The prologue  

They mow by law/ as they say  
Us curse and damn to hell brink  
Thus they putten us to pain  
With candles quaint and bells clynke   

¶ They make us thralls at her lust  
And sayne we mow not else be saved  
They have the corn/ and we the dust  
Who speaketh there again they say he raved  
¶ What man/ ꝙ our host/ canst thou preach  
Come near and tell us some holy thing  
¶ Sir/ quod he/ I heard ones teach  
A priest in pulpit a good preaching   

¶ Say/ on quod our host/ I the beseech  
Sir I am ready at your bidding  
I pray you that no man me reproach  
While that I am my tale telling.  
Thus endeth the prologue/ and here followeth the first part of this present work.   

ASterne strife is stired new 
Narratio.   
In many steeds in a stound,  
Of sundry sides that be sew  
It seemeth that some been unsound:  
For some be great grown ungrounde  
Some been souble/ simple and small,  
Whether of hem is falser found  
The falser foul might him befall.   

¶ That one side is/ that I of tell.  
Pope's/ cardinals/ and prelate's  
Parson's/ monks/ and Freres fell  
priors/ abbots of great estates  
Of heaven and hell they keep the yates  
And Peter's successors they been all  
This is deemed by old dates  
But falsehood foul might it be fall    

The first part  

¶ The other side been poor and pale  
And people put out of press  
And seem caytyffes sore a cale  
And ever in one without increase  
I clepeth lollers and londlese  
Who toteth on 'em they been untall  
They been arrayed all for the peace  
But falsehood foul might it befall   

¶ Many a country have a sought  
To know the falser of these two  
But ever my travail was for nought  
All so far as I have go  
But as I wandered in a wro  
In a wood beside a wall  
Two fowls saw I sit though  
The falser foul might him befall   

¶ That one died plead on the Pope's side  

griffon.  A Gry●●on of a grim stature  
A pelican withouten pride  
To these lollers laid his lure  
He mused his matter in measure  
To counsel Christ ever 'gan he call  
The Gry●●on showed as sharp as fire  
But falsehood foul might it be fall   


Pellycan  ¶ The Pellycan began to preach  
Both of mercy and of meekness  
And said/ that Christ so 'gan us teach  
And meek and merciable 'gan bless  
The evangely beareth witness  

Ecce agnus d●i.  A lamb he likeneth Christ over all  
In tokening that he meekest was  
Sith pride was out of heaven fall   


Ex●mplum dedi vobis.  ¶ And so should every Christened be  
Preestes/ Peter'S successors  
Beth lowlyche and of low degree  

Qui maior est vestrum.  And usen none earthly honours  
Neither crown/ ne curious covertours  
Ne pylloure/ ne other proud pall 
Nolite the saurizare.   
Ne nought to cofrens up great treasures  
For falsehood foul might it befall   

¶ Preestes should for no cattles plead 

Qui volverit tecum contendere in judicio. etc.  
Cum voca●● fueris ad nupcias recumbe in novi. ●●mo loco. etc.  
Qui see ex●lta● humiliabitur.    
But chasten 'em in charity  
Ne to no battle should men lead  
For enhancing or her own degree  
Nat wylne sitings in high see  
Ne sovereignty in house ne hall  
All worldly worship defy and flee  
For who so willeth highness foul shall fall   

¶ Alas who may such saints call 

R●ges gentium 〈◊〉 tu● co●m●neque domināt●s in cle●.  
Nisi ha●ui● d●uerit 〈◊〉 tia vestra plusquam scribarum et phari scorum.    
That willeth weld earthly honour  
As low as Lucifere such shall fall  
In baleful blackness buylden her bower  
That eggeth the people to error  
And maketh them to hem thrall  
To Christ I hold such one traitor  
As low as Lucifere such one shall ●all   

¶ That willeth to be kings peers 
Non in e●s bellicosis.   
And higher than the Emperor  
Some that were but poor Freres  
Now woollen wax a warrior  
God is not her governor  
That holdeth no man his permagall  
While covetise is her counsellor  
All such falsehood mote need fall   

¶ That high on horse willeth ride  
In glytterande gold of great array  
I painted and portrayed all in pride  
No comen knight may go so gay  
Change of clothing every day  
With golden girdles great and small  
As boistous as is bear at bay  
All such falsehood moat need fall   

¶ With pride ponysshed the poor  


Ue pastoribus Israel/ q pascebant se metipsos.  
Ezech. xxxiiii   And some they sustain with sale  
Of holy church maketh an hore  
And filleth her womb with wine and ale  
With money fyll●th many a male  
And chaffren churches when they fall  
And telleth the people a lewd tale  
Such false faitors foul hem fall   



In cithara & lyra et tipanum ●t tibia/ et vinum in conviviis vestris: et opus domini non respici●/ nec opera manuum eius consideratis.  
isaiah. v.   ¶ With change of many manner meats  
With song and solace sitting long  
And filleth her womb/ and fast fretes  
And from the meet to the gonge  
And after meet with harp and song  
And each man moat hem lords call  
And hot spices ever among  
Such false fayto●rs foul hem fall   

¶ And miters more than one or two  
I perled as the queens head  
A staff of gold/ and perry lo  
As heny as it were made of led  
With cloth of gold both new and red  
With glytterande gold as green as gall  
By doom will damn men to dead  
All such faitors foul hem fall   

¶ And Christ's people proudly curse  
With broad books/ and braying bell  
To put pennies in her purse  
They will sell both heaven and hell  
And in her sentence and thou wilt dwell  
They wyllen guess in her gay hall  
And though the sooth thou of 'em tell  
In great cursing shalt thou fall   

¶ That is blessed/ that they bless  
And cursed that they curse will  
And thus the people they oppress  
And have their lordships at full  
And many be merchants of wool  
And to purse pennies will come thrall  
The poor people they all to pull  
Such false faitors foul hem fall   

¶ lords mote to hem lout  
obeissant to her broad blessing  
They riden with her royal rout  
On a courser/ as it were a king  
With saddyll of gold glittering  
With curious harness quayntly crallyt  
Styroppes gay of gold mastling  
All such falsehood foul befall it   

