Chapter 30

Thus endeth the Seconde Parte of this present treatyse called the Image of Ipocresy.Of prechers nowe adayesBe many Fariseyes,That leue the Lordes layes,And preche ther owne wayes;Wherof nowe of lateHathe risen great debate;For some champe and chaffeAs hogges do in draffe,And some cry out apaseAs houndes at a chase,Whiche for lacke of graceThe 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 carkeBycause he is no clarke.Some be soft and stillAs clappes in a mill,And some cry and yellAs 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 mayAbide 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 greatlyTo 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 sorroweThat 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 matterWere clerely layde a watter.Douse men chatt and chide it,For they may not abid it;The Thomistes wold hide it,Forlittera occidit.Thus these sysmatickes,And lowsy lunatickes,With spurres and prickesCall 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 stodeIn mery grene wode,[596]When he gathered good,Before Noyes ffloodd!For the TestamentesTo 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 saweThe bagg nor the bottellOf oure Arrestotle,Nor knowe not the toyesOf 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 DorbellousDoth openly tell vsHowe they by and sell vs:And Doctoure Sym SotusCann goostely grope vs;For he hathe rad Scotus,And so the dawe dotusOf Doctour Subtyles;Yea, three hundreth myles,With sutch crafty wylesHe many men begiles,That never knewe an vnceAt full of Master Dunce.Then Doctoure BonbardusCan skill of Lombardus;He wonnes at Malepardus,[599]With Father Festino,And Doctoure Attamino,Dudum de camino,With therconsobrino,Capite equinoEt corde asinino;Hi latent in limoEt in profundo fimo,Cubantes in culinoCum Thoma de Aquino,Tractantes in imaDe pelle caninaEt lana caprina.Then Doctoure ChekmateHath 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 explicateWith termes intricate,I note wherof conflate;And therfore must he makeHis bull and antedate.Then Doctour Tom-to-boldIs neyther whote nor colde,Till his coles be solde;His name may not be toldeFor syluer nor for golde;But he is sutch a scolde,That no play may hym holdeFor 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 flighteBy Bowbell pollecy,With his poetryAnd 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 prideTo coloure and to hide;He maketh no nobbes,But with his diologgesTo prove oure prelates goddes,And lay men very lobbes,Betinge they[m] with bobbes,And with ther ow[n]e roddes;Thus he taketh payneTo fable and to fayne,Ther myscheff to mayntayne,And to haue them rayneOver 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 delectationTo make exclamation,By way of declamation,In his Debellation,[602]With a popishe fasshionTo subvert oure nation:But this daucok doctoureAnd purgatory proctoureWaketh nowe for wages,And, as a man that ragesOr overcome with ages,[603]Disputithper ambages,To helpe these parasitesAnd naughty ipocrites,With legendes of lyes,Fayned fantasies,And very vanyties,Called veryties,Vnwritten and vnknowen.But as they be blowneFrom lyer to lyer,Inventyd by a ffryerIn magna copia,Brought out of VtopiaVnto 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 intentWere knowen of this witche,It passeth dogg and bitche:I pray God, do so mutcheTo fret her on the itche,And open her in tyme!For this manly myneIs a darke devyne,With his poetry,And her iugglery,By conspiracyTo helpe our prelacy,She by ypocresye,And he by tyranny,That causeth cruellyThe simple men to dyeFor fayned herisye:He saythe that this nodyShall brenne, soule and body,Or singe his palanody,With feare till he pant,To make hym recreanteHis sayinges to recante,So as he shalbe skanteAble for to lokeIn writinge or in booke,That treatithe of the roteOr of the base and foteOf ther abhomynation:He vsethe sutche a fasshion,To send a man in stationWith an evill passionTo his egression,Before the processionSlylye 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 losseOf his goode name and fame:Thus with great payne and shameHe kepethe men in bandes,Confiskinge goods and landes,And then to hete ther handesWith faccottes and with brandes,Or make them be abjure:These thinges be in vre;Youe leade vs with the lureOf your persecutionAnd cruell execution,That the fyry fumeOure lyves shall consumeBy three, by two, and one;Men say ye will spare noneOf hye nor lowe degre,That will be enemeTo your ipocrese,Or to your god the bele;For who dare speake so felleThat clerkes should be simple,Without spott or wrinkell?Yett nathelesse alweyI 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 attendeTo 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 tellMen 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 