¶ A mery play betwene the pardoner and the frere / the cura [...]e and neybour Pratte.
¶The frere.
DEus hic / the holy trynyte
Preserue all / that nowe here be
Dere bretherne / yf ye wyll consyder
The cause why / I am come hyder
Ye wolde be glad / to knowe my entent
For I com not hyther / for monye nor for rent
I com not hyther / for meate nor for meale
But I com hyther / for your soules heale
I com not hyther / to poll nor to shaue
I com not hyther to begge nor to craue
I com not hyther / to glose nor to flatter
I com not hyther to bable nor to clatter
I com not hyther / to fable nor to lye
But I come hyther / your soules to edyfye
For we freres / are bounde the people to teche
The gospell of Chryst / openly to preche
As dyd the appos [...]els / by Chryst theyr mayster sent
To turne the people / and make them to repent
But syth the appostels / fro heuen wolde not come
We freres now / must occupy theyr rome
We freres are bounde / to serche mennes conscyens
We may not care for grotes / nor for pens
We freres haue professed / wylfull pouerte
No peny in our purse / haue may we
Knyfe nor staffe / may we none cary
Excepte we shulde / from the gospell vary
For worldly aduersyte / may we be in no sorowe
We may not care to day / for our meate to morowe
Bare fote and bare legged / must we go also
We may not care / for frost nor snowe
We may haue / no maner care ne thynke
Nother for our meate / nor for our drynke
But let our thoughtes / fro luche thynges be as free
As be the byrdes / that in the ayre flee
For why our lorde / clyped swete Iesus
In the gospell / speketh to vs thus
[Page]Through all the worlde / go ye sayth he
And to euery creature / speke ye of me
And shew of my doctryne / and connynge
And that they may / be glad of your comynge
Yf that you enter / in any hous any where
Loke that ye salute them / and byd my peas be there
And yf that house / be worthy and electe
Thylke peace there / than shall take effecte
And yf that hous / be cursyd or paruert
Thylke peace than shall to your selfe reuert
And furthermore / yf any suche there be
Which do deny / for to receyue ye
And do dyspyse / your doctryne and your lore
At suche a house / tary ye no more
And from your shoes / scrape away the dust
To theyr reprefe / and I bothe trew and iust
Shall vengeaunce take / of theyr synfull dede
¶Wherfore my frendes / to this text take ye hede
Beware how ye / despyse the pore freres
Which ar in this worlde / crystes mynysters
But do them with an harty chere receyue
Leste they happen / your houses for to leue
And than god wyll take vengeaunce in his yre
Wherfore I now / that am a pore frere
Dyd enquere / were any people were
Which were dysposyd / the worde of god to here
And as I cam hether / one dyd me tell
That in this towne / ryght good folke dyd dwell
Which to here the worde of god wolde be glad
And as sone as I / therof knolege had
I hyder hyed me as fast as I myght
Entendyd by the grace of god almyght
And by your pacyens / and supportacyon
Here to make / a symple colacyon
Wherfore I requyre all ye in this prese
For to abyde / and gyue dew audyence
¶But fyrst of all
Now here I shall
To god my prayer make
To gyue ye grace
All in thys place
[Page]His doctryne for to take.
¶ And than kneleth downe the frere sayenge his prayers / and in the meane whyle entreth the pardoner with all [...]is rely [...]ues / to declare what eche of them ben / and the hole power and vertu therof.
¶The pardoner.
