KING JOHAN
                     [DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      King John
      England, a widow
      Nobility
      Clergy
      Civil Order
      Commonalty
      Sedition (alias Stephen Langton)
      Dissimulation (alias Simon Of Swynsett)
      Usurped Power (alias Pope Innocent III)
      Private Wealth (alias Cardinal Pandulphus)
      Treason, a priest
      Verity
      lmperial MajeSty
      The Interpreter]

                           [ACTI]
               [Enter king John and England.]

K.John. To declare the powres and their force to      (p.I,fol.I)
          enlarge
  The scriptur of God doth flow in most abowndaunce;
  And of sophysteres the cauteles to dyscharge
  Bothe Peter and Pawle makyth plenteosse vtterauns;
  How that all pepell shuld shew there trew alegyauns
  To ther lawfull kyng Christ Iesu dothe consent,
  Whych to $e hygh powres was evere obedyent.

  To shew what I am I thynke yt convenyent.
  Iohn kyng of Ynglond be cronyclys doth me call.
  My granfather was an emperowre excelent,
  My fathere a kyng by successyon lyneall.
  A kyng my brother lyke as to hym ded fall;

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  Rychard Curdelyon they callyd hym in Fraunce,
  Whych had ouer enymyes most fortynable chaunce.

  By the wyll of God and his hygh ordynaunce
  In Yerlond and Walys, in Angoye and Normandye,
  In Ynglond also, I haue had the governaunce.
  I haue worne the crown and wrowght vyctoryouslye,
  And now do purpose by practyse and by stodye
  To reforme the lawes and sett men in good order,
  That trew iustyce may he had in euery hordere.

Eng. Than I trust yowr grace wyll waye a poore wedowes cause,
  Vngodly vsyd, as ye shall know in short clavse.
K.John. Yea, that I wyll swer, yf yt be trew and iust.
Eng. Lyke as yt beryth trewth, so lett yt be dyscust.
K.John. Than gentyll wydowe, tell me what $e mater ys.
Eng. Alas, yowr clargy hath done very sore arnys
  In mysvsyng me, ageynst all ryght and iustyce;
  And for my more greffe, therto they other intyce.
K.John. Whom do they intyce for to do the inivrye?
Eng. Soch as hath enterd by false hypocrysye,
  Moch worse frutes havyng than hathe $e thornes vnplesaunt.
  For they are the trees that God dyd never plant,
  And as Christ dothe saye, blynd leader of the blynd.
K.John. Tell me whom thow menyst, to satysfy my mynd.
Eng. Suche lubbers as hath dysgysed heades in $er hoodes,
  Whych in ydelnes do lyve by other menns goodes:
  Monkes, chanons and nones, in dyvers coloure and shappe,
  Bothe whyght, blacke and pyed. God send ther increase yll happe!
K.John. Lete me know thy narne or I go ferther with the.
Eng. Ynglond, syr, Ynglond my narne is, ye may trust me.
K. John. I mervell ryght sore how thow commyst chaungyd thus.
                         [Enter Sedition.]
Sed. What, yow ij alone? I wyll tell tales, by Iesus,
  And saye that I s[e y]ow fall here to bycherye.
K.John. Avoyd, lewde person, for thy wordes are      (p.2,foI. I<sv>s)
           vngodlye.
Sed. I crye yow mercy, sur. I pray yow be not angrye.
  Be my fayth and trowth, I cam hyther to be merye.

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K.John. Thow canst with thy myrth in no wysse dyscontent me,
  So that thow powder yt with wyadom and honeste.
Sed. I am no spycer, by $e meaae, ye may beleve me!
K.John. I speke of no spyce, but of cyvyle honeste.
Sed. Ye spake of powder, by the holy trynyte!
k.John. Not as thow takyst yt, of a grosse capasyte,
  But as saynt Pawle meanyth vnto the Collessyans playne:
  So seasyne yowr speche $at yt be withowt dysdayne.
  Now, Ynglond, to the: go thow forth with thy tale
  And showe $e cawse why thow lokyst so wan and pale.
Eng. I told yow before, the faulte was in $e clergye
  That I, a wedow, apere to yow so barelye.
Sed. Ye are a wylly wat and winder here ful warelye.
k.John. Why in $e clargye, do me to vnderstande.
Eng. For they take from rne my cattell, howse and land,
  My wodes and pasturs, with other commodyteys.
  Lyke as Christ ded saye to $e wyckyd pharyseys,
  Pore wydowys howsys ye grosse vp by long prayers,
  In syde cotys wandryng lyke most dysgysed players.
Sed. They are well at ese $at hath soch soth sayer.
K.John. They are thy chylderne; $ou owghtest to say them good.
Eng. Nay, bastardes they are, vnnatvrall, hy $e rood!
  Sens ther hegynnyng they ware neuer good to me.
  The wyld hore of Rome--God let hym neuer to thee--
  Lyke pyggys they folow, in fantysyes, dreames and lyes,
  And euer are fed with his vyle cerymonyes.
Sed. Nay, sumtyrne they eate bothe flawnes and pygyn pyes.
k.John. By the hore of Rome I trow thow menyst $e pope.
Eng. I mene non other but hym. God geve hym a rope!
k.John. And why dost thow thus compire hyrn to a swyne?
Eng. For that he and his to such bestlynes inclyne.
  They forsike Godes word, whych is most puer and cleane,
  And vnto the lawys of synfull men they leane.
  Lyke as the vyle swyne $e most vyle metes dessyer
  And hith gret plesure to walowe them seluys in myre,
  So hith this wyld hore, with his church vnyversall--
  His sowe with hyr pygys ind monstres hestyall--
  Dylyght in mennys driffe ind covytus lucre all.
  Yea, aper de sylua the prophet dyd hym call.

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Sed. Hold yowr peace, ye whore, or ellys by masse     (p.3,foI.2)
      I trowe
  I shall cawse the pope to curse the as blacke aa a crowe!
K. John. What arte thow, felow, $at seme so braggyng bolde?
Sed. I am sedycyon, that with $e pope wyll hold
  So long as I haue a hole within my breche.
Eng. Commaund this felow to avoyd, I yow beseche,
  For dowztles he hath don me great inivry.
K. John. Avoyd, lewd felow, or thow shalt rewe yt truly.
Sed. I wyll not awaye for that same wedred wytche;
  She shall rather kysse whereaa it doth not ytche.
  Quodcumque ligaueris I Low wyll playe soch a parte
  That I shall abyde in Englond, magry yowr harte.
  Tuahe, the pope ableth me to aubdewe bothe kyng and keyaer.
K.John. Off that thow and I wyll common more at leyaer.
Eng. Trwly of the devyll they are $at do onythyng
  To the aubdewyng of any Christen kyng,
  For be he good or bade, he is of Godes apoyntyng.:
  The good for the good, $e badde ys for yll doyng.
K.John. Of $at we shall talke here after. Say forth thy mynd now
  And show me how $ou art thus becum a wedowe.
Eng. Thea vyle popych swyne hath clene exyled my hosband.
K. John. Who ya thy husband, telme good gentyll Yngland.
Eng. For soth, God hym selfe, the spowse of euery sort
  Pat seke hym in fayth to $er sowlya helth and comfort.
Sed. He ya acant honest that so many wyfes wyll haue.
K.John. I saye hold yowr peace and stand asyde lyke a knave.
  Ya God exylyd owt of this regyon? Tell me.
Eng. Yea, that he is, aer, yt is the much more pete.
K.John. How commyth yt to passe $at he is thus abusyd?
Eng. Ye know he abydyth not where his word ys refusyd,
  For God is his word, lyke as seynt Iohn dothe tell
  ln the begynnyng of his moste blyssyd gospell.
  The popys pyggys may not abyd this word to be hard
  Nor knowyn of pepyll or had in anye regard.
  Ther eyes are so sore they maye not abyd $e lyght,
  And $at bred so hard ther gald gummes may yt not byght.
  I, knowyng yowr grace to haue here the governance
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  By the gyft of God, do knowlege my allegeance,
  Desyeryng yowr grace to waye suche iniuryes
  As I daylye suffer by thes same aubtyll spyes.
  And lett me haue ryght as ye are a ryghtfull kyng,
  Apoyntyd of God to haue such mater in doyng;
  For God wyllyth yow to helpe $e pore wydowes cause,
  As he by Esaye proteateth in this same clause:
  Querite ivdicium, subuenite oppresso,               (p. 4, fol. 2<sv>s)
  Ivdicate pupillo, defendite vidvam.
  Seke ryght to poore, to the weake and faterlesse,
  Defende the wydowe whan she is in dystresse.
Sed. I tell ye, the woman ys in great hevynes.
K.John. I may not in no wyse leve $i ryght vndyscuste,
  For God hath sett me by his apoyntment ivst
  To further thy cavse and to mayntayne $i ryght,
  And therfor I wyll supporte $e daye and nyght.
  So long as my symple lyffe shall here indewer,
  I wyll se $e haue no wrong, be fast and swer.
  I wyll fyrst of all call my nobylyte,
  Dwkis, erlyes and lordes, yche on in ther degre.
  Next them $e clargy, or fathers spirituall,
  Archebysshopes, bysshoppes, abbottes and pryers all.
  Than $e great ivges and lawers everychon,
  So opynyng to them $i cause and petyfull mone,
  By $e meanys wherof I ahall $er myndes vnderstande.
  Yf they helpe $e not, my selfe wyll take yt in hande
  And sett such a waye as shall be to $i comforte.
Eng. Than for an answere I wyll shortly ageyne resort.
K. John. Do, Ynglond, hardly, and thow shalt haue remedy.
Eng. God reward yowr grace, I beseche hym hartely,
  And send yow longe dayes to governe this realme in peace.
                           Go owt Ynglond and drese for Clargy.
K.John. Gramercy, Yngland, and send the plentyvs increse.
Sed. Of bablyng matters, I trow, yt is tyme to cease.
K. John. Why doat thow call them bablyng matera? Tell me.
Sed. For they are not worth $e shakyng of a pertre
  Whan the peres are gon; they are but dyble dable.

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  I marvell ye can abyd suche byble bable.
K.John. Thow semyat to be a man of symple dyscrescyon.
Sed. Alas, $at ye are not a pryst to here confessyon.
K.John. Why for confessyon? Lett me know $i fantasye.
Sed. Becawse $at ye are a man so full of mercye,
  Namely to women $at wepe with a hevy harte
  Whan they in $e churche hath lett but a lytyll farte.
k.John. I perseyve well now thow speakyat all this in (p.5, foI.3)
          mockage
  Becawse I take parte with Englandes ryghtfull herytage.
  Say thu what thow wylt, her mater ahall not peryshe.
Sed. Yt is ioye of hym that women so can cheryshe.
K.John. God hathe me ordeynned in this same princely estate
  For $at I shuld helpe such as be desolate.
Sed. Yt is as great pyte to ae a woman wepe
  As yt is to ae a sely dodman crepe;
  Or as ye wold say, a sely goose go barefote.
K.John. Thow semyate by thy wordes to haue no more wytt
          than a coote.
  I mervell thow arte to Englond so vnnaturall:
  Beyng her owne chyld, $ou art worae than a best brutall.
Sed. I am not her chyld! I defye hyr, by $e messe!
  I her sonne, quoth he? I had rather she were hedlesse.
  Thowgh I sumtyme be in Englond for my pastaunce,
  Yet was I neyther borne here, in Spayne nor in Fraunce,
  But vnder the pope in the holy cyte of Rome,
  And there wyll I dwell vn to the daye of dome.
K.John. But what is thy name? Tell me yett onya agayne.
Sed. As I sayd afore, I arn Sedycyon playne.
  In euery relygyon and mvnkyah secte I rayne,
  Havyng yow prynces in scorne, hate and dysdayne.
K.John. I pray $e, good frynd, tell me what ys thy facyon.
Sed. Serche and ye ahall fynd in euery congregacyon
  That long to the pope, for they are to me full swer,
  And wyll be so long as they last and endwer.
K. John. Yff thow be a cloysterer, tell of what order thow art.
Sed. In euery estate of $e clargye I playe a part:
  Sumtyme I can be a monke in a long syd cowle,

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  Sumtyme I can be a none and loke lyke an owle,
  Sumtyme a channon in a syrplea fayer and whyght,
  A chapterhowae monke sumtym I apere in syght,
  I am ower syre Iohn sumtyme, with a new shauen crowne,
  Sumtym $e person and swepe $e stretes with a syd gowne,
  Sumtyme $e bysshoppe with a myter and a cope,
  A graye fryer sumtyme, with cutt shoes and a rope;
  Sumtyme I can playe $e whyght monke, sumtyme $e fryer,
  The purgatory prist and euery mans wyffe desyer.
  This cumpany hath provyded for me morttmayne,
  For $at I myght euer among ther sort remayne.
  Yea, to go farder, aumtyme I am a cardynall;
  Yea, aumtyme a pope, and than am I lord ouer all,
  Bothe in hevyn and erthe and also in purgatory,
  And do weare iij crownea whan I am in my glorye.
K.John. But what doeste thow here in England? Tell me shortlye.
Sed. I hold vpp $e pope, as in other places many,        (p.6, fol. 3<sv>s)
  For his ambassador I am contynwally,
  In Sycell, in Naplea, in Venys and Ytalye,
  In Pole, Sprvse and Beine, in Denmarke and Lumbardye,
  In Aragon, in Spayne, in Fraunce and in Germanye,
  In Ynglond, in Scotlond, and in other regyona elles.
  For his holy cawse I mayntayne traytors and rebelles,
  That no prince can haue his peples obedyence,
  Except yt doth stand with the popes prehemynence.
K. John. Gett the hence, thow knaue and moste presumptuows wreche,
  Or as I am trew kyng, thow shalt an halter streche!
  We wyll thow know yt, owr powr ys of God,
  And therfor we wyll so execute the rod
  $at no lewde pryst shall be able to mayneteyne the.
  I se now they be at to mych lyberte.
  We wyll short ther hornys, yf God send tyme and space.
Sed. Than I in Englond am lyke to haue no place?
K. John. No, $at thow arte not, and therfor avoyd apace.
Sed. By the holy masse, I mvst lawgh to here yowr grace!
  Ye suppose and thynke $at ye cowd me subdewe.
  Ye shall neuer fynd yowr supposycyon trewe,
  Thowgh ye wer as strong as Hector and Diomedes,
  Or as valyant as euer was Achylles.

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  Ye are well content that bysshoppes contynew styll?
K.John. We are so in dede, yf they ther dewte fullfyll.
Sed. Nay, than, good inowgh. Yowr awtoryte and powrr
  Shall passe as they wyll; they haue sawce bothe swet and sowr.
K. John. What mennyst thow by $at? Shew me $i intente this howre.
Sed. They are Godes vycars, they can both saue and lose.
K. John. Ah, thy meenyng ys that they maye a prynce depose.
Sed. By $e rood they may, and $at wyll appere by yow.
K.John. Be $e helpe of God, we shall se to $at well inow.
Sed. Nay, $at ye can not, thowgh ye had Argus eyes,
  In abbeyes they haue so meny suttyll spyes.
  For ones in the yere they haue secret vysytacyons,
  And yf ony prynce reforme ther vngodly facyons,
  Than ij of the monkes mvst forthe to Rome by and by
  With secrett letters to avenge ther inivry.
  For a thowsand pownd they shrynke not in soch matter,
  And yet for the tyme the prynce to his face they flater.
  I am euer more ther gyde and $er advocate.
K. John. Than with $e bysshoppes and monkes $ou art checke mate?
Sed. I dwell among them and am one of ther sorte.
K.John. For thy sake they shall of me haue but small comforte;
  Loke, wher I fynd the, $at place wyll I put downe.
Sed. What yf ye do chance to fynd me in euery towne (p.7,foI.4)
  Where as is fownded any sect monastycall?
K. John. I pray God I synke yf I dystroye them not all!
Sed. Well, yf ye so do, yett know I where to dwell.
K.John. Thow art not skoymose thy fantasy for to tell.
Sed. Gesse. At a venture ye may chance $e marke to hytt.
K.John. Thy falssed to shew, no man than thy selfe more fytt.
Sed. Mary, in confessyon, vndernethe Benedicite.
K. John. Nay, tell yt ageyne that I may vnderstond $e.
Sed. I saye I can dwell whan all other placys fayle me
  ln ere confessyon, vndernethe Benedicite,
  And whan I am ther $e pryst may not bewray me.
K. John. Why, wyll ere confesshon soch a secret traytor be?
Sed. Whan all o$er fayle, he is so swre as stele.
  Offend holy churche and I warant ye shall yt fele,
  For by confessyon the holy father knoweth
  Throw owt all Christendom what to his holynes growyth.

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K. John. Oh, where ys Nobylyte, $at he myght knowe thys falshed!
Sed. Nay, he is becum a meyntener of owr godhed.
  I know $at he wyll do holy chyrche no wronge,
  For I am his gostly father and techear amonge.
  He belevyth nothyng but as holy chyrch doth tell.
K. John. Why, geueth he no credence to Cristes holy Gospell?
Sed. No, ser, by the messe, but he callyth them herytyckes
  $at preche $e Gospell, and sedycyows scysmatyckes.
  He tache them, vex them, from preson to preson he turne them,
  He indygth them, ivge them, and in conclusyon he burne them.
K.John. We rewe to here this of owr nobylyte;
  But in this behalfe, what seyst of the spretuallte?
Sed. Of this I am swer: to them to be no stranger,
  And spesyally whan ther honor ys in dawnger.
K.John. We trust owr lawers haue no such wyckyd myndes.
Sed. Yes, they many tymys are my most secrett fryndes.
  With faythfull precheres they can play leger demayne,
  And with falce colores procure thern to be slayne.
k.John. I perseyve this worlde is full of iniquite.
  As God wold haue yt, here cummyth Nobylyte.
Sed. Doth he so in dede? By owr lord, than wyll I hence!
k. John. Thow saydest $ou woldyst dwell where he kepyth resyde
Sed. Yea, but fyrst of all I mvst chaunge myn apparell
  Vnto a bysshoppe, to maynetayene with my quarell,
  To a monke or pryst or to sum holy fryer.
  I shuld neuer elles accomplych my dysyre.
K. John. Why, art thow goyng? Naye, brother, thow (p.8, fol.4 v)
          shalte not hence.
  Sed. I wold not be sene as I am for fortye pence.
  Whan I am relygyovse I wyll returne agayne.
K.John. Thow shalt tary here, or I mvst put the to payne.
Sed. I haue a great mynd to be a lecherovs man--
  A wengonce take yt! I wold saye, a relygyovs man.
  I wyll go and cum so fast as euyre I can.
K. John. Tush, dally not with me. I saye $ou shalt abyde.
Sed. Wene yow to hold me $at I shall not slyppe asyde?
K.John. Make no more prattyng, for I saye $ou shalt abyde. 
Sed. Stoppe not my passage; I mvst over see at $e next tyde.
K. John. I wyll ordeyne so, I trowe, $ou shalt not ouer.
Sed. Tush, tush, I am sewer of redy passage at Douer.
                                               Her go owt Sedwsion
                                          and drese for Syvyll ordere.
K.John. The devyll go with hym! $e vnthryftye knaue is gon.
                          [Enter Nobility.]
Nob. Troble not yowr sylfe with no soch dyssolute persone,
   For ye knowe full well, very lyttell honeste
   Ys gote at ther handes in every commynnalte.
K.John. This is but dallyaunce; ye do not speke as ye thynke.
Nob. By my trowthe I do, or elles I wold I shuld synke!
K.John. Than mvst I marvell at yow of all men lyvynge.
Nob. Why mervell at me? Tell me yowr very menyng.
K.John. For no man levyng is in more famylyerite
   With that wycked wrech, yf it be trew $at he told me.
Nob. What wrech speke ye of, for lesus love intymate.
K. John. Of $at presumtous wrech $at was with me here of late,
   Whom yow wyllyd not to vexe my selfe withall.
Nob. I know hym? Not I, by $e waye $at my sowll to shall!
K.John. Make yt not so strange, for ye know hym wyll inow.
Nob. Beleve me yff ye wyll, I know hym not, I assuer yow.
K.John. Ware ye neuer yett aquantyd with Sedissyon?
Nob. Syns I was a chyld, both hym and his condycyon
   I euer hated for his iniquite.
                          [Enter CIergy.]
K.John. A clere tokyn $at is of trew nobelyte;
   But I pray to God we fynde yt not other wyse.
   Yt was neuer well syns $e clargy wrowzt by practyse
   And left $e scriptur for menns ymagynacyons,
   Dyvydyng them selvys in so many congrygacyons
   Of monkes, chanons and fryers, of dyvers colors and facyons.
Cler. I do trust yowr grace wyll be as lovyng now
   As yowr predysessours haue bene to vs before yow.
K.John. I wyll suer wey my love with yowr behavers:  (p.9, foI.5)
   Lyke as ye deserve, so wyll I bere yow fauers.
   Clargy, marke yt well; I haue more to yow to say
   Than, as $e sayeng is, $e prist dyd speke a Sonday.
Cler. Ye wyll do vs no wrong, I hope, nor inivrye.
K. John. No, I wyll do yow ryght in seyng yow do yowr dewtye.

