proctors,

With many dull doctors,

Proude prebendaryes,

Colde commissaries,

Synfull secundaries,

Sturdy stipendaries,

With olde ordinaryes,

And penytencyaryes,

That kepe the sanctuaries;

So be ther notaries,

And prothonotaries,

Lawers and scribes,

With many quibibes,

Redy regesters,

Pardoners and questers,

Maskers and mummers,

Deanes and sumners,

Apparatoryes preste

To ride est and weste;

Then be ther advocates,

And _parum_ litterates,

That eate vpp all estates,

With wyly visitors,

And crafty inquisitors,

Worse then Mamalokes,

That catche vs with ther crokes,

And brenne vs and oure bokes;

Then be ther annivolors,

And smalle benivolers,

With chauntry chapleynes,

Oure Ladyes chamberleynes;

And some be Jesu Christes,

As be oure servinge pristes,

And prestes that haue cure

Which haue ther lyvinge sure,

With clerkes and queresters,

And other smale mynisters,

As reders and singers,

Bedemen and bellringers,

That laboure with ther lippes

Ther pittaunce out of pittes,

With Bennet and Collet,

That bere bagg and wallett;

These wretches be full wely,

They eate and drinke frely,

Withe _salve, stella cœli_,[607]

And ther _de profundis_;

They lye with _immundis_,

And walke with vacabundis,

At good ale and at wynne

As dronke as any swynne;

Then be ther grosse abbottes,

That observe ther sabbottes,

Fayer, ffatt, and ffull,

As gredy as a gull,

And ranke as any bull,

With priors of like place,[608]

Some blacke and some white,

As channons be and monkes,

Great lobyes and lompes,

With Bonhomes and brothers,

Fathers and mothers,

Systers and nonnes,

And littell prety bonnes,

With lictors and lectors,

Mynisters and rectors,

Custos and correctors,

With papall collectors,

And popishe predagoges,[609]

Mockinge mystagoges,

In straunge array and robes,

Within ther sinagoges;

With sectes many mo,

An hundreth in a throo

I thinke to name by roo,

As they come to my mynde,

Whom, thoughe they be vnkind,

The lay mens labor finde;

For some be Benedictes

With many maledictes;

Some be Cluny,

And some be Plumy,

With _Cistercyences_,

_Grandimontences_,

_Camaldulences_,

_Premonstratences_,

_Theutonycences_,

_Clarrivallences_,

And _Easiliences_:

Some be Paulines,

Some be Antonynes,

Some be Bernardines,

Some be Celestines,

Some be Flamynes,

Some be Fuligines,

Some be Columbines,

Some be Gilbertines,

Some be Disciplines,

Some be Clarines,

And many[610] Augustines,

Some Clarissites,

Some be Accolites,

Some be Sklavemytes,

Some be Nycolites,

Some be Heremytes,

Some be Lazarites,

Some be Ninivites,

Some be Johannytes,

Some be Josephites,

Some be Jesuytes,

_Servi_ and Servytes,

And sondry Jacobites;

Then be ther Helenytes,

Hierosolymites,

Magdalynites,

Hieronimytes,

Anacorites,

And Scenobites;

So be ther Sophrans,

Constantinopolitanes,

Holy Hungarians,

Purgatorians,

Chalomerians,

And Ambrosians;

Then be ther Indianes,

And Escocyanes,

Lucifrans,

Chartusyanes,

Collectanes,

Capusianes,

Hispanians,

Honofrianes,

Gregorianes,

Vnprosianes,

Winceslanes,

With Ruffianes,

And with Rhodianes;

Some be Templers,

And Exemplers,

Some be Spitlers,

And some be Vitlers,

Some be Scapelers,

And some Cubiculers,

Some be Tercyaris,

And some be of St. Marys,

Some be Hostiaris,

And of St. Johns frarys,

Some be Stellifers,

And some be Ensefers,

Some Lucifers,

And some be Crucyfers,

Some haue signe of sheres,

And some were shurtes of heres,

Some be of the spone,

And some be crossed to Rome,

Some daunte and daly

In Sophathes valley,

And in the blak alley

Wheras it ever darke is,

And some be of St Markis

Mo then be good clarkes,

Some be Mysiricordes,

Mighty men and lordes,

And some of Godes house

That kepe the poore souse,

_Minimi_ and Mymes,

And other blak devines,

With Virgins and Vestalles,

Monkes and Monyalles,

That be conventualles,

Like frogges and todes;

And some be of the Rhodes,

Swordemen and knightes,

That for the [faith] fightes

With sise, sinke, and quatter.