¶God and saynt Leonarde sende ye all his grace
As many as ben assembled in this place
¶ [...] deuoute people / that here do assemble
I pray good / that ye may all well resemble
The ymage / after whiche you are wrought
And that ye saue / that Chryst in you bought
¶Deuoute Chrysten people / ye shall all wytte
That I am comen hyther / ye to vysytte
Wherfore let vs pray / thus or I begynne
Our sauyoure preserue ye / all from synne
And enable ye to receyue / this blessed pardon
Whiche is the greatest / vnder the son
Graunted by the pope / in his bulles vnder lede
Whiche pardon ye shall fynde / whan ye are dede
That offereth / outher gro [...]es or els pens
To these holy relyques / whiche or I go hens
I shall here shewe / in open audyence
Exortynge ye all / to do to them reuerence
¶ But fyrst ye shal [...] knowe well / yt I com fro Rome
[...]o here my bulles / al [...] and some
Our lyege lorde seale / here on my patent
I bere with me / my body to warant
That no man be so bo [...]de / be he preest or clarke
Me to dysturbe / of Chrystes holy warke
Nor haue no dysdayne / nor yet scorne
Of these holy relyques / whiche sayntes haue worne
¶Fyrst here I shewe ye / of a holy Iewes shepe
A bone / I pray you take good kepe
To my wordes / and marke them well
Yf any of your bestes belyes do swell
Dyppe this bone in the water / that he dothe take
Into his body / and the swellynge shall s [...]ake
And yf any worme / haue [...]our beestes stonge
Take of this water / and wasshe his tonge
And it wyll be hole anon / and furthermore
Of pockes and scabbes / and euery sore
[Page]He shall be quyte hole / that drynketh of the well
That this bone is dipped in / it is treuth that I tell
And yf any man that any beste oweth
Ones in the weke / or that the cocke croweth
Fastynge wyll drynke / of this well a draughte
As that holy Iew hath vs taught
His beestes and his store / shall multeply
And maysters all / it helpeth well
Thoughe a man be foule / in ielous rage
Let a man with this water / make his potage
And neuermore shall he / his wyfe mystryst
Thoughe he in sothe the faut by her wyst
Or had she be take with freres two or thre
¶Here is a mytten eke / as ye may se
He that his hande wyll put in this myttayn
He shall haue / encrease of his grayn
That he hathe sowne / be it wete or [...]ys
So that he offer pens / or els grotes
And another holy relyke / eke here se ye may
The blessed a [...]me / of swete saynt sondaye
And who so euer is blessyd / with this ryght hande
Can not spede amysse / by se nor by lande
And yf he offereth / eke with good deuocyon
He shall not fayle / to come to hyghe promocyon
¶And another holy relyke here may ye see
The great too / of the holy trynyte
And who so euer ones dothe it in his mouthe take
Be shall neuer be dysseasyd / with the tothe ake
Canker nor pockys shall there none brede
This that I shewe ye / is matter in dede
¶And here is of our lady / a relyke full good
Her bongrace / which she ware with her french hode
Whan she wente oute / alwayes for sonne bornynge
Women with chylde / which be in mournynge
By vertue therof / shalbe sone easyd
And of theyr trauayll / full sone also releasyd
And yf this bongrace / they do deuoutly kys
And offer therto / as theyr deuocyon is
¶Here is another relyke / eke a precyous one
Hf all helowes / the blessyd Iaw bone
Which relyke / without any fayle
Agaynst poyson / chefely dothe preuayle
[Page]For whom so euer it toucheth / without dout
All maner venym / from hym shall issue out
So that it shall hurt / no maner wyghte
Lo of this relyke / the great power and myghte
Which preseruyth from poyson euery man
Lo of saynt Myghell / eke the brayn pan
Which for the hed ake / is a preseruatyfe
To euery man or beste / that beryth lyfe
And further it shall stande hym in better stede
For his hede shall neuer ake whan that he is dede
Nor he shall fele / no maner grefe nor payn
Though with a sworde / one cleue it than a twayn
But be as one that lay in a dede slepe
Wherfore to these relykes / now com crouche and crepe
But loke that ye offerynge to them make
Or els can ye no maner profyte take
But one thynge ye women all I warant you
Yf any wyght / be in this place now
That hathe done syn / so horryble that she
Dare nat for shame / therof sheyuen be
Or any woman / be she yonge or olde
That hathe made her husbande cockolde
Suche folke shall haue / no power nor no grace
To offer to my relykes / in this place
And who so fyndyth / her selfe out of suche blame
Com hyther to me on crystes holy name
¶And bycause ye
Shall vnto me
G [...]ue credence at the full
Myn auctoryte
Now shall ye se
Lo here the popes bull
¶Now shall the frere begyn his sermon / and euyn at the same tyme the pardoner begynneth also to shew and speke of his bullys / and auctorytes com from Rome.