laweTo kepe vs vnder awe,By captious storyesOf interrogatoryes:Thus do ye full vnkindly,To feyne yourselves frindley,And be nothinge but fyndly.I tell youe, men be lotheTo se youe wode and wrothe,And then for to be botheTh’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 equityeYe shoulde be judge and partye:Therfore the kinges graceYour lawes muste deface;For before his faceYoue should your playntes bringe,As to your lorde and kingeAnd 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 landeShould be no counterband,But holy at his handeWe 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 GodBe every mannes rode,And the kinges the laweTo kepe them under awe,To fray the rest with terroure,They may revoke ther erroure:And thus, I say agayne,The people wolde be fayneYe prelates wolde take payneTo preache the gospell playne;For otherwise certayneYour laboure is in vayne;For all your crueltye,I knowe that you and weShall never well agree:Ye may in no wise seSutch as disposed beOf ther charityeTo 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 kayeOf 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 delayeBut 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 drinkeYe geitt, without ye swynke.But that wold make youe wrothe;For, I trowe, ye be lotheTo do eyther of both,That is, yourself to clothWith laboure and with sweateAnd faste till youe eateBut 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 apaseTo tripe in trouthes trace,And seke some better chaunceYourselves 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 wiseBut after his devise,Ye may with good advyseKepe your benefiseAnd all your dignite,Without malignite,In Christes name, for me;I gladely shall agreIt ever may so be.But this I say and shall,What happ soeuer fall,I pray and callThe Kinge celestiall,Ones to give youe graceTo se his worde haue place;And then within shorte spaceWe shall perceyve and seHowe euery degreHath his auctoriteBy the lawe of Christ,The lay man and the prest,The poore man and the lorde;For of that monocordeThe scripture doth recorde;And then with good accorde,In love and in ConcordeWe shall together holde;Or elles ye may be bolde,For heate or coldeSay ye what ye will,Yt were as good be still;For thoughe ye glose and fraseTill your eyes dase,Men holde it but a maseTill Godes worde haue place,That doth include more graceThen all erthly menCould ever knowe or ken.Thuse endith the thirde parte of this present treatise called the Image of Ypocresye.Nowe with sondry sectesThe world sore infectes,As in Christes dayesAmonge 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]moThen were in Christes dayesAmonge the Pharisees:The Pope, whom first they callTher lorde and principall,The patriarke withall;And then the CardinallWith tytles all of pride,As legates of the side,And some be cutt and shorneThat they be legates borne;Then archebisshops bold,And bisshops for the folde,They metropolitannes,And these diocysanyes,That haue ther suffraganyesTo blesse the prophanyes;Then be ther curtisanesAs ill as ArrianesOr Domicianes,Riall residentes,And prudent presidentes;So be their sensors,Doughty dispensors,Crafty inventors,And prevy precentors,With chaplaynes of honourThat kepe the Popes bower;Then allmoners and deanes,That geit by ther meanesThe 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 presteTo ride est and weste;Then be ther advocates,Andparumlitterates,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 cureWhich haue ther lyvinge sure,With clerkes and queresters,And other smale mynisters,As reders and singers,Bedemen and bellringers,That laboure with ther lippesTher pittaunce out of pittes,With Bennet and Collet,That bere bagg and wallett;These wretches be full wely,They eate and drinke frely,Withesalve, stella cœli,[607]And therde profundis;They lye withimmundis,And walke with vacabundis,At good ale and at wynneAs 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 throoI thinke to name by roo,As they come to my mynde,Whom, thoughe they be vnkind,The lay mens labor finde;For some be BenedictesWith many maledictes;Some be Cluny,And some be Plumy,WithCistercyences,Grandimontences,Camaldulences,Premonstratences,Theutonycences,Clarrivallences,AndEasiliences: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,Serviand 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 dalyIn Sophathes valley,And in the blak alleyWheras it ever darke is,And some be of St MarkisMo then be good clarkes,Some be Mysiricordes,Mighty men and lordes,And some of Godes houseThat kepe the poore souse,Minimiand 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] fightesWith sise, sinke, and quatter.But nowe never the latterI intend to clatterOf a mangye matter,That smelles of the smatter,Openly to