¶ Christ's ministers clepe they been  
And rulen all in robbery  
But An●ichrist they serven clean  
Attired all in tyranny  
witness of johens prophecy  
That Antichrist is her admiral  
Tyffelers attired in treachery  
All such faitors foul hem fall   

¶ Who saith that some of hem may sin  
He shallbe done to be deed 
In vestimen 'tis ovium in trin s●●us aut●m sunt lupi rapaces.   
Some of 'em will gladly win  
A●l against that/ which god forbid  
All holiest they clepe her heed  
That of her rule is regal  
Alas that ever they eaten breed  
For all such falsehood will foul fall   

¶ Her heed loveth all honour  
And to be worshipped in word and deed  
Kings moat to hem kneel and coure  
To the apostles/ that Christ forbid  
To Pope's hests such taketh more heed 
Extollens se super omne/ quod dicitur deus.   
Than to keep Christ's commandment  
Of gold and silver mote been her weed  
They holdeth him hole omnipotent   

¶ He ordaineth by his ordinance  
To parish priests a power  
To another a greater advance  
A greater point to his mysteres  
But for he is highest in earth here  
To him reserveth he many a point  
But to Christ that hath no peer  
Reserveth he neither open ne joint   

¶ So seemeth he above all  
And Christ above him nothing  
When he sitteth in his stall  
damneth and saveth as him think  
Such pride tofore god doth stink  
An Angel bad Iohn to him not kneel  
But only to god do his bowing  
Such willers of worship must need evil feel   


Sctuns' deus sanctus fortis.  ¶ They ne clepe Christ/ but Sctuns' deus  
And clepe her heed/ Sanctissimus  
They that such a sect sewys  
I trow they taken 'em amiss  
In earth here they have her bliss  
Her high master is Bellyall  
Christ's people from 'em wysse  
For all such false will foul fall   

¶ They mow both bind and lose  
And all is for her holy life  

Omne regnum in se d●uisum desolabitu●.  To save or damn they mow chose  
Between 'em now is great strife  
Many a man is killed with a knife  
To weet which of him have lordship shall  
For such Christ suffered wounds five  
For all such falsehood will foul fall   


Nolite time ●e eos/ qui occidunt corpus estote prudentes.  ¶ Christ said/ Qui gladio percutit  
With sword he shall die  
He bade his priests peace and gryth  
And bade 'em not dread for to die  
And bade 'em be both simple and sly  
And cark not for no cattle 
Sicut serpentes et simpli●es sicut columbe.   
But trusteth on god that sytteh on high  
For all ●alse shall ●oule fall   

¶ These woollen make men to swear  
Against Christ's commandment  
And Christ's members all to tear 
U● qui conducunt leges in iquas ut oprimant pauperes in judicio.   
On Rood/ as he were new rent  
Such laws they maken by comen assent  
Echone it choweth as a ball  
Thus the poor be fully shent  
But ever falsehood foul it fall   

¶ They vsyn no Simony  
But sellen churches and priories  
Ne they usen no Envy  
But cursen all hem contraries  
And hyereth men by days and years  
With strength to hold 'em in her stall  
And culleth all her adversaries  
Therefore falsehood ●oule thou fall   

¶ With purse they purchase parsonage  
With purse they paynen 'em to plead  
And men of war they will wage  
To bring her enemies to the deed  
And lords lives they will lead  
And moche take and give but small  
But he it so get/ ●rom it shall shed  
And make such false right foul fall   

¶ They hallow nothing but for hyr●  
Church/ ●ont/ ne vestement  
And make orders in every shire  
But priests pay ●or the parchment  
O● ria●ours they taken rend  
Therewith they smear the sheeps scale  
For many churches been oft suspent  
All such falsehood yet foul it fall   

¶ Some liveth not in lechery  
But haunten wenches/ widows/ & wives  
And punisheth the poor for putry  
Themself it useth all her lives  
And but a man to them shreeves  
To heaven come never he shall  
He shallbe cursed as be caitiffs  
To hell they say that he shall fall   

There was more mercy in Maximyen  
And in Nero/ that never was good  
Than is now in some of them  
When he hath on his furred hood  
They follow Christ that shed his blood  
To heaven/ as buckette in to the wall  
Such wretches been worse than wood  
And all such ●aytours foul hem fall   

¶ They give her alms to the rich  
To mayn●●ynours/ and to men of law  
For to lords they will be like  
An harlots son not worth an haw  


Corruit in platea veritas.  
I●aie. lix.   soothfastness such han slawe  
They comb her crokettes with crystal  
And dread of god they have down draw  
All such faitors foul hem fall   

¶ They maken parsons for the penny  
And canons of her cardinals  
Unnethes amongst 'em all any  
That he ne hath glossed the gospel falls  
For Christ made never no cathedrals  
Ne with him was no cardinal  
With a Red hat as vsyn mynstrals  
But falsehood foul might it befall   


Charitas non querit q sua sunt.  ¶ Their tithing/ and her offering both  
They clemeth it by possession  
Thereon nill they non forego  
But robben men as ransom  
The tithing of Turpe lucrum  
With these masters is meynall  
Tithing of bribry/ and larson  
Will make falsehood full foul to fall   

¶ They taken to farm her sompnours  
To harm the people what they may  
To pardoners/ and false faitors  
Sell her seals I dare well say  
And all to holden great array  
To multiply 'em more metal  
They dread full little domes day  
When all such shall foul fall   

¶ Such harlots shall men disclander  
For they shullen make her gree  
And been as proud as alexander 
Ue homini illi per quem scandalum venit.   
And say to the poor/ woe be ye  
By year each priest shall pay his ●ee  
To increase his lemans call  
Such heerdes shall well evil the  
And all such false shall foul fall   

¶ And if a man be falsely famed  
And would make purgacioun  
Than will the officers be agramed  
And assign him fro town to town  
So need he must pay ransom  
Though he be clean/ as is crystal  
And than have an absolution  
But all such false shall foul fall   