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       We know $e cawtelles of yowr sotyll companye.
     Cle,. Yf ye do vs wrong we shall seke remedy.
     K.John. Yea, that is the cast of all yowr company.
       Whan kynges correcte yow for yowr actes most vngodly,
       To $e pope, syttyng in the chayer of pestelens,
       Ye ronne, to remayne in yowr concupysens.
       Thus sett ye at nowght all princely prehemynens,
       Subdewyng $e ordere of dew obedyens.
       But with in a whyle I shall so abate yowr pryde
       That to yowr popet ye shall nnyther runne nor ryde;
       But ye shall be glad to seke to me, yowr prynce,
       For all such maters as shall be with in this provynce,
       Lyke as God wyllyth yow by his scripture evydente.
     Nob. To the church I trust ye wyll be obedyent.
     K.John. No mater to yow whether I be so or no.
     Nob. Yes, mary, is yt, for I am sworne thervnto:
       I toke a great othe whan I was dubbyd a knyght
       Euer to defend the holy churches ryght.
     Cler. Yea, and in her quarell ye owght onto deth to fyght.
     K.John. Lyke backes, in $e darke ye alweys take yowr flyght,
        Flytteryng in fanseys, and euer abhorre the lyght.
        I rew yt in hart that yow, Nobelyte,
        Shuld thus bynd yowr selfe to $e grett captyvyte
        Of blody Babulon, $e grownd and mother of whordom--
        Pe Romych churche I meane, more vyle than euer was Sodo
        And to say the trewth, a mete spowse for the fynd.
                              [Enter Civil Order.]
       Cler. Yowr grace ys fare gonne; God send yow a better mynd.
       K.John. Hold yowr peace, I say; ye are a lytyll to fatte.
        ln a whyle, I hope, ye shall be lener sumwhatte.
        We shall loke to yow, and to Cyuyle order also.
        Ye walke not so secrett but we know wher abowght ye goo.
       C.Ord. Why, yowr grace bath no cawse with me to be dysplesy
       K. John. All thynges consyderyd, we haue small cause to be plesyd.
       C.Ord. I besech yowr grace to graunt me a word or too.
       K.John. Speke on yowr pleasur and yowr hole mynd also.

       C.Ord. Ye know very well to set all thynges in order

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       I haue moche ado, and many thynges passe fro me
       For yowr common welth--and $at in euery border--
       For offyces, for londes, for lawe and for lyberte.
       And for traungressors I appoynt the penalte,
       That cytes and townes maye stand in quiotose peace, (p. IO, fol. 5v)
       That all theft and mvrder, with other vyce, maye seace.

       Yff I haue chaunsed for want of cyrcumspeccyon
       To passe $e lymytes of ryght and equite,
       I submyte my selfe vnto yowr graces correccyon,
       Desyryng pardon of yowr benyngnyte.
       I wot I maye fall throwgh my fragylyte;
       Therfor, I praye yow, tell me what $e mater ys,
       And amendes shall be where as I haue done amyse.

     K.John. Aganste amendement no resounable man can be.
     Nob. That sentence rysyth owt of an hygh charyte.
     K.John. Now that ye are her assembled all together,
       Amongeste other thynges ye shall fyrst of all consyder
       Pat my dysplesure rebounyth on to yow all.
     Cler. To yow non of vs ys preiudycyall.
     K.John. I shall proue yt. Yes, how haue ye vsyd England?
     Nob. But as yt becommyth vs, so fare as I vnderstand.
     K.John. Yes, $e pore woman complayneth her grevosly,
       And not withowt a cawse, for she hath great iniurye.
       I mvst se to yt, ther ys no remedy,
       For it ys a charge gevyn me from God allmyghtye.
       How saye ye? Clargye, apperyth it not so to yow?
     Cler. Yf it lykyth yowr grace, all we knowe $at well ynow.
     K.John. Than yow, Nobelyte, wyll affyrme yt, I am suer.
     Nob. Ye, that I wyll, sur, so long as my lyfe indure.
     K. John. And yow, Cyvyll order, I thynke wyll graunte $e same?
     C.Ord. Ondowzted, ser; zea, elles ware yt to me gret shame.
     K.John. Than for Englandes cavse I wyll be sumewhat playne:
       Yt is yow, Clargy, that hathe her in dysdayne
       With yowr Latyne howrrs, serymonyes and popetly playes.
       ln her more and more Godes holy worde decayes,

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        And them to maynteyn vnresonable ys $e spoyle
        Of her londes, her goodes, and of her pore chylderes toyle.
        Rekyn fyrst yowr tythis, yowr devocyons and yowr offrynges,  
        Mortuaryes, pardons, bequestes and other thynges,
        Besydes that ye cache for halowed belles and purgatorye,
        For iwelles, for relyckes, confessyon and cowrtes of bavdrye,
        For legacyes, trentalles, with scalacely messys,
        Wherby ye haue made $e people very assys;
        And over all this ye haue browght in a rabyll
        Of Latyne mvmmers and sectes desseyvabyll,
        Evyn to dewore her and eat her vpp attonnys.
      Cler. Yow wold haue no churche, I wene, by thes sacred bones.
      K.John. Yes, I wold haue a churche, not of dysgysyd shavelynge
        But of faythfull hartes and charytable doynges,
        For whan Christes chyrch was in her hyeste glory,     (p. II, fol.
        She knew neyther thes sectes nor ther ipocrysy.
      Cler. Yes! I wyll prove yt by Dauid substancyally:
        Astitit regina a dextris tuis
        ln vestitu deaurato, circumdata varietate.
        A quene, sayth Davyd, on thy ryght hond, lord, I se,
        Apparrellyd with golde and compassyd with dyversyte.
      K.John. What ys yowr meanyng by that same scriptur? Tell me
      Cler. This quene ys $e chyrch, which thorow all Cristen region
        Ys beawtyfull, deckyd with many holy relygyons--
        Mvnkes, chanons and fryeres, most excellent dyvynis,
        As Grandy Montensers and other Benedictyns,
        Premonstratensers, Bernardes and Gylbertynys,
        lacobytes, Mynors, Whyght Carmes and Augustynis,
        Sanbonites, Cluniackes, with holy Carthusyans,
        Heremytes and auncors, with most myghty Rodyans,
        Crucifers, Lucifers, Brigettes, Ambrosyanes,
        Stellifers, Ensifers, with purgatoryanes,
        Sophyanes, lndianes and Camaldulensers,
        lesuytes, loannytes, with Clarimontensers,
        Clarynes and Columbynes, Templers, newe Niniuytes,
        Rufyanes, Tercyanes, Lorytes and Lazarytes,
        Hungaryes, Teutonyckes, Hospitelers, Honofrynes,

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        Basyles and Bonhams, Solauons and Celestynes,
        Paulynes, Hieronymytes and monkes of losaphathes valleye,
        Fulygynes, flamynes, with bretherne of the black alleye,
        Donates and Dimysynes, with Canons of S. Mark,
        Vestals and Monyals--a worlde to heare them barke!--
        Abbottes and doctors, with bysshoppes and cardynales,
        Archedecons and pristes, as to ther fortune falles.
     C.Ord. Me tbynkyth yowr fyrst text stondeth nothyng with yor reson,
        For in Davydes tyme wer no such sectes of relygyon.
     K.John. Davyd meanyth vertuys by $e same diversyte,
        As in the sayd psalmc yt is evydent to se,
        And not mvnkysh sectes; but yt is euer yowr cast
        For yowr advauncement $e scripturs for to wrast.
     Cler. Of owr holy father in this I take my grownd,
        Which hathe awtoryte $e scripturs to expownd.
     K.John. Naye, he presumyth $e scripturs to confownd.
        Nowther thow nor the pope shall do pore Englond wronge,
        I beyng governor and kyng her peple amonge.
        Whyle yow for lucre sett forth yowr popysh lawys
        Yowr selvys tc advaunce, ye wold make vs pycke strawes.
        Nay, ipocrytes, nay. We wyll not be scornyd soo
        Of a sort of knavys. We shall loke yow otherwyse too.
     Nob. Sur, yowr sprytes are movyd, I persayve by yowr langage.
     K. John. I wonder $at yow for such veyne popych baggage
        Can suffyre Englond to be impoveryshyd
        And mad a begger; ye are very yll advysyd.
     Nob. I marvell grettly that ye saye thus to me.
     K.John. For dowghtles ye do not as becummyth nobclyte;
        Ye spare novther landes nor goodes, but all ye geve
        To thes cormerantes. Yt wold any good man greve
        To se yowr madnes, as I wold God shuld saue me.
     Nob. Sur, I suppose yt good to bylde a perpetuite
        For me and my frendes, to be prayed for evermore.
     K.John. Tush, yt is madnes all to dyspayre in God     (p. I2, foI.6v)
                 so sore
        And to thynke Christes deth to be vnsvfficient.
     Nob. Sur, that I haue don was of a good intent.
     K.John. The intente ys nowght which hath no sewer grovnde.

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      Cler. Yff yow continue, ye wyll holy chyrch confunde.
      K.John. Nay, no holy chyrch nor feythfull congregacyon,
        But an hepe of adders of Antecristes generacyon.
      C.Ord. Yt pyttyth me moche that ye are to them so harde.
      K.John. Yt petyeth me more $at ye them so mych regarde.
        They dystroye mennys sowllys with damnable supersticyon, -
        And decaye all realmys by meyntenaunce of sedycyon.
        Ye wold wonder to know what profe I haue of this.
      Nob. Well, amenment shalbe wher any thyng is amysse,
        For vndowtted, God doth open soche thynges to prynces
        As to none other men in the Cristyen provynces;
        And therfor we wyll not in this with yowr grace contend.
      C.Ord. No, but with Godes grace we shall owr mysededes amen
      Cler. For all such forfetes as yowr pryncely mageste
        For yowr owne person or realme can prove by me,
        I submytte my selfe to yow bothe body and goodes.        Knele. 
      K.John. We pety yow now, consyderyng yowr repentante modes,
        And owr gracyovs pardone we grante yow vpon amendment.
      Cler. God preserve yowr grace and mageste excelent.
      K.John. Aryse, Clargy, aryse, and ever be obedyent,
        And as God commandeth yow, take vs for yowr governere.
      Cler. By $e grace of God, $e pope shall b~ my rulare.
      K.John. What saye ye, Clargy? Who ys yowr governer?
      Cler. Ha! Ded I stomble? I sayd, my prynce ys my ruler.
      K.John. I pray to owr lord this obedyence maye indewre.
      Cler. I wyll not breke yt, ye may be fast and suer.
      K.John. Than cum hether all thre; ye shall know more of my mynde.
      Cler. Owr kyng to obeye the scriptur doth vs bynde.
      K.John. Ye shall fyrst be sworne to God and to $e crowne
        To be trew and iuste in every cetye and towne,
        And this to perforne set hand and kysse the bocke.
      C.Ord. With the wyffe of Loth we wyll not backeward locke
        Nor turne from owr oth, but euer obeye yowr grace.
      K.John. Than wyll I gyue yow yowr chargys her in place
        And accepte yow all to be of owr hyghe councell.
      Cler.
      Nob.       To be faythfull, than, ye vs more streytly compell.
      C.Ord. 
      K.John. For the love of God, loke to the state of Englond!
        Leate non enemy holde her in myserable bond.
        Se yow defend her as yt becummyth nobilite,

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  Se yow instructe her acordyng to yowr degre,
  Fovrnysh her yow with a cyvyle honeste.             (p. I3,foI.7)
  Thus shall she florysh in honor and grett plente.
  With godly wysdom yowr maters so conveye
  That the commynnalte the powers maye obeye,
  And ever beware of that false thefe Sedycyon,
  Whych poysennyth all realmes ind bryng them to perdycyon.
Nob. Sur, for soche wrecches we wyll be so circumspectte
  That neyther ther falsed nor gylle shall vs infecte.
Cler. L wrrant yow, sur, no, and thit shall well apere.
C.Ord. We wyll so provyde yff anye of them cum here
  To dysturbe the realme, they shall be full glad to fle.
K.John. Well, yowr promyse includeth no small dyffyculte.
  kut I put the case that this false thefe Sedycyon
  Shuld cum to yow thre aiid call hym selfe Relygyon.
  Myght he not vnder the pretence of holynes
  Cawse yow to consent to r,yche vngodlynes?
Nob. He shall never be able to do yt, veryly.
K.John. God graunt ye be not deceyvyd by hypocresye.
  I say no more, I. ln shepes aparell sum walke
  And seme relygeyose $at deceyvably can calke;
  Beware of soche hipocrites as $e kyngdom of hevyn from man
  Do hyde for awantage, for they deceyve now and than.
  Well, I leve yow here; yche man consyder his dewtye.
Nob. With Godes leve, no favte shall be in this companye.
K.John. Cum, Cyvyle order, ye shall go hence with me.
C. Ord. At yowr commandmente I wyll gladlye wayte vpon ye.
            Here kyne Iohn and Sivile order go owt,
            and Syvile order drese hym for Sedewsyon.
Nob. Me thynke the kyng is a man of a wonderfull wytt.
Cler. Naye, saye $at he ys of a vengeible craftye wytt;
  Than shall ye be sure the trewth of the thyng to hytt.
  Hard ye not how he of the holy church dyd rayle?
  His extreme thretynynges shall lytyll hym avayle;
  I wyll worke soch wayes $at he shall of his purpose fayle.
Nob. Yt is meet a prince to saye sumwhat for his plesure.
Cler. Yea, but yt is to moch to rayle so withowt mesure.
Nob. Well, lett every man speke lyke as he hathe a cawse.

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     Cler. Why do ye say so? Yt is tyme for me than to pawse.
     Nob. This wyll I saye sur that he ys so noble a prince
       As this day raygneth in ony Cristyen provynce.
     Cler. Mary, yt apereth well by that he wonne in Fraunce!
     Nob. Well, he lost not ther so moche by marcyall chaunce
       But he gate moche more in Scotland, lreland and Wales.
     Cler. Yea, God sped vs well, Crystmes songes are mery tales!
     Nob. Ye dysdayne soche mater as ye know full evydent.
       Are not bothe lreland and Wales to hym obedyent?
       Yes, he holdyth them bothe in pessable possessyon.   (p. I4, fol.7v)
       And--by cause I wyll not from yowr tall make degressyon--
       For his lond in Fraunce he gyueth but lytell forsse,
       Havyng to Englond all his love and remorse;
       And Angoye he gaue to Artur his nevy in chaunge.
     Cler. Owr changes are soch that an abbeye turneth to a graung
       We are so handled we haue scarce eyther horse or male.
       Nob. He that dothe hate me $e worse wyll tell my tale.
       Yt is yowr fassyon soche kynges to dyscommend
       As yowr abuses reforme or reprehend.
       Yow pristes are $e cawse $at Chronycles doth defame
       So many prynces and men of notable name,
       For yow take vpon yow to wryght them euermore;
       And therfor kyng lohn ys lyke to rewe yt sore
       Whan ye wryte his tyme, for vexcyng of $e clargy.
     Cler. I mervell ye take his parte so ernestlye.
     Nob. Yt becommyth Nobelyte his prynces fame to preserue.
     Cler. Yf he contynew, we are lyke in a whyle to starve:
       He demaundeth of vs the tenth parte of owr lyvyng.
       Nob. I thynke yt is, then, for sum nessessary thyng.
     Cler. Mary, to recover that he hath lost in Fraunce,
       As Normandy dewkedom and his land beyond Orleaunce.
       Nob. And thynke ye not that a mater nessesary?
       Cler. No, sur, by my trowth, he takyng yt of $e clergy.
     Nob. Ye cowde be content that he shuld take yt of vs?
     Cler. Yea, so $at he wold spare the clargy,by swet lesus!
       This takyng of vs myght sone growe to a custom,
       And than holy churche myght so be browght to thraldom,
       Whych hath ben euer from temporall prynces free

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    As towchyng trybute or other captyvyte.
  Nob. He that defendeth yow owght to haue parte of yowr goodes.
  Cler. He hath the prayers of all them liat hathe hoodes.
  Nob. Why, ys that inowgh to helpe hym in his warre?
  Cler. The churche he may not of lyberte debarre.
  Nob. Ded not Crist hym selfe paye trybytt vnto Cesere?
    Yf he payd trybute, so owght his holy vycar.
  Cler. To here ye reson so ondyscretlye I ivonder!
    Ye mvst consyder that Cryst $it tyme was vnder,
    But his vycar now ys aboue $e prynces all.
    Therfor beware ye do not to herysy fall.
    Ye owght to beleve as holy chLirche dorh teche yow,
    And not to reason in soche hygh materes now.
  Nob. I am vnlernyd, my wyttes are sone confowndyd.  (p. I5, fol. 8)
  Cler. Than leue soch materes to men more depely growndyd.
  Nob. But how wyll ye do for the othe $at ye haue take?
  Cler. The keyes of $e church can all soche materes of shake.
  Nob. What call ye those kyes? I pray yow hartly, tell me.
  Cler. Owr holy fathers powr and his hygh avtoryte.
  Nob. Well, I can no more say; ye are to well lernyd for me.
    My bysynes ys soche that here now I mvst leve ye.
  Cler. I mvst hence also so fast as euer maye be,
    To sewe vnto Rome for the churches lyberte.
                                       Go owt Nobylyte and CIar[gy].
                     Here Sedycyon cummyth in.
  Sed. Haue in onys ageyne, in spyght of all myn enymyes,
    For they can not dryve me from all mennys companyes.
    And thowgh yt wer so $at all men wold forsake me,
    Yet dowght I yt not but sume good women wold take me.
    I loke for felowys $at here shuld make sum srorte.
    I mervell yt is so longe ere they resorte.
    By $e messe! I wene $e knaves are in $e bryers,
    Or elles they are fallen in to sum order of fryers.
    Naye, sall I gesse ryght? They are gon into the stwes.
    I holde ye my necke, anon we shall here newes.
                                   [He hears someone] seyng $e leteny.

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      Lyst, for Godes passyon! I trow her cummeth sum hoggherd
      Callyng for his pyggys! Such a noyse I neuer herd.
           Here cum Dyssymvlacyon syngyng of the letany.
      Diss. (syng) Sancte Dominice, ora pro nobis.
      Sed. (syng) Sancte pyld monache, I beshrow vobis.
      Diss. (syng) Sancte Franciuse, ora pro nobis.
      Sed. Here ye not? Cockes sowle, what meaneth $is ypocryte knaue?
      Diss. Pater nostem I pray God bryng hym sone to his grave;
        Qui es in celis, with an vengeable sanctifcetur,
        Or elles holy chyrche shall neuer thryve, by saynt Petvr.
      Sed. Tell me, good felowe, makyste $ou this prayer for me?
      Diss. Ye are as ferce as thowgh ye had broke yowr nose at $e buttre.
        I medyll not with the, but here to good sayntes I praye,
        Agenst soch enmyes as wyll holy chyrche decaye.
                                                         Here syng this:
        A Iohanne Rege iniquo, libera nos, domine.
      Sed. Leue, I saye, or by $e messe I wyll make yow grone.
      Diss. Yff thow be ientyll, I pray $e leate me alone,
        For with in a whyle my devocyon wyll be gone.
      Sed. And wherfor dost thow praye here so bytterly,
        Momblyng thy Pater noster and chauntyng $e letany?
      Diss. For $at holy chyrch rnyght saue hyr patrymonye,
        And to haue of kyng lohn a tryumphant vyctorye.
      Sed. And why of kyng lohn? Doth he vexe yow so sore?
      Diss. Bothe chyrchys and abbeys he oppressyth more (p. I6,fol.8v)
              and more,
        And take of the clergye--yt is onresonable to tell.
      Sed. Owte with the popys bulles, than, and cursse hym downe to hell.
      Diss. Tushe, man, we haue done so, but all $at wyll not helpe.
        He regardyth no more $e pope than he dothe a whelpe.
      Sed. Well, lett hym alone; for that wyll I geve hym a scelpe.
        But what arte $ou callyd of thyn owne munkych nacyon?
      Diss. Kepe yt in covnsell: dane Davy Dyssymulacyon.
      Sed. What, Dyssymulacyon? Cokes sowle, myn old aquentaunce!
        Par me faye, mon amye, ie tote ad voutre plesaunce.

