637SEDYSYON. Haue in onys a geyne in spyght of all my enymyes,

638For they cannot dryve me from all mennys companyes,

639And thowgh yt were so that all men wold forsake me,

640Yet dowght I yt not but sume good women wold take me,

641I loke for felowys that here shuld make sum sporte:

642I mervell yt is so longe ere they hether resorte.

643By the messe, I wene the knaves are in the bryers,

644Or ells they are fallen into sum order of fryers.

645Naye, shall I gesse ryght? they are gon into the stues;

646I holde ye my necke, anon we shall here newes.

648Lyst for Gods passyon: I trow her cummeth sum hoggherd

649Caliyng for his pygges. Such a noyse I neuer herd.

651DYSSYMULACYON. (syng.) Sancte Dominice, ora pro nobis.

652SEDYSYON. (syng.) Sancte pyld monache, I be shrow vobis.

653DYSSYMULACYON. (syng.) Sancte Francisse, ora pro nobis.

654SEDYSYON. Here ye not? cocks sowle, what meaneth this ypocrite knaue?

655DYSSYMULACYON. Pater noster, I pray God bryng hym sone to his grave,

656Qui es in celis, with an vengeable sanctificetur,

657Or elles Holy Chyrche shall neuer thryve by saynt Peter.

658SEDYSYON. Tell me, good felowe, makyste thu this prayer for me?

659DYSSYMULACYON. Ye are as ferce as thowgh ye had broke yowr nose at the buttre.

660I medyll not with the, but here to good sayntes I praye

661Agenst soch enmyes as wyll Holy Chyrche decaye.

663A Johanne Rege iniquo, libera nos, domine.

664SEDYSYON. Leve, I saye, or by messe I wyll make yow grone.

665DYSSYMULACYON. Yff thow be jentyll, I pray the, leate me alone,

666For with in a whyle my devocyon wyll be gone.

667SEDYSYON. And wherfor dost thou praye here so bytterly,

668Momblyng thy pater noster and chauntyng the letany?

669DYSSYMULACYON. For that Holy Chyrch myght save hyr patrymonye,

670And to haue of Kyng Johan a tryumphant vyctorye.

671SEDYSYON. And why of Kyng Johan? doth he vexe yow so sore?

672DYSSYMULACYON. Bothe chyrchys and abbeys he oppressyth more and more,

673And take of the clergye yt is onresonable to tell.

674SEDYSYON. Owte with the popys bulles than, and cursse hym downe to hell.

675DYSSYMULACYON. Tushe, man, we haue done so, but all wyll not helpe.

676He regardyth no more the pope than he dothe a whelpe.

677SEDYSYON. Well lett hym alone, for that wyll I geve hym a scelpe.

678But what arte thu callyd of thyn owne munkych nacyon?

679DYSSYMULACYON. Kepe yt in counsell, dane Davy Dyssymulacyon.

680SEDYSYON. What, Dyssymulacyon! coks sowle, myn old aquentence.

681Par me faye, mon amye, Je tote ad voutre plesaunce.

682DYSSYMULACYON. Gramercyes, good frend, with all my very hert:

683I trust we shall talke more frely or we deperte.

684SEDYSYON. Why, vylayn horson, knowyst not thi cosyn Sedycyon?

685DYSSYMULACYON. I have ever loved both the and thy condycyon.

686SEDYSYON. Thow must nedes, I trowe, for we cum of ij bretherne:

687Yf thu remeber owr fathers were on mans chylderne.

688Thow comyst of Falsed and I of Prevy Treason.

689DYSSYMULACYON. Than Infydelyte owr granfather ys by reason.

690SEDYSYON. Mary, that ys trewe and his begynner Antycrist,

691The great pope of Rome, or fyrst veyne popysh prist.

692DYSSYMULACYON. Now welcum, cosyn, by the waye that my sowle shall to.

693SEDYSYON. Gramercy, cosyn, by the holy bysshope Benno.

694Thow kepyst thi old wont, thow art styll an abbe man.

695DYSSYMULACYON. To hold all thynges vp I play my part now and than.

696SEDYSYON. Why what manere of offyce hast thu with in the abbey?

697DYSSYMULACYON. Of all relygyons I kepe the chyrch-dore keye.

698SEDYSYON. Than of a lykelyhod thow art ther generall porter?