¶ Though he be guilty of the deed  
And that he may money pay  
All the while his purse will bleed  
He may use it fro day to day  
These bishops officers gone full gay  
And this game they usen over all  
The poor to pill is all their prey  
All such false shall foul fall   

¶ Alas/ god ordained never such law  
Ne no such craft of covetise  
He forbade it by his saw  
Such governors mown of god agrise  
For all his rules is rightwise  
These new points been pure papal  
And god's law they dispyce  
And all such fayt●urs shall foul fall   

¶ They say that Peter had the key  
Of heaven and hell/ to have and hol●e  
I trow Peter took no money  
For no sins that he sold  
Such successors been to bold  
In winning all their wit they wrall  
Her conscience is waxed cold  
And all such faitors ●oule hem fall   

¶ Peter was never so great a fool  
To leave his key with such a lorell  
Or to take such cursed such a toll  
He was advised nothing well  
I trow they have the key of hell  
Their master is of that place marshal  
For there they dressen 'em to dwell  
And with false Lucifere there to fall   

¶ They been as proud as Lucifarre  
As angry/ and as envious  
From good faith they been full far  
In covetise they been curious  
To catch cattle as covetous  
As hound/ that for hunger will yell  
Ungoodly/ and ungracious  
And needly such falsehood shall foul fall   

¶ The pope and he were Peter's hey●e  
Me think he erreth in this case  
When choice of bishops is in despair  
To chosen hem in divers place  
A lord shall write to him for grace  
For his clerk anon pray he shall  
So shall he speed his purchase  
And all such false foul hem fall   

¶ Though he can no more good  
A lords prayer shallbe sped  
Though ●e ●e wild o● will or wood  
Nat understanding what men han red  
A lewd boster/ and that god ●orbede  
As good a bishop is my horse ball  
Such a Pope is ●oule be stead  
And a● la●t will ●oule ●all   

¶ He maketh bishops for earthly thank  
And nothing ●or Christ's sake  
Such that ●en full fat and rank  
To soul heal none heed they take  
All is well done what ever they make  
For they shall answer at ones for all  
For worlds thank/ such worch and wake  
And all such ●alse shall ●oule fall   

¶ Such that can not her Crede  
With prayer shall be made prelate's  
Nouther can the gospel read  
Such sh●ll now weld high estates  
The high goods friendship 'em makes  
They toteth on her some total  
such bear the keys of hell yates  
And all such false shall foul fall   

¶ They forsake for Christ's love  
travail/ hungres/ thirst/ and cold  
For they been ordered ever all above  
Out of youth till they been old  
By the door they go/ not in to the fold  
To help their sheep they nought travall  
Hired men all such I hold  
And all such false foul hem fall   

For Christ her king they will forsake  
And know him nought for his poverty  
For Christ's love they will wake  
And drink pyement ale apart  
Of god they seem nothing a feared  
As lusty liveth/ as died Lamuall  
And driven her sheep in to desert  
All such faitors shall foul fall   

Christ had xii apostles here  
Now say they/ there may be but one  
That may not err in no manner  
Who leaveth not this been lost eachone  
Peter erred/ so died not Iohn  
Why is he cleped the principal?  
Christ cleped him Peter/ but himself the stone  
All false faitors foul hem fall   

¶ Why cursen they the croysery  
Christ's christian creatures  
For between hem is now envy  
To be enhanced in honours  
And christian livers with her labours  
For they lived on no man mortal  
But do to death with dishonours  
And all such false foul hem fall   

¶ What knoweth a tyllour at the plough  
The pope's name/ and what he hate  
His creed sufficeth to him enough  
And knoweth a cardinal by his hat  
Rough is the poor unrightly let  
That knoweth Christ his god royal  
Such matters be not worth a gnat  
But such false faitors foul hem fall   

¶ A king shall kneel and kiss his show  
Christ suffered a sinful to kiss his feet  
Me thinketh he holdeth him high enough  
So Lucifer did/ that high set  
Such one me thinketh himself forget  
Either to the troth he was not call  
Christ that suffered wounds wet  
Shall make such falsehood foul fall   

¶ They layeth out her large nets  
For to take silver and gold  
Fyllen coffers/ and sacks fettes  
There as they souls catch should  
Her servants be to them unholde  
But they can doublyn their rental  
To big 'em castles/ and big 'em hold  
And all such false foul hem fall   
¶ Here ●ndeth the first part of this boke● and hereafter followeth the second part   


TO accord with this word fall  
No more english can I find 
Qui non est mecum/ ●on●ra me est.   
Show another now I shall  
For I have moche to say behind  
How priests han the people pinned  
As courteous Christ hath me kende  
And put this matter in my mind  
To make this manner men amend   

¶ Shortly to shend him/ and show now  
Now wrongfully they work and walk 
Qui non est &c.   
O high god/ nothing they tell/ ne how  
But in god's word/ telleth many a baulk  
In hernes hold 'em and in halke  
And prechyn of tithes and offrende  
And untruly of the gospel talk  
For his mercy god it amend   

¶ What is Antichrist to say  
But even Christ's adversary  
Such hath now been many a day  
To Christ's bidding full contrary  
That from the truth clean vary  
Out of the way they been wend  
And Christ's people untruly carry  
God for his pity it amende●   

¶ That liven contrary to Christ's life  
In high pride against meekness  
Against sufferance they usen strife  
And anger against soberness  
Against wisdom wilfulness  
To Christ's tales little tend  
Against measure outragyousnesse  
But when god will it may amend   

¶ Lordly life against lowliness  
And demyn all without mercy  
And covetise against largesse  
Against truth treachery  
And against alms envy  
Against Christ they comprehend  
●or chastity they maintain lechery  
God for his grace this amend   

¶ Against penance they use delights  
Against sustraunce strong defence  
Against god they usen evil rights  
Against pity punishments  
Open evil against continence  
Her wicked winning worse dispend  
soberness they set in to dispense  
But god for his goodness it amend   