tellWhat they do in hell,Wheras oure ffryers dwellEverich 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 allIs ther Generall;And the next they callTher hie Provincyall,With Cvstos and WardynThat lye next the gardeyn;Then oure father Prior,With his SubpriorThat with the covent comesTo gather vpp the cromes;Then oure fryer DoucheGoeth by a crouche,And slouthfull ffryer SloucheThat bereth Judas pouche;Then ffryer DomynikeAnd ffryer Demonyke,Fryer CordilerAnd ffryer Bordiler,Fryer Jacobine,Fryer Augustyne,And ffryer IncubyneAnd ffryer Succubine,Fryer CarmelyteAnd ffryer Hermelite,Fryer MynoriteAnd ffryer Ipocrite,Frier ffranciscaneAnd ffrier Damiane,Frier PrecherAnd ffrier Lecher,Frier CrusiferAnd ffrier Lusifer,Frier PurciferAnd ffrierFurcifer,Frier FerdiferAnd ffrierMerdifer,Fryer SachelerAnd ffryer Bacheler,Fryer CloystererAnd ffrier Floysterer,FrierPallaxAnd ffrierFallax,FrierFugaxAnd ffrierNugax,FrierRapaxAnd ffrierCapax,FrierLendaxAnd ffrierMendax,FrierVoraxAnd ffrierNycticorax,[611]FryerJapax,Frier FurdererAnd ffrier Murderer,Frier TottifaceAnd ffrier Sottiface,Frier PottifaceAnd frier Pockyface,Frier TrottapaceAnd ffrier Topiace,Frier FuttonAnd ffrier Glotton,Frier GaliardAnd ffrier Paliard,Frier GoliardAnd ffrier Foliard,Frier GoddardAnd ffrier Foddard,Frier BallardAnd ffrier Skallard,Frier CrowsyAnd ffrier Lowsy,Frier SlobollAnd ffrier Bloboll,Frier ToddypollAnd ffrier Noddypoll,Frier fflapholeAnd ffrier Claphole,Frier KispottAnd ffrier Pispott,Frier ChipchopAnd ffrier Likpott,Frier ClattererAnd 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-heFound by the Trinytye,And frier Fandigo,With an hundred moCould 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 sweatDo but drinke and eate,And murther meat and meat,Ut fures et latrones!Ye beincubiones,[617]But nospadones,Ye haue yourculiones;Ye behistriones,Beastelybalatrones,[618]Grandes thrasones,[619]Magni nebulones,Andcacodæmones,[620]That [eat] vs fleshe and bonesWith teeth more harde then stones;Youe make hevy mones,As it were for the nones,With great and grevous grones,By sightes and by sobbesTo blinde vs with bobbes;Oh ye false faytours,Youe theves be and tratours,The devils dayly wayters!Oh mesell Mendicantes,And mangy Obseruauntes,Ye bevagarantes!As perserspenitrantes,Of mischefministrantes,[621]In pillingepostulantes,In preachingepetulantes,Of manysycophantes,[622]That gather, as do antes,In places wher ye go,Within principioRunnynge to and ffro,Ye cause mikle wooWith hie and with loo;Wher youe do resorte,Ye fayne and make reporteOf that youe never harde,To make foles aferdeWith visions and dremes,[623]Howe they do in hevens,And in other remesBeyonde the great stremesOf 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 cryVnto youe, holy lyars,And false fflatteringe ffriers,ForDirigeand masses;Wherwith, like very asses,We maynteyn youe and your lasses;But in especiallYe say, the sowles callFor the great trentall;For some sely sowlesSo depe ly in holesOf ffier and brennyng coles,That top and tayle is hid;For whom to pray and bidThens to haue them rid,Ye thinke it but a foly;Althoughe the masse be holy,The fendes be wyly;Till masse ofscala cœli,[624]At Bathe or at Ely,Be by a ffrier saideThat is a virgine mayde,These sowles may not away,As all yow ffriers say;So trowe I without doubteThese sowles shall never out;For it israra avis,Ye be so many knaves;I swere by crosses ten,That fewe be honest men;So many of youe beFull of skurrilite,That throughly to be soughtThe multitude is noughte:Ye be nothinge denty;Ye come among vs plentyBy 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 delighteIn 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 patesMock vs with your iapes:Ye holy caterpillers,Ye helpe your wellwillersWith prayers and psalmes,To devoure the almesThat Christians should giveTo meynteyne and releveThe 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 beYour sede to multiply,But yf yow beincubi,[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 callFathers seraphicallAnd 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 girteVnder the devils skyrte;ForpaterPriapus,Andfrater Polpatus,Withdoctor Dulpatus,Suffultus fullatus,[627]Pappus paralyticus,[628]Andpastor 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 rableAt bourd and at tableShall 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 totingeWher they may haue shotingeTher and here ageyne:Thus the people seyne,[630]With wordes true and playne,Howe they jest and iollWith 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 togetherVnto their denne for ever,Wher hens as they neverHereafter shall dissever,But dy eternally,That lyve so carnally;For that wilbe ther ende,But yf God them sendeHis grace here to amend:And thus I make an ende.