699DYSSYMULACYON. Nay, of munks and chanons I am the suttyl] sorter.

700Whyle sum talke with Besse, the resydewe kepe sylence:

701Thowgh we playe the knavys we must shew a good pretence.

702Where so ever sum eate, a serten kepe the froyter;

703Where so ever sum slepe, sum must nedes kepe the dorter.

704Dedyst thu never know the maner of owr senyes?

705SEDYSYON. I was never with them aqueynted, by seynt Denyes.

706DYSSYMULACYON. Than never knewyst thu the knavery of owr menyes.

707Yf I shuld tell all, I cowd saye more than that.

708SEDYSYON. Now of good felowshyppe, I beseche the, shew me what.

709DYSSYMULACYON. The profytable lucre cummyth ever in by me.

710SEDYSYON. But by what meane? tell me I hartely pray the.

711DYSSYMULACYON. To wynne the peple I appoynt yche man his place,

712Sum to syng latyn, and sum to ducke at grace;

713Sum to go mummyng, and sum to beare the crosse;

714Sum to stowpe downeward as the heades ware stopt with mosse;

715Sum rede the epystle and gospell at hygh masse,

716Sum syng at the lectorne with long eares lyke an asse;

717The pawment of the chyrche the aunchent faders tredes,

718Sum tyme with a portas, sumtyme with a payre of bedes;

719And this exedyngly drawt peple to devoycyone,

720Specyally whan they do se so good relygeone.

721Than have we imagys of seynt Spryte and seynt Savyer:

722Moche is the sekynge of them to gett ther faver.

723Yong whomen berfote, and olde men seke them brecheles.

724The myracles wrought there I can in no wyse expresse.

725We lacke neyther golde nor sylwer, gyrdles nor rynges,

726Candelles nor taperes, nor other customyd offerynges.

727Thowgh I seme a shepe I can play the suttle foxe:

728I can make latten to bryng this gere to the boxe.

729Tushe, latten is alone to bryng soche mater to passe:

730There ys no Englyche that can soche slyghtes compasse,

731And therfor we wyll no servyce to be songe,

732Gospell nor pystell, but all in latten tonge.

733Of owr suttell dryftes many more poyntes are behynde;

734Yf I tolde you all we shuld never have an ende.

735SEDYSYON. In nomine patris, of all that ever I hard

736Thow art alone yet of soche a dremyng bussard.

737DYSSYMULACYON. Nay, dowst thu not se how I in my colours jette?

738To blynd the peple I have yet a farther fette.

739This is for Bernard, and this is for Benet,

740This is for Gylbard, and this is for Jhenet:

741For Frauncys this is, and this is for Domynyke,

742For Awsten and Elen, and this is for seynt Partryk.

743We haue many rewlles, but never one we kepe:

744Whan we syng full lowde our harts be fast aslepe.

745We resemble sayntes in gray, whyte, blacke, and blewe,

746Yet vnto prynces not one of owr nomber trewe,

747And that shall kyng Johan prove shortly by the rode.

748SEDYSYON. But in the meane tyme yowr selves gett lytyll good.

749Yowr abbeys go downe, I heresaye, every where.

750DYSSYMULACYON. Yea, frynd Sedysyon, but thow must se to that gere.

751SEDYSYON. Than must I have helpe, by swete saynt Benetts cuppe.

752DYSSYMULACYON. Thow shalt have a chylde of myn owne bryngyng uppe.

753SEDYSYON. Of thy bryngyng uppe? coks sowle, what knave is that?

754DYSSYMULACYON. Mary, Pryvat Welth; now hayve I tolde the what.

755I made hym a monke and a perfytt cloysterer,

756And in the abbeye he began fyrst celerer,

757Than pryor, than abbote of a thowsand pownd land no wors,

758Now he is a bysshoppe and rydeth with an hondryd hors,

759And, as I here say, he is lyke to be a Cardynall.

760SEDYSYON. Ys he so in dede, by the masse than have att all.

761DYSSYMULACYON. Nay, fyrst Pryvat Welth shall bryng in Usurpyd Power

762With hys autoryte, and than the gam ys ower.

763SEDYSYON. Tush, Usurpyd Power dothe faver me of all men,

764For in his trobles I ease his hart now and then.

765Whan prynces rebell agenste hys autoryte,

766I make ther commons agenst them for to be.