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Diss. Gramercyes, good frend, with all my very hert.
  I trust we shall talke more frely or we deperte.
Sed. Why, vylayn horson! Knowyst not bi cosyn Sedycyon?
Diss. L haue cuer loved both the and thy condycyon.
  Sed. Thow mvst nedes, I trowe, for we cum of ij bretherne:
  Yf $ou remembem owr fatheres were on manns chylderne.
  Thow commyst of falsed, anil I nf prevy treason.
Diss. Than infydelyte owr granfather ys by reason.
Sed. Mary, that ys trewe, and his begynner Antycrist,
  The great pope of Rome or fyrst veyne popysh prist.
Diss. Now welcurn, cosyn, by $e waye $at rny sowle shall to!
Sed. Gramercy, cosyn, by $e holy bysshope Benno.
  Thow kepyst $i old wont; thow art styll an abbe mann.
Diss. To hold all thynges vp I play my pirt now and than.
Sed. Why, what manere of offyce hast bou within the abbey?
Diss. Of all relygyons I kepe $e chyrch dore keye.
Sed. Than of a lykelyhod thow art ther generall porter.
Diss. Nay, of mvnkes and chanons I im $e suttyll sorter.
  Whyle sum talke with Besse the resydewe kepe sylence.
  Thowgh we playe $e knavys, we must shew a good pretence.
  Where so euer sum eate, a serten kepe $e froyter;
  Where so euer sum slepe, sum must nedes kepe $e dorter.
  Dedyst $ou neuer know $e maner of owr senyes?
Sed. I was neuer with them aquentyd, by seynt Denyes.
Diss. Than neuer knewyst $ou the knauery of owr menyes.
  Yf I shuld tell all, I cowd saye more than that.
Sed. Now, of good felowshyppe, I beseche $e show me what.
Diss. The profytable lucre cummyth euer in by me.
Sed. But by what meane? Tell me, I hartely priy tlie.
Diss. To wynne $e peple I appoynt yche man his place:
  Sum to syng Latyn and sum to ducke at grace,
  Sum to go mvmmyhg aiid surn to beare $e crosse,     (p. I7, foI.9)
  Sum to stowpe downeward as $er heades ware stopt with mosse;
  Sum rede $e epystle and gospell at hygh misse,
  Sum syng at $e lectorne, with long eares lyke an asse.
  The pawment of the chyrche $e aunchent faders tredes,
  Sumtyme with a portas, sumtyme with a payre of bedes;

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       And this exedyngly drawth peple to devoycyone,
       Specyally whan they do se so good relygeon.
       Than haue we imagys of seynt Spryte and seynt Savyer.
       Moche is the sekynge of them to gett ther faver;
       Yong whomen berfote, and olde men seke them brecheles.
       The myracles wrowght ther I can in no wyse expresse.
       We lacke neyther golde nor sylwem gyrdles nor rynges,
       Candelles nor tapperes, nor other customyd offerynges.
       Thowgh I serne a shepe, I can play the suttle foxe:
       I can make Latten to bryng this gere to $e boxe.
       Tushe, Latten ys alone to bryng soche mater to passe;
       Ther ys no Englyche $at can soche profyghtes compasse.
       And therfor we wyll no servyce to be songe,
       Gospell nor pystell, but all in Latten tonee.
       Of owr suttell dryftes many more poyntes are behynde;
       Yf I tolde yow all, we shuld neuer haue an ende.
     Sed. In nomine patris! Of all $at euer I hard,
       Thow art alone yet of soche a dremyng bussard!
     Diss. Nay, dowst $ou not se how I in my colours iette?
       To blynd $e peple I haue yet a farther fette.
       This is for Bernard and this is for Benet,
       This is for Gylbard and this is for lhenet;
       For Frauncys this is, ind this is for Domynyke,
       For Awsten and Elen, and this is for seynt Partryk.
       We haue many rewlles, but neuer one we kepe;
       Whan we syng full lowde owr hartes be fast aslepe.
       We resemble sayntes in gray, whyte, blacke and blewe,
       Yet vnto prynces not one of owr nomber trewe.
       And thit shall kyng lohn prove shortly, by $e rode.
     Sed. But in $e meane tyme yowr selues gett lytyll good.
         Yowr abbeys go downe, I here saye, every where.
     Diss. Yea, frynd Sedysyon, but thow mvst se to $at gere.
     Sed. Than mvst I haue helpe, by swete saynt Penettes cuppe.
     Diss. Thow shalt haue a chyld of myn owne bryngyng vppe.
     Sed. Of thy bryngyng vppe! Cokes sowle, what knaue is that?

|p
Diss. Mary, Pryvat Welth; now hayve I tolde $e what.
   I made hym a monke and a perfytt cloysterere,
   And in $e abbeye he becam fyrst celerer,
   Than pryor, than abbote, of a thowsand pownd land, no wors.
   Now he is a bysshoppe and rydeth with an hondryd hors,
   And as I here say, he is lyke to be a cardynall.       (p.I8,foI.9v)
Sed. Ys he so in dede? By the masse, than haue att all!
Diss. Nay. Fyrst Pryvat Welth shall bryng in Vsurpyd Powr
   With his avtoryte, and than the gam ys ower.
Sed. Tush, Vsurpyd Powr dothe fauer me of all men,
   For in his trobles I ease his hart now and then.
   Whan prynces rebell agenste hys autoryte,
   I make ther commons agenst them for to be.
   Twenty Md men are but a mornyng breckefast
   To be slayne for hym, he takyng his repast.
Diss. Thow hast, I persayve, a very suttyll cast.
Sed. I am for $e pope as for $e shyppe $e mast.
Diss. Than helpe, Sedycyon, I may styll in Englond be;
   Kyng lohn hath threfied $at I shall ouer see.
Sed. Well, yf thow wylte of rne haue remedy this owm
   Go feche Pryvat Welth and also Vsurpyd Powr.
Diss. I can bryng but one, be Mary, lesus mother.
Sed. Bryng thow in $e one and let hym bryng in $e other.
            Here cum in Vsurpyd Pou,r and P,ivate Welth,
                     syngyng on after another.
Us. P. (syng this) Super flumina Babilonis siIspen,liJnus organa nostra.
Pr. W. (syng this) Quomodo cantabimus canticum bonum in terra
           aliena?
Sed. By the mas, me thynke they are syngyng of placebo.
Diss. Peace, for with my spectakles vadam et videbo.
   Cokes sowll, yt is they; at $e last I haue smellyd them owt.
                                            Her go and bryng them.
Sed. Thow mayst be a sowe yf thow hast so good a snowt.

Sures, marke weLl this gere, for now yt begynnyth to worke:
False Dyssymulacyon doth bryng in Privat Welth,

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   And Vsurpyd Powm which is more ferce than a Turcke,
   Cummeth in by hym to decayve all spyrytuall helth;
   Than I by them bothe, as clere experyence telth.
   We iiij by owr craftes kyng lohn wyll so subdwe
   That for iij.C. yers all Englond shall yt rewe.
 Diss. Of the clergy, fryndes, report lyke as ye se,
   That ther Privat Welth cummyth euer in by me.
 Sed. But by whom commyst $ou? By be messe, euyn by $e devyll,
   For $e grownd $ou arte of $e Cristen peplys evyll.
 Diss. And what are yow, ser? I praye yow say good be me.
 Sed. By my trowth, I cum by the and thy affynyte.
 Diss. Feche thow in thy felow so fast as euer thow can.
 Pr. W. I trow thow shalt se me now playe $e praty man.
   Of me, Privat Welth, cam fyrst Vsurpyd Powr;
   Ye may perseyve yt in pagent here this howr.
 Sed. Now welcum, felowys, by all thes bonys and      (p. I9, fol.I0)
          naylys!
 Us.P. Among companyons good felyshyp neuer faylys.
 Sed. Nay, Vsurpid Powm $ou must go backe ageyne,
   For I must also put $e to a lytyll payne.
 Us.P. Why, fellaue Sedycyon, what wylt $ou haue me do?
 Sed. To bare me on $i backe and bryng me in also,
   That yt maye be sayde $at fyrst Dyssymulacyon
   Browght in Privat Welth to every Cristen nJcyon,
   And that Privat Welth browght in Vsurpid Powr,
   And he Sedycyon, in cytye, towne and tower,
   Pat sum man may know $e feche of all owr sorte.
 Us. P. Curn on thy wayes, than, $at thow rnayst mak $e fort.
 Diss. Nay, Vsurped Powm we shall bare hym all thre--
   Thy selfe, he and I--yf ye wyll be rewlyd by me,
   For ther is noh of vs but in hym hath a stroke.
 Pr. W. The horson knaue wayeth and yt were a Croked oke!
                   Here they shall bare hym in,
                           and Sedycyon saythe:
 Sed. Yea, thus it shuld be. Mary, now I am alofte
   I wyll beshyte yow all yf ye sett me not downe softe.

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  ln my opynyon, by swete saynt Antony,
  Here is now gatheryd a full honest company.
  Here is nowther Awsten, Ambrose, Hierom nor Gregory,
  But here is a sorte of companyons moch more mery.
  They of $e chirch than wer fower holy doctors,
  We of $e chirch now are $e.iiij. generall proctors.
  Here ys fyrst of all good father Dyssymulacyon,
  $e fyrst begynner of this same congregacyon;
  Here is Privat Welthe, which hath be chyrch infecte
  With all abusyons and brovght yt to a synfull secte;
  Here ys Vsurpid Powm $at all kynges doth subdwe,
  With such avtoryte as is neyther good ner trewe;
  And I last of all am evyn sance pere Sedycyon.
Us.P. Vnder heuyn ys not a rnor knaue in condycyon:
  Wher as $ou dost cum, $at commonwelth can not thryve.
  By owr lord, I marvell $at thow art yet alyve!
Pr. W. Wher herbes are pluckte vpp $e wedes many tymys remayne.
Diss. No man can vtter an evydence more playn.
Sed. Yea, ye thynke so, yow? Now Godes blyssyng breke yowr heade!
  I can do but lawgh to her yow, by this breade!
  I am so mery $at we are mett, by saynt lohn,
  I fele not $e grovnd $at I do go vppon.
  For $e love of God, lett vs haue sum mery songe.
Us.P. Begyne thy self, than, and we shall lepe in amonge.
                                                     He,e syng.
Sed. I wold euer dwell here to haue such mery sporte.
Pr. W. Thow mayst haue yt, man, yf thow wylt hether resorte,
  For the holy father ys as good a felowe as we.
Diss. The holy father! Why, I pray the, whych is he?  (p.2O, fol. I0v)
Pr. W. Vsurpid Powr here, which, thowgh he apparaunt be
  ln this apparell, yet hathe he avtoryte
  Bothe in hevyn and erth, in purgatory and in hell.
Us.P. Marke well his saynges, for a trew tale he doth tell.
Sed. What, Vsurpid Powr? Cockes sowle, ye are owr pope?
  Where is yowr thre crovnys, yowr crosse keys and yowr cope?
  What meanyth this mater? Me thynke ye walke astraye.
Us.P. Thow knowest I must haue sum dialyaunce and playe,
     For I am a man lyke as an other ys.
     Sumtyme I must hunt, sumtyme I mvst Alysen kys.

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    I am bold of yow, I take ye for no straungers.
    We are as spirituall: I dowzt in yow no daungers.
 Diss. I owght to conseder yowr holy father hode,
    From my fyrst infancy ye haue ben to me so good.
    For Godes sake, wytsave to geve me yowr blyssyng here,
                                                              Knele.
    A pena et culpa $at I may stand this day clere.
 Sed. From makyng cuckoldes? Mary, $at wer no mery chere.
 Diss. R pena et culpa; I trow thow canst not here.
 Sed. Yea, with a cuckoldes wyff ye haue dronke dobyll bere.
 Diss. I pray the, Sedycyon, my pacyens no more stere;
   A pena et culpa I desyre to be clere,
   And than all the devylles of hell I wold not fere.
 Us. P. But tell me one thyng: dost $ou not preche $e Gospell?
 Diss. No, I promyse yow; I defye yt to $e devyll of hell!
 Us.P. Yf I knewe thow dedyst, $ou shuldest haue non absolucyon.
 Diss. Yf I do, abiure me or put me to execucyon.
 Pr. W. I dare say he brekyth no popyshe constytucyon.
 Us.P. Soche men are worthy to haue owr contrybucyon:
   I assoyle the here, behyiide and also beforne.
 Now art $ou as clere as $at daye thow wert borne.
   Ryse, Dyssymulacyon, and stond vppe lyke a bold knyght;
   Dowzt not of my powr thowgh my aparell be lyght.
 Sed. A man, be $e messe, can not know yow from a knave;
   Ye loke so lyke hym as I wold God shuld me save.
 Pr. W. Thow arte very lewde owr father so to depraue.
   Thowgh he for his plesure soche lyght apparell haue,
   Yt is now sommer and the heate ys withowt mesure
   And among vs he may go lyght at his owne plesure.
   Felow Sedycyon, thowgh $ou dost mocke and scoffe,
   We haue other materes than this to be commyned of.
   Frynd Dyssymulacyon, why dost $ou not thy massage
   And show owt of Englond $e causse of $i farre passage?
   Tush, blemysh not, whoreson, for I shall ever assyst $e.
 Sed. The knave ys whyght leueryd, by the holy      (p.2I, fol.II)
               trynyte!
 Us.P. Why so, Privat Welth? What ys $e mater? Tell me.

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     Pr. W. Dyssymulacyon ys a massanger for $e clergy;
       I must speke for hym, ther ys no remedy.
       The clargy of Ynglond, which ys yowr specyall frynde
       And of a long tyme hath borne yow very good mynde,
       Fyllyng yowr coffars with many a thowsande pownde,
       Yf ye sett not to hand, he ys lyke to fall to $e grownde.
       I do promysse yow truly, his harte ys in his hose;
       Kyng Iohn so vsyth hym $at he reconnyth all to lose.
     Us.P. TeII, Dyssymulacyon, why art thow so asshamed
       To shewe thy massage? Thow art moch to be blamed.
       Late rne se those wrytynges. Tush, man, I pray $e cum nere.
     Diss. Yowr horryble holynes puteth me in wonderfull fere.
     Us.P. Tush, lett me se them, I pray the hartely!
       Kere Dissimvlacyon shall deleuer $e wrytynges
                    to Vsurpyd Pouwr.
       I perseyve yt well, thow wylt lose no ceremony.
     Sed. Yet is he no lesse than a false knave, veryly.
       I wold thow haddyst kyst his ars, for $at is holy.
     Pr. W. How dost thow proue me $at his arse ys holy, now?
     Sed. For yt hath an hole, evyn fytt for $e nose of yow.
     Pr. W. Yowr parte ys not elles but for to playe $e knave,
       And so ye mvst styll contynew to yowr grave.
     Us.P. I saye, leue yowr gawdes and attend to me this howre.
       The bysshoppes writeth here to me, Vsurped Powr,
       Desyryng assystence of myne avctoryte
       To saue and support the chyrches lyberte.
       They report kyng lohn to them to be very harde
       And to haue $e church in no pryce nor regarde.
       ln his parlament he demaundeth of $e clargy
       For his warrrs $e tent of $e chyrches patrymony.
     Pr. W. Ye wyll not consent to that, I trow, by saynt Mary!
     Sed. No, drawe to yow styll, but lett none from yow cary.
     Us.P. Ye know yt is cleane agenst owr holy decrees
       That princes shuld thus contempne owr lybertees.
       He taketh vppon hym to reforme $e tythes and offrynges
       And intermedleth with other spyrytuall thynges.

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     Pr. W. Ye mvst sequester hym, or elles that wyll mare all.
     Us. P. Naye, besydes all this, before iuges temporall
       He conventeth clarkes of cawses crymynall.
  Pr. W. Yf ye se not to that the churche wyll haue a fall.
  Sed. By the masse, than pristes are lyke to haue a    (p.22,foI.IIv)
         pange;
    For treson, mvrder and thefte they are lyke to hange.
    By cockes sowle, than I am lyke to walke for treason
    Yf I be taken. Loke to yt therfor in seasone.
  Pr. W. Mary, God forbyd that euer yowr holy anoynted
    For tresone or thefte shuld be hanged, racked or ioynted
    Lyke the rascall sorte of the prophane layete.
  Vs. P. Naye, I shall otherwyse loke to yt, ye may trust me.
    Before hymselfe also $e bysshoppes he doth convent,
    To $e derogacyon of ther dygnyte excelent,
    And wyll suffer non to $e covrt of Rome to appele.
  Diss. No, he contemnnyth yowre avtoryte and seale
    And sayth in his lond he wyll be lord and kyng,
    No prist so hardy to enterpryse any thyng.
    For $e whych of late with hym ware at veryaunce
    Fower of his bysshoppes, and in maner at defyaunce:
    Wyllyum of London and Evstace bysshope of Hely,
    Water of Wynchester and Gylys of Hartford, trewly.
    Be yowr avtoryte they haue hym excominycate.
  Us.P. Than haue they done well, for he is a reprobate.
    To $at I admytt he ys alwayes contrary.
    I made this fellow here $e archebysshope of Canterbery,
    And he wyll agree therto in no condycyon.
  Pr. W. Than hathe he knowlege $at his name ys Sedycyon?
 Diss. Dowtles he hath so, and that drownnyth his opynvon.
  Us.P. Why do ye not saye his name ys Stevyn Langton?
  Diss. Tush, we haue done so, but $at helpyth not $e mater;
    The bysshope of Norwych for $at cawse doth hym flater.
  Us. P. Styke thow to yt fast we haue onys admytted the.
  Sed. I wyll not one iote from my admyssyon fle;
    The best of them all shall know $at I am he.
    Naye, in suche maters lett men be ware of me.
  Us.P.. The monkes of Caunterbery ded more at my request

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    Than they wold at his concernyng that eleccyon.
    They rhase Sedycyon, as yt is now manyfest,
    ln spytt of his harte. Than he for ther rebellyon
    Exyled them all and toke ther hole possessyon
    ln to hys owne handes, them sendyng ouer see,
    Ther lyuynges to seke in extreme poverte.
   
    This custum also he hath, as it is tolde me:
    Whan prelates depart--yea, bysshope, abbott or curate--
    He entreth theyr landes with owt my lyberte,
    Takyng $e profyghtes tyll the nexte be consecrate,
    lnstytute, stallyd, indeucte or intronyzate.
    And of $e pyed monkes he entendeth to take a dyme.
    All wyll be marryd yf I loke not to yt in tyme.
  
  Diss. Yt is takyn, ser. Pe somme ys un-resonnable-- (p. 24,[a],fol.I3)
    A nynne thowsand marke; to lyve they are not able.
    His suggesteon was to subdew the Yrysh men.
  Pr. W. Yea, that same peple doth ease be church now and then;
    For that enterpryse they wold be lokyd vppon.
  Us.P. They gett no mony, but they shall haue clene remyssion,
    For those Yrysh men are euer good to $e church;
    Whan kynges dysobeye yt, than they begynne to worch.
  Pr. W. And all that they do ys for indvlgence and pardon.
  Sed. By the messe, and $at is not worth a rottyn wardon!
  Us.P. What care we for that? To them yt is venyson.
  Pr. W. Than lett them haue yt, a Godes dere benyson!
  Us.P. Now, how shall we do for this sarne wycked kyng?
  Sed. Suspend hym and curse hym, both with yowr word and wrytyng;
    Yf that wyll not holpe, than interdyct his land
    With extrem cruellnes; anil yf $it wyll not stand,
    Cawse other prynces to revenge $e churchys wronge.
    Yt wyll profytte yow to sett them aworke amonge;
    For clene remyssyon one kyng wyll subdew another.
    Yea, $e chyld sumtyme wyll sle both father and mother.
  Us. P. This cownsell ys good; I wyll now folow yt playne.
    Tary thow styll here tyll we returne agayne.

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                Her go owt Vsurpid Powr
                  and Privat Welth and Sedycyon;
               Vsurpyd Powr shall drese for be pope,
                   Privat Welth for a cardynall,
                   and Sedycyon for a monke.
               $e cardynall shall bryng in be crose,
          and Stevyn Lavnton $e bocke, bell and candell.
       
   Diss. This Vsurpid Powm whych now is gon from hence,
     For the holy church wyll make such ordynance
     That all men shall be vnder his obedyens.
     Yea, kynges wyll be glad to geve hym their alegyance,
     And than shall we pristes lyve here with owt dysturbans.
     As Godes owne vyker anon ye shall se hym wytt,
     His flocke to avaunse by his most polytyke wytt.
     He shall make prelates, both byshopp and Cardynall, (p. 23, fol. I2)
     Doctours and prebendes with furde whodes and syde gownes.
     He wyll also create the orders monastycall,
     Monkes, chanons and fryers, with gaye coates and sbauen crownes,
     And buylde them places to corrupt cyties and townes.
     The dead sayntes shall shewe both visyons and myracles;
     With ymages and rellyckes he shall wurke sterracles.
     
     He wyll make mattens, houres, masse and euensonge
     To drowne the scriptures for doubte of heresye;
     He wyll sende pardons to saue mennys sowles amonge,
     Latyne deuocyons, with the holye rosarye.
     He wyll apoynt fastynges and plucke downe matrimonye;
     Holy water and breade shall dryue awaye the deuyll;
     Blessynges with blacke bedes wyll helpe in euery euyll.
     Kynge lohan of Englinde, bycau~e he h~th rebelled
     Agaynst holy churche, vsynge it wurse than a stable,
     To gyue vp hys crowne shall shortly be compelled.