But nowe never the latter

I intend to clatter

Of a mangye matter,

That smelles of the smatter,

Openly to tell

What they do in hell,

Wheras oure ffryers dwell

Everich in his sell,

The phane and the prophane,

The croked and the lame,

The mad, the wild, and tame,

Every one by name:

The formest of them all

Is ther Generall;

And the next they call

Ther hie Provincyall,

With Cvstos and Wardyn

That lye next the gardeyn;

Then oure father Prior,

With his Subprior

That with the covent comes

To gather vpp the cromes;

Then oure fryer Douche

Goeth by a crouche,

And slouthfull ffryer Slouche

That bereth Judas pouche;

Then ffryer Domynike

And ffryer Demonyke,

Fryer Cordiler

And ffryer Bordiler,

Fryer Jacobine,

Fryer Augustyne,

And ffryer Incubyne

And ffryer Succubine,

Fryer Carmelyte

And ffryer Hermelite,

Fryer Mynorite

And ffryer Ipocrite,

Frier ffranciscane

And ffrier Damiane,

Frier Precher

And ffrier Lecher,

Frier Crusifer

And ffrier Lusifer,

Frier Purcifer

And ffrier _Furcifer_,

Frier Ferdifer

And ffrier _Merdifer_,

Fryer Sacheler

And ffryer Bacheler,

Fryer Cloysterer

And ffrier Floysterer,

Frier _Pallax_

And ffrier _Fallax_,

Frier _Fugax_

And ffrier _Nugax_,

Frier _Rapax_

And ffrier _Capax_,

Frier _Lendax_

And ffrier _Mendax_,

Frier _Vorax_

And ffrier _Nycticorax_,[611]

Fryer _Japax_,

Frier Furderer

And ffrier Murderer,

Frier Tottiface

And ffrier Sottiface,

Frier Pottiface

And frier Pockyface,

Frier Trottapace

And ffrier Topiace,

Frier Futton

And ffrier Glotton,

Frier Galiard

And ffrier Paliard,

Frier Goliard

And ffrier Foliard,

Frier Goddard

And ffrier Foddard,

Frier Ballard

And ffrier Skallard,

Frier Crowsy

And ffrier Lowsy,

Frier Sloboll

And ffrier Bloboll,

Frier Toddypoll

And ffrier Noddypoll,

Frier fflaphole

And ffrier Claphole,

Frier Kispott

And ffrier Pispott,

Frier Chipchop

And ffrier Likpott,

Frier Clatterer

And ffrier fflatterer,

Frier Bib, ffrier Bob,

Frier Lib, ffrier Lob,

Frier Fear, ffrier Fonde,

Frier Beare, ffrier Bonde,

Frier Rooke, ffrier Py,

Frier Flooke, ffrier Flye,

Frier Spitt, ffrier Spy,

Frier Lik, ffrier Ly,

With ffrier We-he

Found by the Trinytye,

And frier Fandigo,

With an hundred mo

Could I name by ro,

Ne were for losse of tyme,

To make to longe a ryme:

_O squalidi laudati,_

_Fœdi[612] effeminati,_

_Falsi falsati,_

_Fuci fucati,_

_Culi cacati,[613]_

_Balbi braccati,_

_Mimi merdati,[614]_

_Larvi larvati,[615]_

_Crassi cathaphi,[616]_

_Calvi cucullati,_

_Curvi curvati,_

_Skurvi knavati,_

_Spurci spoliati,_

_Hirci armati,_

_Vagi devastati,_

_Devii debellati,_

_Surdi sustentati,_

_Squalidi laudati,_

_Tardi terminati,_

_Mali subligati,_

_Inpii conjurati,_

_Profusi profugi,_

_Lapsi lubrici,_

_Et parum pudici!_

Oth ye drane bees,

Ye bloody flesheflees,

Ye spitefull spittle spyes,

And grounde of herisees,

That dayly without sweat

Do but drinke and eate,

And murther meat and meat,

_Ut fures et latrones_!

