If thou saist, fort hey haue need, than thou dost it for the more perfection, or els for the least, or els for the meane. If it be the most perfection of all, than should all thy brethren do so, and than no man needeth to beg but for himself, for so should no man beg but him needed. And if it be the least perfection, why louest thou than other men more than thy selfe? For so thou art not well in charity, sith thou shouldest seek the more perfection after thy power, liuing thy self most after God. And thus leauing that imperfection, thou shouldst not so beg for them. And if it is a good mean thus to beg as thou dost, than should no man do so, but they been in this good meau, and yet such a mean granted to you may neuer be grounded on Gods law, for than both lerid and leaud that been in mean degree of this world, should go about and beg as ye do. And if all should do so, certes well nigh all the world should go about and beg as ye done, and so should there be ten beggers against one yeuer.

Why procurest thou men to yeue thee their almes, and saist it is so needful, and thou wilt not thy selfe win thee that meed?

22. Why wilt thou not beg for poor bedred men, that been poorer than any of your sect, that liggen and mow not go about to help himselfes, sith we be all brethren in God, and that bretherhed passeth any other that ye or any man could inake, and where most need were, there were most perfection, either els ye hold them not your pure brethren, but worse, but than ye be vnperfect in your begging?

Why make ye so many maisters among you, sith it is against the teaching of Christ and his apostles?

23. Whose been all your rich courts that ye han, and all your rich jewels? sith ye seen that ye han nought ne in proper ne in cominon. If ye saine they been the popes, why gather ye than of poore men and lords so much out of the kings hand to make your pope rich? And sith ye sain that it is great perfection to haue naught in proper be in common, why be ye so fast about to make the pope, that is your father, rich, and put on him imperfection? sithen ye saine that your goods been all his, and he should by reason be the most perfect man, it semeth openlich that ye been cursed children so to slander your father, and make hin imperfect. And if ye saine that the goods be yours, than do ye ayenst your rule; and if it be not ayenst your rule, than might ye haue both plough and cart, and labour as other good men done, and not so to beg by losengery, and idle as ye done. If ye say that it is more perfection to beg, than to trauell or to worch with your hand, why preach ye not openly, and teach all men to do so? sith it is the best and most perfect life to the help of their souls, as ye make children to beg that might have been rich heirs.

Why make ye not your feasts to poor men, and youeth hem yefis, as ye done to the rich? sith poor men han more need than the rich?

What betokeneth that ye goe tweine and tweine togither? if ye be out of charity, ye accord not in soule.

Why beg ye and take salaries therto more than other priests? sith he that most taketh, most charge hath.

24. Why hold ye not S. Francis rule and his

testament? sith Francis saith, that God shewed him this lining and this rule: and certes if it were Gods will the pope might not fordo it: or els Francis was a lier, that saied in this wise. And but this testament that he made, accord with Gods will, or els erred: he is a lier that were out of charitie: and as the law saith, he is accursed that letteth the rightful last wil of a dead man. And this testament is the last will of Francis that is a dead man, it seemeth therefore that all his freers been cursed.

25. Why will ye not touch no coined money with the crosse, ne with the kings head, as ye done other jewels both of gold and siluer? certes if ye despise the crosse or the kings head, than ye be worthy to be despised of God and the king: and sith ye will receiue mony in your hertes, and not with your hands, and it seemeth that yee hold more holinesse in your hands than in your hertes, and than be false to God.

26. Why haue ye exempt you from our kings laws, and visiting of our bishops more than other christen men that liuen in this realm, if ye be not guiltie of traitorie to our realme, or trespassers to your bishops? But ye will have the kings laws for the trespasse doe to you, and ye will haue power of other bishops more than other priests, and also haue leaue to prison your brethren as lords in your courts more than other folks han that ben the kings leegemen.

27. Why shall some sect of you freers pay eche a yere a certaine to hir generall prouincial or minister, or els to hir souereines: but if he steale a certaine number of children (as some men saine) and certes if this ben sooth, than yee be constreined upon certein pain to do theft against Gods commaundement, Non furtum facies.