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     And the Albygeanes, lyke heretykes detestable,
     Shall be brent bycause agaynst our father they babble;
     Through Domynyckes preachynge an.xviij. thousande are slayne                       M
     To teache them how they shall holye churche disdayne.
     All this to performe he wyll cawle a gemerall     (p.24[b],fol.I3)
        cowncell
     Of all Cristendom to $e church of Laternense.
     His intent shall be for to supprese the Gospell,
     Yett wyll he glose yt with a very good pretens:
     To subdwe the Turkes by a Cristen vyolens.
     Vnder this colovre he shall grownd ther many thynges,
     Whych wyll at $e last be Cristen mennys vndoynges.
     The popys powr shall be abowe $e powrs all,
     And eare confessyon a matere nessessary.
     Ceremonys wyll be $e ryghtes ecclesyastycall.
     He shall sett vp ther both pardowns and purgatory;
     The Gospell prechyng wyll be an heresy.
     Be this provyssyon and be soch other kyndes                                       <sn>s
     We shall be full suere all waye to haue owr myndes.
                 [Enter Usurped Power as the Pope,
                    Private Wealth as a cardinal,
            and Sedition as the monk Stephen Langton.]
   Pope. Ah, ye are a blabbe! I perseyve ye wyll tell all.
     I lefte ye not here to be so lyberall.
   Diss. Mea culpa, mea culpa, gravissima mea cuIpa.I (p.25, fol. I3v)
     Geve me yowr blyssyng pro deo et sancta Maria.
                                          Knele and @no@e on bi bryst.
   Pope.Thow hast my blyssyng, aryse now and stond asyde.
   Diss. My skyn ys so thyke yt wyll not throw glyde.
   Pope. Late vs goo abowzt owr other materes now.
   Diss.
   Card.      We wayte her vpon $e greate holynes of yow.
   S. Lang.
   Pope. For as moch as kyng lohn doth holy church so handle,
     Here I do curse hym wyth crosse, boke, bell and candle:
     Lyke as this same roode turneth now from me his face,
     So God I requyre to sequester hym of his grace;

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    As this boke doth speare by my worke maanuall,
    I wyll God to close vppe from hym his benyfyttes all;
    As this burnyng flame goth from this candle in syght,
    I wyll God to put hym from his eternall lyght;
    I take hym from Crist, and after $e sownd of $is bell,
    Both body and sowle I geve hym to $e devyll of hell.
    I tike from hym baptym, with the othere sacramentes
    And suffrages of $e churche, bothe ember dayes and lentes.
    Here I take from hym bothe penonce and confessyon,
    Masse of $e.v. wondes, with sensyng and processyon.
    Here I take from hym holy water and holy brede,
    And neuer wyll them to stande hym in any sted.
    This thyng to publyshe I constytute yow thre,
    Gevyng yow my powr and my full avtoryte.
  Diss.
  Card.      With the grace of God we shall performe yt, than.
  S. Lang. 
  Pope. Than gett yow foreward so fast as euer ye can
    Vppon a bone vyage; yet late vs syng meryly.
  S.Lang. Than begyne $e song and we shall folow gladly.
                      Here they shall syng.
  Pope. To colovre this thyng, thow shalte be callyd Pandvlphus;
    Thow, Steuyn Langton; thy name shall be Raymundus.
    Fyrst thow, Pandolphus, shalt opynly hym suspend
    With boke, bell and candle; yf he wyll not so amend,
    lnterdycte his lande and $e churches all vp speare.
  Card. I haue my massage; to do yt I wyll not feare.
                                                       Here go owt
                                              and dresse for Nobylyte.
  Pope. And thow, Stevyn Langton, cummaund $e bysshoppes all
    So many to curse as are to hym benefycyall--
    Dwkes, erles and lordes--wherby they may forsake hym.
  S.Lang. Sum I wyll do yt, and that, I trow, shall shake hym.
                                                                [ Exit.]
  Pope. Raymundus, go thow forth to $e Crysten princes all;
    Byd them in my name $at they vppon hym fall,
    Bothe with fyre and sword, $at $e churche may hym conquarre.
  Diss. Yowr plesur I wyll no lengar tyme defarre.
  Pope. Saye this to them also: pope lnnocent the thred
    Remyssyon of synnes to so many men hath graunted

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    As wyll do ther best to slee hym yf they may.
  Diss. Sum yt shall be don with owt ony lenger delay.
                                                                [Exit.]
  Pope. ln the meane season I shall soch gere avaunce (p.27[a], fol. I5)
    As wyll be to vs a perpetuall furderaunce:
    Fyrst eare confessyon, than pardons, than purgatory,
    Sayntes worchyppyng than, than sekyng of ymagery,                                   ?
    Than Laten servyce with the cerymonyes many,
    Wherby owr bysshoppes and abbottes shall get mony.
    I wyll make a law to burne all herytykes,
    And kynges to depose whan they are sysmatykes.
    I wyll all so reyse vp $e fower beggyng orderes
    That they may preche lyes in all $e cristen borderes.
    For this and other I wyll call a generall cownsell
    To ratyfye them in lyke strength with $e Gospell.                                   n
                   Here be pope go owt....
                         The interpretour.                (p. 26, fol. I4)
    ln thys present acte we haue to yow declared,
    As in a myrroum the begynnynge of kynge lohan,
    How he was of God a magistrate appoynted
    To the gouernaunce of thys same noble regyon,
    To see maynteyned the true faythe and relygyon.                                     b
    But Satan the Deuyll, whych that tyme was at large,
    Had so great a swaye that he coulde it not discharge.
    
    Vpon a goode zele he attempted very farre
    For welthe of thys realme to prouyde reformacyon
    ln the churche therof. But they ded hym debarre
    Of that good purpose, for by excommunycacyon
    The space of .vij. yeares they interdyct thys nacyon.
    These bloudsuppers thus, of crueltie and spyght,
    Subdued thys good kynge for executynge ryght.
    
    ln the second acte thys wyll apeare more playne,
    Wherin Pandulphus shall hym excommunycate
    Within thys hys lande, and depose hym from hys reigne.
    All other princes they shall moue hym to hate
    And to persecute after most cruell rate.
    They wyll hym poyson in their malygnyte
    And cause yll report of hym alwayes to be.

    Thys noble kynge lohan, as a faythfull Moyses,
    Withstode proude Pharao for hys poore lsrael,
    Myndynge to brynge it out of the lande of Darkenesse.
    But the Egyptyanes ded agaynst hym so rebell
    That hys poore people ded styll in the desart dwell,
    Tyll that duke losue, whych was our late kynge Henrye,
    Clerely brought vs in to the lande of mylke and honye.

    As a stronge Dauid at the voyce of verytie,
    Great Golye, the pope, he strake downe with hys slynge,
    Restorynge agayne to a Christen lybertie
    Hys lande and people, lyke a most vyctoryouse kynge,
    To hir first bewtye intendynge the churche to brynge,
    From ceremonyes dead to the lyuynge wurde of $e lorde.
    Thys the seconde acte wyll plenteously recorde.
                        finit actus primus.

                            [ACTll]
               ... [Sedition as Stephen Langton] and (p.27 [b], fol.I5)
                     Nobylyte cum in and say.:
   Nob. lt petyeth my hart to se the controvercye                                      7,<sI>s
     That now a dayes reygnethe betwyn $e kyng and $e clargy.
     All Cantorbery monkes are now $e realme exyled,
     The prystes and bysshoppes contyneally revyled;
     The Cistean monkes are in soche perplexyte
     That owt of Englond they reken all to flee.
     I lament the chaunce as I wold God shuld me saue.
   S.Lang. Yt is gracyously sayd; Godes blyssyng myght ye haue!                        M
     Blyssyd is $at man $at wyll graunte or condyssend
     To helpe relygyon or holy churche defend.
   Nob. For there mayntenance I haue gevyn londes full fayere
     And haue dysheryted many a lavfull ayere.
   S.tang. Well, yt is yowr owne good; God shall reward yow for ytt,
     And in hevyn full hyghe for soch good workes shall ye sytt.
   Nob. Yowr habyte showyth ye to be a man of relygeon.
   S.Lang. I am no worse, sur; my name is good pcrfeccyon.                            n
   Nob. I am the more glad to be aquented with ye.
   S.Lang. Ye show yowr selfe here lyke a noble man, as ye be.
     I perseyve ryght well yowr name ys Nobelyte.
   Nob. Yowr servont and vmfrey. Of trewthe, fathem I am he.
   S. Lang. From lnnocent $e pope I am cum from Rome evyn now.
     A thowsand tymes, I wene, he commendyth hym vnto yow,
     And sent yow clene remyssyon to take $e chyrches parte.
   Nob. I thanke his holynes. I shall do yt with all my harte.                         n
     Yf ye wold take paynes for heryng my confessyon,
     I wold owt of hand resayue this cleane remyssyon.
   S.Lang. Mary, with all my hart! I wyll be full glad to do ytt.
   Nob. Put on yowr stolle, then, and I pray yow in Godes name sytt.
                           here sett down, and
                      Nobelyte shall say benedycyte.                                   n
       Benedicite.
   S. Lang. Dominus: In nomine domini pape, amen. Say forth yowr
              mynd, in Godes name.

|p
 
 Nob. I haue synnyd agaynst God; I knowlege my selfe to blame:
    ln the vij dedly synnys I haue offendyd sore;
    Godes ten commaundymentes I haue brokyn euer (p.28, fol. I5v)
      more;
    My.v. boddyly wytes I haue on-godly kepte;
    The workes of charyte in maner I haue owt slepte.
  S.Lang. I trust ye beleve as holy chyrch doth teache ye,
    And from the new lernyng ye are wyllyng for to fle.
  Nob. From the new lernyng, mary, God of hevyn saue me!
    I never lovyd yt of a chyld, so mote I the.
  S.Lang. Ye can saye yowr crede and yowr Laten aue Mary?
  Nob. Yea, and dyrge also, with sevyn psalmes and letteny.
  S.Lang. Do ye not beleve in purgatory and holy bred?
  Nob. Yes, and $at good prayers shall stand my sovle in stede.
  S. Lang. Well, than, good inowgh; I warant roy sovlle for yowr.
  Nob. Than execute on me the holy fatheres powr.
  S.Lang. Naye, whyll I haue yow here vnderneth benedicite,
    ln $e popys behalfe I mvst moue other thynges to ye.
  Nob. ln $e name of God, saye here what ye wyll to me.
  S.Lang. Ye know $at kyng lohn ys a very wycked man
    And to holy chyrch a contynuall adversary.
    Pe pope wyllyth yow to do $e best ye canne
    To his subduyng, for his cruell tyranny;
    And for $at purpose this prevylege gracyously
    Of clene remyssyon he hath sent yow this tyme,
    Clene to relesse yow of all yowr synne and cryme.
  Nob. Yt is clene agenst $e nature of nobelyte
    To subdew his kyng with owt Godes autoryte,
    For his princely estate and powr ys of God.
    I wold gladly do yt, but I fere his ryghtfull rode.
  S.Lang. Godes holy vycare gaue me his whole avtoryte.
    Loo, yt is here, man; beleve yt, I beseche the,
    Or elles thow wylte faulle in danger of damnacyon.
  Nob. Than I submyt me to the chyrches reformacyon.
  S. Lang. I assoyle the here from $e kynges obedyence

|p

    By $e avctoryte of $e popys magnifycence:
    Auctoritate romani pontyficis ego absoluo te
    From all possessyons gevyn to $e spiritualte,
    In nomine domini pape, amen.
    Kepe all thynges secrett, I pray yow hartely.
                                                     Go owt Nobelyte.
Nob. Yes, that I wyll, sum and cum agayne hether shohly.
          Here enter Clargy and Cyuyl order togethem
          and Sedysyon [as Stephen Langton] shall go
                   vp and down a praty whyle.
   Cler. Ys not yowr fatherhod archebysshope of Canterbery?
   S.Lang. I am Stevyn Langton. Why make ye here inquyry?
                                               Knele and say both:
   Cler. 
   C. Ord.  Ye are rygnt welcum to tnis same regyon, trewly.
   S. Lang. Stond vp, I pray yow.  I trow $ou art $e clargy.
   Cler. I am $e same, sum and this is Cyvyle order.
   S. Lang. Yf a man myght axe yow, what make yow (p.29, fol. I6)
             in this bordere?
   Cler. I herd tell yester daye ye were cum in to the land.
     I thowght for to se yow, sum newes to vnderstand.
   S. Lang. ln fayth, thow art welcum. Ys Cyuyll order thy frynd?
   Cler. He is a good man and beryth the chyrch good mynd.
   C. Ord. Ryght sory I am of $e great conL ovarsy
    Betwyn hym and $e kyng. Yf I myght yt remedy--
   S. Lang. Well, Cyvyll ordem for thy good wyll gramercy;
    Pat mater wyll be of an other facyon shortly.
    Fyrst, to begynne with we shall interdyte $e land.
   C.Ord. Mary, God forbyde we shuld be in soche band!
    But who shall do yt, I pray yow hartyly?
   S.Lang. Pandulphus and I; we haue yt in owr legacy.
    He went to $e kyng for $at cawse yester daye,
    And I wyll folow so fast as euer I maye.
        Lo, here ys $e bull of myn avctoryte.
   Cler. I pray God to saue the popys holy maieste.
   S.Lang. Sytt downe on yowr kneys and ye shall haue absolucyon
        A pena et culpa, with a thowsand dayes of pardon.

|p
        Here ys fyrst a bone of the blyssyd Lynyte,
        A dram of $e tord of swete seynt Barnabe;
        Here ys a feddere of good seynt Myhelles wyng,
        A toth of seynt Twyde, a pece of Davyds harpe sL yng,
        Pe good blood of Haylys and owr blyssyd ladys mylke,
        A lowse of seynt Fraunces in this same crymsen sylke,
        A scabbe of saynt lob, a nayle of Adams too,
        A maggott of Moyses, with a fart of saynt fandigo;
        Here is a fygge leafe and a grape of Noes vyneyearde,
        A bede of saynt Blythe, with the bracelet of a berewarde,
        The Deuyll that was hatcht in maistre lohan Shornes bote,
        That the tree of lesse ded plucke vp by the roote;
        Here ys the lachett of swett seynt Thomas shewe,
        A rybbe of seynt Rabart, with the huckyll bone of a lewe;
        Here ys a ioynt of darvell gathyron
        Besydes other bonys and relyckes many one.
        In nomine domini pape, amen.
        Aryse now lyke men and stande vppon yowr fete,
        For here ye haue caught an holy and a blyssyd hete.
        Ye are now as clene as $at day ye were borne
        And lyke to haue increase of chylderne, catell and corne.
   C.Ord. Chyldryn? He can haue non, for he ys not of $at loade.
   S.Lang. Tushe, thowgh he hath non at home, he maye haue sume
              abroade.
     Now Clargy, my frynd, this mvst thow do for $e pope
     And for holy chyrch: thow must mennys conscyence grope,
     And as thow felyst them so cause them for to wurcke.
     Leat them show kyng lohn no more faver than a Turcke;
     Every wher sture them to make an insurreccyon.
   Cler. All that shall I do, and to provoke them more,
     This interdyccyon I wyll lament very sore
     ln all my prechynges, and saye throwgh his occacyon

|p

    All we are vnder the danger of dampnacyon;
    And this wyll move peple to helpe to put hym downe,
    Or elles compel hym to geue vp septur and crowne.
    Yea, and that wyll make those kynges $at shall succede
    Of the holy chyrche to stond euer more in drede.
    And bysydes all this, the chyrch dores I wyll vpseale, (p. 3O, fol. I6v)
    And closse vp $e belles that they ryng neue a pele.                                n
    I wyll spere vp $e chalyce, crysmatory, crosse and all,
    That masse they shall haue non, baptym nor beryall.
    And thys I know well wyll make the peple madde.
  S.tang. Mary, that yt wyll! Soche savce he neuer had.
    And what wylte thow do for holy chyrche, Cyvyll ordere?
  C. Ord. For the clargyes sake I wyll in euery border
    Provoke the gret men to take $e comonnys parte.
    With cavtyllys of the lawe I wyll so tyckle ther hart
    They shall thynke all good $at they shall pass vpon,
    And so shall we cum to ower full intent anon;
    For yf the church thryve than do we lawers thryve,
    And yf they decay, ower welth ys not alyve.
    Therfor we must helpe yowr state, masters, to vphold,
    Or elles owr profyttes wyll cache a wynter colde.
    I neuer knew lawer whych had ony crafty lernyng
    That euer escapte yow with owt a plentyows levyng;
    Therfor we may not leve holy churchys quarell,
    But euer helpe yt, for ther fall ys owr parell.
  S.Lang. Godes blyssyng haue ye; this ger than wyll worke, I trust.
  C.Ord. Or elles sum of vs are lyke to lye in the dust.
  S.tang. Let vs all avoyde! Be $e messe, the kyng cummyth her!
  Cler. I wold byde my selfe for a tyme yf I wyst where.
  C.Ord. Gow we hence apace, for I haue spyed a corner.
              Here go owt all, and kyng Iohn cummyth in.
  K.John. For non other cawse God hathe kynges constytute
    And gevyn them $e sword but for to correct all vyce.
    I haue attempted this thyng to execute
    Vppon transgressers accordyng vnto ivstyce,
    And be cawse I wyll not be parcyall in myn offyce
    For theft and mvrder to persones spirytuall,
    I haue ageynst me the pristes and the bysshoppes all.

|p

     A lyke dysplesure in my fatheres tyme ded fall
     Forty yeres ago for ponnyshment of a clarke.
     No cunsell myght them to reformacyon call--
     ln ther openyon they wer so stordy and starke--
     But ageynst ther prynce to $e pope they dyd so barke
     That here in Ynglond, in euery cyte and towne,
     Excomminycacyons as thonder boltes cam downe.

     For this ther captayn had after a pared crowne
     And dyed vpon yt, with owt $e kynges consent.
     Than interdiccyons wer sent from $e popys renowne,
     Whych neuer left hym tyll he was penytent
     And fully agreed vnto the popes apoyntment,
     ln Ynglond to stand with the chyrches lybede
     And suffer the pristes to Rome for appeles to flee.

     They bownd hym also to helpe lerusalem cyte
     With ij hundrid men the space of a yere and more,
     And thre yere after to maynteyne battell free        (p.3I, foI.I7)
     Ageynst the Sarazens, whych vext $e Spannyardes sore.
     Synce my fatheres tyme I haue borne them groge therfom
     Consydryng $e pryde and the capcyose dysdayne
     That they haue to kynges, whych owzte ouer them to rayne.
                                                          Privat Welth
                                                cum in lyke a cardynall.
   Card. God saue yow, sur kyng, in yowr pryncly mageste.
   K.John. Frynd, ye be welcum. What is yowr plesur with me?
   Card. From the holy fathem pope lnnocent $e thred,
     As a massanger I am to yow dyrectyd
     To reforme the peace betwyn holy chyrch and yow.
     And in his behalfe I avertyce yow here now
     Of the chyrchys goodes to make full restytucyon,
     And to accepte also the popys holy constytucyon
     For Stevyn Langton, archebysshop of Canturbery,
     And so admytt hym to his state and primacy.
     The monkes exilyd ye shall restore agayne
     To ther placys and londes, and nothyng of theres retayne.
     Owr holy fatheres mynde ys $at ye shall agayne restore
     All $at ye haue ravyshyd from holy chyrche, with $e more.
  