¶The frere.
¶Date et dabitur vobis
¶Good deuout people / this place of scrypture
pardo.
¶Worshypfull maysters / ye shall vnderstand
frere.
Is to you / that haue no litterature
pardo.
¶That pope Leo the .x. hath graunted with his hand
frere.
Is to say / in our englysshe tonge
par.
[Page]¶And by his bulles / confyrmed vnder lede
frere.
As departe your goodes / the poore folke amonge
pardo.
¶To all maner people / bothe quycke and dede
frere.
And god shall than / gyue vnto you agayne
pardo.
¶Ten thousande yeres / & as many [...]entes of pardon
frere.
This in the gospell / so is wryten playne
pardo.
¶Whan they are dede / theyr soules for to guardon
frere.
Therfore gyue your almes / in the largest wyse
pardo.
¶That wyll with theyr peny / or almes dede
frere.
Kepe not your goodes / fye fye on couetyse
pardo.
¶Put to theyr handes / to the good spede
frere.
That synne with god is most abhomynable
pardo.
¶Of the holy chapell of swete saynt Leonarde
frere.
And is eke the synne / that is most dampnable
pardo.
¶Whiche late by fyre / was destroyed and marde
frere.
In scrypture eke / but I say syrs how
pardo.
¶Ay by the mas / one can not here
frere.
What a bablynge maketh yonder felow
pardo.
¶For the bablynge / of yonder folysshe frere
frere.
In scrypture eke / is there many a place
pardo.
¶And also maysters / as I was aboute to tell
frere.
Whiche sheweth that many a mā so farforth lacketh grace
pardo.
¶Pope Iuly ye .vi. hath graūted fayre & well
frere.
That whan to them / god hathe abundaunce sent
pardo.
¶And doth .xii. thousande yeres of pardon to thē sende
frere.
They wo [...]de dystrybute none to the indygent
pardo.
¶That ought / to this holy chapell lende
frere.
Wherat god hauynge / great indygnacyon
pardo.
¶Pope Bonyface / the .ix. also
frere.
Punysshed these men / after a dyuers facyon
pardo.
¶Pope Iuly / pope Innocent / with dyuers popes mo
frere.
As the gospell / full nobly dothe declare
pardo.
¶Hathe graunted / to the susteynynge of the same
frere.
How diues Epulus / reygnynge in welfare
pardo.
¶v. thousand yeres of pardō / to euery of you by name
frere.
And on his borde / dysshes delycate
pardo.
¶And clene remyssyon / also of theyr syn
frere.
Pore Lazarus / cam beggynge at his gate
pardo.
¶As often tymes / as you put in
frere.
Desyrynge som fode / his honger to releue
pardo.
¶Any monye / into the pardoners cofer
frere.
But the rycheman / nothynge wolde hym gyue
pardo.
[Page]¶Or any money vp vnto it offer
frere.
Not so moche as a fewe crommys of breade
pardo.
¶Or he that offeryth / peny or grote
frere.
Wherfore pore lazarus / of famyn strayth was dede
pardo.
¶Or he that gyueth / the pardoner a new cote
frere.
And angels hys soule / to heuen dyd cary
par.
¶Or take of me / out [...]er ymage or letter
frere.
But now the ryche man / of the contrary
pardo.
¶Wherby thys pore chapell may / fayre the better
frere.
Whan he was dede / went to mysery and payne
pardo.
¶And god wote / it ys a full gracyous dede
frere.
Where for euermore / he shall remayne
pardo.
¶For whych god / shall quyte you well your mede
frere.
In brennyng fyre / whych shall neuer cease
pardo.
¶Now helpe our pore chapell / yf it be your wyll
frere.