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

Of prechers nowe adayesBe many Fariseyes,That leue the Lordes layes,And preche ther owne wayes;Wherof nowe of lateHathe risen great debate;For some champe and chaffeAs hogges do in draffe,And some cry out apaseAs houndes at a chase,Whiche for lacke of graceThe 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 carkeBycause he is no clarke.Some be soft and stillAs clappes in a mill,And some cry and yellAs 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 mayAbide 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 greatlyTo 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 sorroweThat 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 matterWere clerely layde a watter.Douse men chatt and chide it,For they may not abid it;The Thomistes wold hide it,Forlittera occidit.Thus these sysmatickes,And lowsy lunatickes,With spurres and prickesCall 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 stodeIn mery grene wode,[596]When he gathered good,Before Noyes ffloodd!For the TestamentesTo 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 saweThe bagg nor the bottellOf oure Arrestotle,Nor knowe not the toyesOf 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 DorbellousDoth openly tell vsHowe they by and sell vs:And Doctoure Sym SotusCann goostely grope vs;For he hathe rad Scotus,And so the dawe dotusOf Doctour Subtyles;Yea, three hundreth myles,With sutch crafty wylesHe many men begiles,That never knewe an vnceAt full of Master Dunce.Then Doctoure BonbardusCan skill of Lombardus;He wonnes at Malepardus,[599]With Father Festino,And Doctoure Attamino,Dudum de camino,With therconsobrino,Capite equinoEt corde asinino;Hi latent in limoEt in profundo fimo,Cubantes in culinoCum Thoma de Aquino,Tractantes in imaDe pelle caninaEt lana caprina.Then Doctoure ChekmateHath 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 explicateWith termes intricate,I note wherof conflate;And therfore must he makeHis bull and antedate.Then Doctour Tom-to-boldIs neyther whote nor colde,Till his coles be solde;His name may not be toldeFor syluer nor for golde;But he is sutch a scolde,That no play may hym holdeFor 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 flighteBy Bowbell pollecy,With his poetryAnd 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 prideTo coloure and to hide;He maketh no nobbes,But with his diologgesTo prove oure prelates goddes,And lay men very lobbes,Betinge they[m] with bobbes,And with ther ow[n]e roddes;Thus he taketh payneTo fable and to fayne,Ther myscheff to mayntayne,And to haue them rayneOver 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 delectationTo make exclamation,By way of declamation,In his Debellation,[602]With a popishe fasshionTo subvert oure nation:But this daucok doctoureAnd purgatory proctoureWaketh nowe for wages,And, as a man that ragesOr overcome with ages,[603]Disputithper ambages,To helpe these parasitesAnd naughty ipocrites,With legendes of lyes,Fayned fantasies,And very vanyties,Called veryties,Vnwritten and vnknowen.But as they be blowneFrom lyer to lyer,Inventyd by a ffryerIn magna copia,Brought out of VtopiaVnto 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 intentWere knowen of this witche,It passeth dogg and bitche:I pray God, do so mutcheTo fret her on the itche,And open her in tyme!For this manly myneIs a darke devyne,With his poetry,And her iugglery,By conspiracyTo helpe our prelacy,She by ypocresye,And he by tyranny,That causeth cruellyThe simple men to dyeFor fayned herisye:He saythe that this nodyShall brenne, soule and body,Or singe his palanody,With feare till he pant,To make hym recreanteHis sayinges to recante,So as he shalbe skanteAble for to lokeIn writinge or in booke,That treatithe of the roteOr of the base and foteOf ther abhomynation:He vsethe sutche a fasshion,To send a man in stationWith an evill passionTo his egression,Before the processionSlylye 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 losseOf his goode name and fame:Thus with great payne and shameHe kepethe men in bandes,Confiskinge goods and landes,And then to hete ther handesWith faccottes and with brandes,Or make them be abjure:These thinges be in vre;Youe leade vs with the lureOf your persecutionAnd cruell execution,That the fyry fumeOure lyves shall consumeBy three, by two, and one;Men say ye will spare noneOf hye nor lowe degre,That will be enemeTo your ipocrese,Or to your god the bele;For who dare speake so felleThat clerkes should be simple,Without spott or wrinkell?Yett nathelesse alweyI 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 attendeTo 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 tellMen 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 laweTo kepe vs vnder awe,By captious storyesOf interrogatoryes:Thus do ye full vnkindly,To feyne yourselves frindley,And be nothinge but fyndly.I tell youe, men be lotheTo se youe wode and wrothe,And then for to be botheTh’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 equityeYe shoulde be judge and partye:Therfore the kinges graceYour lawes muste deface;For before his faceYoue should your playntes bringe,As to your lorde and kingeAnd 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 landeShould be no counterband,But holy at his handeWe 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 GodBe every mannes rode,And the kinges the laweTo kepe them under awe,To fray the rest with terroure,They may revoke ther erroure:And thus, I say agayne,The people wolde be fayneYe prelates wolde take payneTo preache the gospell playne;For otherwise certayneYour laboure is in vayne;For all your crueltye,I knowe that you and weShall never well agree:Ye may in no wise seSutch as disposed beOf ther charityeTo 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 kayeOf 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 delayeBut 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 drinkeYe geitt, without ye swynke.But that wold make youe wrothe;For, I trowe, ye be lotheTo do eyther of both,That is, yourself to clothWith laboure and with sweateAnd faste till youe eateBut 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 apaseTo tripe in trouthes trace,And seke some better chaunceYourselves 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 wiseBut after his devise,Ye may with good advyseKepe your benefiseAnd all your dignite,Without malignite,In Christes name, for me;I gladely shall agreIt ever may so be.But this I say and shall,What happ soeuer fall,I pray and callThe Kinge celestiall,Ones to give youe graceTo se his worde haue place;And then within shorte spaceWe shall perceyve and seHowe euery degreHath his auctoriteBy the lawe of Christ,The lay man and the prest,The poore man and the lorde;For of that monocordeThe scripture doth recorde;And then with good accorde,In love and in ConcordeWe shall together holde;Or elles ye may be bolde,For heate or coldeSay ye what ye will,Yt were as good be still;For thoughe ye glose and fraseTill your eyes dase,Men holde it but a maseTill Godes worde haue place,That doth include more graceThen all erthly menCould ever knowe or ken.