 K.John. I reken yowr father wyll neuer be so harde,
     But he wyll my cawse as well as theres regarde.
     I haue done nothyng but $at I may do well;
     And as for ther taxe, I haue for me $e Gospell.
  Card. Tushe, Gospell or no ye mvst make a recompens.
  K.John. Yowr father is sharpe and very quycke in sentence
    Yf he wayeth the word of God nomor than so.
    But I shall tell yow in this what Y shall do:
    I am well content to receyve $e monkes agayne
    Vpon amendement; but as for Stevyn Langton, playne,
    He shall not cum here, for I know his dysposycyon.
    He is moche inclyned to sturdynesse and sedycyon.
    Ther shall no man rewle in $e lond wher I am kyng
    With owt my consent, for no mannys plesur lyvyng.
     Neuer $e lesse, yet vpon a newe behaver,
     At $e popys request here aftere I may hym faver
     And graunt hym to haue sum other benyfyce.
   Card. By thys I perseyve ye bare hym groge and malyce.
     Well, thys wyll I say by cause ye are so blunte:
     A prelate to dyscharge holy chyrche was neuer wonnt,
     But her custome ys to mynyster ponnyshment
     To kynges and princes beyng dyssobedyent.
   K.John. Avant, pevysh prist! What, dost thow thretten me?
     I defye $e worst, both of $i pope and the!
     The powr of princys ys gevyn from God above,
     And, as sayth Salomon, ther hartes $e lord doth move.
     God spekyth in $er lyppes whan they geve iugement.
     The lawys $at they make are by $e lordes appoyntment.
     Christ wylled not his the princes to correcte,       (p.32, fol. I7")
     But to ther precepptes rether to be subiecte.
     The offyce of yow ys not to bere $e sword,
     But to geve cownsell acordyng to Godes word.
     He neuer tawght his to weare nowther sword nor sallett,
     But to preche abrode with owt staffe, scrypp or walett;
     Yet are ye becum soche myghty lordes this howr
     That ye are able to subdewe all princes powr.
     I can not perseyve but ye are becum Belles prystes,
     Lyvyng by ydolles; yea, the very Anty chrystes.

|p
       Card. Ye haue sayd yowr mynd, now wyll I say myn also.
         Here I cursse yow for $e wronges $at ye haue do
         Vnto holy churche, with crosse, bocke, bell and candell;
         And by sydes all thys, I mvst yow otherwyse handell.
         Of contvmacy the pope hath yow convyt;
         From this day forward yowr lond stond interdytt.
         The bysshope of Norwyche and $e bysshope of Wynchester
         Hath full avtoryte to spred it in Ynglond here;
         The bysshope of Salysbery and $e bysshope of Rochester
         Shall execute yt in Scotlond euery where;
         The bysshope of Landaffe, Seynt Assys and Seynt Davy
         ln Walles and in Erlond shall puplyshe yt openly.  
         Throwgh owt all Crystyndom $e bysshoppes shall suspend
         All soche as to yow any mayntenance pretend;
         And I cursse all them that geue to yow ther hahe,
         Dewkes, erlles and lordes, so many as take yowr parte;
         And I assoyle yowr peple from yowr obedyence,
         That they shall owe yow noyther fewte nor reverence.
         By the popys awctoryte I charge them with yow to ~ght
         As with a tyrant agenst holy chyrchys ryght;
         And by the popys avctoryte I geve them absolucyon
         A pena et culpa, and also clene remyssyon.
                          Extra locum:
   Sed. Alarum! AlarVm! Tro ro ro ro ro, tro ro ro ro ro, tro ro ro ro ro!
     Thomp, thomp, thomp! Downe, downe, downe! To go, to go, to go!
   K.John. What a noyse is thys that without the dore is made?
   Card. Suche enmyes are vp as wyll your realme inuade.
   K.John. Ye cowde do nomor and ye cam from the devyll of hell
     Than ye go abowt here to worke by yor wyckyd cownsell.
     Ys this the charyte of $at ye call the churche?
     God graunt Cristen men not after yowr wayes to worche.
     I sett not by yowr curssys $e shakyng of a rod,
     For I know they are of the devyll and not of God.
     Yowr curssys we haue, $at we neuer yet demaundyd,
     But we can not haue $at God hath yow commaundyd.
   Card. What ye mene by $at I wold ye shuld opynlye tell.
   K.John. Why, know ye it not? The prechyng of $e Gospell.
     Take to ye yowr traysh, yowr ryngyng, syngyng and pypyng,
     So $at we may haue the scryptures openyng.

|p

     But $a& we can not haue; yt stondyth not with yowr avantagc.
 Card. Ahe! Now I fell yow for this heretycall langage:
     I thynke noyther yow nor ony of yowres, iwys--
     We wyll so provyd--shall ware $e crowne after this.
                                       Go owt and dresse for Nobylyte.
   K.John. Yt becum not the Godes secret workes to        (p.33, fol. I8)
              deme.
     Gett the hence, or elles we shall teche $e to blaspherne!
     Oh lord, how wycked ys that same generacyon
     That neuer wyll cum to a godly reformacyon.
     The prystes report me to be a wyckyd tyrant
     Be cause I correct ther actes and lyfe vnplesaunt.
     Of thy prince, sayth God, thow shalt report non yll,
     But thy selfe applye his plesur to fulfyll.
     The byrdes of $e ayer shall speke to ther gret shame--
     As sayth Ecclesyastes--$at wyll a prince dyffame.
     The powrs are of God--I wot Powle hath soch sentence;
     He $at resyst them agenst God maketh resystence.
     Mary and loseph, at Cyrinus appoyntment,
     ln $e descripcyon to Cesar wer obedyent.
     Crist ded paye &ybute, for hymselfe and Peter to,
     For a lawe prescrybyng $e same vnto pristes also;
     To prophane princes he obeyed vnto dethe.
     So ded lohn baptyst so longe as he had brethe.
     Petem lohn and Powle, with $e other apostles all,
     Ded neuer withstand the powers imperyall.
                       [Enter Civil Order.]
     Prystes are so wycked they wyll obeye no powm
     But seke to subdewe ther prynces day and howr,
     As they wold do me; but I shall make them smart,
     Yf that nobelyte and law wyll take my parte.
   C. Ord. Dowztles we can not tyll ye be reconcylyd
     Vnto holy chyrche, for ye are a man defylyd.
   K.John. How am I defylyd? Telme, good gentyll mate.
   C. Ord. By the popys hye powr ye are excomynycate.
   K.John. By the word of God, I pray the, what powr hath he?
   C. Ord. I spake not wyth hym, and therfor I can not tell ye.
   K.John. With whom spake ye not? Late me know yowr intent.
   
|p

   C. Ord. Mary, not with God sens $e latter wecke of lent.
                          [Enter CIergy.]
   K.John. Oh mercyfull God, what an vnwyse clawse ys this,
     Of hym that shuld se $at nothyng ware amys.
     That sentence or curse $at scriptur doth not dyrect
     ln my opynyon shall be of non effecte.
   Cler. Ys that yowr beleve? Mary, God saue me from yow!
   K.John. Prove yt by scriptum and than wyll I yt alowe.
     But this know I well: whan Baalam gaue $e curse
     Vppon Godes peple, they war neuer a whyt $e worse.
     Cler. I passe not on $e scriptur; that ys inow for me
     Whyche $e holy father approvyth by his auctoryte.
   K.John. Now alas, alas! What wreched peple ye are
     And how ygnorant yowr owne wordes doth declare.
     Woo ys $at peple whych hath so wycked techeres.
   Cler. Naye, wo ys that peple that hathe so cruell rewlars.
     Owr holy fathem I trow, cowd do no lesse,
     Consyderyng the factes of yowr owtragyosnes.
                        [Enter Nobility.]
   Nob. Com awaye, for shame, and make no more ado.  (p. 34, fol. I8v)
     Ye are in gret danger for commynnyng with hym so.
     He is acursyd; I mervell ye do not waye yt.
   Cler. I here by his wordes that he wyll not obeye yt.
   Nob. Whether he wyll or no, I wyll not with hym talke
     Tell he be assoyllyd. Com on, my fryndes, wyll ye walke?
   K.John. Oh, this is no tokyn of trew nobelyte,
     To flee from yowr kyng in his ex Lemyte.
   Nob. I shall dyssyer yow as now to pardone me;
     I had moche rather do agaynst God, veryly,
     Than to holy chyrche to do any iniurye.
   K.John. What blyndnes is this? On this peple, lord, haue mercy!
     Ye speke of defylyng, but ye are corrupted all
     With pestylent doctryne or leven pharesayycall.
     Good and faythfull Susan sayd $at yt was moche bettere
     To fall in daunger of men than do $e grettem
     As to leve Godes lawe, whych ys his word most pure.
   Cler. Ye haue nothyng, yow, to allege to vs but scripture?

|p
 
   Ye shall fare the worse for $at, ye may be sure.
   K.John. What shuld I allege elles, thu wycked pharyse?
   To yowr false lernyng no faythfull man wyll agree.
   Dothe not $e lord say, nvnc reges intelligite:
   Pe kynges of $e erthe that worldly cawses iuge,
   Seke to the scriptum late $at be yowr refuge?
 C. Ord. Haue ye nothyng elles but this? Than God be with ye!
 K.John. One questyon more yet ere ye departe from me
   I wyll fyrst demaund of yow, Nobelyte:.
   Why leve ye yowr prince and cleave to the pope so sore?
 Nob. For I toke an othe to defend $e chyrche euer more.
 K.John. Clergy, I am sure than yowr quarell ys not small.
 Cler. I am proffessyd to the ryghtes ecclesyastycall.
 K.John. And yow, Cyvyle ordem oweth her sum offyce of dewtye?
 C. Ord. I am hyr feed man; who shuld defend her but I?
 K.John. Of all thre partyes yt is spokyn resonably:
   Ye may not obeye becawse of $e othe ye mad,
   Yowr strong professyon maketh yow of $at same trad,
   Yowr fee provokyth yow to do as thes men do.
   Grett thynges to cawse men from God to $e devyll to go!
   Yowr othe is growndyd, fyrst, vppon folyshenes,
   And yowr professyon vppon moche pevyshenes;
   Yowr fee, last of all, ryseth owt of covetusnes,
   And thes are $e cawses of yowr rebellyosnes.
 Cler. Cum, Cyvyll order; lett vs too departe from hence.
 K.John. Than are ye at a poynt for yowr obedyence?
 C. Ord. We wyll in no wysse be partakeres of yowr yll.
           Here go owt Clargy and dresse for Ynglond,
                and Syvyll order for Commynnalte.
 K.John. As ye haue bene euer so ye wyll contynew styll.
   Thowgh they be gone, tarye yow with me a whyle;
   The presence of a prynce to yow shuld neuer be vyle.
 Nob. Sim nothyng grevyth mc but yowr              (p.35,foI.I9)
         excomynycacyon.
 K.John. That ys but a fantasy in yowr ymagynacyon.
       The lord refuse not soch as hath his great cursse,
       But call them to grace and fauer them neuer $e worsse.

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     Saynt Pawle wyllyth yow whan ye are among soch sort
     Not to abhore them, but geve them wordes of comfod.
     Why shuld ye than flee from me, yowr lawfull kyng,
     For plesur of soch as owght to do no suche thyng?
     The chyrches abusyons, as holy seynt Powle do saye,
     By the princes powr owght for to be takyn awaye;
     He baryth not $e sword withowt a cawse, sayth he.
     ln is neyther bysshope nore spirituall man is free;
     Offendyng $e lawe, they are vnder $e poweres, all.
  Nob. How wyll ye prove me $at the fatheres sprytuall
     Were vnder $e princes euer contynewally?
  K.John. By the actes of kynges 1 wyll prove yt by and by:
     Dauid and Salomon the pristes ded constitute,
     Commandyng $e offyces that they shuld execute.
     losaphat the kyng the mynysters ded appoynt;
     So ded kyng Ezechias, whom God hym selfe ded anoynt.
     Dyverse of $e princes for $e pristes ded make decrees,
     Lyke as yt is pleyn in the fyrst of Machabees.
     Owr pristes are rysyn throwgh lyberte of kynges
     By ryches to pryd and other vnlawfull doynges,
     And $at is the cawse that they so oft dysobeye.
 Nob. Good lord, what a craft haue yow thes thynges to convayel
 K.John. Now, alas, $at the false pretence of superstycyon
     Shuld cawse yow to be a mayntener of sedycyon.
     Sum thynkyth nobelyte in natur to consyst,
     Or in parentage; ther thowzt is but a myst.
     Wher habundance is of vertu, fayth and grace,
     With knowlage of $e lord, nobelyte is ther in place,
     And not wher as is the wylfull contempte of thynges
     Pertaynyng to God in the obedyence of kynges.
     Beware ye synke not with Dathan and Abiron
     For dysobeyng the powr and domynyon.
  Nob. Nay, byd me be ware 1 do not synke with yow here;
     Beyng acurssyd, of trewth ye put me in fere.
  K.John. Why, are ye gone hence, and wyll ye no longar tarrye?
  Nob. No, wher as yow are in place, by swete seynt Marye!
        Here Nobelyte go owt and dresse for $e cardynall.
                Here enter Ynglond and Commynalte.

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  K.John. Blessed lorde of heauen, what is the wretchednesse
    Of thys wycked worlde! An euyll of all euyls, doubtlesse.
    Perceyue ye not here how the clergye hath reiecte
    Their true allegeaunce to maynteyne the popysh secte?
    See ye not how lyghte the lawers sett the poure,
    Whome God commaundeth them to obeye yche daye and howre?
    Nobylyte also, whych ought hys prynce to assyste,
    ls vanyshed awaye, as it were a wynter myste.
    All they are from me; 1 am now left alone,
    And, God wote, knowe not to whome to make my mone.
    Oh, yet wolde 1 fayne knowe the mynde of my commynnalte,
    Whether he wyll go with them or abyde with me.
  Eng. He is here at hond, a symple creatur as may be.
  K.John. Cum hethem my frynde; stand nere. Ys $i selfe he?
  Com. Yf it lyke yowr grace, 1 am yowr pore commynnalte.
  K.John. Thow art poore inowgh; yf $at be good,      (p.36, fol. 19v)
             God helpe the!
    Me thynke thow ad blynd. Tell me, frynde, canst $ou not see?
  Eng. He is blynd in dede; yt is the more rewth and pytte.
  K.John. How cummyst thow so blynd? 1 pray $e, gocd fellow, tell me.
  Com. For want of knowlage in Christes lyuely veryte.
  Eng. This spirituall blyndnes bryngeth men owt of $e waye
    And cause them oft tymys ther kynges to dyssobaye.
  K.John. How sayst thow, Commynnalte? Wylt not $ou takc my
             parte?
  Com. To $at I cowd be contented with all my hart,
    But, alas, in me are two great impedymentes.
  K.John. 1 pray $e, shew me what are those impedymentcs.
  Com. The fyrst is blyndnes, wherby 1 myght take with $e pope
    Soner than with yow; fom alas, 1 can but grope,
    And ye know full well ther are many nowghty gydes.
    The nexte is poverte, whych cleve so hard to my sydes
    And ponych me so sore $at my powr ys lytyll or non.
  K.John. ln Godes name, tell me how cummyth $i substance gonc?

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 Com. By pristes, channons and monkes, which do but fyll $er bely
    With my swett and labour for $er popych purgatory.
  Eng. Yowr grace promysed me that 1 shuld haue remedy
    ln $at same mater whan 1 was last here, trewly.
 K.John. Dowztles 1 ded so; but, alas, yt wyll not be.
    ln hart 1 lament this great infelycyte.
  Eng. Late  me haue my spowse and my londes at lyberte,
    And 1 promyse yow my sonne here, yowr commynallte,
    1 wyll make able to do ye dewtyfull servyce.
 K.John. 1   wold 1 ware able to do to the that offyce,
    But, alas, 1 am not, for why my nobelyte,
    My lawers and clargy hath cowardly forsake me.
    And now last of all, to my most anguysh of mynd,
    My commynnalte here 1 fynd both poore and blynd.
 Eng. Rest vpon this, sem for my governor ye shall be
    So long as ye lyve; God hath so apoynted me.
    His owtward blyndnes ys but a syngnyficacyon
    Of blyndnes in sowle for lacke of informacyon
    ln the word of God, which is the orygynall grownd
    Of dyssobedyence, which all realmies doth confund.
    Yf yowr grace wold cawse Godes word to be tawzt syncerly
    And subdew those pristes that wyll not preche yt trewly,
    The peple shuld know to ther prynce $er lawfull dewty;
    But yf ye permytt contynvance of ypocresye
    ln monkes, chanons and pristes, and mynysters of the clargy,
    Yowr realme shall neuer be withowt moch traytery.
  K.John. All $at 1 perceyve and therfor 1 kepe owt fryers,
    Lest they shuld bryng the moch farder into $e bryers.
    They haue mad labur to inhabytt this same regyon;
    They shall for my tym not enter my domynyon.
    We haue to many of soch vayne lowztes all redy.
    1 beshrew ther hartes! They haue made yow.ij. full nedy.
          Here enter Pandwlfus, be cardynall, and sayth:
  Card. What, Commynalte, ys this $e connaunt        (p. 37, fo1.20)
          kepyng?
    Thow toldyst me $ou woldest take hym no more for $i kyng.
  Com. Peccaui, mea culpa! 1 submyt me to yowr holynes.
  Card. Gett the hence than shortly and go abowt $i besynes.

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   Wayet on thy capttaynes, Nobelyte and $e clargy,
   With Cyvyll Order and the other company.
   Blow owt yowr tromppettes and sett forth manfully,
   The frenche kyng Phelype by sea doth hether apply
   With the powr of Fraunce to subdew this herytyke.
 K.John. 1 defye both hym and the, lewde scysmatyke!
   Why wylt $ou forsake $i prince or $i prince leve the?
 Com. 1 mvst nedes obbay whan holy chirch commandyth me.
                                                Go owt Commynulte.
   Yf thow leve thy kyng, take me neuer for thy mother.
 Card. Tush, care not $ou for that, 1 shall provyd $e another.
   Yt ware fytter for yow to be in another place.
 Eng. Yt shall becum me to wayte vpon his grace
   And do hym servyce where as he ys resydente,
   For 1 was gevyn hym of $e lord omnypotente.
 Card. Thow mayst not abyde here, for whye we haue hym curssyd.
 Eng. 1 beshrow yowr hartes, so haue ye me onpursed.
   Yf he be acurssed than are we a mete cuppell,
   For 1 am interdyct. No salue that sore can suppell.
 Card. 1 say, gett the hence and make me no more pratyng.
 Eng. 1 wyll not awaye from myn owne lawfull kyng,
   Appoyntyd of God tyll deth shall vs departe.
 Card. Wyll ye not in dede? Well than, ye are lyke to smarte.
 Eng. 1 smarte all redy throw yowr most suttell practyse,
   And am clene ondone by yowr false merchandyce--
   Yowr pardons, yowr bulles, yowr purgatory pyckepurse,
   Yowr lent fastes, yowr schryftes--that 1 pray God geve yow his
         cursse!
 Card. Pou shalt smart better or we haue done with the,
   For we haue this howr great navyes vpon $e see
   ln euery quartem with this loller here to fyght
   And to conquarre hym for the holy chyrchis ryght.
   We haue vn $e northe Alexandem $e kyng of Scottes,
   With an armye of men $at for their townnes cast lottes;
   On the sowthe syde we haue $e french kyng with his powm
  

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     Which wyll sle and burne tyll he cum to Londen towr;
     ln $e west partes we haue kyng Alphonse with the Spanyardes,
     With sheppes full of gonepowder now cummyng hether towardes;
     And on $e est syde we haue Esterlynges, Danes and Norwayes,
     With soch powr landynge as can be resystyd nowayes.
  K.John. All that is not true that yow haue here expresscd.
  Card. By the messe, so true as 1 haue now confessed.
  K.John. And what do ye meane by such an hurly burlye?
  Card. For the churches ryght to subdue ye manfullye.
                             [Enter Sedition.]
  Sed. To all that wyll fyght 1 proclame a lubyle
     Of cleane remyssyon, thys tyraunt here to slee.
     Destroye hys people, burne vp both cytie and towne,
     That the pope of Rome maye haue hys scepture and crowne.
     ln the churches cause to dye thys daye be bolde;
     Your sowles shall to heauen ere your fleshe and bones be colde.
   K.John. Most mercyfull God, as my trust is in the,
     So comforte me now in this extremyte;
     As thow holpyst Dauid in his most hevynes,
     So helpe me this hour of thy grace, mercye and goodnes.
   Card. This owtward remorse $at ye show here evydent
     Ys a grett lykelyhod and token of amendment.
     How say ye, kyng lohn? Can ye fynd now in     (p.38[a],fo1.2Ov)
       yowr hart
     To obaye holy chyrch and geve ower yowr froward part?
   K.John. Were yt so possyble to hold thes enmyes backe,
     That my swete Ynglond perysh not in this sheppwracke?
   Card. Possyble, quoth he? Yea, they, shuld go bake in dede,
     And ther gret armyse to some other quaderes leede,
     Or elles they haue not so many good blyssynges now,
     But as many cursynges they shall haue, 1 make God avowe.
     1 promyse yow, sum ye shall haue specyall faver
     Yf ye wyll submyt yowr sylfe to holye chyrch here.
   K.John. 1 trust than ye wyll graunt somc delyberacyon (p. 39, fol. 23)

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       To haue an answere of thys your protestacyon.
     Sed. Tush, gyue vpp the crowne and make nomore a do.
     K.John. Your spirytuall charyte wyll be better to me than so.
       The crowne of a realme is a matter of great wayght;
       ln gyuynge it vpp we maye not be to slayght.
     Sed. 1 saye, gyue it vp! Lete vs haue nomore a do.
     Card. Yea, and in our warres we wyll no farder go.
     K.John. Ye wyll gyue me leaue to talke first with my clergye?
     Sed. With them ye nede not; they are at a poynt alreadye.
     K.John. Than with my lawers, to heare what they wyll tell?
     Sed. Ye shall euer haue them as the clergye gyue them counsell.
     K.John. Then wyll 1 commen with my nobylyte.
     Sed. We haue hym so iugled he wyll not to yow agree.
     K.John. Yet shall 1 be content to do as he counsell me.
     Card. Than be not to longe from hence, 1 wyll aduyse ye.
                                      [Exeunt king John and England.]
     Sed. ls not thys a sport? By the messe, it is, 1 trowe.
       What welthe and pleasure wyll now to our kyngedom growe!
       Englande is our owne, whych is tbe most plesaunt grounde
       ln all the rounde worlde; now maye we realmes confounde.
       Our holye father maye now lyue at hys pleasure
       And haue habundaunce of wenches, wynes and treasure.
       He is now able to kepe downe Christe and hys gospell,
       True fayth to exyle and all vertues to expell.
       Now shall we ruffle it, in veluattes, golde and sylke,
       With shauen crownes, syde gownes, and rochettes whyte as mylke.
       By the messe, Pandulphus, now maye we synge Cantate,
       And crowe Confitebom with a ioyfull Iubilate!
       Holde me, or els for laughynge 1 must burste!
     Card. Holde thy peace, whorson! 1 wene thu art accurst.
       Kepe a sadde countenaunce. A very vengeiunce take the!
     Sed. 1 can not do it, by the messe, and thu shuldest hange me.
       lf Solon were here 1 recken that he woulde laugh,
       Whych neuer laught yet; yea, lyke a whelpe he woulde waugh.
       Ha, ha, ha! Laugh, quoth he! Yea, laugh and laugh agayne!
       We had neuer cause to laugh more free, 1 am playne.
     Card. 1 praye the, nomore, for here come the       (p.40 [a],fol.23v)
             kynge agayne.
                      [Enter King John and England.]
       Ye are at a poynt wherto ye intende to stande?