¶ Why cleymen they holy his power  
And wranglen against all his hests  
His living followen they nothing here  
But liven worse than witless beasts  
Of fish and flesh they loven feasts  
As lords they been broad ykende  
Of gods poor they haten gests  
God for his mercy this amend   

¶ With divers such shall have her doom  
That sayne that they be Christ's friends  
And do nothing as they should done  
All such been falser than been fiends  
On the people they lay such bends  
As god is in earth they han offend  
Succour for such Christ now send us  
And for his mercy this amend   

¶ A token of Antichrist they be  
His careckes been now wide yknowe  
received to preach shall no man be  
Without token of him I trow  
Each christian priest/ to prechyn own  
From god above they been send.  
God's word/ to all folk for to show  
Sinful man for to amend   

¶ Christ scent the poor for to preach  
The royal rich he did not so  
Now dare no poor the people teach  
For Antichrist is over all her foe  
Among the people he moat go  
He hath bidden/ all such suspend  
Some hath he hent/ & thinketh yet more  
But all this god may well amend   

¶ All though that han the world forsake  
And liven loly/ as god bad  
In to her prison shullen be take  
Betyn and bounden/ and forth lad  
Hereof I read no man be dread  
Christ said/ his should be shend  
Each man ought hereof be glad  
For god full well it will amend   

¶ They take on 'em royal power  
And say they have swords two 
Ecce gladi● duo hic   
One curse to hell/ one slay men here  
For at his taking Christ had no more  
Yet Peter had one of though  
But christ/ to Peter smite 'gan defend  
And in to the sheath bad put it tho  
And all such mischiefs god amend   


Uos qui spirituales estis instinct alios in spun lenitatis ●uscitabo pastor● stuitum/ q disꝑsa non coliget. Sed oves pingues co●e●●●● & habebit gladi● in brac●●io dextro/ & glad●um 〈…〉.  ¶ Christ bad Peter keep his sheep  
And with his sword forbade him smite  
Sword is no toll with sheep to keep  
But to shepherds that sheep will bite  
Me thinketh such shepherds been to wite  
Again her sheep with sword that contend  
They drive her sheep with great despite  
But all this god may well amend   

¶ So successors to Peter be they nought  
Whom Christ made chief pastor  
A sword no shepherd usen aught  
But he would ●lee/ as a bochoure  
For who so were Peter's successor  
Should bear his sheep till his back bend  
And shadow 'em from every shower  
And all this god may well amend   


La● comedebatis & lanis cooper ●●amini/ & quod pingu●●rat occioistis.  ¶ Successors to Peter been these  
In that that Peter Christ forsook  
That had liefer the love of god lose  
Than a shepherd had to lose his hook  
He culleth the sheep as doth the coke  
Of hem taken the will untrende  
And falsely gloze the gospel book  
God for his mercy them amend   

¶ After Christ had take Peter the key  
Christ said/ he must die for man  
That Peter to Christ 'gan withsay  

●un● dixit jesus discipulis sui●●r oportet 〈…〉  Christ bad him go behind Satan  
Such counsellors many of these men han  
For worlds we'll/ god to offend  
Peter's successors they been for than  
But all such god may well amend   

¶ For Satan is to say no more 
ierosolimam & multa pati. R●dit petrus. Nequaquam erit tibi hoc jesus dixit petro: Uade post me sathanas.   
But he that contrary to Christ is  
In this they learn Peter's lore  
They sewen him when he did miss  
They follow Peter forsooth in this  
In all that Christ would Peter reprehend  
But not in that that longeth to heaven bliss  
God for his mercy hem amend   

¶ Some of the apostles they sewen in case  
Of aught that I can understand 
Fur ●rat/ & loculos habebat et ea que mitteqantur portabat.   
Him that betrayed Christ/ judas  
That bore the purse in every land  
And all that he might set on hand  
He hid and stolen/ and mispend  
His rule these traitors han in hand  
Almighty god hem amend   

¶ And at last his lord 'gan tray  
Cursedly through his false covetise 
Ut dolo cape rend et occide rend   
So would these/ trayen him for money  
And they wisten in what wise  
They be sicker of the self ensyse  
From all soothness they been friend  
And covetise changen with quaintise  
Almighty god all such amend   

¶ Were Christ on earth here eft soon  
These would damn him to die  
All his hests they han fordone  
And sayne his saws been heresy  
And against his commandments they cry  
And dampne all his to be brende  
For it liketh not hem such losengery  
God almighty hem amend   

¶ These han more might in England heat  
Than hath the king and all his law  
They han purchased 'em such power  
To taken hem whom list not gnaw  
And say that heresy is her saw  
And so to prison will 'em send  
It was not so by elder daw  
God for his mercy it amend   

¶ The kings law will no man dame  
Angerlyche withouten answer  

Lex nominem ●udicat/ Nisi prius audi ●rit a● eo qui dixit.  But if any man these mysqueme  
He shallbe ●eted as a bear  
And yet well worse they will him tear  
And in prison will hem pend  
In gives/ and in other gear  
When god will/ it may mend   

¶ The king taxeth not his men  
But by a●●en●e of the commonalty  
But these each year will ransom 'em  
Maisterfully/ more than doth he  
Her seals by year better be  
Than is the kings in extend  
Her officers han greater fee  
But this mischief god amend   

¶ For who so will prove a testament  
That is not all worth ten pound  
He shall pay for the parchment  
They third part of the money all round  
Thus the people is raunsounde  
They say such part to hem should apende  
There as they grypen it goeth to ground  
God for his mercy it amend   

¶ A simple fornycacioun  
Twenty shillings he shall pay  
And than have an absolution  
And all the year usen it forth he may  
Thus they let 'em go a stray  
They reck not though the soul be brende  
These kepyn evil Peter's key  
And all such shepherd's god amend   

¶ Wonder is/ that the parliament 
Cum filii ●ely poluerunt domini sacrificium. etc.   
And all the lords of this land  
Herto taken so little intent  
To help the people out of her hand  
For they been harder in their bond  
Worse beat/ and bitter brende  
Than to the king is understand  
God him help this to amend   