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,

Forlittera 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 therconsobrino,

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]

Disputithper 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 sectesThe world sore infectes,As in Christes dayesAmonge 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]moThen were in Christes dayesAmonge the Pharisees:The Pope, whom first they callTher lorde and principall,The patriarke withall;And then the CardinallWith tytles all of pride,As legates of the side,And some be cutt and shorneThat they be legates borne;Then archebisshops bold,And bisshops for the folde,They metropolitannes,And these diocysanyes,That haue ther suffraganyesTo blesse the prophanyes;Then be ther curtisanesAs ill as ArrianesOr Domicianes,Riall residentes,And prudent presidentes;So be their sensors,Doughty dispensors,Crafty inventors,And prevy precentors,With chaplaynes of honourThat kepe the Popes bower;Then allmoners and deanes,That geit by ther meanesThe 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 presteTo ride est and weste;Then be ther advocates,Andparumlitterates,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 cureWhich haue ther lyvinge sure,With clerkes and queresters,And other smale mynisters,As reders and singers,Bedemen and bellringers,That laboure with ther lippesTher pittaunce out of pittes,With Bennet and Collet,That bere bagg and wallett;These wretches be full wely,They eate and drinke frely,Withesalve, stella cœli,[607]And therde profundis;They lye withimmundis,And walke with vacabundis,At good ale and at wynneAs 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 throoI thinke to name by roo,As they come to my mynde,Whom, thoughe they be vnkind,The lay mens labor finde;For some be BenedictesWith many maledictes;Some be Cluny,And some be Plumy,WithCistercyences,Grandimontences,Camaldulences,Premonstratences,Theutonycences,Clarrivallences,AndEasiliences: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,Serviand 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 dalyIn Sophathes valley,And in the blak alleyWheras it ever darke is,And some be of St MarkisMo then be good clarkes,Some be Mysiricordes,Mighty men and lordes,And some of Godes houseThat kepe the poore souse,Minimiand 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] fightesWith sise, sinke, and quatter.But nowe never the latterI intend to clatterOf a mangye matter,That smelles of the smatter,Openly to tellWhat they do in hell,Wheras oure ffryers dwellEverich 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 allIs ther Generall;And the next they callTher hie Provincyall,With Cvstos and WardynThat lye next the gardeyn;Then oure father Prior,With his SubpriorThat with the covent comesTo gather vpp the cromes;Then oure fryer DoucheGoeth by a crouche,And slouthfull ffryer SloucheThat bereth Judas pouche;Then ffryer DomynikeAnd ffryer Demonyke,Fryer CordilerAnd ffryer Bordiler,Fryer Jacobine,Fryer Augustyne,And ffryer IncubyneAnd ffryer Succubine,Fryer CarmelyteAnd ffryer Hermelite,Fryer MynoriteAnd ffryer Ipocrite,Frier ffranciscaneAnd ffrier Damiane,Frier PrecherAnd ffrier Lecher,Frier CrusiferAnd ffrier Lusifer,Frier PurciferAnd ffrierFurcifer,Frier FerdiferAnd ffrierMerdifer,Fryer SachelerAnd ffryer Bacheler,Fryer CloystererAnd ffrier Floysterer,FrierPallaxAnd ffrierFallax,FrierFugaxAnd ffrierNugax,FrierRapaxAnd ffrierCapax,FrierLendaxAnd ffrierMendax,FrierVoraxAnd ffrierNycticorax,[611]FryerJapax,Frier FurdererAnd ffrier Murderer,Frier TottifaceAnd ffrier Sottiface,Frier PottifaceAnd frier Pockyface,Frier