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      Sed. Yea, hardely sir; gyue vp the crowne of Englande.
      K.John. 1 haue cast in mynde the great displeasures of warre,
         The daungers, the losses, the decayes both nere and farre,
         The burnynge of townes, the throwynge downe of buyldynges,
         Destructyon of corne and cattell, with other thynges,
         Defylynge of maydes and shedynge of Christen blood,
         With suche lyke outrages, neyther honest, true nor good.
         These thynges consydered, 1 am compelled thys houre
         To resigne vp here both crowne and regall poure.
      Eng. For the loue of God, yet take some better aduysement!
      Sed. Holde your tunge, ye whore, or by $e messe ye shall repent!
         Downe on your mary bones and make nomore a do.
      Eng. lf ye loue me, sim for Gods sake do neuer so.
      K.John. O Englande, Englande, shewe now thyselfe a mother;
         Thy people wyll els be slayne here without nomber.
         As God shall iudge me, 1 do not thys of cowardnesse
         But of compassyon, in thys extreme heauynesse.
         Shall my people shedde their bloude in suche habundaunce?
         Naye, 1 shall rather gyue vpp my whole gouernaunce.
      Sed. Come of apace, than, and make an ende of it shortly.
      Eng. The most pytiefull chaunce $at hath bene hytherto, surely.
      K.John. Here 1 submytt me to pope lnnocent    (p.38[b], fol.20v)
                  the thred,
         Dyssyering mercy of hys holy fatherhed.
      Card. Geve vp $e crowne, than; yt shalbe the better for ye.
         He wyll vnto yow the more fauorable be.
                                                Here be @yng delevyr be
                                                    crowne to be cardynall.
      K.John. To hym 1 resygne here the septer and $e crowne
         Of Ynglond and Yrelond, with $e powr and renowne,
         And put me wholly to his mercyfull ordynance.
      Card. 1 may say this day $e chyrch hath a full gret chaunce.
         Thes.v. dayes 1 wyll kepe this crowne in myn owne hande,
         ln the popes behalfe vpseasyng Ynglond and Yerlond.
         ln the meane season ye shall make an oblygacyon
         For yow and yowr ayers, in this synyficacyon:
         To recayve yowr crowne of $e pope for euer.more

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        ln maner of fefarme; and for a tokyn therfor
        Ye shall euery yere paye hym a thowsand marke
        With the peter pens, and not agenst yt barke.
        Ye shall also geve to the bysshoppe of Cantorbery
        A thre thowsand marke for his gret iniury.
        To $e chyrch besydes, for the great scathe ye haue done,
        Forty thowsand marke ye shall delyver sone.
      K.John. Sem the taxe $at 1 had of the hole realme of Ynglond
        Amownted to no more but vnto.xxxtl. thowsand.
        Why shuld 1 than paye so moche vnto $e clargy?
      Card. Ye shall geve yt them; ther is no remedy.
      K.John. Shall they paye no tribute yf $e realme stond in rerage?
      Card. Sim they shall paye none; we wyll haue no soch bondage.
      K.John. The pope had at once thre hundred thowsand marke.
      Card. What is that to yow? Ah, styll ye wyll be starke.
        Ye shall paye yt, sir; ther is no remedy.
      K.John. Yt shall be performed as ye wyll haue yt, trewly.
      Eng. So noble a realme to stande tributarye, Alas, (p. 4O[b], fo1.23v)
        To the Deuyls vycar! Suche fortune neuer was.
      Sed. Out with thys harlot! Cockes sowle, she hath lete a fart!
      Eng. Lyke a wretche thu lyest; thy report is lyke as thu art.
                                                       [Exit Sedition.]
      Card. Ye shall suffer the monkes and channons to (p.38[c], fo1.2Ov)
          make reentry
        ln to ther abbayes and to dwell ther peacebly.
        Ye shall se also to my great labur and charge.
        For other thynges elles we shall commen more at large.
      K.John. Sem in euery poynt 1 shall fulfyll yowr plesur.
      Card. Than plye yt apace and lett vs haue $e tresur.
      Eng. Alacke for pyte that euer ye grantyd this.     (p. *1[a],fo1.21)
        For me, pore Ynglond, ye haue done sore amys;
        Of a fre woman ye haue now mad a bond mayd.                                M>s
        Yowr selfe and heyres ye haue for euer decayd.
        Alas, 1 had rether be vnderneth the Turke
        Than vnder the wynges of soch a thefe to lurke.

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   K.John. Content the, Ynglond, for ther ys no remedy.
   Eng. Yf yow be plesyd, than 1 mvst consent gladly.
   K.John. lf 1 shoulde not graunt, here woulde be a (p.4O[c], fo1.23v)
                        wondrefull spoyle;
     Euery where the enemyes woulde ruffle and turmoyle.
     The losse of people stycketh most vnto my harte.
   Eng. Do as ye thynke best; yche waye is to my smarte.
   Card. Are ye at a poynt with $e same oblygacyon?  (p.41[b], fo1.21)
   K.John. Yt is here redye at yowr interrogacyon.
           Here Ryng Iohn shall delevyr be oblygacyon.
   Card. Wher is the mony for yowr full restytucyon?
   K.John. Here, sem accordyng to yowr last constytucyon.
   Card. Cum hethem my lorde. By the popys autoryte
     Assoyll this man here of irregularyte.
                              Here be bysshop Stevyn Langton cum in.
   K.John. Me thynke this bysshope resembleth moch Sedycyon.
   Card. 1 cownsell yow yet to be ware of wrong suspycyon.
     This is Stevyn Langton, yowr meteropolytan.
   K.John. Than do the offyce of $e good samarytan
     And pore oyle and wyne in my old festerd wownd.
     Releace me of synne $at yt doth not me confownd.
     Confteor domino pape et omnibus cardinalibus eius et vobis,
     quia peccaui nimis exigendo ab ecclesia tributum, mea culpa.
     Ideo precor sanctissimum dominum papam et omnes prelatos
     eius et vos, orare pro me.
   S. Lang. Misereatur tui omnipotens papa, et dimittat tibi omnes
     erratus tuos, liberetque te a suspencione, excominicacione et
     interdicto, et restituat te in regnum tuum.
   K.John. Amen.
   S.Lang. Dominus papa noster te absoluat, et ego absoluo te
     auctoritate eius, et apostolorum Petri et Pauli in hac parte
     mihi comissa, ab omnibus impietatibus tuis, et restituo te
     corone et regno, in nomine domini pape, amen.
   Card. Ye are well content to take this man for yowr primate?

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      K.John. Yea, and to vse hym accordyng to his estate.
        1 am ryght sory that euer 1 yow offended.
      S.Lang. And 1 am full gladde that ye are so welle   (p.41, fo1.24)                   M
                 amended.
        Vnto holy churche ye are now an obedyent chylde,
        Whcre ye were afore with heresye muche defyelde.
      Eng. Sim yonder is a clarke whych is condempned for treason.
        The shryues woulde fayne knowe what to do with hym thys season.
                                [Enter Treason.]
      K.John. Come hythem fellawe. What? Me thynke thu art a pryste.
      Tr. He hath ofter gessed that of the truthe haue myste.
      K.John. A pryste and a traytour? How maye that wele agree?
      Tr. Yes, yes, wele ynough vnderneth Eenedicite.
        Myself hath played it, and therfor 1 knowe it the better.
        Amonge craftye cloyners there hath not bene a gretter.
      K.John. Tell some of thy feates; thu mayest the better escape.
      S.Lang. Hem! Not to bolde yet; for a mowse the catte wyll gape.
      Tr. Twenty thousande traytour 1 haue made in my tyme
        Vndre Eenedicite betwyn hygh masse and pryme.                                      A
        1 made Nobylyte to be obedyent
        To the churche of Rome, whych most kynges maye repent.
        1 haue so conuayed that neyther priest nor lawer
        Wyll obeye Gods wurde, nor yet the Gospell fauer.
        ln the place of Christe 1 haue sett vp supersticyons;
        For preachynges, ceremonyes; for Gods wurde, mennys tradicyons.
        Come to the temple and there Christe hath no place;
        Moyses and the paganes doth vtterly hym deface.
      Eng. Marke wele, sir. Tell what we haue of Moyses.
      Tr. All your Ceremonyes, your copes and your sensers, doubtlesse,
        Your fyers, your waters, your oyles, your aulters, your ashes,
        Your candlestyckes,  your  cruettes, your  salte, with suche lyke
          trashes.
        Ye lacke but the bloude of a goate or els a calfe.
      Eng. Lete vs heare sumwhat also in the paganes behalfe.
      Tr. Of the paganes ye haue your gylded ymages
        ln your necessytees vpon them for to call
        With crowchynges, with kyssynges and settynge vp of lyghtes,
        Bearynge them in processyon and fastynges vpon their nyghtes;
        Some for the tothe ake, some for $e pestylence and poxe,

|p
        With ymages of waxe to brynge moneye to the boxe.
      Eng. What haue they of Christe in the churche, 1 praye the tell.
      Tr. Marry, nothynge at all but the epystle and the Gospell,
        And that is in Latyne that no man shoulde it knowe.
      S. Lang. Peace, noughty whoreson, peace! Thu playest (p. 42, fol. 24v)
                           the knaue, 1 trowe.
      K.John. Hast thu knowne svche wayes and sought no reformacyon?
      [Tr.] lt is the lyuynge of our whole congregacyon.
        lf supersticyons and ceremonyes from vs fall,
        Farwele monke and chanon, priest, fryem byshopp and all.
        Our conueyaunce is suche $at we haue both moneye and ware.
      S.Lang. Our occupacyon thu wylt marre! God gyue the care.
      Eng. Very fewe of ye wyll peters offyce take?
      Tr. Yes, the more part of vs our maistre hath forsake.
      Eng. 1 meane for preachynge. 1 praye God thu be curste!
      Tr. No, no, with ludas we loue wele to be purste.
        We selle our maker so sone as we haue hym made,
        And as for preachynge, we meddle not with that trade
        Least Annas, Cayphas and the lawers shulde vs blame,
        Callynge vs to a reckenynge for preachynge in that name.
      K.John. But tell to me, person, whie wert thu cast in preson?
      [Tr.] For no great mattem but a lyttle petye treason:
        For coniurynge, calkynge, and coynynge of newe grotes,
        For clippynge of nobles, with suche lyke pratye motes.
      Eng. Thys is hygh treason, and hath bene euerrnore.
      K.John. lt is suche treason as he shall sure hange fore.
      Tr. 1 haue holy orders. By $e messe, 1 defye your wurst!
         Ye can not towche me but ye must be accurst.
      K.John. We wyll not towche the, the halter shall do yt alone.
        Curse the rope, therfom whan thu begynnest to grone.
        And sett ye nomore by the holy ordre of prestehode?
        Ye wyll proue your selfe an heretyke, by the rode.
      K.John. Come hythem Englande, and here what 1 saye to the.
      Eng. 1 am all readye to do as ye commaunde me.
      K.John. For so much as he hath falsefyed our coyne,
        As he is worthie lete hym with an halter ioyne.
        Thu shalt hange no priest nor yet none honest man,
        But a traytoum a thefe, and one $at lyttle good can.
        Card. What, yet agaynst the churche? Gett me boke, belle and candle;
        
|p

    As 1 am true priest, 1 shall ye yett better handle.
    Ye neyther regarde hys crowne nor anoynted fyngers,
    The offyce of a priest nor the grace that therin lyngers.
  S. Lang. Sim pacyent yourselfe and all thynge shall (p.43,fol.25)
             be well.
    Fygh, man! To the churche that ye shulde be styll a rebell!
  Eng. 1 accompt hym no priest that worke such haynouse treason.
  S.Lang. lt is a worlde to heare a folysh woman reason!
  Card. After thys maner ye vsed Peter Pomfrete,
    A good symple man, and as they saye, a profete.
  K.John. Sim 1 ded proue hym a very supersticyouse wretche
    And blasphemouse lyar; therfor ded the lawe hym vpstretche.
    He prophecyed first 1 shulde reigne but.xiiij. years,
    Makynge the people to beleue he coulde bynde bears;
    And 1 haue reigned a seuentene yeares and more.
    And anon after he grudged at me very sore,
    And sayde 1 shulde be exylded out of my realme
    Before the ascencyon--whych was turned to a fantastycall dreame--
    Saynge he woulde hange if hys prophecye were iiot true.
    Thus hys owne decaye hys folyshnesse ded brue.
  Card. Ye shoulde not hange hym whych is a frynde to the churche.
  K.John. Alac, that ye shoulde counte them fryndes of the churche
    That agaynst all truthe so hypocritycally lurche;
    An yll churche is it that hath suche fryndes in dede.
  Eng. Of maister Morres suche an other fable we reade,
    That in Morgans fyelde $e sowle of a knyght made verses,
    Apearynge vnto hyrn; and thys one he rehearces:
    Destruet hoc regnum rex regum duplici plaga--
    Whych is true as God spake with the Ape at Praga.
    The sowles departed from thys heauye mortall payne
    To the handes of God returneth neuer agayne.
    A maruelouse thynge that ye thus delyght in lyes!
  S.Lang. Thys queane doth not els but mocke our blessed storyes.
    That Peter Angred ye whan he called ye a deuyll incarnate.
  K.John. He is now full sure nomore so vncomely to prate.
    Well, as for thys man, because that he is a priste
    1 gyue hym to ye; do with hym what ye lyste.

|p

  Card. ln the popes behalfe 1 wyll sumwhat take vpon me.
    Here 1 delyuer hym by the churches lyberte,
    ln spyght of your hart. Make of it what ye lyste.
  K.John. 1 am pleased, 1 saye, because he ys a pryste.
  Card. Whether ye be or no it shall not greatly force.
    Lete me see those cheanes. Go thy waye and hauc remorce.
  Tr. God saue your lordeshypps. 1 trust 1 shall amende
    And do nomore so, or els, sim God defende.
                                                       [ Exit Treason.]
  S.Lang. 1 shall make the, 1 trowe, to kepe thy       (p.44, fo1.25v)
             benefyce.
    By the Marye Messe, the knaue wyll neuer be wyse!
  Eng. Lyke lorde, lyke chaplayne; neyther barrell better herynge.
  S.Lang. Styll she must trattle; that tunge is alwayes sterynge.
    A wurde or two, sim  1 must tell yow in your eare.
  Card. Of some aduauntage 1 woulde very gladly heare.
  S.Lang. Releace not Englande of the generall interdictyon
    Tyll the kynge hath graunted the dowrye and the pencyon
    Of lulyane, the wyfe of kynge Richarde Cour de Lyon.
    Ye knowe very well she beareth the churche good mynde.
    Tush, we must haue all, Manne, that she shall leaue behynde.
    As the saynge is, he fyndeth that surely bynde.
    lt were but folye suche louce endes for to lose.
    The lande and the monye wyll make well for our purpose.
    Tush, laye yokes vpon hym, more than he is able to beare;
    Of holye churche so he wyll stande euer in feare.
    Suche a shrewe as he it is good to kepe vndre awe.
  Eng. Woo is that persone whych is vndreneth your lawe!
    Ye maye see, good poeple, what these same merchauntes are;
    Their secrete knaueryes their open factes declare.
  S.Lang. Holde thy peace, callet! God gyue the sorowe and care!
  Card. Ere 1 releace yow of the interdyctyon heare,
    ln the whych your realme contynued hath thys seuen yeare,
    Ye shall make lulyane, your syster in lawe, thys bande,
    To gyue hir the thirde part of Englande and of lrelande.
  K.John. All the worlde knoweth, sim 1 owe hir no suche dewtye.
  Card. Ye shall gyue it to hir; there is no remedye.

|p
  
    Wyll ye styll withstande our holy fathers precepte?
  S. Lang. ln peyne of dampnacyon hys commaundement must be kepte.
  K.John. Oh, ye vndo me, consyderynge my great paymentes.
  Eng. Sim disconfort not, for God hath sent debatementes;
    Your mercyfull maker hath shewed vpon ye hys powere,
    From thys heauye yoke delyuerynge yow thys howre.
    The woman is dead; suche newes are hyther brought.
  K.John. For me, a synnam thys myracle hath God wrought.
    ln most hygh paryls he euer me preserued,
    And in thys daunger he hath not from me swerued.
             In genua procumbens Deum adorat, dicens:
    As Dauid sayth, Lorde, thu dost not leaue thy seruaunt
    That wyll trust in the and in thy blessyd couenaunt.
  S.Lang. A vengeaunce take it!   By the messe, it is     (p.45,fo1.26)
            vnhappye
    She is dead so sone. Now is it past remedye.
    So must we lose all now that she is clerely gone.
    lf that praye had bene ours, oh, it had bene alone!
    The chaunce beynge suche, by my trouth, euen lete it go:
    No grote no Pater nostem no penye no placebo.
    The deuyll go with it, seynge it wyll be no better.
  Eng. Their myndes are all sett vpon the fylthie luker.
  Card. Than here 1 releace yow of your interdictyons all,
    And strayghtly commaunde yow vpon daungers $at maye fall
    Nomore to meddle with the churches reformacyon,
    Nor holde men from Rome whan they make appellacyon,
    By God and by all the contentes of thys boke.
  K.John. Agaynst holy churche 1 wyll nomore speake nor loke.
  S.Lang. Go, open the churche dores and lete the belles be ronge,
    And through out the realme see that Te Deum be songe.
    Pryck vpp your candels before saynt Loe and saynt Legearde,
    Lete saynt Antonyes hogge be had in some regarde.
    lf your ale be sower and your breade moulde, certayne,
    Now wyll they waxe swete, for $e pope hath blest ye agayne.
  Eng. Than within a whyle 1 uust ye wyll preache the Gospell?
  S.Lang. That shall 1 tell the, kepe thu it in secrete counsell:

|p
    lt shall neyther come in churche nor yet in chauncell.
    Card. Goo your wayes a pace and see our pleasure be done.
  K.John. As ye haue commaunded all shall be perfourmed sone.
                                  [Exeunt King John and England.]
  Card. By the messe, 1 laugh to see thys cleane conueyaunce!
    He is now full glad as our pype goeth to daunce.
    By cockes sowle, he is now become a good parrysh clarke.
  S.Lang. Ha, ha, wylye whoreson, dost that so busyly marke?
    1 hope in a whyle we wyll make hym so to raue
    That he shall become vnto vs a commen slaue
    And shall do nothynge but as we byd hym do.
    lf we byd hym slea, 1 trowe he wyll do so;
    lf we bydde hym burne suche as beleue in Christe,
    He shall not saye naye to the byddynge of a priste.
    But yet it is harde to trust what he wyll be,
    He is so crabbed, by the holye Trinyte.
    To saue all thynges vp 1 holde best we make hym more sure
    And gyue hym a sawce that he no longar endure.
    Now that 1 remembre, we shall not leaue hym thus.
  Card. Whye, what shall we do to hym els, in the name of lesus?
  S. Lang. Marry, fatche in Lewes, kynge Phylyppes     (p.46, fo1.26v)
                 sonne of fraunce,
    To fall vpon hym with hys menne and ordynaunce,
    With wyldefyem gunpoudem and suche lyke myrye tryckes,
    To dryue hym to holde and searche hym in the quyckes.
    1 wyll not leaue hym tyll 1 brynge hym to hys yende.
  Card. Well, farwele Sedicyon; do as shall lye in thy myende.
                                                           [Exit Cardinal. ]
  S. Lang. 1 maruele greatly where dissymulacyon is.
  Diss. 1 wyll come anon if thu tarry tyll 1 pysse.
                                               [Enter Dissimulation.]
  S.Lang. 1 beshrewe your hart! Where haue ye bene so longe?
  Diss. ln the gardene, man, the herbes and wedes amonge,
    And there haue 1 gote the poyson of a toade.
    1 hope in a whyle to wurke some feate abroade.
  S.Lang. 1 was wonte sumtyme of thy preuye counsell to be.
   Am 1 now adayes become a straunger to the?

|p

      Diss. 1 wyll tell the all vndreneth Benedicite,
         What 1 mynde to do in case thu wylte assoyle me.
      S.Lang. Thu shalt be assoyled by the most holy fathers auctoryte.
      Diss. Shall 1 so in dede? By the masse, than, now haue at thel
        Eenedicite.
      S.Lang. In nomine Pape, Amen.
      Diss. Sim thys is my mynde: 1 wyll gyue kynge lohan thys poyson,
        So makynge hym sure that he shall neuer haue foyson.
        And thys must thu saye to colour with the thynge,
        That a penye lofe he wolde haue brought to a shyllynge.
      S. Lang. Naye, that is suche a lye as easely wyll be felte.
      Diss. Tush, man, amonge fooles it neuer wyll be out smelte,
        Though it be a great lye. Set vpon it a good face,
        And that wyll cause men beleue it in euery place.
      S. Lang. 1 am sure, than, thu wylt geue it hym in a drynke.
      Diss. Marry, that 1 wyll, and tbe one half with hym swynke
        To encourage hym to drynke the botome off.
      S.Lang. lf thu drynke the halfe thu shalt fynde it no scoff;
        Of terryble deathe thu wyllt stacker in the plashes.
      Diss. Tush, though 1 dye, man, there wyll ryse more of my ashes.
        1 am sure the monkes wyll praye for me so bytterlye
        That 1 shall not come in helle nor in purgatorye.
        ln the popes kychyne the scullyons shall not brawle
        Nor fyght for my grese. lf the priestes woulde for me yewle
        And grunt a good pace placebo with Requiem Masse,
        Without muche tarryaunce 1 shulde to paradyse passe,
        Where 1 myght be sure to make good cheare and be myrye,
        For 1 can not awaye with that whoreson purgatorye.
      S. Lang. To kepe the from thens thu shalt haue fyue (p.47, fo1.27)
                monkes syngynge

    ln Swynsett abbeye so longe as the worlde is durynge; 
    They wyll daylye praye for the sowle of father Symon, 
    A Cisteane monke whych poysened kynge lohn. 
  Diss. Whan the worlde is done what helpe shall I haue than? 
  S.Lang. Than shyft for thy self so wele as euer thu can. 
  Diss. Cockes sowle, he cometh here! Assoyle me $at I were gone then. 
  S.Lang. Ego absoluo te in nomine papg, Rmen. 
                        [Exeunt Dissimulation and Stephen Langton.] 