But I say thou pardoner / I byd the holde thy peace
pardo.
¶And I say thou frere / holde thy tonge styll
frere.
What standest thou there / all the day smatterynge
pardo.
¶Mary what standyst thou there / all day clatterrynge
frere.
¶Mary felow I com hyder / to prech the word of god
Whych of no man / may be forbode
But harde wyth scylence / and good entent
For why / it techeth them euydent
The very way / and path that shall them lede
Euen to heuen gatys / as strayght as any threde
And he that lettyth the worde / of god of audyence
Standeth accurst / in the greate sentence
And so arte thou / for enterruptynge me
pardo
¶Nay thou art a curst / knaue / and that shalt thou se
And all suche that to me / make interrupcyon
The pope sendes them / excommunycacyon
By hys bullys / here redy to be redde
By bysshoppes / and hys cardynalles confyrmed
And eke yf thou / dysturbe me any thynge
Thou arte also / a traytour to the kynge
For here hath he graunted me / vnder hys brode seale
That no man / yf he loue hys hele
Sholde me dysturbe / or let in any wyse
And yf thou dost / the kynges commaundement dispise
I shall make the be set / fast by the fete
And where thou saydyst / that thou arte more mete
Amonge the people / here for to preche
[Page] [...][Page] [...][Page]Bycause thou dost them / the very way teche
[...]ow to com / to heuen aboue
Therin thou lyest / and that shall I proue
And by good reason / I shall make the bow
And knowe that I / am met [...]r than arte thou
¶For thou / whan thou hast taught them ones the way
Thou e [...]rest not / wheth [...]r they com there ye or nay
But whan that thou / hast done all togyder
And taught them the way / for to com thyther
Yet all that thou canst ymagyn
Is but to vse vertue / and to abstayne fro syn
And yf they fall ones / than thou canst no more
Thou canst not gyue them / a salue for theyr sore
But these my letters / be clene purgacyon
All thoughe neuer so many synnes / they haue don
But whan thou hast taught them the way and all
Yet or they com there / they may haue many a fall
In the way / or that they com thyther
For why the way / to heuen is very slydder
But I wyll teche them after another race
For I shall brynge them to heuen gate
And be theyr gydes / and conducte all thynges
And lede them thyther / by the purse strynges
So that they shall not fall / though that they wolde
frere.
¶Holde thy peace knaue / thou arte very bolde
Thou pratest in fayth / euen lyke a pardoner
pardo.
¶Why despysest thou / the popes mynyster
Maysters / here I curse hym openly
And therwith warne / all this hole company
By the popes / great auctoryte
That ye leue hym / and herken vnto me
For tyll h [...] be assoyled / his wordes take none effecte
For out of holy chyrche / he is now clene reiecte
frere.
¶My maysters / he dothe but gest and raue
It forseth not / for the wordes of a knaue
But to the worde of god do reuerence
And here me forthe / with dewe audyence
frere.
¶Maysters I swewed you / ere whyle of almes dede
pardo.
¶Maysters this pardon / whiche I shewed you before
frere.
And how ye shulde gyue poore folke at theyr nede
pardo.
Is the greatest that euer was / syth god was bore
frere.
And yf of your partes / that thynge ones were don
frere.
[Page]For why without confessyon or contrycyon
pardo.
Dout not but god sholde gyue you retrybucyon
frere.
¶By this shall ye haue / clene remyssyon
pardo.
But now further / it ought to be declared
frere.
¶And forgyuen of the synnes se [...]n
Who be thes pore folke that shold haue your reward
pardo.
¶Come to this pardon / yf ye wyll come to heuen
frere.
Who be those pore folk / of whome I speke & name
pardo.
¶Come to this pardon yf ye wyll be in blys
frere.
Certes we pore freres / are the same
pardo.
¶This is the pardon / which ye can not mysse
[...].
We freres dayly take payn I say
pardo.
¶This is the pardon which shall mens soules wyn
frere.