28. Why be ye so hardie to grant by letters of fraternitie to men and women, that they shall haue part and merite of all your good deeds, and ye weten neuer whether God be apayed with your deeds because of your sin? Also yee witten neuer whether that man or woman be in state to be saved or damned, than shall he haue no merit in Heauen for his owne deeds ne for none other mans. And all were it so, that be shold haue part of your good deeds: yet should be haue no more than God would giue him after that he were worthie, and so much shall each man haue of Gods yeft without your limitation. But if ye will say that ye been Gods fellowes, and that he may not doe without your assent, than be ye blasphemers to God.

29. What betokeneth that yee haue ordeined, that whan such one as ye baue made your brother or sister, and hath a letter of your seale, that letter mought bee brought in your holy chapter, and there be rad, or els yee will not pray for him. And but ye willen pray especially for all other that were not made your brethen or sistren, than were ye not in right charitie, for that ought to be commen, and namely in ghostly things.

30. Freer, what charity is this, to ouercharge the people by mightie begging, vnder colour of preaching or praying, or masses singing? Sith holy write biddeth not thus, but euen the contrary: for all such ghostly deeds should be done freely, as God yeueth them freely?

31. Freer, what charitie is this, to beguile children or they commen to discretion, and bind hem to your orders, that ben not grounded in Gods

law, against hir friends will? Sithen by this follie been many apostataes, both in will and deed, and many beene apostataes in hir will during all hir life, that would gladly be discharged, if they wist how, and so many ben apostataes, that shoulden in other states haue been true men.

32. Freer, what charitie is this, to make so many freers in euery country to the charge of the people? sith parsons and vicars alone, ye secular priests alone, ye monkes and cannons alone, with bishops aboue them, were ynough to the church to doe the priests office. And to adde more than ynough, is a foule errour, and great charge to the people, and this openly against Gods will, that ordained all thyngs to be done in weight, number, and measure. And Christ himselfe, was apaied with twelve apostles and a few disciples, to preach and doe priests office to all the whole world, than was it better doe than is now at this time by a thousand dele. And right so as foure fingers with a thombe in a mans hand, helpeth a man to worch, and double number of fingers in one hand should let him more, and so the more number that there were passing the measure of Gods ordinaunce, the more were a man letted to worch: right so (as it seemeth) it is of these new orders that ben added to the church, without ground of holy write and Gods ordinance.

33. Freer, what charity is this, to the people to lie, and say that ye follow Christ in pouertie more than other men done? and yet in curious and costly housing, and fine and precious clothing, and delicious and liking feeding, and in treasure and jewels, and rich ornaments, freers passen lords and other rich worldly men, and soonest they should bring her cause about (be it neuer so costly) though Gods lawe be put aback.

34. Freer, what charitie is this, to gather vp the books of holy write, and put hem in tresorie, and so emprison them from secular priests and curats, and by this cautel let hem to preach the gospel freely to the people without worldly meed, and also to defame good priests of heresie, and lien on hem openly for to let hem to shew Gods law by the holy gospel to the christian people?

35. Freer, what charity is this, to faine so much holines in your bodily clothing (that ye clepe your habit) that many blind fools desiren to die therein more than in another? and also that a freer that leueth his habit late founden of men, may not be assoiled till he take againe, but is apostata as ye saine, and cursed of God and man both? The freer beleeueth truth, and patience, chastity, meeknesse and sobriety, yet for the more part of his life he may soon be assoiled of his prior, and if he bring home to his house much good by the yeare (bee it neuer so falsely begged and pilled of the poore and needy people in countries about) he shall behold a noble freer, O Lord whether this be charity?

36. Freer, what charity is this, to prease vpon a rich man, and to intice him to bee buried among you from his parish church, and to such rich men giue letters of fraternity confirmed by your generall seale, and therby to bear him in hand that he shal haue part of all your masses, mettens, preachings, fastings, wakings, and all other good deeds done by your brethren of your order (both whilest he liueth, and after that he is dead) and yet he witten neuer whether your deeds be acceptable to God, ne whether that man that hath that letter be

able by good liuing to receive any part of your deeds, and yet a poore man (that ye wite well or supposen in certen to haue no good of) ye ne giuen to such letters, though he be a better man to God than such a rich man: neuerthelesse, this poore man doth not retch therof. For as men supposen, such letters and many other that freers behoten to men, be full false deceits of freers, out of all rea son, and Gods law and Christian nens faith.

