7063. _vounde_ (so in G. and Th.), if a genuine word, can only be another
form of _founde_, pp. of the strong verb _finden_, to find. I suppose
'found stone' to mean good building-stone, _found_ in sufficient quantities
in the neighbourhood of a site for a castle. The context shews that it here
means stone of the first quality, such as could be wrought with the
_squire_ (mason's square) and to any required _scantilone_ (scantling,
pattern). The general sense clearly is, that the friars oppress the weak,
but not the strong. If a man is master of a castle, they let him off
easily, even if the castle be not built of freestone of the first quality,
wrought by first-rate workmen. (Or read _founded_.)
7071. _sleightes_, missiles. The translator could think of no better word,
because the context is jocular. If the lord of the castle pelted the
friars, not exactly with stones, but with barrels of wine and other
acceptable things, then the friars took his part.
7076. _equipolences_, equivocations. The next line suggests that he should
refrain from coarse and downright lies (_lete_ = let alone).
7089. 'And if it had not been for the good keeping (or watchfulness) of the
University of Paris.' Alluding to William de St. Amour and his friends; see
ll. 6554, 6766.
7092. See the footnote. We must either read _They had been turmented_ (as I
give it) or else _We had turmented_ (as in Bell). I prefer _They_, because
it is a closer translation, and suits better with _Such_ in the next line.
7093. I insert _fals_, for the metre; it is countenanced by _traitours_ in
l. 7087. The reference is to the supporters of the book mentioned below.
7102. The book here spoken of really emanated from the friars, but was too
audacious to succeed, and hence Fals-Semblant, for decency's sake, is made
to denounce it. We may note how the keen satire of Jean de Meun contrives
to bring in a mention of this work, under the guise of a violent yet
half-hearted condemnation of it by a representative of the friars.
The book appeared in 1255 (as stated in the text), and was called
Euangelium Eternum, siue Euangelium Spiritus Sancti. It was compiled by
some Dominican and Franciscan friars, from notes made by an abbot named
Joachim, and from the visions of one Cyril, a Carmelite. It is thus
explained in Southey's Book of the Church, chap. xi. 'The opinion which
they started was ... that there should be _three_ Dispensations, one from
each Person. That of the Father had terminated when the Law was abolished
by the Gospel; ... the uses of the Gospel were obsolete; and in its place,
they produced a book, in the name of the Holy Ghost, under the title of the
Eternal Gospel.... In this, however, they went too far: the minds of men
were not yet subdued to this. The Eternal Gospel was condemned by the
church; and the Mendicants were fain to content themselves with disfiguring
the religion which they were not allowed to set aside.'
7108. 'In the porch before the cathedral of Notre Dame, at Paris.' A school
was for some time held in this porch; and books could be bought there, or
near it. Any one could there buy this book, 'to copy it, if the desire took
him.'
7113. This is a quotation from the Eternal Gospel. L. 7118 means: 'I am not
mocking you in saying this; the quotation is a true one.'