TrottapaceAnd ffrier Topiace,Frier FuttonAnd ffrier Glotton,Frier GaliardAnd ffrier Paliard,Frier GoliardAnd ffrier Foliard,Frier GoddardAnd ffrier Foddard,Frier BallardAnd ffrier Skallard,Frier CrowsyAnd ffrier Lowsy,Frier SlobollAnd ffrier Bloboll,Frier ToddypollAnd ffrier Noddypoll,Frier fflapholeAnd ffrier Claphole,Frier KispottAnd ffrier Pispott,Frier ChipchopAnd ffrier Likpott,Frier ClattererAnd 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-heFound by the Trinytye,And frier Fandigo,With an hundred moCould 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 sweatDo but drinke and eate,And murther meat and meat,Ut fures et latrones!Ye beincubiones,[617]But nospadones,Ye haue yourculiones;Ye behistriones,Beastelybalatrones,[618]Grandes thrasones,[619]Magni nebulones,Andcacodæmones,[620]That [eat] vs fleshe and bonesWith teeth more harde then stones;Youe make hevy mones,As it were for the nones,With great and grevous grones,By sightes and by sobbesTo blinde vs with bobbes;Oh ye false faytours,Youe theves be and tratours,The devils dayly wayters!Oh mesell Mendicantes,And mangy Obseruauntes,Ye bevagarantes!As perserspenitrantes,Of mischefministrantes,[621]In pillingepostulantes,In preachingepetulantes,Of manysycophantes,[622]That gather, as do antes,In places wher ye go,Within principioRunnynge to and ffro,Ye cause mikle wooWith hie and with loo;Wher youe do resorte,Ye fayne and make reporteOf that youe never harde,To make foles aferdeWith visions and dremes,[623]Howe they do in hevens,And in other remesBeyonde the great stremesOf 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 cryVnto youe, holy lyars,And false fflatteringe ffriers,ForDirigeand masses;Wherwith, like very asses,We maynteyn youe and your lasses;But in especiallYe say, the sowles callFor the great trentall;For some sely sowlesSo depe ly in holesOf ffier and brennyng coles,That top and tayle is hid;For whom to pray and bidThens to haue them rid,Ye thinke it but a foly;Althoughe the masse be holy,The fendes be wyly;Till masse ofscala cœli,[624]At Bathe or at Ely,Be by a ffrier saideThat is a virgine mayde,These sowles may not away,As all yow ffriers say;So trowe I without doubteThese sowles shall never out;For it israra avis,Ye be so many knaves;I swere by crosses ten,That fewe be honest men;So many of youe beFull of skurrilite,That throughly to be soughtThe multitude is noughte:Ye be nothinge denty;Ye come among vs plentyBy 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 delighteIn 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 patesMock vs with your iapes:Ye holy caterpillers,Ye helpe your wellwillersWith prayers and psalmes,To devoure the almesThat Christians should giveTo meynteyne and releveThe 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 beYour sede to multiply,But yf yow beincubi,[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 callFathers seraphicallAnd 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 girteVnder the devils skyrte;ForpaterPriapus,Andfrater Polpatus,Withdoctor Dulpatus,Suffultus fullatus,[627]Pappus paralyticus,[628]Andpastor 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 rableAt bourd and at tableShall 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 totingeWher they may haue shotingeTher and here ageyne:Thus the people seyne,[630]With wordes true and playne,Howe they jest and iollWith 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 togetherVnto their denne for ever,Wher hens as they neverHereafter shall dissever,But dy eternally,That lyve so carnally;For that wilbe ther ende,But yf God them sendeHis grace here to amend:And thus I make an ende.