Ye be _incubiones_,[617]

But no _spadones_,

Ye haue your _culiones_;

Ye be _histriones_,

Beastely _balatrones_,[618]

_Grandes thrasones_,[619]

_Magni nebulones_,

And _cacodæmones_,[620]

That [eat] vs fleshe and bones

With teeth more harde then stones;

Youe make hevy mones,

As it were for the nones,

With great and grevous grones,

By sightes and by sobbes

To blinde vs with bobbes;

Oh ye false faytours,

Youe theves be and tratours,

The devils dayly wayters!

Oh mesell Mendicantes,

And mangy Obseruauntes,

Ye be _vagarantes_!

As persers _penitrantes_,

Of mischef _ministrantes_,[621]

In pillinge _postulantes_,

In preachinge _petulantes_,

Of many _sycophantes_,[622]

That gather, as do antes,

In places wher ye go,

With _in principio_

Runnynge to and ffro,

Ye cause mikle woo

With hie and with loo;

Wher youe do resorte,

Ye fayne and make reporte

Of that youe never harde,

To make foles aferde

With visions and dremes,[623]

Howe they do in hevens,

And in other remes

Beyonde the great stremes

Of Tyger and of Gange,

Where tame devils range,

And in the black grange,

Thre myle out of hell,

Where sely sowles dwell,

In paynes wher they lye,

Howe they lament and cry

Vnto youe, holy lyars,

And false fflatteringe ffriers,

For _Dirige_ and masses;

Wherwith, like very asses,

We maynteyn youe and your lasses;

But in especiall

Ye say, the sowles call

For the great trentall;

For some sely sowles

So depe ly in holes

Of ffier and brennyng coles,

That top and tayle is hid;

For whom to pray and bid

Thens to haue them rid,

Ye thinke it but a foly;

Althoughe the masse be holy,

The fendes be wyly;

Till masse of _scala cœli_,[624]

At Bathe or at Ely,

Be by a ffrier saide

That is a virgine mayde,

These sowles may not away,

As all yow ffriers say;

So trowe I without doubte

These sowles shall never out;

For it is _rara avis_,

Ye be so many knaves;

I swere by crosses ten,

That fewe be honest men;

So many of youe be

Full of skurrilite,

That throughly to be sought

The multitude is noughte:

Ye be nothinge denty;

Ye come among vs plenty

By coples in a peire,

As sprites in the heire,

Or dogges in the ffayre;

Where yow do repayre,

Ye ever ride and rune,

As swifte as any gune,

With nowe to go and come,

As motes in the sonne,

To shrive my lady nonne,

With humlery hum,

_Dominus vobiscum_!

God knoweth all and some,

What is and hath bene done,

Syns the world begone,

Of russett, gray, and white,

That sett ther hole delighte

In lust and lechery,

In thefte and trecherey,

In lowsy lewdenes,

In synne and shrodenes,

In crokednes acurst,

Of all people the worste,

Marmosettes and apes,

That with your pild pates

Mock vs with your iapes:

Ye holy caterpillers,

Ye helpe your wellwillers

With prayers and psalmes,

To devoure the almes

That Christians should give

To meynteyne and releve

The people poore and nedy;

But youe be gredy,

And so great a number,

That, like the ffier of thunder,

The worlde ye incomber:

But hereof do I wonder,

Howe ye preache in prose,

And shape therto a glose,

Like a shipmans hose,

To fayne yourse[l]ves ded,

Whiche nathelesse be fed,

And dayly eate oure bred,

That ye amonge vs beg,

And gett it spite of oure hede:

It wonder is to me,

Howe ye maye fathers be

Your sede to multiply,

But yf yow be _incubi_,[625]

That gender gobolynes:

Be we not bobolynes,

Sutch lesinges to beleve,

Whiche ye amonge vs dry[ve]?