767Twenty M^d men are but a mornyng breckefast

768To be slayne for hym, he takyng his repast.

769DYSSYMULACYON. Thow hast I persayve a very suttyll cast.

770SEDYSYON. I am for the pope, as for the shyppe the mast.

771DYSSYMULACYON. Than helpe, Sedycyon, I may styll in Englond be:

772Kyng John hath thretned that I shall ouer see.

773SEDYSYON. Well, yf thow wylte of me have remedy this ower,

774Go seche Pryvat Welth and also Usurpyd Power.

775DYSSYMULACYON. I can bryng but one, be Mary Jesus mother.

776SEDYSYON. Bryng thow in the one, and let hym bryng in the other.

778USURPYD POWERsyng this.

779Super flumina Babilonis suspendimus organa nostra.

780PRIVATE WELTHsyng this.

781Quomodo cantabimus canticum bonum in terra aliena?

782SEDYSYON. By the mas, me thynke they are syngyng of placebo.

783DYSSYMULACYON. Peace, for with my spectables vadam et videbo.

784Coks sowll, yt is they: at the last I have smellyd them owt.

786SEDYSYON. Thow mayst be a sowe, yf thow hast so good a snowt.

787Surs, marke well this gere, for now yt begynnyth to worke.

788False Dyssymulacion doth bryng in Privat Welth,

789And Usurpyd Power, which is more ferce than a Turke,

790Cummeth in by hym to decaye all spyrytuall helth;

791Than I by them bothe as clere experyence telth.

792We iiij by owr crafts Kyng Johan wyll so subdwe,

793That for iij C yers all Englond shall yt rewe.

794DYSSYMULACYON. Of the clergy, frynds, report lyke as ye se,

795That ther Privat Welth cummyth ever in by me.

796SEDYSYON. But by whom commyst thu? by the messe, evyn by the devyll,

797For the grownd thow art of the cristen peplys evyll.

798DYSSYMULACYON. And what are yow, ser? I pray yow say good by me.

799SEDYSYON. By my trowth I cum by the and thy affynyte.

800DYSSYMULACYON. Feche thow in thy felow so fast as ever thow can.

801PRIVATE WELTH. I trow, thow shalt se me now playe the praty man.

802Of me, Privat Welth, cam fyrst Usurpyd Power:

803Ye may perseyve yt in pagent here this hower.

804SEDYSYON. Now welcum, felowys, by all thes bonys and naylys.

805USURPYD POWER. Among companyons good felyshyp never faylys.

806SEDYSYON. Nay, Usurpid Power, thu must go backe ageyne,

807For I must also put the to a lytyll payne.

808USURPYD POWER. Why, fellaue Sedysyon, what wylt thu have me do?

809SEDYSYON. To bare me on thi backe and bryng me in also,

810That yt may be sayde that fyrst Dyssymulacion

811Browght in Privat Welth to every cristen nacion;

812And that Privat Welth browght in Usurpid Power,

813And he Sedycyon in cytye, towne, and tower,

814That sum man may know the feche of all owr sorte.

815USURPYD POWER. Cum on thy wayes than, that thow mayst make the fort.

816DYSSYMULACYON. Nay, Usurped Power, we shall bare hym all thre,

817Thy selfe, he, and I, yf ye wyll be rewlyd by me,

818For ther is non of us but in hym hath a stroke.

819PRIVATE WELTH. The horson knave wayeth and yt were a croked oke.

821SEDYSYON. Yea, thus it shuld be, mary, now thu art alofte;

822I wyll be shyte yow all yf ye sett me not downe softe.

823In my opynyon, by swete saynt Antony,

824Here is now gatheryd a full honest company.

825Here is nowther Awsten, Ambrose, Hierom nor Gregory,

826But here is a sorte of companyons moch more mery.

827They of the chirch than were fower holy doctors,

828We of the chirch now are the iiij generall proctors.

829Here ys fyrst of all good father Dyssymulacion,

830The fyrst begynner of this same congregacion;

831Here is Privat Welthe, which hath the chyrch infecte

832With all abusyons, and brought yt to a synfull secte:

833Here ys Usurpid Power that all kyngs doth subdwe

834With such autoryte as is neyther good ner trewe,

835And I last of all am evyn sance pere Sedycyon.

836USURPYD POWER. Under hevyn ys not a more knave in condycyon.