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,

Andparumlitterates,

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,

Withesalve, stella cœli,[607]

And therde profundis;

They lye withimmundis,

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,

WithCistercyences,

Grandimontences,

Camaldulences,

Premonstratences,

Theutonycences,

Clarrivallences,

AndEasiliences:

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,

Serviand 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,

Minimiand 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 ffrierFurcifer,

Frier Ferdifer

And ffrierMerdifer,

Fryer Sacheler

And ffryer Bacheler,

Fryer Cloysterer

And ffrier Floysterer,

FrierPallax

And ffrierFallax,

FrierFugax

And ffrierNugax,

FrierRapax

And ffrierCapax,

FrierLendax

And ffrierMendax,

FrierVorax

And ffrierNycticorax,[611]

FryerJapax,

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 beincubiones,[617]

But nospadones,

Ye haue yourculiones;

Ye behistriones,

Beastelybalatrones,[618]

Grandes thrasones,[619]

Magni nebulones,

Andcacodæmones,[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 bevagarantes!

As perserspenitrantes,

Of mischefministrantes,[621]

In pillingepostulantes,

In preachingepetulantes,

Of manysycophantes,[622]

That gather, as do antes,

In places wher ye go,

Within 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,

ForDirigeand 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 ofscala 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 israra 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 beincubi,[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;

ForpaterPriapus,

Andfrater Polpatus,

Withdoctor Dulpatus,

Suffultus fullatus,[627]

Pappus paralyticus,[628]

Andpastor 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.

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