¶ What bishops/ what religions 
Paulus inimi cos crucisxpi quorum finis interitus qui terrena sapiunt. etc.   
Han in this land as moche lay fee  
lordships/ and possessions  
More than the lords/ it seemeth me  
That maketh 'em lose charity  
They mow not to god attend  
In earth they have so high degree  
God for his mercy it amend   

¶ The Emperor gave the pope sometime  
So high lordship him about  
That at last the silly kyme  
The proud Pope put him out  
So of this realm is in doubt  
But lords be ware and them defend 
Reges gentium dūantu● corum.   
For now these folk● be wonder stout  
The king and lords now this amend.   
Thus endeth the second part of this book/ and hereafter followeth the third   


Moyses' law forbade it tho 
Non hab●●āt hereditatem sacerdotes et levite inter fratres corum ego aut●m pars & hereditas ●o●um. etc.   
That priests should no lordships weld  
Christ's gospel biddeth also  
That they should no lordship held  
Ne Christ's apostles were never so bold  
No such lordships to them embrace  
But smerens her sheep and keep her fold  
God amend 'em for his grace   



Ne● qu●●qu● cor●●n 〈◊〉 possideba● aliquid su●i esse dicebat.  
Ex fructibus ●o● cognose● ti●●os. etc.  
Homo cum in honore esset non intelle●it. etc.   For they ne been but countrefete  
Men may know 'em by her fruit  
Her greatness maketh 'em god forget  
And take his meekness in despite  
And they were poor and had but light  
They nold not deemen after the face  
But nourish her sheep/ and him not bite  
God amend 'em for his grace   


griffon.  ¶ What canst thou preach against canons  
That men clepe seculere?  

Pelycan  They been curates of many towns  
On earth they have great power  
They han great prebends and dear  
Some two or three/ and some more  
A parsonage to been a playing fere  
And yet they serve the king also   

¶ And let to farm all that far  
To whom that will most give therefore  
Some will spend/ and some will spare  
And some will lay ●t up in store  
A cure or soul they care not fore  
So they mow money take  
Whether her souls be ●onne or lore  
Her profits they will not forsake   

¶ They have a gedering procurator  
That can the poor people enplede  
And robben hem as a ravynour  
And to his lord the money lead  
And catch of quick and eke of deed  
And richen him and his lord eke  
And to rob the poor can give good rede  
Of old and young/ of hole and sick   

¶ Therewith they purchase 'em lay ●ee  
In land/ there him liketh best  
And build also broad as a city  
Both in the Est/ and eke in the west  
To purchase thus they been full priest  
But on the poor they will nought spend  
Ne no good give to god's gest  
Ne send him some that all hath send   

¶ By her service such will live  
And truss that other in to treasure  
Though all her parish die unshrive  
They will not give a rose flower  
Her life should be as a mirror  
Both to lered and to lewd also  
And teach the people her lele labour  
Such mister men been all mysgo   

¶ Some of 'em been hard nygges  
And some of 'em been proud and gay  
Some spend her good upon gygges  
And fynden hem of great array  
Alas/ what think these men to say  
That thus dispenden God's good  
At the dreadful domes day  
Such wretch's shallbe worse than wood   

¶ Some her churches never ne sye  
Ne never o penny thither ne send  
Though the poor parishians for hungres die  
O penny on hem will they not spend  
Have they receiving of the rent  
They reck never of the remanant  
Alas the devil hath clean hem blen●  
Suehe one is Sathanas soiournant   

¶ And usen whoredom and harlotry  
covetise/ pomp/ and pride  
sloth/ wrath/ and eke envy  
And sewen sin by every side  
Alas/ where think such tabyde  
How will they accounts yield  
From high god they mow 'em not hide  
Such willer's wit is not worth a nelde   

¶ They been so rooted in richesses  
That Christ's poverty is foryet  
Served with so many mess  
Hempskirk thinketh that Manna is no meet  
All is good that they mow get  
They ween to live evermore  
But when god at doom is set  
Such treasure is a feeble store   

¶ Unneth mote they matins say  
For counting and for court holding  
And yet he ●angleth as a jay  
And understont himself nothing  
He will serve both earl and king  
For his finding and his fee  
And hide his tithing and his offering  
This is a feeble charity   

¶ either they been proud/ or covetous  
Or they been hard/ or hungry  
Or they been liberal or lecherous  
Or else meddlers with marchandry  
Or maintainers of men with mastery  
Or stewards/ coun●ours/ or pledours  
And serve god in hypocrisy  
Such priests been Christ's false traitors   

¶ They been false/ they been vengeable  
And beguilen men in Christ's name  
They been unsteadfast and unstable  
To tray her lord/ him thinketh no shame  
To serve god they been full lame  
Gods thieves/ and falsely steel  
And falsely goddess word defame  
In winning is her worlds we'll   

¶ Antichrist these serven all  
I pray the who may say nay?  
With Antichrist such shall fall  
They followen him in deed and faith  
They serven him in rich array  
To serve Christ such falsely fain  
Why/ at the dreadful domes day  
shul they not follow him to pain?   

¶ That known hem self that they done ill  
Against Christ's commandment  
And amend 'em never ne will  
But serve Satan by one assent  
Who saith sooth he shallbe shent  
Or speaketh against her false living  
Who so well liveth shallbe brent  
For such been greater than the king   

¶ Pope/ bishops/ and cardyvals  
Canons/ persons/ and vycayre  
In god's service I trow been false  
That sacraments sellen here  
And been as proud as Lucifere  
Each man look whether that I lie  
Who so speaketh against her power  
It shall be holden heresy   

Look how many orders take  
Only of Christ/ for his service  
That the worlds goods forsake  
Who so taketh orders/ or other wise  
I trow that they shall sore agrise  
For all the gloze that they con  
All sewen not this assize  
In evil time they thus begun   

Look how many among 'em all  
Holden not this high way  
With Antichrist they shullen fall  
For they wolden god betray  
God amend 'em that best may  
For many men they maken shend  
They weten well the sooth I say  
But the devil hath foul hem blend   

¶ Some on her churches dwell  
Appayrelled poorly/ proud of port  
The six sacraments they done sell  
In cattle catching is her comfort  
Of each matter they woollen mell  
And done 'em wrong is her dispor●e  
To affray the people they been fell  
And hold 'em lower than doth the lord   

¶ For the tithing of a duke  
Or of an apple/ or an aye  
They make men swear upon a ●oke  
Thus they foulyn Christ's faith  
Such bearen evil heaven key  
They mown assoil/ they mow shrive  
With men's wives strongly play  
With tr●we tillers sturte and strive   

¶ At the wrestling/ and at the wake  
And chief chauntours at the nail  
Market beters/ and meddling make  
Hoppen and houten with have and hale  
At fair fresh/ and at wine stolen  
Dyn● and drink/ and make debate  
The six sacraments set at sail  
How keep such they keys of heaven gate?   