Because ye do vs shrive,

Ye[626] say we must youe call

Fathers seraphicall

And angelicall,

That be fantasticall,

Brute and bestiall,

Yea, diabolicall,

The babes of Beliall,

The sacrifise of Ball,

The dregges of all durte,

Fast bounde and girte

Vnder the devils skyrte;

For _pater_ Priapus,

And _frater Polpatus_,

With _doctor Dulpatus_,

_Suffultus fullatus_,[627]

_Pappus paralyticus_,[628]

And _pastor improvidus_,

Be false and frivolus,

Proude and pestiferous,

Pold and pediculous,

Ranke and ridiculous,

Madd and meticulous,

Ever invidious,

Never religious,

In preachinge prestigious,

In walkinge prodigious,

In talkinge sedicious,

In doctrine parnicious,

Haute and ambicious,

Fonde and supersticious,

In lodginge prostibulus,

In beddinge promiscuous,

In councells myschevous,

In musters monstrous,

In skulkinge insidicious,

Vnchast and lecherous,

In excesse outragious,

As sicknesse contagious,[629]

The wurst kind of edders,

And stronge sturdy beggers:

Wher one stande and teaches,

An other prate and preches,

Like holy horseleches:

So this rusty rable

At bourd and at table

Shall fayne and fable,

With bible and with bable,

To make all thinge stable,

By lowringe and by lokinge,

By powrynge and by potinge,

By standinge and by stopinge,

By handinge and by ffotinge,

By corsy and by crokinge,

With their owne pelf promotinge,

With ther eyes alweyes totinge

Wher they may haue shotinge

Ther and here ageyne:

Thus the people seyne,[630]

With wordes true and playne,

Howe they jest and ioll

With ther nody poll,

With rownynge and rollinge,

With bowsinge and bollinge,

With lillinge and lollinge,

With knyllinge and knollinge,

With tillinge and tollinge,

With shavinge and pollinge,

With snyppinge and snatchinge,

With itchinge and cratchinge,

With kepinge and katchinge,

With wepinge and watchinge,

With takinge and catchinge,

With peltinge and patchinge,

With findinge and fatchinge,

With scriblinge and scratchinge,

With ynkinge and blatchinge;

That no man can matche them,

Till the devill fatche them,

And so to go together

Vnto their denne for ever,

Wher hens as they never

Hereafter shall dissever,

But dy eternally,

That lyve so carnally;

For that wilbe ther ende,

But yf God them sende

His grace here to amend:

And thus I make an ende.

Thus endeth the ffourthe and laste parte of this treatise called the

Image of Ypocresy.

_The grudge of ypocrites conceyved ageynst the auctor of this treatise._

These be as knappishe knackes

As ever man made,

For javells and for iackes,

A jymiam for a iade.

Well were we, yf we wist

What a wight he were

That starred vpp this myst,

To do vs all this dere:

Oh, yf we could attayne hym,

He mighte be fast and sure

We should not spare to payne hym,

While we mighte indure!

_The awnswer of the auctor._

_Ego sum qui sum_,

My name may not be told;

But where ye go or come,

Ye may not be to bold:

For I am, is, and was,

And ever truste to be,

Neyther more nor las

Then asketh charite.

This longe tale to tell

Hathe made me almost horse:

I trowe and knowe right well

That God is full of force,

And able make the dome

And defe men heare and speake,

And stronge men overcome

By feble men and weke:

So thus I say my name is;

Ye geit no more of me,

Because I wilbe blameles,

And live in charite.

Thuse endith this boke called the Image of Ypocresye.

[468] _The Image of Ipocrysy_] Is now printed from _MS. Lansdown_ 794.

The original has very considerable alterations and additions by a

different hand: the first page is here and there illegible, partly from

the paleness of the ink, and partly from the notes which Peter Le Neve

(the possessor of the MS. in 1724) has unmercifully scribbled over it. I

give the title here as it stands at the end of the First Part.