837Wher as thu dost cum that commonwelth cannot thryve:

838By owr lord I marvell that thow art yet alyve.

839PRIVATE WELTH. Wher herbes are pluckte upp the wedes many tymes remayne.

840DYSSYMULACYON. No man can utter an evydence more playn.

841SEDYSYON. Yea, ye thynke so yow, now Gods blyssyng breke yowr heade,

842I can do but lawgh to here yow, by thys breade.

843I am so mery that we are mett, by saynt John

844I fele not the ground that I do go uppon.

845For the love of God lett us have sum mery songe.

846USURPYD POWER. Begyne thy self than, and we shall lepe in amonge.

848SEDYSYON. I wold ever dwell here to have such mery sporte.

849PRIVATE WELTH. Thow mayst have yt, man, yf thow wylt hether resorte,

850For the holy father ys as good a felowe as we.

851DYSSYMULACYON. The holy father, why, pray the whych is he?

852PRIVATE WELTH. Usurped Power here, which, thowgh he apparaunt be

853In this apparell, yet hathe he autoryte

854Bothe in hevyn and erth, in purgatory and in hell.

855USURPYD POWER. Marke well his saynges, for a trew tale he doth tell.

856SEDYSYON. What, Usurpid Power? cocks sowle, ye are owr pope.

857Where is yowr thre crounnys, yowr crosse keys, and yowr cope?

858What meanyth this mater? me thynke ye walke astraye.

859USURPYD POWER. Thow knowest I must have sum dalyaunce and playe,

860For I am a man lyke as an other ys;

861Sumtyme I must hunt, sumtyme I must Alyson kys.

862I am bold of yow, I take ye for no straungers,

863We are as spirituall, I dowght in yow no daungers.

864DYSSYMULACYON. I owght to conseder yowr holy father hode:

865From my fyrst infancy ye have ben to me so good.

866For Godes sake wytsave to geve me yowr blyssing here

867A pena et culpa, that I may stand this day clere.

869SEDYSYON. From makyng cuckoldes? mary, that were no mery chere.

870DYSSYMULACYON. A pena et culpa: I trow thow canst not here.

871SEDYSYON. Yea, with a cuckoldes wyff ye have dronke dobyll bere.

872DYSSYMULACYON. I pray the, Sedycyon, my pacyens no more stere.

873A pena et culpa I desire to be clere,

874And than all the devylles of hell I wold not fere.

875USURPYD POWER. But tell me one thyng: dost thu not preche the gospell?

876DYSSYMULACYON. No, I promyse yow, I defye yt to the devyll of hell.

877USURPYD POWER. Yf I knewe thow dydest, thu shuldest have non absolucyon.

878DYSSYMULACYON. Yf I do abjure me, or put me to execucyon.

879PRIVATE WELTH. I dare say he brekyth no popyshe constytucyon.

880USURPYD POWER. Soche men are worthy to have owr contrybucyon.

881I assoyle the here behynde and also beforne:

882Now art thu as clere as that daye thow wert borne.

883Ryse, Dyssymulacion, and stond uppe lyke a bold knyght:

884Dowght not of my power, thowgh my aparell be lyght.

885SEDYSYON. A man, be the masse, can not know yow from a knave;

886Ye loke so lyke hym, as I wold God shuld me save.

887PRIVATE WELTH. Thow art very lewde owr father so to deprave.

888Thowgh he for his plesure soche lyght apparell have,

889Yt is now sommer and the heate ys withowt mesure,

890And among us he may go lyght at his owne plesure.

891Felow Sedycyon, thowgh thu dost mocke and scoffe,

892We have other materes than this to be commyned of.

893Frynd Dyssymulacion, why dost thu not thy massage,

894And show owt of Englond the causse of thi farre passage.

895Tush, blemysh not, whoreson, for I shall ever assyst the.

896SEDYSYON. The knave ys whyght leveryd, by the holy trynyte.

897USURPYD POWER. Why so, Privat Welth, what ys the mater, tell me?

898PRIVATE WELTH. Dyssymulacion ys a massanger for the clargy:

899I must speke for hym, there ys no remedy.

900The clargy of Ynglond which ys yowr specyall frynde,

901And of a long tyme hath borne yow very good mynde,

902Fyllyng yowr coffers with many a thowsande pownde,

903Yf ye sett not to hand, he ys lyke to fall to the grownde.