                  [Enter King John and England.] 
 K.John. No prynce in the worlde in suche captiuyte 
    As I am this houre, and all for ryghteousnesse. 
    Agaynst me I haue both the lordes and commynalte, 
    Byshoppes and lawers, whych in their cruell madnesse 
    Hath brought in hyther the frenche kynges eldest sonne, Lewes. 
    The chaunce vnto me is not so dolourrouse, 
    But my lyfe thys daye is muche more tedyouse. 

    More of compassyon for shedynge of Christen blood 
    Than any thynge els, my sceptre I gaue vp latelye 
    To the pope of Rome, whych hath no tytle good 
    Of iurisdyctyon, but of vsurpacyon onlye. 
    And now to the, lorde, I woulde resygne vp gladlye 
                                                       Flectit Genua. 
    Both my crowne and lyfe; for thyne owne ryght it is, 
    lf it woulde please the, to take my sowle to thy blys. 

  Eng. Sir, discomfort ye not; in the honour of Christe lesu 
    God wyll neuer fayle yow, intendynge not els but vcrtu. 
  K.John. The anguysh of sprete so pangeth me euery where 
    That incessauntly I thyrst tyll I be there. 
  Eng. Sir, be of good chere, for the pope hath sent a legate 
    Whose name is Gualo, your foes to excommunycate; 
    Not only Lewes, whych hath wonne Rochestre, 
    Wynsore and London, Readynge and wynchestre, 
    But so manye els as agaynst ye haue rebelled 
    He hath suspended and openly accursed. 
  K.John. They are all false knaues; all men of them be ware. 
    They neuer left me tyll they had me in their snare. 
    Now haue they Otto the emproure so wele as me, 
    And the french kynge, Phylypp, vndre their captiuyte. 
    All Christen princes they wyll haue in their bandes. 
    The pope and hys priestes are poyseners of all landes. 
    All Christen people be ware of trayterouse pristes, 
    For of Luthe they are the pernicyouse Antichristes. 

|p

  Eng. Thys same Gualo, sir, in your cause doth stoughtly barke. 
  K. John. They are all nought, Englande, so many as weare that Marke. 
    From thys habytacyon, swete lorde, delyuer me, 
    And preserue thys realme, of thy benygnyte. 
  Diss. Wassayle, wassayle, out of the mylke payle,     (p.48, foI.27v) 
    Wassayle, wassayle, as whyte as my nayle, 
    Wassayle, wassayle, in snowe, froste and hayle, 
    Wassayle, wassayle, with partriche and rayle. 
    Wassayle, wassayle, that muche doth auayle, 
    Wassayle, wassayle, that neuer wyll fayle. 
  K.John. Who is that, Englande? I praye the stepp fourth and see. 
  Eng. He doth seme a farre some relygyouse man to be. 
                      [Enter Dissimulation.] 
  Diss. Now lesus preserue your worthye and excellent grace, 
    For doubtlesse there is a very Angelyck face. 
    Now forsoth and God, I woulde thynke my self in heauen 
    lf I myght remayne with yow but yeares aleuyn; 
    I would couete here none other felicyte. 
  K.John. A louynge persone thu mayest seme for to be. 
  Diss. I am as gentle a worme as euer ye see. 
  K.John. But what is thy name, good frynde? I praye the tell me. 
  Diss. Simon of Swynsett my very name is, per dee. 
    I am taken of men for monastycall deuocyon, 
    And here haue I brought yow a maruelouse good pocyon, 
    For I hearde ye saye that ye were very drye. 
  K.John. ln dede I wolde gladly drynke. I praye the come nye. 
  Diss. The dayes of your lyfe neuer felt ye suche a cuppe, 
    So good and so holsome if ye woulde drynke it vpp. 
    lt passeth malmesaye, capryck, tyre or ypocras. 
    By my faythe, I thynke a better drynke neuer was. 
  K.John. Begynne, gentle monke; I praye the drynke half to me. 
  Diss. lf ye dronke all vp it were the better for ye. 
    lt woulde slake your thirst and also quycken your brayne. 
    A better drynke is not in Portyngale nor Spayne. 
    Therfor suppe it of and make an ende of it quycklye. 
  K.John. Naye, thu shalte drynke half. There is no remedye. 
  Diss. Good lucke to ye than; haue at it by and bye. 

|p

     Halfe wyll I consume if there be no remedye. 
   K.John. God saynt the, good monke, with all my very harte. 
   Diss. I haue brought ye half; conueye me that for your parte. 
     Where art thu, Sedicyon? By the masse, I dye, I dye! 
     Helpe now at a pynche. Alas, man, cum awaye shortlye! 
                            [Enter Sedition.] 
   Sed. Come hyther apace and gett the to the farmerye. 
     I haue prouyded for the, by swete saynt Powle, 
     Fyue monkes $at shall synge contynually for thy sowle, 
     That I warande the thu shalt not come in helle.     (p.49, foI.28) 
   Diss. To sende me to heauen goo rynge the holye belle 
     And synge for my sowle a masse of Scala Celi, 
     That I maye clyme vp aloft with Enoch and Heli. 
     I do not doubte it but I shall be a saynt; 
     Prouyde a gyldar, myne lmage for to paynt. 
     I dye for the churche with Thomas of Canterberye; 
     Ye shall fast my vigyll and vpon my daye be merye. 
     No doubt but I shall do myracles in a whyle, 
     And therfor lete me be shryned in the north yle. 
   Sed. To the than wyll offer both crypple, halte and blynde, 
     Mad men and mesels, with suche as are woo behynde. 
                                                              Exeunt. 
   K. John. My bodye me vexeth; I doubt muche of a tympanye. 
   Eng. Now alas, alas, your grace is betrayed cowardlye! 
   K.John. Where became the monke that was here with me latelye? 
   Eng. He is poysened, sir, and lyeth a dyenge, surelye. 
   K.John. lt can not be so, for he was here euen now. 
   Eng. Doubtlesse, sir, it is so true as I haue tolde yow. 
     A false ludas kysse he hath gyuen yow and is gone. 
     The halte, sore and lame thys pitiefull case wyll mone. 
     Neuer prynce was there that made to poore peoples vses 
     So many masendewes, hospytals and spyttle howses 
     As your grace hath done yet sens the worlde began. 
   K.John. Of priestes and of monkes I am counted a wycked man 
     For that I neuer buylte churche nor monasterye, 
     But my pleasure was to helpe suche as were nedye. 

|p
    Eng. The more grace was yours, for at the day of iudgement 
      Christe wyll rewarde them whych hath done hys commaundement. 
      There is no promyse for voluntarye wurkes, 
      Nomore than there is for sacrifyce of the Turkes. 
    K.John. Doubtlesse I do fele muche greuaunce in my bodye. 
    Eng. As the lorde wele knoweth, for that I am full sorye. 
    K.John. There is no malyce to the malyce of the clergye. 
      Well, the lorde God of heauen on me and them haue mercye. 
 
      For doynge iustyce they haue euer hated me. 
      They caused my lande to be excommunycate 
      And me to resygne both crowne and princely dygnyte, 
      From my obedyence assoylynge euery estate, 
      And now, last of all, they haue me intoxycate. 
      I perceyue ryght wele their malyce hath none ende. 
      I desyre not els but that they maye sone amende. 
 
      I haue sore hungred and thirsted ryghteousnesse    (p. 50, foI.28v) 
      For the offyce sake th~t God hath me appoynted; 
      But now I perceyue that synne and wyckednesse 
      ln thys wretched worlde, lyke as Christe prophecyed, 
      Haue the ouerhande; in me is it verefyed. 
      Praye for me, good people, I besych yow hartely, 
      That the lorde aboue on my poore sowle haue mercy. 
 
      Farwell, noble men, with the clergye spirytuall; 
      Farwell, men of lawe, with the whole commynnalte. 
      Your disobedyence I do forgyue yow all 
      And desyre God to perdon your iniquyte. 
      Farwell, swete Englande, now last of all to the; 
      I am ryght sorye I coulde do for 
      Farwele ones agayne, yea, farwell for euermore 
 
    Eng. With the leaue of God I wyll not leaue ye thus, 
      But styll be with ye tyll he do take yow from vs, 
      And than wyll I kepe your bodye for a memoryall. 
    K.John. Than plye it, Englande, and prouyde for my buryall. 
      A wydowes offyce it is to, burye the deade. 

|p
      Eng. Alas, swete maistre, ye waye so heauy as leade. 
         Oh horryble case, that euer so noble a kynge 
         Shoulde thus be destroyed and lost for ryghteouse doynge 
         By a cruell sort of disguysed bloud souppers-- 
         Vnmercyfull murtherers, all dronke in $e bloude of marters!
         Report what they wyll in their most furyouse madnesse, 
         Of thys noble kynge muche was the godlynesse.           Exeunt. 
 
                              [Enter Verity.] 
      Ver. I assure ye, fryndes, lete men wryte what they wyll, 
         Kynge lohan was a man both valeaunt and godlye. 
         What though Polydorus reporteth hym very yll 
         At the suggestyons of the malicyouse clergye? 
         Thynke yow a Romane with the Romanes can not lye? 
         Yes! Therfor, Leylonde, out of thy slumbre awake, 
         And wytnesse a trewthe for thyne owne conL ayes sake. 
 
     For hys valeauntnesse many excellent writers make, 
     As Sigebertus, Vincentius and aho Nauclerus; 
     Giraldus and Mathu Parys with hys noble vertues take-- 
     Yea, Paulus Phrigio, lohan Maior and Hector Boethius. 
     Nothynge is allowed in his lyfe of Polydorus 
     Whych discommendeth hys ponnyshmentes for trayterye, 
     Aduauncynge very sore hygh Leason in the clergye. 

     Of hys godlynesse thus muche report wyll I: 
     Gracyouse prouysyon for sore, sycke, halte and lame 
     He made in hys tyme, he made both in towne and cylie, 
     Grauntynge great lyberties for mayntenaunce of $e same 
     By markettes and fayers in places of notable name. 
     Great monymentes are in Yppeswych, Donwych      (p.5I, foI.29) 
       and Berye, 
     Whych noteth hym to be a man of notable mercye. 
                [Enter Nobility, Clergy and Civil Order.] 
     The cytie of London through hys mere graunt and premye 
     Was first priuyleged to haue both mayer and shryue, 
     Where before hys tyme it had but baylyues onlye. 
     ln hys dayes the brydge the cytiezens ded contryue. 

|p
    
     Though he now be dead hys noble actes are alyue. 
     Hys zele is declared as towchynge Christes religyon 
     ln that he exyled the lewes out of thys regyon. 

  Nob. Whome speake ye of, sir? I besyche ye hartelye. 
  Ver. I talke of kynge lohan, of late your prynce most worthye. 
  Nob. Sir, he was a man of a very wycked sorte. 
  Ver. Ye are muche to blame your prynce so to reporte. 
   How can ye presume to be called nobilyte, 
   Diffamynge a prynce in your malygnyte? 
   Ecclesiastes sayth, lf thu with an hatefull hirte 
   Misnamest a kynge, thu playest suche a wycked parte 
   As byrdes of ayer to God wyll represent 
   To thy great parell and excedynge ponnyshment. 
   Saynt Hierome sayth also that he is of no renowne 
   But a vyle traytour that rebelleth agaynst the crowne. 
  Cler. He speaketh not agaynst the crowne but the man, per dee. 
  Ver. Oh, where is the sprete whych ought to reigne in the! 
   The crowne of it selfe without the man is nothynge. 
   Learne of the scriptures to haue better vndrestandynge. 
   The harte of a kynge is in the handes of the lorde, 
   And he directeth it--wyse Salomon to recorde. 
   They are abhomynable that vse hym wyckedlye. 
  Cler. He was neuer good to vs, the sanctifyed clergye. 
  Ver. Wyll ye knowe the cause before thys worshypfull cumpanye? 
   Your conuersacyon and lyues are very vngodlye. 
   Kynge Salomon sayth, Who hath a pure mynde, 
   Therin delyghtynge, shall haue a kynge to frynde. 
   On thys wurde Cleros, whych signyfieth a lott 
   Or a sortynge out into a most godly knott, 
   Ye do take your name, for that ye are the lordes 
   Select, of hys wurde to be the specyall recordes, 
   As of saynt Mathias we haue a syngular mencyon, 
   That they chose hym out anon after Christes ascencyon. 
   Thus do ye recken. But I feare ye come of Clerus, 
   A very noyfull worme, As Aristotle sheweth vs, 
   By whome are destroyed the honycombes of bees; 
   For poore wydowes ye robbe, as ded the pharysees. 
 C. Ord. I promyse yow it is vncharytably spoken.      (p.52, foI.29v) 

|p

  Ver. Trouthe ingendereth hate; ye shewe therof a token. 
     Ye are suche a man as ought euery where to see 
     A godly order, but ye loose mare commynalte. 
     Plato thought alwayes that no hyghar loue could be 
     Than a man to peyne hymself for hys own countreye. 
     Dauid for their sake the proude Phelistyan slewe, 
     Aioth mad Eglon hys wyckednesse to rewe, 
     Esdras from Persye for his owne contreys sake 
     Came to hierusalem, their stronge holdes vp to make; 
     But yow, lyke wretches, cast ouer both contreye and kynge. 
     All manhode shameth to see your vnnaturall doynge. 
     Ye wycked rulers, God doth abhorre ye all. 
     As Mantuan reporteth in hys Egloges pastorall, 
     Ye fede not the shepe, but euer ye pylle the flocke 
     And clyppe them so nygh that scarsely ye leaue one locke. 
     Your iugementes are suche that ye call to God in vayne 
     So longe as ye haue your prynces in disdayne. 
     Chrysostome reporteth that Nobylyte of fryndes 
     Auayleth nothynge, except ye haue godly myndes. 
     What profiteth it yow to be called spirytuall 
     Whyls yow for lucre from all good vertues fall? 
     What prayse is it to yow to be called cyuylyte 
     lf yow from obedyence and godly order flee? 
     Anneus Seneca hath thys most prouable sentence: 
     The gentyll free hart goeth neuer from obedyence. 
  C.Ord. Sir, my bretherne and I woulde gladly knowe your name. 
  Ver. I am Veritas, that come hyther yow to blame 
     For castynge awaye of our most lawfull kynge. 
     Both God and the worlde detesteth your dampnable doynge. 
     How haue ye vsed kynge lohan here now of late? 
     I shame to rehearce the corruptyons of your state. 
     Ye were neuer wele tyll ye had hym cruelly slayne, 
     And now, beynge dead, ye haue hym styll in disdayne. 
     Ye haue raysed vp of hym most shamelesse lyes, 
     Both by your reportes and by your written storyes. 
     He that slewe Saul through fearcenesse vyolent 
     Was slayne sone after at Dauids iust commaundement, 
     For bycause that Saul was anoynted of the lorde. 

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    The seconde of kynges of thys beareth plenteouse recorde. 
    He was in those dayes estemed wurthie to dye 
    On a noynted kynge that layed handes violentlye. 
    Ye are not ashamed to fynde fyue priestes to synge (p.53,foI.30) 
    For that same traytour that slewe your naturall kynge. 
    A trayterouse knaue ye can set vpp for a saynte, 
    And a ryghteouse kynge lyke an hatefull tyraunt paynte. 
    I coulde shewe the place where yow most spyghtfullye 
    Put out your torches vpon hys physnomye. 
    ln your glasse wyndowes ye whyppe your naturall kynges. 
    As I sayde afore, I abhorre to shewe your doynges. 
    The Turkes, I dare saye, are a thousande tymes better than yow. 
 Nob. For Gods loue, nomore! Alas, ye haue sayde ynough. 
 Cler. All the worlde doth knowe that we haue done sore amys. 
 C. Ord. Forgyue it vs, so that we neuer heare more of thys. 
 Ver. But are ye sorye for thys vngodly wurke? 
 Nob. I praye to God! Els I be dampned lyke a Turke! 
 Ver. And make true promyse ye wyll neuer more do so? 
 Cler. Sir, neuer more shall I from true obedyence goo. 
 Ver. What saye yow, brother? I must haue also your sentence. 
 C.Ord. I wyll euer gyue to my prynce due reuerence. 
    Ver. Well, than, I doubt not but the lorde wyll condescende 
    To forgyue yow all, so that ye mynde to amende. 
    Adewe to ye all, for now I must be gone. 
                    (Enter Imperial Majesty.] 
 I. Maj. Abyde, Veryte; ye shall not depart so sone. 
    Haue ye done all thynges as we commaunded yow? 
 Ver. Yea, most gracyouse prynce, L concluded the whole euen now. 
 I.Maj. And how do they lyke the customs they haue vsed 
    With our predecessours, whome they haue so abused, 
    Specyally kynge lohan? Thynke they they haue done well? 
 Ver. They repent that euer they folowed sedicyouse counsell 
    And haue made promes they wyll amende all faultes. 
 I.Mai. And forsake the pope with all hys cruell assaultes? 
 Ver. Whie do ye not bowe to imperyall maieste? 
    Knele and axe pardon for your great enormyte. 
 Nob. Most godly gouernour, we axe your gracyouse pardon, 
   Promysynge neuermore to maynteyne false sedicyon. 
 Cler. Neyther pryuate welthe nor yet vsurped poure 
   Shall cause me disobeye my prynce from thys same houre. 

|p
 [C.Ord.] False dissymulacyon shall neuer me begyle; 
   Where I shall mete hym I wyll euer hym reuyle. 
 I. Maj. I perceyue, Veryte, ye haue done wele your     (p.54, foI.30v) 
           part, 
   Refourmynge these men. Gramercyes with all my hart! 
   I praye yow take paynes to call our commynalte 
   To true obedyence, as ye are Gods Veryte. 
 Ver. I wyll do it, sir; yet shall I haue muche a doo 
   With your Popish prelates. They wyll hunte me to and fro. 
 I.Maj. So longe as I lyue they shall do yow no wronge. 
 Ver. Than wyll I go preache Gods wurde your commens amonge. 
   But first I desyre yow their stubberne factes to remytt. 
 I.Maj. I forgyue yow all and perdon your frowarde wytt.                             Nob. 
 Nob.
 Cler.      The heauenly gouernour rewarde your goodnesse for it. 
 C. Ord. 
 Ver. For Gods sake obeye lyke as doth yow befall, 
   For in hys owne realme a kynge is iudge ouer all 
   By Gods appoyntment, and none maye hym iudge agayne 
   But the lorde hymself. ln thys the scripture is playne. 
   He that condempneth a kynge condempneth God without dought; 
   He that harmeth a kynge to harme God goeth abought; 
   He that a prynce resisteth doth dampne Gods ordynaunce 
   And resisteth God in withdrawynge hys affyaunce. 
   All subiectes offendynge are vndre the kynges iudgement; 
   A kynge is reserued to the lorde omnypotent. 
   He is a mynyster immedyate vndre God, 
   Of hys ryghteousnesse to execute the rod. 
   I charge yow, therfor, as God hath charged me, 
   To gyue to your kynge hys due supremyte 
   And exyle the pope thys realme for euermore. 
 Nob. 
 Cler.        We shall gladly doo accordynge to your loore. 
 C. Ord. 
 Ver. Your grace is content I shewe your people the same? 
 I.Maj. Yea, gentle veryte, shewe them their dewtye, in Gods name. 
                                                          [Exit Verity.]                             To    To
confyrme the tale that veryte had now 
   The seconde of kynges is euydent to yow. 

|p
      The yonge man that brought the crowne and bracelett 
      Of Saul to Dauid, saynge that he had hym slayne, 
      Dauid commaunded as though he had done $at forfett 
      Strayght waye to be slayne. Gods sprete ded hym constrayne 
      To shewe what it is a kynges bloude to distayne. 
      So ded he those two that in the fyelde hym mett 
      And vnto hym brought the heade of lsboset. 
 