Hearne and others have attributed this remarkable production to Skelton.

The poem, however, contains decisive evidence that he was not its author:

to say nothing of other passages,—the mention of certain writings of Sir

Thomas More and of “the mayde of Kent” (Elizabeth Barton), which occurs

in the Third Part, would alone be sufficient to prove that it was the

composition of some writer posterior to his time.

[469] _Vp to the clowdy skye_] Originally “_Vp_ into _the skye_.”

[470] _Our parsons and curates_] This line (now pasted over in the MS.)

has been obtained from a transcript of the poem made by Thomas Martin of

Palgrave.

[471] _Glottons_] Originally “Prelates.”

[472] _And_] Substituted for “To,” when the preceding line was added.

[473] _him_] Originally “vs.”

[474] _Take_] Originally “haue.”

[475] _Dothe_] Originally “Or.”

[476] _Doo_] Originally “That.”

[477] _seem_] Is the substitution of a somewhat later hand, the original

word being faded: qy. “self?”

[478] _runne in att the rove_] Originally “runnynge _at the_ masse.”

[479] _prove_] Originally “presse.”

[480] _Wher they may be sure_] Followed by a deleted line, now partly

illegible,—

“ ... wayte to haue wynnynge.”

[481] _To fyshe for any gayne_] Followed by a deleted line which seems to

have been,—

“With shotinge or with singinge.”

[482] _Shall pryck, &c._] The position of this line, and of the next but

one, was originally different.

[483] _Chafyng_] Which seems to be the reading intended, was originally

preceded by “Wyll.”

[484] _And then_] Originally “At lenghe.”

[485] _Thoughe_] MS. “Throughe”

[486] _Which_] Qy. “With?”

[487] _bowes_] Qy. “vowes?”

[488] _of ther_] Qy. “other?”

[489] _backe_] Something wanting here.

[490] _No man wyll they spare_] Originally,—

“They passe not of a sparre.”

[491] _Your_] Originally “For.”

[492] _In_] Originally “And.”

[493] _Youre_] Originally “And.”

[494] _Wher God his gyfte or grace_] Originally,

“_Wher god_ of _his grace_.”

[495] _And all his kingdom, whan_] Originally,

“At the good tyme _whan_.”

[496] _Ye_] Originally “That.”

[497] _Lordely, &c._] On the outer margin of the MS., opposite this

verse, are the following lines, partly cut off by the binder;

“Thes be the knavysh

knackes that ever w ...

o ...

ffor Javelles and for J[ackes].”

[498] _And worldly welth to haue_] Originally “_And_ possession _to

haue_.”

[499] _chippe_] Qy. “clippe?”

[500] _When masse and all is done_] Followed by a deleted line;

“The paynes to release.”

[501] _as_] Originally “that.”

[502] _All_] Originally “_All_ ys.”

[503] _For lust fyndes no lett_] Occupies the place of the following

three deleted lines;

“be she ffayre or fowle

for vnderneth an amys

alyke ther hart is.”

[504] _or_] MS. “as.”

[505] _Or owgly_] Over this is the deleted word “blobcheked.”

[506] _pretens_] Originally “the bande.”

[507] _not I_] Originally “for why.”

[508] _Lest here you_] Originally “_Here lest youe_.”

[509] _with vs_] Originally “your.”

[510] _treuth_] Originally “the _treuth_.”

[511] _That all the falt doth lye_] Originally “But _all the falt_ do

_lye_.”

[512] _oure_] Qy. “youre?” but compare 6th line of next column. In

the following line, “_sanguinolently_” should perhaps be printed as

Latin,—“_sanguinolenti_.”

[513] _cokold foles_] Originally “loutes and knaves.”

[514] _We wer an oxes fether_] Originally “And in oure hoode a _fether_.”

[515] _Oure hedes for to gnob_] Followed by two deleted lines;

“And make vs soch a lob

To vse one lyke a lob.”

[516] _For your_] Originally “With.”

[517] _Through_] Originally “With.”