We frears dayly / do bothe fast and pray
pardo.
¶This is the pardon / the rydder of your synne
frere.
We freres trauayle / and labour euery houre
pardo.
¶This is the pardon / that purchaseth all grace
frere.
We freres take payne / for the loue of our sauyour
pardo.
This is a pardon for all maner of trespas
frere.
We freres also go on lymytacyon
pardo.
¶This is ye pardō / of which all mercy dothe sprynge
frere.
For to preche / to euery crysten nacyon
p [...]do.
¶This is the pardon that to heuen shall ye brynge
frere.
But I say thou pardoner / thou wylt kepe sylens (sone)
pardo.
¶Ye it is lyke to be whan I haue done
frere.
Mary therfore the more knaue art thou I say
That parturbest / the worde of god I say
[...] neyther thy selfe / wylt here goddys doctryne
[...] suffre other / theyr earys to enclyne
[...]herfore our sauyour in his holy scrypture
Clyueth the thy iugement / thou cursyd creature
Spekynge to the / after this maner
Maledictus qui audit verbum dei negligenter
Wo be that man sayth our lord / that gyueth no audien [...]
Or heryth the worde / of god with negligens
pardo.
¶Now thou haste spoken all syr daw
I care nat for the / an olde straw
I had leuer thou were hanged / vp with a rope
Than I that am comen from the pope
And therby goddes minister / whyle thou stādest & prate
Sholde be fayn to knocke without the gate
Therfore preche hardely / thy bely full
[Page]But I neuertheles / wyll declare the popes bull
frere.
¶Now my frendes / I haue afore shewed ye
pardo.
¶Now my maysters / as I haue afore declared
frere.
That good it is to gyue your charyte
pardo.
¶That pardoners from you may not be spared
frere.
And further I haue / at lenghte to you tolde
pardo.
¶Now here after / shall folow and ensew
frere.
Who be these people / that ye receyue sholde
pardo.
¶That foloweth of pardons / the great vertew
frere.
That is to say / vs freres pore
pardo.
¶We pardoners for your soules be as necessary
frere.
That for our lyuynge must begge fro dore to dore
pardo.
As is the meate / for our bodys hungry
frere.
For of our own propre / we haue no propre thynge
pardo.
For pardons is the thynge that bryngeth men to heuen
frere.
But that we get / of deuout peoples gettynge
pardo.
¶Pardons delyuereth them fro the synnes seuen
frere.
And in our place / be fryers thre score and thre
pardo.
¶Pardons for euery cryme / may dyspens
frere.
Which onely lyue / on mens charyte
pardo.
Pardon purchasyth grace for all offence
frere.
For we fryars / wylfull charyte professe
pardo.
¶Ye though ye had slayne / bothe father and mothe [...]
frere.
We may haue no money / nother more nor lesse
pardo.
¶And this pardon / is chefe aboue all other
frere.
For wordly treasure we may nought care
pardo.
¶For who to it offeryth / grote or peny
frere.
Our soules must be ryche / and our bodyes bare
pardo.
¶Though synnes / he had done neuer so many
frere.
And one thynge I had almoste left behynde
pardo.
¶And though that he had all his kyndred slayn
frere.
Which before / cam not to my mynde
pardo.
¶This pardon shall ryd thē fro euer lastynge payne
frere.
And doutles it is none other thynge
pardo.
¶There is no syn / so abhomynable
frere.
But whan ye wyll gyue / your almes & offerynge
pardo.
¶Which to remyt / this pardon is not able
frere.
Loke that ye / dystrybute it wysely
pardo.
¶As well declareth / the sentence of this letter
frere.
Not to euery man / that for it wyll crye
pardo.
¶Ye can not therefore / bestow your money bette [...]
frere.
For yf ye gyue / your almes in that wyse
pardo.
[Page]¶Let vs not here / stande ydle all the daye
frere.
It shall not bothe to them and vs suffyse
pardo.
¶Gyue vs some money / or that we go our way
frere.