      Consydre that Cbriste was vndre the obedyence 
      Of worldly prynces so longe as he was here, 
      And alwayes vsed them with a lowly reuerence, 
      Paynge them tribute, All hys true seruauntes to stere 
      To obeye them, loue them, and haue them in        (p.55,foI.3I) 
         reuerent feare. 
      Dampnacyon it is to hym that an ordre breake 
      Appoynted of God, lyke as the Apostle speake. 
 
      No man is exempt from thys, Gods ordynauiice-- 
      Bishopp, monke, chanon, priest, Cardynall nor pope. 
      All they by Gods lawe to kynges owe their allegeaunce. 
      Thys wyll be wele knowne in thys same realme, I hope. 
      Of Verytees wurdes the syncere meanynge I grope; 
      He sayth that a kynge is of God immedyatlye. 
      Than shall neuer pope rule more in thys monarchie. 
 
    Cler. lf it be your pleasure, we wyll exyle hym cleane, 
      That he in thys realme shall neuermore be seane, 
      And your grace shall be $e supreme head of $e churche. 
      To brynge thys to passe ye shall see how we,wyll wurche.         
   I.Maj. Here is a nyce tale! He sayth, if it be my pleasure 
      He wyll do thys acte to the popes most hygh displeasure, 
      As who sayth I woulde for pleasure of my persone 
      And not for Gods truthe haue suche an enterpryse done. 
      Full wysely conuayed! The crowe wyll not chaunge her hewe. 
      lt is maruele to me and euer ye be trewe. 
      I wyll the auctoryte of Gods holy wurde to do it 
      And it not to aryse of your vayne slypper wytt. 
      That scripture doth not is but a lyght fantasye. 
   Cler. Both Daniel and Paule calleth hym Gods aduersarye, 
      And therfor ye ought as a Deuyll hym to expell. 

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   I.Maj. Knewe ye thys afore and woulde it neuer tell? 
     Ye shoulde repent it had we not now forgyuen ye. 
     Nobylyte, what saye yow? Wyll ye to thys agree? 
   Nob. I can nD lcsse, sir, for he is wurse than thc Turke, 
     Whych none other wayes but by tyrannye doth wurke. 
     Thys bloudy bocher with hys pernycyouse bayte 
     Oppresse Christen princes by frawde, crafte and dissayte, 
     Tyll he compell them to kysse hys pestylent fete, 
     Lyke a leuyathan syttynge in Moyses sete. 
     I thynke we can do vnto God no sacrifyce 
     That is more accept nor more agreynge to iustyce 
     Than to slea that Beaste and slauterman of the deuyll, 
     That Babylon boore whych hath done so muche euyll. 
   I.Maj. lt is a clere sygne of a true Nobilyte 
     To the wurde of God whan your conscyence doth agree. 
     For as Christe ded saye to Peter, Caro et sanguis 
     Non reuelauit tibi, sed pater me,is celestis: 
     Ye haue not thys gyfte of carnall generacyon,       (p.56, foI.3Iv) 
     Nor of noble bloude, but by Gods owne demonstracyon. 
     Of yow, Cyuyle order, one sentence woulde I heare. 
   C.Ord. I rewe it that euer iny harte I ded hym beare. 
     I thynke he hath spronge out of the bottomlesse pytt 
     And in mennys conscyence in $e stede of God doth sytt, 
     Blowynge fourth a swarme of grassopers and flyes-- 
     Monkes, fryers and priestes--that all truthe putrifyes. 
     Of the Christen faythe playe now the true defendar; 
     Exyle thys monster and rauenouse deuourar 
     With hys venym wormes, hys adders, whelpes and snakes, 
     Hys cuculled vermyne, that vnto all myschiefe wakes. 
   I.Maj. Than in thys purpose ye are all of one mynde? 
   Cler. We detest the pope and abhorre hym to the fynde. 
   I.Maj. And are wele content to disobeye hys pryde? 
   Nob. Yea, and hys lowsye lawes and decrees to sett asyde. 
   I.Maj. Than must ye be sworne to take me for your heade. 
   C.Ord. We wyll obeye yow as our gouernour in Gods steade. 
   I.Maj. Now that ye are sworne vnto me, your pryncypall, 
         I charge ye to regarde the wurde of God ouer all, 

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       And in that alone to rule, to speake and to iudge, 
       As ye wyll haue me your socour and refuge. 
     Cler. lf ye wyll make sure ye must exyle sedicyon, 
       False dyssymulacyon, with all vayne superstycyon, 
       And put priuate welthe out of the monasteryes; 
       Than vsurped power maye goo a birdynge for flyes. 
     I.Maj. Take yow it in hande and do your true dilygence, 
       lche man for hys part; ye shall wante no assystence. 
    Cler. I promyse yow here to exyle vsurped powre 
       And your supremyte to defende yche daye and howre. 
    Nob. I promyse also out of the monasteryes 
       To put priuate welthe and detect hys mysteryes. 
    C. Ord. False dissymulacyon I wyll hange vp ih Smythfylde, 
       With suche supersticion as your people hath begylde. 
    I.Maj. Than I trust we are at a very good conclusyon, 
       Vertu to haue place and vyce to hiue confusyon. 
       Take veryte wyth ye for euery acte ye doo;           (p.57,foI.32) 
       So shall ye be sure not out of the waye to goo. 
                              Sedicyon intrat. 
    [Sed.] [Sing] Pepe, I see ye! I am glad I haue spyed ye. 
    Nob. There is Sedicyon. Stande yow asyde a whyle; 
       Ye shall see how we shall catche hym by a wyle. 
    Sed. No noyse amonge ye? Where is the mery chere 
       That was wont to be, with quassynge of double bere? 
       The worlde is not yet as some men woulde it haue. 
       I haue bene abroade, and I thynke I haue playde $e knaue. 
    C. Ord. Thu canyst do none other, except thu change thy wunte. 
    Sed. What myschiefe ayle ye that ye are to me so blunte? 
       I haue sene the daye ye haue fauoured me, perfectyon. 
    Cler. Thy selfe is not he; thu art of an other complectyon. 
       Sir, thys is the thiefe that first subdued kynge lohn, 
       Vexynge other prynces that sens haue ruled thys regyon; 
       And now he doth prate he hath so played the knaue 
       That the worlde is not yet as some men woulde it haue. 
       lt woulde be knowne, sir, what he hath done of late. 
    I.Maj. What is thy name, frynde? To vs here intymate. 
    Sed. A sayntwary, a sayntwary! For Gods dere passyon, a sayntwarye! 
      ls there none wyll holde me, and I haue made so manye? 
    I.Maj. Tell me what thy name is; thu playest $e knaue, I trowe. 

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   Sed. I am wyndelesse, good man; I haue muche peyne to blowe. 
   I.Maj. I saye tell thy name or the racke shall the constrayne. 
   Sed. Holy perfectyon my godmother called me playne. 
   Nob. lt is Sedicyon. God gyue hym a very myschiefe! 
   C.Ord. Vndre heauen is not a more detestable thiefe. 
   Sed. By the messe, ye lye! I see wele ye do not knowe me. 
   I.Mai. Ah, Brother, art thu come? I am ryght glad we haue the. 
   Sed. By bodye, bloude, bones and sowle, I am not he!  (p. 58, foI.32v) 
   Cler. lf swearynge myghte helpe, he woulde do wele ynough. 
   I.Maj. He scape not our handes so lyghtly, I waraunde yow. 
   Cler. Thys is that thiefe, sir, that all Christendome hath troubled, 
     And the pope of Rome agaynst all kynges maynteyned. 
   Nob. Now that ye haue hym nomore but hange hym vppe. 
   C. Ord. lf ye so be content, it shall be done ere I suppe. 
   I.Maj. Loo, the clergye accuseth the, Nobylyte condempneth the, 
     And the lawe wyll hange the. What sayst now to me? 
   Sed. I woulde I were now at Rome at the sygne of the cuppe, 
     For heauynesse is drye. Alas, must I nedes clymbe vppe? 
     Perdon my lyfe and I shall tell ye all, 
     Both that is past and that wyll herafter fall. 
   I.Maj. Aryse; I perdon the, so that thu tell the trewthe. 
   Sed. I wyll tell to yow suche treason as ensewthe; 
     Yet a ghostly father ought not to bewraye confessyon. 
   I.Maj. No confessyon is but ought to discouer treason. 
   Sed. I thynke it maye kepe all thynge saue heresye. 
   I.Maj. lt maye holde no treason, I tell the verelye, 
     And therfor tell the whole matter by and bye. 
     Thu saydest now of late that thu haddest played $e knaue 
     And that $e worlde was not as some men woulde it haue. 
   Sed. I coulde playe Pasquyll but I feare to haue rebuke. 
   I.Maj. For vtterynge the Luthe feare neyther byshopp nor duke. 
   Sed. Ye gaue iniunctyons that Gods wurde myghte be taught, 
   But who obserue them? Full manye a tyme haue I laught 
   To see the conueyaunce that prelates and priestes can fynde. 
   I.Maj. And whie do they beare Gods wurde no better mynde? 
   Sed. For if that were knowne than woulde the people regarde 
     No heade but their prynce; with the churche than were it harde. 
     Than shoulde I lacke helpe to maynteyne their estate, 
     As I attempted in the Northe but now of late, 

|p

   And sens that same tyme in other places besyde 
   Tyll my setters on were of their purpose wyde. 
   A vengeaunce take it! lt was neuer well with me 
   Sens the cummynge hyther of that same veryte. 
   Yet do the byshoppes for my sake vexe hym amonge. 
 I. Maj. Do they so in dede? Well, they shall not       (p.59,foI.33) 
           do so longe. 
 Sed. ln your parlement commaunde yow what ye wyll, 
   The popes ceremonyes shall drowne the Gospell styll. 
   Some of the byshoppes at your iniunctyons slepe, 
   Some laugh and go bye and some can playe boo pepe; 
   Some of them do nought but searche for heretykes, 
   Whyls their priestes abroade do playe the scysmatykes. 
   Tell me in London how manye their othes discharge 
   Of the curates there; yet is it muche wurse at large. 
   lf your true subiectes impugne their trecheryes, 
   They can fatche them in anon for sacramentaryes 
   Or Anabaptystes; thus fynde they a subtyle shyfte. 
   To proppe vp their kyngedome suche is their wyly dryfte. 
   Get they false wyfiesses, they force not of whens they be, 
   Be they of Newgate or be they of the marshall see. 
   Parauenture a thousande are in one byshoppes boke, 
   And agaynst a daye are readye to the hooke. 
 I.Maj. Are those matters Lue that thu hast spoken here? 
 Sed. What can in the worlde more euydent wytnesse bere? 
   First of all consydre the prelates do not preache, 
   But persecute those that the holye scriptures teache; 
   And marke me thys wele, they neuer ponnysh for popery, 
   But the Gospell readers they handle very coursely, 
   For on them they laye by hondred poundes of yron 
   And wyll suffer none with them ones for to common. 
   Sytt they neuer so longe, nothynge by them cometh fourthe 
   To the truthes furtheraunce that any thynge ys woudhe. 
   In some byshoppes howse ye shall not fynde a testarnent, 
   But yche man readye to deuoure the innocent. 
 

|p
 
         We lyngar a tyme and loke but for a daye 
         To sett vpp the pope, if the Gospell woulde decaye. 
       Cler. Of that he hath tolde hys selfe is the very grounde. 
       I.Maj. Art thu of counsell in thys that thu hast spoken? 
       Sed. Yea, and in more than that if all secretes myght be broken; 
         For the pope I make so muche as euer I maye do. 
       I.Maj. I praye the hartely, tell me why thu doest so. 
       Sed. For I perceyue wele the pope is a lolye fellawe, 
         A trymme fellawe, a ryche fellawe, yea, and a myry fellawe. 
       I.Maj. A lolye fellawe how dost thu proue the pope? 
       Sed. For he hath crosse keyes, with a tryple crowne and a cope, 
         Trymme as a trencher, hauynge hys shoes of golde,  (p.6o, foI.33v) 
         Ryche in hys ryalte and Angelyck to beholde. 
       I.Maj. How dost thu proue hym to be a fellawe myrye? 
       Sed. He hath pypes and belles, with kyrye, kyrye, kyrye. 
         Of hym ye maye bye both salt, creame, oyle and waxe, 
         And after hygh masse ye maye learne to beare $e paxe. 
       I.Maj. Yea, and nothynge heare of the Pystle and the Gospell? 
       Sed. No, sir, by the Masse! He wyll gyue no suche counsell. 
       I.Maj. Whan thu ah a broade, where doest thy lodgynge take? 
       Sed. Amonge suche people as God ded neuer make: 
         Not only cuckoldes, but suche as folowe the popes lawes 
         ln disgysed coates, with balde crownes lyke lacke dawes. 
       I.Maj. Than euery where thu art the popes altogyther? 
       Sed. Ye had proued it ere thys lf I had not chaunced hyther. 
         I sought to haue serued yow lyke as I ded kynge lohn, 
         But that veryte stopte me. The deuyll hym poyson! 
         Nob. He is wurthie to dye and there were men nomore! 
       C. Ord. Hange vp the vyle knaue and kepe hym no longar in store! 
       I.Maj. Drawe hym to Tyburne; lete hym be hanged and quartered. 
       Sed. Whye, of late dayes ye sayde I shoulde not so be martyred. 
         Where is the pardon that ye ded promyse me? 
       I.Maj. For doynge more harme thu shalt sone pardoned be. 
         Haue hym foudh, Cyuyle ordre, and hange hym tyll he be dead, 
         And on London brydge loke ye bestowe hys head. 
       C.Ord. I shall see it done and returne to yow agayne. 
       Sed. I beshrewe your hart for takynge so muche payne! 
         Some man tell the pope, I besyche ye with all my harte, 
         How I am ordered for takynge the churches parte, 
         That I maye be put in the holye letanye 
         With Thomas Beckett, for I thynke I am as wurthye. 

|p
        
         Praye to me with candels, for I am a saynt alreadye. 
         O blessed saynt Par Lyck, I see the, I verylye! 
                                  [Exeunt Civil Order and Sedition.]                 h 
 I.Maj. I see by thys wretche there hath bene muche faulte in ye; 
   Shewe your selues herafter more sober and wyse to be. 

   Kynge lohan ye subdued for that he ponnyshed treason, 
   Rape, theft and murther in the holye spirytualte. 
   But Thomas Becket ye exalted without reason 
   Because that he dyed for the churches wanton lyberte, 
   That the priestes myght do all kyndes of inyquyte     (p.6I, fol. 34) 
   And be vnponnyshed. Marke now the iudgement 
   Of your ydle braynes, and for Gods loue repent. 

 Nob. As God shall iudge me, I repent me of my rudenesse. 
 Cler. I am ashamed of my most vayne folyshenesse. 

 Nob. I consydre now that God hath for Sedicyon 
   Sent ponnyshmentes great. Examples we haue in Brute, 
   ln Catilyne, in Cassius and fayer Absolon, 
   Whome of their purpose God alwayes destytute, 
   And terryble plages on them ded execute 
   For their rebellyon. And therfor I wyll be ware, 
   Least hys great vengeaunce trappe me in suche lyke snare. 
                         [Enter Civil Order.] 
 Cler. I pondre also that sens the tyme of Adam 
   The lorde euermore the gouernours preserued. 
   Examples we fynde in Noe and in Abraham, 
   ln Moyses and Dauid, from whome God neuer swerued. 
   I wyli therfor obeye least he be with me displeased. 
   Homerus doth saye that God putteth fourth hys shyelde, 
   The prynce to defende whan he is in the fyelde. 

 C.Ord. Thys also I marke: whan the priestes had gouernaunce 
   Ouer the Hebrlies, the sectes ded first aryse, 
   As Pharisees, Sadducees and Essees, whych wrought muche 
     greuaunce 
   Amonge the people by their most deuylysh practyse, 
   Tyll destructyons the prynces ded deuyse, 
   To the quyetnesse of their faythfull commens all, 
   As your grace hath done with the sectes papisrycall. 

|p
  
I.Maj. That poynt hath in tyme fallen to your memoryes. 
    The Anabaptystes, a secte newe rysen of late, 
    The scriptures poyseneth with their subtle allegoryes, 
    The heades to subdue after a sedicyouse rate. 
    The cytie of Mynster was lost through their debate. 
    They haue here begonne their pestilent sedes to sowe, 
    But we trust in God to increace they shall not growe. 

  Cler. God forbyd they shoulde, for they myght do muche harme. 
  C. Ord. We shall cut them short if they do hyther swarme. 
  I. Maj. The adminystracyon of a princes gouernaunce 
    ls the gifte of God and hys hygh ordynaunce, 
    Whome with all your power yow thre ought to support 
    ln the lawes of God, to all hys peoples comfort. 
    First yow, the clergye, in preachynge of Gods worde; 
    Than yow, Nobilyte, defendynge with the sworde; 
    Yow, Cyuyle order, in executynge iustyce.          (p.62, fol. 34") 
    Thus I trust we shall seclude all maner of vyce, 
    And after we haue establyshed our kyngedome 
    ln peace of the lorde and in hys godly fredome, 
    We wyll confirme it with wholesom lawes and decrees, 
    To the full suppressynge of Antichristes vanytees. 
                        Hic omnes rex osculatur. 
    Farwele to ye all; first to yow, Nobilyte, 
    Than to yow, Clergye, than to yow, Cyuylyte. 
    And aboue all thynges, remembre our iniunc;yon. 
  Nob. 
  Cler.      By the helpe of God, yche shall do hys functyon. 
  C. Ord.  
                                              [ Exit Imperial Majesty.] 
 Nob. By thys example ye maye see with your eyes 
    How Antichristes whelpes haue noble princes vsed. 
    Agayne ye maye see how they with prodigyouse lyes 
    And craftes vncomely their myschiefes haue excused. 
    Both nature, Manhode and grace they haue abused, 
    Defylynge the lawe and blyndynge Nobilyte-- 
    No Christen regyon from their abusyons free. 

 Cler. Marke wele the dampnable bestowynge of their masses, 
    With their foundacyons for poysenynge of their kynge. 

|p

    Their confessyon driftes all other traytery passes. 
    A saynr they can make of $e most knaue thys daye lyuynge, 
    Helpyiige their market. And to promote the thynge                                  h 
    He shall do myracles. But he that blemysh their glorye 
    Shall be sent to helle without anye remedye. 

  C.Ord. Here was to be seane what ryseth of Sedicyon, 
   And howe he doth take hys mayntenaunce and grounde 
   Of ydle persones brought vpp in supersticyon, 
   Whose daylye practyse is alwayes to confounde 
   Such as myndeth vertu and to them wyll not be bounde. 
   Expedyent it is to knowe their pestylent wayes, 
   Consyderynge they were so busye now of late dayes. 

  Nob. Englande hath a quene--Thankes to the lorde aboue-- 
   Whych maye be a lyghte to other princes all 
   For the godly wayes whome she doth dayly moue 
   To hir liege people, through Gods wurde specyall. 
   She is that Angell, as saynt lohan doth hym call, 
   That with the lordes seale doth marke out hys true seruauntes,                     <sd>s 
   Pryntynge in their hartes hys holy wourdes and Covenauntes. 

  Cler. ln Danyels sprete she hath subdued the Papistes, 
   With all the ofsprynge of Antichristes generacyon; 
   And now of late dayes the secte of Anabaptistes 
   She seketh to suppresse for their pestiferouse facyon.  (p. 63, fol. 35) 
   She vanquysheth also the great abhomynacyon 
   Of supersticyons, witchecraftes and hydolatrye, 
   Restorynge Gods honoure to hys first force and bewtye. 

C.Ord. Praye vnto the lorde that hir grace maye contynewe 
   The dayes of Nestor to our sowles consolacyon; 
   And that hir ofsprynge maye lyue also to subdewe 
   The great Antichriste, with hys whole generacyon, 
   ln Helias sprete to the confort of thys 
   Also to preserue hir most honourable counsell,                                     <sn>s 
   To the prayse of God and glorye of the Gospell. 
               Thus endeth the ij. playes of kynge Iohan.