¶ men's wives they woollen hold  
And though that they been right sorry  
To speak they shall not be so bold  
For sompning to the consistory  
And make 'em say mouth I lie  
Though they it saw with her eye  
His leman holden openly  
No man so hardy to axe why   

¶ He will have tithing & offering  
maugre who so ever it gruche  
And twice on the day he will sing  
Gods priests near none such  
He mote on hunting with dog and bitch  
And blown his horn/ and cryen hay  
And sorcery usen as a witch  
Such kepyn evil Peter's key   

¶ Y●t they moat have some stock or stone  
gaily painted/ and proudly dight  
To maken men lived upon  
And say that it is full of might  
About such/ men set up great light  
Other such stocks shall stand thereby  
As dark as it were midnight  
For it may make no mastery   

¶ That it lewd people see mow  
Thou Marry/ thou worchest wonder things  
About that/ that men offryn to now  
●ongen broochs/ ouches/ and rings  
The pre●st purchaseth the offerings  
But he nill offer to none image  
Woe is the soul that he for sings  
That preacheth for such a pilgrimage   

¶ To men and women that been poor  
That been Christ's own likeness  
Men shoulden offer at her door  
That su●●ryn hungres and distress  
And to such images offer less  
That mow not feel thirst ne cold  
The poor in spirit 'gan Christ bless  
Therefore offereth to feeble and old   

¶ bucklers broad/ and swords long  
Baudrike/ with ba●clardes keen  
Such tolls about her neck they hang  
With Antichrist such priests been  
Upon her deeds it is well seen  
Whom they serven/ whom they honoren  
Antichristes' they been clean  
And God's goods falsely devouren   

¶ Of scarlet and green gay gowns  
That moat be shape for the new  
To clyppen and kyssen counten in towns  
The damosels that to the dawce sew  
Cutted clothes to sew her hew  
With long pikes on her shone  
Our god's gospel is not true  
Either they serven the devil or none   

¶ Now been priests pokes so wide  
That men must enlarge the vestment  
The holy gospel they done hide  
For they contraryen in raiment  
Such priests of Lucifere been sent  
Like conquerors they been arrayed  
The proud pendants at her arse ypent  
Falsely the truth they han betrayed   

¶ shrift silver such woollen ask is  
And will men creep to the crouch  
None of the sacraments save asks  
Without meed shall no man touch  
On her bishop their warrant vouch  
That is law of the decree  
With meed and money thus they mouche  
And thus they sayne is charity   

¶ In the mids of her mass  
They nill have no man but for hire  
And full shortly let forth pass  
Such shall men find in each shire  
That personages for profit desire  
To live in liking and in lusts  
I dare not sayne/ Sans ose ieo dire  
That such been Antichristes' priests   

¶ Or they yef the bishops why  
Or they moat been in his service  
And holden forth her harlotry  
Such prelate's been of feeble emprise  
Of God's grame such men agrise  
For such matters that taken meed  
How they excuse 'em/ and in what wise  
Me thinketh they ought greatly dread   

¶ They sayne/ that it to no man longeth  
To reprove them though they err  
But falsely God's goddess they fongeth  
And therewith maintain woe and were  
Her deeds should be as bright as star  
Her living/ lewd man's light  
They say the pope may not err  
Need must that pass man's might   

¶ Though a priest lie with his leman all night  
And tell his fellow/ and he him  
He goth to mass anon right  
And saith he singeth out of sin  
His bird abideth him at his inn  
And dighteth his dinner the mean while  
He singeth his mass for he would win  
And so he weeneth god beguile   

¶ Him thinketh long till they be met  
And that they usen forth all the year  
Among the folk when he is set  
He holdeth no man half his peer  
Of the bishop he hath power  
To soil men/ or else they been lore  
His absolution may make them skere  
And woe is the soul that he singeth fore   

¶ The griffon began for to threat 
griffon.   
And said/ of monks canst thou ought  
The Pellycane said/ they been full great 
Pelycan.   
And in this world moche woe hath wrought  
Saint Benet/ that her order brought  
Ne made 'em never on such manner  
I trow it came never in this thought  
That they should use so great power   

¶ That a man should a monk lord call  
Ne serve on knees/ as a king  
He is as proud as prince in pall  
In meet/ and drink/ and all thing  
Some wearyn mitre and ring  
With double worsted well ydight  
With royal meet and rich drink  
And rideth on a courser as a knight   

¶ With hawk and With hounds eke  
With broochs or ouches on his hood  
Some say no mass in all a week  
Of dainties is her most food  
With lordships and with bondmen  
This is a royal relygyoun  
Saint Benet made never none of 'em  
To have lordship of man ne town   

¶ Now they been qneynte and curious  
With fine cloth clad and served clean  
Proud angry/ and envious  
Malice is mouche that they mean  
In catching crafty and covetous  
Lordly liven in great liking  
This lining is not religious  
According to Benette in his living   

¶ They been clerks/ her courts they over see  
Her poor tenance fully they flyte  
The hire that a man amerced be  
The gladlier they will it write  
This is far from Christ's poverty  
For all with covetise they indite  
On the poor they have no pity  
Ne never hem cherish but ever hem bite   