37. Freer, what charity is this, to be confessors of lords and ladies, and to other mighty men, and not amend hem in bir living? but rather as it seemeth, to be the bolder to pill hir poore tenauts and to liue in lechery, and there to dwell in your office of confessor for winning of worldly goods, and to be hold great by colour of such ghostly offices? this seemeth rather pride of freeres, than charity of God.

38. Freer, what charity is this, to sain that who so liueth after your order, liueth most perfectly, and next followeth the state of apostles in pouerty and penance, and yet the wisest and greatest clerks of you wend or send, or procure to the court of Rome to be made cardinals or bishops of the popes chaplens, and to be assoiled of the vow of pouerty and obedience to your ministers, in the which (as ye sain) standeth most perfection and merit of your orders, and thus ye faren as Pharisees that sain one and do an other to the contrary.

Why name ye more the patron of your order in your Confiteor when ye begin masse, than other saints, apostles, or martyrs, that holy church hold more glorious than hem, and clepe hem your patrons and your auowries?

Freer, whether was St. Francis in making of his rule that he set thine order in, a foole and a liar, or else wise and true? If ye sain that he was not a foole, but wise: ne a liar, but true: why shew you contrary by your doing, whan by your suggestion to the pope ye said, that your rule that Francis made was so hard, that ye mow not liue to hold it without declaration and dispensation of the pope, and so by your deed? Ne let your patron a foole that made a rule so hard that no man may well keepe, and eke your deed prooueth him a liar, where he saith in his rule, that he tooke and learned it of the Holy Ghost. For how might ye for shame pray the pope vndo that the Holy Ghost bit, as whan ye prayed him to dispense with the hardnesse of your order?

Freer, which of the foure orders of friers is best to a man that knoweth not which is the best, but would faine enter into the best, and none other? If thou saiest that thine is the best, than saiest thou that none of the other is as good as thine, and in this ech freer in the three other orders wooll say that thou liest, for in the self-same maner ech other freer wooll say that his order is best. And thus to ech of the foure orders bin the other three contrary in this point: in the which if any say sooth, that is one alone, for there may but one be the best of foure. So followeth it, that if ech of these orders answered to this question as thou doest, three were false, and but one true, and yet no man should wite who that were. And thus it seemeth, that the most part of freers bin or should be liars in this point, and they should answere thereto. If you say that another order of the freers is better than thine, or as good; why tooke ye not rather thereto as to the better, whan thou

Ech admitted for none would other greue,
Like as the Cooke, the Miller, and the Reue, :
Aquite hemselfe, shortly to conclude
Boistously in hir tearmes rude,

Whan they hadden well dronken of the boll,
And eke also with his pilled noll,
The Pardoner beardlesse all his chin,
Glasie eyes, and face of cherubin,
Telling a talle to anger with the Frere,
As openly the story can you lere
Word by word, with euery circumstance,
Echone ywrit, and put in remembrance,
By him that was, if I shall not faine,
Floure of poetes, throughout all Bretaine,
Which soothly had most of excellence
In rhetorike, and in eloquence,

Rede his making, who list the trouth find,
Which neuer shall appallen in my mind,
But alway fresh been in mine memory,
To whom be youe prise, honour, and glory
Of well seeing, first in our language,
Cheef registrer in this pilgrimage,
All that was told, foryeting nought at all,
Feined tales, nor thing historiall,
With many prouerbes diuers and vncouth,
By rehearsaile of his sugred month,
Of ech thing keeping in substaunce
The sentence hole, without variaunce,
Uoiding the chaffe, soothly for to saine,
Enlumining the true piked greine,
By crafty writing of his sawes swete,
Fro the time that they did mete.