But I say / thou lewde felowe thou
Haddest none other tyme to shewe thy bulles but now
Canst not tary and abyde tyll sone
And rede them than whan prechynge is done
pardo.
¶I wyll rede them now / what sayest thou therto
Hast thou any thynge therwith to do
Thynkest that I wyll stande / & tary for thy leasure
Am I bounde to do so moche for thy pleasure
frere.
For my pleasure? nay I wolde thou knewyst it well
It becometh the knaue / neuer a dell
To prate thus boldely in my presence
And let the worde / of god of audience
pardo.
¶Let the word of god qd a? nay let a horsō dreuyll
Prate here all day / with a foule euyll
And all thy sermon / goth on couetyce
And byddest men beware of auaryce
And yet in thy sermon / dost thou none other thynge
But for almes stande all the day beggynge
frere.
Leue thy realynge I wolde the aduyse
pardo.
¶Nay leue thou thy bablynge / yf thou be wyse
frere.
I wolde thou knewest it knaue / I wyll not leue a (whyt)
pardo.
¶No more wyll I / I do the well to wyt
frere.
It is not thou / shall make me holde my peas
pardo.
Thā speke on hardly yf thou thynkyst it for thy [...]
frere.
For I wyll speke / whyther thou wylt or no
pardo.
¶In faythe I care nat / for I wyll speke also
frere.
Wherfore hardely / let vs bothe go to
pardo.
Se whiche shall be better harde of vs two
frere.
What sholde ye gyue ought to pratyng pardoners
pardo.
¶What sholde ye spende on these flaterynge lyers
frere.
What sholde ye gyue ought to these bolde beggars
pardo.
¶As be these bablynge monkes / and these freres
frere.
Let them hardely labour for theyr lyuynge
pardo.
¶Which do nought dayly / but bable and lye
frere.
It moche hurtyth them / good mennys gyuynge
pardo.
¶And tell you fables dere inoughe a flye
frere.
For that maketh them ydle / and slouthfull to warke
pardo.
¶As dothe this bablynge frere / here to day
frere.
That for none other thynge they wyll carke
pardo.
[Page]¶ [...]
frere.
Hardely they wolde go bothe to plow & carie
pardo.
¶On vs pardoners hardely do your cost
frere.
And if of necessitie ones they felte the smarte
pardo.
¶For why / your money neuer can be lost
frere.
But we freres be nat in lyke estate
pardo.
¶For why / there is in our fraternitie
frere.
For our handes with such thinges we may nat macu (late)
pardo.
¶For all bretheren & sisteren that thereof be
frere.
We freres be nat in lyke condicion
pardo.
¶Deuoutly songe euery yere
frere.
we may haue no prebendes ne exhibition
pardo.
¶As he shall know well that cometh there
frere.
Of all temporall seruice are we forbode
pardo.
¶At euery of the fyue solempne festes
frere.
And onely bounde to the seruice of god
pardo.
¶A masse & dirige to pray for the good rest
frere.
And therwith to pray for euery christen nation
pardo.
¶Of the soules of the bretheren & sisteren all
frere.
That god witsafe to saue them fro dampnation
pardo.
¶Of our fraternitie in generall
frere.
But some of you so harde be of harte
pardo.
¶with a herse there standynge / well arayed & dyght
frere.
Ye can nat wepe though ye full sore smarte
pardo.
And torches & tapers aboute it brennynge bright
frere.
wherfore some man must ye hyre nedes
pardo.
¶And with the belles eke solempnely ryngynge
frere.
whiche must intrete god for your misdedes
pardo.
¶And prestes & clerkes deuoutly syngynge
frere.
Ye can hyre no better in myne oppinion
pardo.
¶And furthermore / euery nyght in the yere
frere.
Than vs goddes seruantes / men of religion
pardo.
¶Twelue pore people are receiued there
frere.
And specially god hereth vs pore freres
pardo.
¶And there haue bothe harborow and food
frere.
And is attentife vnto our desyres.
pardo.
¶That for them is conuenient and good
frere.