¶ And commonly such been comen  
Of poor people/ and of 'em beget  
That this perfection han ynomen  
their fathers riden not but on their feet  
And travaylen sore for that they eat  
In poverty liveth young and old  
Her fathers suffereth drought and wet  
Many hungry meals/ thirst/ and cold   

¶ And all this the monks han forsake  
For Christ's love and saint Benette  
To pride and ease have 'em take  
This religion is evil be set  
Had they been out of relygioun  
They must have hanged at the plough  
threshing & dyking fro town to town  
With sorry meet/ and not half enough   

¶ Therefore they han this all forsake  
And taken to riches/ pride/ and ●ase  
Full few for god will monks hem mak●  
little is such order for to praise  
Saint Benet ordained it not so  
But bad 'em be cherelyche  
In churlyche manner live and go  
Boisterous in earth/ and not lordlych   

¶ They disclanuder saint Benette  
Therefore they have his holy curse  
Saint Benet with hem never met  
But if they thought to rob his purs●  
I can no more hereof tell  
But they been like though before  
And clean serve the devil of hell  
And been his treasure and his store   

¶ And all such other counterfeytours  
Canons/ canons/ and such disguised  
Ben gods enemies and traitors  
His true religion han foul despised  
Of Freres I have told before  
In a making of a Crede  
And yet I could tell worse and more  
But men would weryens it to read   

¶ As god's goodness no man tell might  
Write ne speak/ ne think in thought  
So her falsehood/ and her unright  
May no man tell that ever god wrought  

griffon.  The griffon said/ thou canst no good  
Thou came never of no gentle kind  
either I trow thou wexest wood  
Or else thou hast lost thy mind   

¶ Sulde holy churches have no heed?  
Who should be her governail  
Who should her rule/ who should her reed  
Who should her forthren/ who should avail  
Each man shall live by his travail  
Who best doth/ shall have most meed  
With strength if men the church assail  
With strength men must defend her need   

¶ And the pope were purely poor  
Needy/ and nothing ne had  
He should be driven from door to door  
The wicked of him nold not be dread  
Of such an heed men would be sad  
And sinfully liven as hem lust  
With strength/ amends such be made  
With weepen wolves from sheep be wust   

¶ If the pope and prelate's would  
So beg/ & bid/ bow and borrow  
Holy church should stand full cold  
Her servants sit and soup sorrow  
And they were naughty foul and horowe  
To worship god men would wlate  
Both on even and on morrow  
Such harlotry men would hate   

¶ Therefore men of holy church  
Should been honest in all thing  
worshipfully goddess works werche  
So seemeth it to serve Christ her king  
In honest and in clean clothing  
With vessels of gold and clothes rich  
To god honestly to make offering  
To his lordship none is like   

¶ The Pellycan cast on huge cry 
Pellycan   
And said alas/ why sayest thou so  
Christ is our heed that sitteth on high  
Heads ne ought we have no more  
We been his members both also  
And father he taught us to call him als  
masters to be called defended he tho  
All other masters been wicked and falls   

¶ That taketh mastery in his name  
ghostly/ and for earthly good  
Kings and lords should lordship have  
And rule the people with mild mode  
Christ for us that shed his blood  
Bad his priests no mastership have  
Ne cark not for cloth ne ●ode  
From every mischief he will hem save   

¶ Her rich clothing shallbe ryghtwy●enesse  
Her treasure/ true life shallbe  
charity shallbe her richesse  
Her lordship shallbe unite  
Hope in god/ her honest  
Her vessel clean conscience  
Poor in spirit/ and humility  
shallbe holy church's defence   

¶ What said the griffon may the grieve 
Gryffon●   
That other folks faren we'll  
What haste thou to done with her live  
Thy falsehood each man may feel  
For thou canst no cattles get  
But livest in land as a lorell  
With glozing gettest thou thy meet  
So fareth the devil that woneth in hell   

He would that each man there should dwell  
For he liveth in clean envy  
So with the tales that thou dost tell  
Thou wouldest other people distry  
With your gloze/ and your heresy  
For ye can live no better life  
But clean in hypocrisy  
And bringest the in woe and strife   

¶ And therewith have not to done  
For ye ne have here no cure  
Ye serve the devil/ neither god ne man  
And he shall pay you your hire  
For ye will far well at feasts  
And warm clothed for the cold  
Therefore ye gloze God's hests  
And beguile the people young and old   

¶ And all the six sacraments  
ye speak against/ as ye were sly  
Against tithings/ offerings/ with your intents  
And on our lords body falsely lie  
And all this ye done to live in case  
As who saith/ there been none such  
And say the pope is not worth a pease  
To make the people again him gruche   

¶ And this cometh in by fiends  
To bring the christian in distance  
For they would that no man were friends  
Leave thy chattering with mischance  
If thou live well/ what wilt thou more  
Let other men live as hem list  
Spend in good/ or keep in store  
Other men's conscience never thou nist   

¶ ye han no cure to answer fore  
What meddle ye/ that han not to done  
Let men live as they han done yore  
For thou shalt answer for no man  
¶ The Pellycan said/ Sir/ nay 
Pellycan   
I despised not the pope  
Ne no sacrament/ sooth to say  
But speak in charity and good hope   

¶ But I despise her high pride  
Her richesses/ that should be poor in spirit  
Her wickedness is know so wide  
They serve god in false habit  
And turnyn meekness in to pride  
And lowliness in to high degree  
And God's words turn and hide  
And that am I moved by charity   

¶ To let men to live so  
With all my cunning and all my might  
And to warn men of her woe  
And to tell 'em truth and right  
The sacraments be soul hele  
If they been used in good use  
Against that speak I never a deal  
For than were I nothing wise   

¶ But they that usen hem in miss manner  
Or set 'em up to any sale  
I trow they shall abye 'em dear  
This is my reason/ this is my tale  
Who so taketh 'em unrightfulllyche  
Against the ten commandments  
Or by gloze wretched like  
Selleth any of the sacraments   

¶ I trow they do the devil homage  
In that they wetyn they do wrong  
And thereto I dare well wage  
They serven Satan for all her song  
To tithen and offren is wholesome life  
So it be done in dew manner  
A man to houselyn and to shrive  
Wedding/ and all the other in fere   

