Classic Poem

11.

Why heire you to ferme
your limitors,
giving therefore each yeare
a certain rent,
and will not suffer one
in anothers limitation,
right as yee were your selves
lords of countries?
Why be ye not under your bishops visitations,
and leege men to our king?
Why aske ye no letters of bretherheads
of other mens praiers,
as ye desire that other men
should aske letters of you?
If your letters be good,
why grant ye them not generally
to all maner of men,
for the more charitie?

12.

Mowe ye make any man
more perfect brether for your prayers,
than God hath by our beleeve,
by our baptisme and his owne grant?
If ye mow, certes,
then ye be above God.
Why make ye men beleeve
that your golden trentall sung of you,
to take therefore ten shillings,
or at least five shillings
will bring soules out of hell,
or out of purgatorie?
If this be sooth, certes,
yee might bring all soules out of paine;
and that wol ye nought,
and then ye be out of charitie.

13.

Why make ye men beleeve
that he that is buried
in your habit
shal never come in hel,
and ye weet not of your selfe
whether yee shall to hell or no?
And if this were sooth,
ye should sell your high houses
to make many habites
for to save many mens soules.

14.

Why steal ye mens children
for to make hem of your sect,
sith that theft is against Gods hests,
and sith your sect is not perfect?
Yee know not whether the rule that yee bind him to
be best for him or worst.

15.

Why underneme yee not your brethren
for their trespasse after the law of the gospell,
sith that underneming
is the best that may be?
But ye put them in prison oft,
When they do after Gods law;
and by saint Augustines rule,
if any doe amisse,
and would not amend him,
ye should put him from you.