For the more of religion / the more herde of our lorde
pardo.
¶And furthermore / if there be any other
frere.
And that is / so shulde / good reason doeth accorde
pardo.
¶That of our fraternitie be sister or brother
frere.
Therfore doute nat maisters / I am euen he
pardo.
[Page]¶ [...] after happe to fall in decay
frere.
To whom ye shulde parte with your charitie
pardo.
¶And yf he than chaunce to come that way
frere.
we freres be they that shulde your almes take
pardo.
¶Nygh vnto our forsayd holy place
frere.
whiche for your soules he [...]th do both watche & wake
pardo.
¶Ye shall there tary for amon thes space
frere.
we freres pray / god wote whan ye do slepe
pardo.
¶And be there founde of the places cost
frere.
we for your synnes do bothe sobbe and wepe
pardo.
¶wherfore now in the name of the holy goost
frere.
To pray to god for mercy and for grace
pardo.
¶I aduise you all that now here be
frere.
And thus do we dayly with all our hole place
pardo.
¶For to be of our fraternitie
frere.
wherfore distribute of your temporall welthe
pardo.
¶Fye on couetise / sticke nat for a peny
frere.
By whiche ye may preserue your soules helthe
pardo.
¶For whiche ye may haue benefites so many
frere.
I say wylt thou nat yet stynt thy clappe
Pu [...]l me downe the pardoner with an euyll happe
pardo.
¶Maister frere / I holde it best
To kepe your tonge while ye be in rest
frere.
I say one pull the knaue of his stole
pardo.
¶Nay one pull the frere downe lyke a fole
frere.
Leue thy railynge and babbelynge of freres
Or by Iys Ish lug the by the swete eares
pardo.
¶By god I wolde thou durst presume to it
frere:
By god a lytell thynge might make me to do it
pardo.
¶And I shrew thy herte and thou spare
frere.
By god I wyll nat mysse the moche thou slouche
And yf thou playe me suche another touche
Ish knocke the on the costarde / I wolde thou it knewe
pardo.
¶Mary that wolde I se quod blynde hew
frere.
Well I wyll begyn / and than let me se
whether thou darest agayne interrupte me
And what thou wolde ones to it say
pardo.
¶Begyn & proue whether I wyll ye or nay
frere.
And to go forthe where as I lefte right now
pardo.
¶Because som percase wyll thynke amysse of me
frere·
Our lorde in the gospell sheweth the way how
pardo.
[Page]¶Ye shall now here / the popys auctoryte
frere.
¶By gogges soule knaue / I suffre the no lenger
pardo.
I say some good body / lende me his hengar
And I shall hym teche by god almyght
How he shall a nother tyme lerne for to fyght
I shall make that balde crown of his to loke rede
I shall leue hym but one ere / on his hede
frere.
But I shall leue the neuer an ere or I go
pardo.
¶Ye horeson frere / wylt thou so
¶Than the fyght.
frere.
¶Lose thy handes / away from myn earys
pardo.
Than take thou thy handes away from my heres
Nay abyde thou hor [...]son I am not downe yet
I trust fyrst to lye the at my fete
frere.
Ye horeson / wylt thou scrat and byte
pardo.
Ye mary wyll I / as longe as thou doste smyte
¶The curate.
parsō.
¶Holde your handes / a vengeaunce on ye bothe two
That euer ye came hyther / to make this a do
To polute my chyrche / a myschyefe on you lyght
I swere to you by god all myght
Ye shall bothe repente / euery vayne of your harte
As sore as ye dyd / euer thynge or ye departe
frere.
¶Mayster parson / I maruayll ye wyll gyue lycence
To this false knaue / in this audience
To publysh his ragman rolles with lyes
I desyred hym ywys / more than ones or twyse
To holde his peas / tyll that I had done
[...]ut he wolde here no more than the man in the mone
pardo.