¶ So it be notherfolde ne bought  
Ne take ne give for covetise  
And it be so taken it is nought  
Who selleth 'em so/ may sore agrise  
On our lords body I do not lie  
I say sooth thorough true read  
His flesh and blood through his mastery  
Is there/ in the form of breed   

¶ How it is there/ it needeth not strive  
Whether it be subject or accident  
But as Christ was/ when he was on live  
So is he there v●rament  
If pope or cardinal live good live  
As Christ commanded in his gospel  
Against that will I not strive  
But me thinketh they live not well   

¶ For if the pope lived as god bede  
Pride and highness he should despise  
richesse/ covetise/ and crown on heed  
meekness and poverty he should use  

griffon.  The griffon said he should abye  
Thou shallbe brent in baleful fire  
All they sect I shall distrye  
Ye shallbe hanged by the swyre   

¶ Ye shullen be hanged and to draw  
Who giveth you leave for to preach  
Or speak against god's law  
And the people thus falsely teach  
Thou shalt be cursed with book and bell  
And dissevered from holy church  
And clean ydampned in to hell  
Otherwise but ye will work   


Pellycan  ¶ The Pellycan said that I ne dread  
Your cursing is of little value  
Of god I hope to have my meed  
For it is fashede that ye show  
For ye been out of charity  
And wylneth vengeance/ as did Nero  
To suffryn I will ready be  
I dread not that thou canst do   

¶ Christ bad once suffer for his love  
And so he taught all his servants  
And but thou amend for his ●ake above  
I dread not all thy maintenance  
For if I dread the worlds hate  
Me thinketh I were little to praise  
I dread nothing your high estate  
Ne I dread not your diseace   

¶ Would ye turn and leave your pride  
your high port/ and your richesses  
your cursing should not go so wyd●  
God bring you in to rightwiseness  
For I dread not your tyranny  
For nothing that ye can done  
To suffer I am all ready  
Syker I reck never how soon   

¶ The griffon grynned as he were wood 
griffon.   
And looked lovely as an owl  
And swore by cocks heart blood  
He would him tear every doule  
Holy church thou di●claundrest foul  
For thy reasons I will the all to race  
And make thy flesh to rote and mole  
Lozel/ thou shalt have hard grace   

¶ The griffon flew forth on his way  
The pelican did sit and weep  
And to himself he 'gan say  
God would that any of Christ's sheep  
Had heard/ and ytake keep  
Each a word that here said was  
And would it write and well it keep  
God would it were all for his grace   


Ploughman  ¶ I answered/ and said I would  
If for my travail any man would pay  

Pelycan.  He said yes/ these that god han sold  
For they han store of money  

Ploughman  I said/ tell me and thou may  
Why tellest thou men's trespass?  

Pelyca●.  He said/ to amend 'em in good faith  
If god will give me any grace   

¶ For Christ himself is likened to me  
That for his people died on road  
As far I/ right so fareth he  
He feedeth his birds with his blood  
But these done evil against good  
And been his fone under friends face  
I told 'em how her living stood  
God amend 'em for his grace   


Ploughman  What aileth the griffon/ tell why  
That he holdeth on that other side  
For they two been likely  
And with kinds robben wide  

Pelycan.  The foul betokeneth pride  
As Lucifere/ that high flew was  
And sith he did him in evil hide  
For he agylted God's grace   

¶ As bird flieth up in the air  
And liveth by birds that been meek  
So these be flow up in to despair  
And shenden silly souls eke  
The souls that been in sins seek  
He culleth him/ kneel therefore alas  
For bribry God's forbade break  
God amend it for his grace   

¶ The hinder part is alyoun  
A robber and a ravynere  
That robbeth they people in earth a down  
And in earth holdeth none his peer  
So fareth this foul both far and near  
And with temporal strength they people chas●  
As a lion proud in earth here  
God amend 'em for his grace   

¶ He flew forth with his wings twain 
Pellycan   
All drooping/ dazed/ and dull  
But soon the Gry●●on came again 
griffon.   
Of his ●oules the earth was full  
The Pellycan he had cast to pull  
So great a number never seen there was  
What manner of fowls tell I will  
If god will give me o● his grace   

¶ With the griffon comen fowls feel  
Ravyns/ rooks/ crows/ and pie  
Grayfoules/ agadred weal  
I g●rde above they would high  
Gledes and bosardes weren hem by  
White molles and puttocks token her plac●  
And lapwynges/ that well conneth lie  
This fellowship han for gerde her grace   

¶ Long the Pellycane was out  
But at last he cometh again  
And brought with him the Phenixe stout  
The Gry●●on would have ●●owe ●ull ●ayne  
His fowls that flown as thick as rain  
The Phenixe though began 'em chase  
To ●lye from him it was in vain  
For he did vengeance and no grace   

¶ He slew 'em down without mercy  
There astart neither free ne thrall  
On him they cast a xufull cry  
When the Gry●●on down was fall  
He beat 'em not/ but slew 'em all  
Wither he hem drove no man may trace  
Under the earth me thought they yell  
Alas they had a feeble grace   


Pellycan  ¶ The Pelycan than axed tight  
For my writing if I have blame  
Who will for me fight of flight?  
Who shall shield me from shame  
He that had a maid to dame  
And the lamb that slain was  
Shall shield me from ghostly blame  
For earthly harm is goodis grace   

¶ Therefore I pray every man  
Of my writing have me excused  
This writing writeth the Pellycan  
That thus these people hath despised  
For I am fresh ●ully advised  
I nill not maintain his menace  
For the devil is o●ten disguised  
To bring a man to evil grace   

¶ Wyteth the Pellycane and not me  
For hereof I nill not avow  
In high ne in low/ ne in no degree  
But as a fable take i● ye mow  
To holy church I will me bow  
Each man to amend him Christ send space  
And for my writing me allow  
He that is almighty for his grace   
¶ Finis   

¶ Printed at London by Thomas Godfray,  
Cum privilegio,