Classic Poem

Coventis have wee noon, Jack,
but cloistrers we ben callid,
ffoundid afor with charité,
or that he were flemyd;
but sith entride envie,
and renyd hath oure houses,
that unnethes the hillinge
hangith on the sparres;
and git thou thinkist hem over good,
yvel fare thou therfore!
Jak, where saw thou ever frere houses,
thourgout the rewme,
liche in ony rialté
to the Toure of Londoun,
to Wyndesore, to Wodestoke,
to Wallingforde, to Shene,
to Herforde, to Eltham,
to Westmynster, to Dover?
How maist thou for rebukyng
lye so lowde,
to saye that oure covetise
passith the lordes?
But so longe, by my leuté,
thou hast lerned to lyen,
that thi tonge is letteroun of lyes,
thou lettest for no shame.
We leten, thou seist, to lymytours
al this rewme to ferme,
as that we were welders
and lordes of alle.
Unsikir thing sothli
it were to sette to ferme,
and fooles were the fermeres
to taken it to tax.
I trowe thou menys the pardonystres
of seint Thomas of Acres,
of Antoun, or of Runcevale,
that rennen so fast aboute;
for of the kynges rewme
have we no more astate,
than thou hast of paradis,
or of the blisse of heven,
for the which y trowe thou maist
of hasilwode singe.
Why, seist thou, paye ge to no taliage
to oure cristen kynge,
sith Crist paiede tribut
to the hethene emperour?
Jak, of no dewté ne of no dette
paide Crist noo tribute;
but oonliche of mekenesse
performynge the lawe,
and for to fleen occasioun
of aftirward apechinge,
whan that afore Pilat
he shuld be forjugid.
But aftir the scripture,
preesthode shulde not paien
to tax ne to taliage
with the comun peple.
For whan the folk of Israel
were put undir servage,
Pharao suffride preestes
in her former fredome
to be saved and susteyned
of the comoun store.
But now is the compleynt
of Jeremye trewe,
the prince of provynces
sugette is under tribute.
Not for thanne the comun lawe
may wel suffren.
that preesthode may paye
bi assent of prelatis,
ffreli of her owne wille
no thing constreynede,
and thus prelatis and persouns
aftir her state,
ben stended to paien
what that nede askith;
but neither freres ne annuellers,
save now late.
God woot, it worchipith not
to beggen of beggers.
Off lettris of brotherhood
also, Jak, thou spekist,
and wounders that we wynnen noon
of pore men and of preestis;
and git ge desiren that every man
shulde have gour;
of pore mennes preieris
to be parteners we wolden,
and of her lettris and of her sele,
if autentike thei weren.
But of gour preestis pater-nosters
we desiren noon,
for comunliche her blake bedes
thei delen to freris;
but thei shal cleve unto thi chekes,
and Cristis curse also,
as wysly as we holde us
not more perfit than ony other,
ne non suffragies selle
for a certeyn bi gere,
ne maken men more perfit
than her blessid baptisme;
ffor praier may not satyllyn
but oonliche on them alle,
and so that gilden trentels
that thou spekist of,
that now is purchasid of preestis
out of freris hondis,
delyverith noo soule
out of the peyne of helle,
ne purgen may of purgatory,
but as it is deserved.
Ffor charité is the mesure
that demeth that meyné.
Also thou seist, Jak,
that we men enformen
that oure holy abite
shulde helpen men fro helle,
and nameliche tho that be
beried therinne;
and Cristis clothis dide not so,
ne noon of the apostlis.
Jak, that frere was over lewid
that lernede the this lessoun,
or on thi ficul fantasie
thou faynyst this fable.
Ffor Austyns ne prechours
proponen no siche pointis.
Whether the Carmes of her copes
mayntenen siche an errour,
or whether seint Fraunce
hath geten to his habite
that vertu be his grace,
witterly me ne wote.
But wel I wote that Cristis cloith
helide a womman
ffrom the longe fluxe of blood,
as the gospel tellith;
but his predestinacion
may onlich save soulis,
and his prevy presciens
may dampne whom him list.