[518]

_And small, &c._

...

_To make soch recompens_

This passage is substituted for two deleted lines;

“To your possessyon

Without discretion.”

[519]

_By gyvyng, &c._

...

_Of harty penytens_

This passage is substituted for three deleted lines;

“S ... fonde affection

To oure correccion

Without protection.”

[520] _yowe_] Originally “them.”

[521] _that_] Originally “an.”

[522] _be_] Originally “to _be_.”

[523] _For you on_] Originally “_For on_.”

[524] _Can suffre or abyde_] Originally “Ye _cane_ here _abide_.”

[525] _vehement_] Originally “diligent.”

[526] _So_] Originally “That.”

[527] _We_] Originally “And.”

[528] _And be thus_] Originally “That we _be_.”

[529] _We know not_] Originally “_Not_ knowing.”—After this line is one

cut off by the binder.

[530] _That when he eat_] Originally “_When he_ shall _eat_.”

[531] _Slepe, awake_] Originally “_Slepe_ or wake.”

[532] _Doth styll_] Originally “He must.”

[533] _Kepe_] Before this word stood originally “And,” afterwards altered

to “To,” which is also deleted.

[534] _Be made vnto his heste_] Originally,

“_Be made_ to _his heste_;”

for which, was first substituted,

“_Made be_ to _his hest_.”

[535] _To governe_] Originally “Wisely _to_.”

[536] _evyll_] Originally “ill.”

[537] _Lyke Lucyfer, the devyll_] Originally,

“In Judgement of _the devill_.”

[538] _And so_] Originally “For.”

[539] _That thei fall not vnware_] Originally,

“Or elles may _vnware_.”

[540] _Into_] Originally “Fall in.”

[541]

_All maner_, &c.

...

To _gather and to kepe_

These three lines substituted for two deleted lines;

“_To gather and to kepe_

Treasure in _a hepe_.”

[542] _sylver_] Originally “mony.”

[543] _The craft, &c._] Originally,

“Yf all _the chraft_ were _tolde_.”

[544] _Antychryst_] Originally “the courte.”

[545] _For thens, &c._] Originally,

“_For_ ther _sourdes the springe_.”

[546] _geate_] Followed by a deleted line;

“Be it by colde or heate.”

[547] _Which at his_] Originally “That _his_.”

[548] _May ech man, &c._] Originally,

“_May_ bothe _saue_ and _spill_.”

[549] _As he lyste_] Originally “At will to.”

[550] _And at his, &c._] Originally,

“_And_ wyll it clere _enhibyte_.”

[551] _wyse_] Originally “true.”

[552] _shall_] Originally “must.”

[553] _above or hell_] Originally “_or_ in _hell_.”

[554] _Then_] Originally “But.”

[555] _Thou gettest true remyssion_] Originally,

“To haue _remission_.”

[556] _That never, &c._] Originally “_That_ haue _hadd_ no _regarde_.”

[557] _palia ... Bacchanalia_] It would seem from the context that the

right reading is “Palilia.” The MS. has “Bacchanallia.”

[558] _after_] Originally “_after_warde.”

[559] _Colde_] Originally “Olde.”

[560] _Sustentations_] MS. “Sustentions,” and originally “Substentions.”

[561] _Excusations_] Substituted for a word now illegible.

[562] _his_] Originally “oure.”

[563] _pylde_] Originally “_pylde_ and.”

[564] _a_] Originally “the.”

[565] _yf_] Originally “leste.”

[566] _curse_] Originally “course.”

[567] _inamœna_] MS. “_In amena_” the latter word being substituted for

one now illegible.

[568] _no_] Originally “out.”

[569]_Iscarioth_] Originally “Scarioth.”

[570] _galefull_] Originally “gale.”

[571] _bogorian_] Originally “bogorane.”

[572] _A privye_] Originally “And _a_.”

[573] _That_] Originally “And.”

[574] _As hogges, &c._] Originally,

“_As_ any pigge _in stye_.”

[575] _With confytes, &c._] Originally,

“_And_ portingale _fartes_.”

