Classic Poem

 For if we taken the gospel
aftir the menynge,
nether emperour ne kyng
may honge ne drawe,
heved ne enprisoun,
no haunte no domes,
but al in fair manere
shulen ben undirnomen,
and who wil not amenden him,
geve him the brydil;
and be robberis and revers,
mansleeris and treytours,
and al maner mawfesours
shulden ben unponnishid.
Jak, the pope hath a prisoun,
the bishop of Cantirbury,
and of Londoun also,
and many other bishopis,
by leeve of her kyng;
art thou hardy to seien
it is not Goddis lawe.
But y blame thee not gretli,
thoug thou bere hem hevy;
ffor goldsmythis of thi crafte
ofte haveth hem haunted,
and git thei shulen ofter,
bi the helpe of heven.
Also thou seist no sacrament
we covetyn ne desiren,
but shrift and biryyng,
that longeth to the peple.
Alas, Jak, for shame!
whi art thou so fals,
ffor to reverse thi silf
in thin owne sawes?
Thou seidist in thi begynnynge,
whan thou seidist of freres,
thei sellen seven sacramentes
with Symoundis eyris;
and now that we coveite noon
but the sacrament of schrifte.
Ffor beriynge is no sacrament,
but an almes-dede.
Thou jawdewyne, thow jangeler,
how stande this togider,
by verré contradiccion
thou concludist thi silf,
and bryngest thee to the mete
there I wolde have thee.
Who wolde take entent
to suche wreches wordes,
that nevere more geveth tale
to be take with a lesyng?
 Whi, axist thou ferthermore,
wil we not shryven
ne birien the pore
as wel as the riche,
and do other dedes of almes
done at her nede?
But if we schryve not the pore,
whi ben perssons so wrothe,
and paroche preestes also,
for schryvynge of her paishens?
For every Lenten us agen
thei aleggen the lawe
off omnis utriusque sexus ,
with the favourable glooses.
But, Jak, do thi won,
and lette not to lyene;
I have as leef thy leesing
as thi soth saw.
Ffor who is oonis suspect,
he is half honged.
Thou seis that we prechen
fallace and fables,
and not Goddis gospel
to good undirstondinge;
and we ben more holdun therto
than to alle other reulis.
For we wynnen more therwith
than Crist and his apostlis,
what we ben holdun
and wil not forsake.
For moche of oure lyvynge
is of the gospel;
so dide Poul
and other disciples,
and lyvede of colectis
made generali bi chirchis,
ffor sustinance of prechours,
and also of the pore.
And if thou leve not me,
loke Poulis pistlis,
and the glose therwith,
and there thou shalt fynde it.
Quis, inqit, militat suis stipendiis unquam? Et iterum, Dominus ordinavit iis qui evangelium annunciant de evangelio vivere .
And so to his prechours
Crist also thus seide, In quamcunque domum intraveritis, manete in eadem edentes et bibentes, etc., dignus est enim operarius mercede sua. Et ad Romanos, Probaverunt Macedones et Achaia collationem facere in pauperes sanctorum qui sunt in Jherusalem .