A POLITICAL PROPHECY.1

When Rome is removith into Englonde,

And ilke preest haiit the popeis poure in hande,
Betuene the iijd and the sixte, who wold onderstonde,
Moche were and wo schalle arysse in Englonde.
Thayr challe tyde then a striffe be the stremis of
Hommour,

That a northyne slave schalle follow him for ever,
The iijd schalle recuire and rekyn of rulys,
That haiit lywith in Lowthe many longe days.
Than worthe upp, Walis, that vantithe no vylis,
And holpe up thi brother with brithe hardde brandis,
Thi kynnys men of Yrlonde, lordes of honour,
Thy schalle spende ther speres with dentes of dolour.
To bringe owt of brawlis the kynd blod of Brutes,
The whiche schalle lyve on to lyve of landes.

AGAINST THE FRIARS.2

Freeres, freeres, wo ze be!
ministri malorum,

For many a mannes soule bringe ze
ad pœnas infernorum.
Whan seyntes felle fryst from hevene,
quo prius habitabant,
In erthe leyfft the synnus vii.,

et fratres communicabant.

1 From MS. Cotton. Cleopatra C. iv. fol. 84, vo.

2 From a MS. in Trin. Coll., Cambridge, O. 2, 40, fifteenth cent.

Falnes was the ffryst fflauré quæ fratres pertulerunt;

For falnes and ffals derei multi perierunt. Freeres, ze can weyl lye,

ad fallandum gentem; And weyl can blere a mannus ye pecunias habentem.

Yf thei may no more geytte, fruges petunt isti;

For falnes walde thei not lette,

qui non sunt de grege Christi.

Lat a freer of sum ordur

tecum pernoctare,

Odur thi wyff or thi doughtour hic vult violare ;

Or thi sun he weyl prefur,

sicut furtam fortis ;

God gyffe syche a freer peyne

in inferni portis!

Thei weyl assaylle boyth Jacke and Gylle,

licet sint prædones;

And parte off pennans take hem tylle,

qui sunt latrones.

Ther may no lorde of this cuntré

sic ædificare,

As may thes freeres, where thei be,
qui vadunt mendicare.
Mony-makers I trow thei be,
regis proditores,

Therfore ylle mowyth thei thee,

falsi deceptores.

Fader fyrst in Trinité,

filius, atque flamen.

Omnes dicant Amen.

ON THE CORRUPTION OF PUBLIC MANNERS.1

Ye prowd galonttes hertlesse,

With your hyghe cappis witlesse,

And youre schort gownys thriftlesse,

Have brought this londe in gret hevynesse.

With youre longe peked schone,

Therfor your thrifte is almost don,

And with youre long here into your eyen,
Han brought this lond to gret pyne.

Ye poopeholy prestis fulle of presomcioun,

With your wyde furryd hodes voyd of discrecioun,
Unto your owyn prechyng of contrary condicioun,
Wheche causithe the people to have lesse devocioun.

Avauncid by symony in cetees and townys,

Make schorter youre taylis and broder your crounys; Leve your schort stuffide dowbelettes and your pleytid gownys,

And kepe your owyn howsyng, and passe not your boundis.

Repreve non other men, I schalle telle you whye,
Ye be so lewyd youer selfe, there settithe no man you
bye,

It is not but a schame y[e] wold be callyd holly,
And worse dysposyd people levythe not undir the skye.

Ffirst make fre your selfe, that now to syne be bounde,

Leve syne, and drede it, than may ye take on hand Othir to repreve, and that I undirstonde,

Ye may amende alle other and bryng pese to londe.

1 From MS. Harl. No. 372, fol. 113, ro, of the time of Henry VI.

EPIGRAMS ON THE PUBLIC EXTRAVAGANCE.1

Luffe, luffe, where is thi reste ?
Of Englond I am oute keste,

Thurgh sir Envye.

Thise longe berdes to middis the breste
Has putt luffe oute of his neste,
Thurgh felonye.

Fleshly lustes and festes,

Furres of ferly bestes,

Costefulle crouperes with crestes,

Fules that it first fonde;

Robes made of scredes,

Grisely othes and grete medes,

Flaterers and false dedes,
Has schent Englond.

ON THE TIMES.2

Now ys Yngland alle in fyght;
Moche peple of consyens lyght;

Many knyghtes, and lytyl of myght;
Many lawys, and lytylle ryght;

Many actes of parlament,

And few kept wyth tru entent;
Lytylle charyté, and fayne to plese;
Many a galant penyles;

1 From a MS. in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, No. 274, fol. 155.

2 From a MS. in Corp. Chr. Col., Oxford, No. 237, fol. 236, vo.

And many a wondurfulle dysgyzyng,
By unprudent and myssavyzyng;
Grete countenanse, and smalle wages;
Many gentyllemen, and few pages;
Wyde gownys, and large slevys;
Wele besene, and strong thevys ;
Moch bost of there clothys,

But wele I wot they lake none othys.

ON THE TIMES.1

De miserrima responsione populi quæ jam instat.

Proh dolor o crudi gestus sparsim juvenescunt,
Rarescunt ludi, solatia cuncta senescunt.
Crimen avaritiæ dominatur ubique locorum,
Quæ quasi blanditia tollit terras miserorum.
Dormit militia vitiata cupidine rerum,

Pro quibus in vitia jam pugnat amor mulierum.
Clerus decrescit, vestitu vulgus olescit,
Curia ditescit, virtus in vilia cessit.

Heu! ratio moritur, pretio judex hebetescit,
Fraude fides premitur, pietas cum lege recessit.
Secta quidem consci perit entia pseudo-coloris;
Inde sumus consi querula quocunque doloris :
Dico parum prodest pro jure tribunal adire,
Dum ratio vivat quæ jus faciet revenire.

From a MS. in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, Bodl. 832, fol. 177, ro.