First the pilgrimes soothly euerychòne,
At Tabarde assembled one by one,
And fro Southwerke, soothly for to sey,
To Canterbury riding on hir wey,
Telling a tale, as I rehearse can,
Liche as the host assigned euery man,
None so hardy, his bidding disobey,
And thus while that the pilgrimes ley,
At Canterbury, well lodged one and all,
I not in sooth what I may it call,
Hap or fortune, in conclusioun,
That me befell, to enter into the toun,
The holy saint plainely to visite,
After my sickenesse vowes to acquite,
In a cope of blacke, and not of grene,
On a palfary, slender, long, and lene,
With rusty bridle, made not for the sale,
My man toforné, with a void male,
That of fortune tooke mine inne anone,
Where the pilgrims were lodged euerychone,
The same time hir gouernour the host,
Stouding in hall, full of wind and bost,
Liche to a man wonder sterue and fers,
Which spake to me, and said anon dan Pers,
Dan Dominike, dan Godfray, or Clement,
Ye be welcome newly into Kent,
Thogh your bridle haue nother boos ne bell,
Beseeching you, that ye will tell
First of your name, and what countre,
Without more, shortly that ye be,
That looke so pale, all deuoid of blood,
Upon your head a wonder thredbare hood,
Well arrayed for to ride late?"

I answered, my name was Lidgate, Monke of Bury, nie fifty yeare of age, Come to this toune to doe my pilgrimage, As I haue hight, I haue thereof no shame.

Thogh ye be sole, beeth right glad and light,
Praying you to soupe with vs this night,
And ye shall haue made at your deuis
A groat pudding or a round hagis,

A franche moile, a tanse, or a froise,
To ben a monke, slender is your coise,
Ye baue been sicke, I dare mine head assure,
Or let feed in a faint pasture,

Lift vp your head, be glad, take no sorrow,
And ye should home ride with vs to morrow,
I say whan ye rested haue your fill,
After supper sleepe will done none ill,
Wrap well your head clothes round about,
Strong nottie ale will make you to rout,
Take a pillow, that ye lie not low,
If need be, spare not to blow,
To hold wind, by mine opinion,
Will engender Colles passion,

And make men to greuen on hir rops,
Whan they haue filled hir maws and hir crops,
But toward night eat some fennell rede,
Annis, commin, or coriander sede,
And like as I power haue and might,
I charge you rise not at midnight,
Though it so be the Moone shine clere,
I will my selfe be your orlogere,
To morrow earely whan I see my time,
For we will forth parcell afore prime,
Accompany parde shall doe you good,
What looke vp monke, for by cockes blood
Thou shalt be merry, who so that say nay,
For to morrow anone as it is day,
And that it ginne in the east to daw,
Thou shalt be bound to a new law,
At going out of Canterbury toun,
And lien aside thy professioun,

Thou shalt not chese, nor thy selfe withdraw,
If any mirth be found in thy maw,
Like the custome of this company,
For none so proud, that dare me deny,
Knight nor knaue, chanon, priest, ne nonne
To tell a tale plainely as they conne,
Whan I assigne, and see time oportune,
And for that we our purpose woll contune,
We will homeward the same custome vse,
And thou shalt not plainely thee excuse:
Be now well ware, study well to night,
But for all this, be of herte light,
Thy wit shall be the sharper and the bet."
And we anon were to supper set,
And serued well vnto our pleasance,
And soone after by good gouernance,
Unto bed goeth euery manner wight,
And toward morrow, as soon as it was light,
Euery pilgrime, both bet and wors,
As bad our host, tooke anone his hors,
Whan the Sunne rose in the east full clere,
Fully in purpose to come to dinere
Unto Ospring, and breake there our fast.
And whan we werne fro Canterbury past,
Nought the space of a bowe draught,
Our host in hast hath my bridle raught,
And to me saied, as it were in game,
"Come forth dan Iohn, by your christen name,
And let vs make some manner mirth or play,
Shete your ports a twenty deuill way,
Is no disport so to patere and say,

It woll make your lips wonder dray,
Tell some tale, and make thereof a jape,