¶Why sholde I suffre the / more than thou me
Mayster parson gaue me lycence before the
And I wolde thou knewyst it / I haue relykes here
Other maner stuffe / than thou dost bere
I wyll edefy more / with the syght of it
Than wyll all the pratynge of holy wryt
For that except that the precher / hym selfe lyue well
His predycacyon wyll helpe neuer a dell
And I know well / that thy lyuynge is nought
Thou art an apostata / yf it were well sought
An homycyde thou art I know well inoughe
For my selfe knew where thou sloughe
A wenche with thy dagger in a couche
[Page]And yet as thou saist in thy sermō yt no mā shall touch
parsō.
No more of this wranglyng in my chiyrch
I shrewe your hartys bothe / for this l [...]rche
Is there any blood shed here betwen these knaues
Thanked be god / they had no stauys
Nor egoteles / for than it had ben wronge
Well ye shall synge another songe
Neybour prat / com hether I you pray
prat.
¶Why / what is this nyse fraye
parsō.
¶I can not tell you / one knaue dysdaynes another
Wherfore take ye the tone / and I shall take the other
We shall bestow them / there as is most conuenyent
For suche a couple / I trow they shall repente
That euer they met in this chyrche here
Neyboure ye be constable / stande ye nere
Take ye that laye knaue / and let me alone
With this gentylman / by god and by saynt Iohn̄
I shall borowe vpon prestholde somwhat
For I may say to the neybour prat
It is a good dede to punysh such to the ensample
Of suche other / how that they shall mell
In lyke facyon as these catyfes do
prat.
¶In good fayth mayster parson / yf ye do so
Ye do but well / to teche them to beware
pardo.
¶Mayster prat I pray ye me to spare
For I am sory / for that that is done
Wherfore I pray ye forgyue me sone
For that I haue offendyd within your lybertye
And by my trouthe syr / ye may trust me
I wyll neuer come hether more
whyle I lyue and god before
prat.
¶Nay I am ones charged with the
Wherfore by saynt Iohn̄ thou shalt not escape me
Tyll thou hast scouryd a pare of stokys
parsō.
¶Tut he weneth all is but mockes
Lay hande on hym / and com ye on syr frere
Ye shall of me hardely haue your hyre
Ye had none suche this .vii. yere
I swere by god / and by our lady dere
pardo.
¶Nay mayster parson / for goddys passyon
Intreate not me after that facyon
For yf ye do it wyll not be for your honesty
parsō.
[Page]Honesty or not / but thou shall se
What I shall do by and by
Make no stroglynge / com forthe soberly
For it shall not auayle the I say
frere.
¶Mary that shall we trye / euen strayt way
I defy the chur [...]e preeste / & there be no mo than thou
I wyll not go with the / I make god a vow
We shall se fyrst which is the stronger
God hath sent me bonys I do the not fere
parsō.
¶ Ye by thy fayth / wylt thou be there
Neybour prat brynge forthe that knaue
And thou syr frere yf thou wylt algatys raue
frere.
¶Nay chorle I the defy
I shall trouble the fyrst
Thou shalt go to pryson by and by
Let me se now do thy worste
Prat with the pardoner / & the parson with the frere
parsō.
¶Helpe helpe neybour prat neybour prat
In the worshyp of god / helpe me somwhat
prat.
¶Nay deale as thou canst with that elfe
For why I haue inoughe to do my selfe
Alas for payn I am almoste dede
The reede blood so ronneth downe about my hede
Nay and thou canst I pray the helpe me
parsō.
Nay by the mas felowe it wyll not be
I haue more tow on my dystaffe / thā I can well spyn
The cursed frere dothe the vpper hande wyn
frere.
Wyll ye leue than / and let vs in peace departe
ꝑs. & pr
¶Ye by our lady / euen with all our harte
freꝑd.
¶Than adew to the deuyll tyll we come agayn
ꝑsō. pr
¶And a myschefe go with you bothe twayne.
Imprynted by Wyllyam Rastell the .v. day of Apryll / the yere of our lorde .M. CCCCC.xxxIII.
¶Cum priuilegio.