[576] _They robbe, &c._] Originally “Wher _they_ take _pillage_.”

[577] _them_] Originally “that.”

[578] _Of_] Originally “By.”

[579] _aspyre_] Followed by a deleted line (inserted above with a slight

variation);

“Thyr hartes ar so on fyer.”

[580] _Performe_] Originally “We do,” the preceding line being an

addition.

[581] _Hys_] Originally “Ther.”

[582] _That dare ons be_] Originally “No man _dare be_,” the preceding

line being an addition.

[583] _Nor_] Originally “For.”

[584] _soch men_] Originally “them.” This line is followed by three

deleted lines (inserted above,—the first two slightly altered);

“Mony meat or golde

But be they shorne or polde

Ther lyves not suche a scolde.”

[585] _For_] Originally “And.”

[586] _And in, &c._] Originally,

“_In_ all the all _the world wide_

_Vse such pompe_,” &c.

[587] _Of no, &c._] Originally “_Of no prince nor_ of _duke_.”

[588] _wonder_] Originally “wonderfull.”

[589] _agast_] Followed by a deleted line;

“But fede whilst they do brast.”

[590] _vpp stoores_] Originally “_vpp_ ther _stoores_.”

[591] _hym_] Originally “them.”

[592] _or advayle_] Originally “_or_ for avayle.”

[593] _And_] Originally “Their.”

[594] _But who so_] Originally “_But who_ euer.”

[595] _conquer_] Originally “subdue.”

[596] _grene wode_] Is obviously the right reading. MS. has merely

“grenes.”

[597] _Though, &c._] This line is added by a comparatively modern hand.

[598] _Menander_] See note, p, 130.

[599] _Malepardus_] The abode of Reynard according to the famous

old romance: “reynart had many a dwellyng place, but the castel of

_maleperduys_ was the beste and the fastest burgh that he had, ther laye

he inne whan he had nede and was in ony drede or fere.” Sig. a 8. ed.

1481.

[600] _Occanist_] So written, it would seem, for the rhyme; properly

“Occamist.”

[601] _a knighte_] i. e. Sir Thomas More.

[602] _his Debellation_] i. e. Sir Thomas More’s _Debellacyon of Salem

vnd Byzance_.

[603] _ages_] i. e. age is.

[604] _the mayde of Kent_] i. e. Elizabeth Barton.

[605] _by_] i. e. buy,—acquire, earn.

[606] _tymes_] MS. “tynes.”

[607] _cœli_] MS. “cely.”

[608] _place_] Should perhaps be “plite”—or there may be some omission in

the MS. after this line.

[609] _predagoges_] Qy. “pædagoges?”

[610] _And many_] Originally “Some be.”

[611] _Nycticorax_] MS. “Necticorax.”

[612] _Fœdi_] MS. “Fedi.”

[613] _cacati_] MS. “caccati.”

[614] _merdati_] MS. “mardati.”

[615] _Larvi larvati_] MS. “Lerui leruati.” The line ought properly to be

“Larvæ larvatæ.”

[616] _cathaphi_] Qy. “cataphagi” (voraces)?

[617] _incubiones_] Properly “incubones.”

[618] _balatrones_] MS. “ballatrones.”

[619] _thrasones_] MS. “thrassones.”

[620] _cacodæmones_] MS. “cacademones.”

[621]

_penitrantes_ ] }

_ministrantes_] }

MS. “pennytrantes” and “mynistrantes.”

[622] Of many _sycophantes_] Perhaps “many” should be “mony.” MS.

“sicophantes:” the proper form is “sycophantæ.”

[623] _dremes_] I suspect the author wrote “_sweuens_,” and that

“_dremes_,” a gloss on the word, crept by mistake into the text.

[624] _cœli_] MS. “cely.”

[625] _incubi_] MS. “incuby.”

[626] _Ye_] MS. “We.”

[627] _fullatus_] Qy. “fulcratus?”

[628] _paralyticus_] MS. “paraliticus.”

[629] _contagious_] MS. “contragious.”

[630] _seyne_] Originally “sey.”