904I do promyse yow truly his hart ys in his hose:

905Kyng Johan so usyth hym that he reconnyth all to lose.

906USURPYD POWER. Tell, Dyssymulacion, why art thow so asshamed

907To shewe thy massage? thow art moche to be blamed.

908Late me se those wrytyngs: tush, man, I pray the cum nere.

909DYSSYMULACYON. Yowr horryble holynes putth me in wonderfull fere.

910USURPYD POWER. Tush, lett me se them, I pray the hartely.

912I perseyve yt well, thow wylt lose no ceremony.

913SEDYSYON. Yet is he no lesse than a false knave veryly.

914I wold thow haddyst kyst hys ars, for that is holy.

915PRIVATE WELTH. How dost thow prove me that his arse ys holy now?

916SEDYSYON. For yt hath an hole, evyn fytt for the nose of yow.

917PRIVATE WELTH. Yowr parte ys not elles but for to playe the knave,

918And so ye must styll contynew to yowr grave.

919USURPYD POWER. I saye leve yowr gawdes, and attend to me this hower.

920The bysshoppes writeth here to me, Usurped Power,

921Desyryng assystence of myne auctoryte

922To save and support the Chyrches lyberte.

923They report Kyng Johan to them to be very harde,

924And to have the Church in no pryce nor regarde.

925In his parliament he demaundeth of the clargy

926For his warres the tent of the Chyrches patrymony.

927PRIVATE WELTH. Ye wyll not consent to that, I trow, by saynt Mary.

928SEDYSYON. No, drawe to yow styll, but lett none from yow cary.

929USURPYD POWER. Ye know yt is cleane agenst owr holy decrees

930That princes shuld thus contempne owr lybertees.

931He taketh uppon hym to reforme the tythes and offrynges,

932And intermedleth with other spyrytuall thynges.

933PRIVATE WELTH. Ye must sequester hym, or elles that wyll mare all.

934USURPYD POWER. Naye, besydes all this, before Juges temporall

935He conventeth clarkes of cawses crymynall.

936PRIVATE WELTH. Yf ye se not to that the Churche wyll haue a fall.

937SEDYSYON. By the masse than pristes are lyke to have a pange;

938For treson, murder, and thefte they are lyke to hange.

939By cocks sowle, than I am lyke to walke for treasone,

940Yf I be taken: loke to yt therfore in seasone.

941PRIVATE WELTH. Mary, God forbyd that ever yowr holy anoynted

942For tresone or thefte shuld be hanged, racked, or joynted,

943Lyke the rascall sorte of the prophane layete.

944USURPYD POWER. Naye, I shall otherwyse loke to yt, ye may trust me.

945Before hym selfe also the bysshopps he doth convent,

946To the derogacyon of ther dygnyte excelent,

947And wyll suffer non to the court of Rome to appele.

948DYSSYMULACYON. No, he contemnyth yowr autoryte and seale,

949And sayth in his lond he wyll be lord and kyng,

950No prist so hardy to enterpryse any thyng.

951For the whych of late with hym ware at veryaunce

952Fower of the bysshopps, and in maner at defyaunce,

953Wyllyam of London, and Eustace bysshope of Hely,

954Water of Wynchester, and Gylys of Hartford trewly.

955Be yowr autoryte they have hym excommunycate.

956USURPYD POWER. Than have they done well, for he is a reprobate:

957To that I admytt he ys alwayes contrary.

958I made this fellow here the arche bysshope of Canterbery,

959And he wyll agree therto in no condycion.

960PRIVATE WELTH. Than hath he knowlege that his name ys Sedycyon.

961DYSSYMULACYON. Dowtles he hath so, and that drownnyth his opynyon.

962USURPYD POWER. Why do ye not saye his name ys Stevyn Langton?

963DYSSYMULACYON. Tush, we haue done so, but that helpyth not the mater:

964The bysshope of Norwych for that cawse doth hym flater.

965USURPYD POWER. Styke thow to yt fast, we have onys admytted the.

966SEDYSYON. I wyll not one jote from my admyssyon fle:

967The best of them all shall know that I am he.

968Naye, in suche maters lett men be ware of me.

969USURPYD POWER. The monkes of Canterbery ded more at my request

970Than they wold at his concernyng that eleccyon.

971They chase Sedycyon, as yt is now manyfest,

972In spytt of his harte: than he for ther rebellyon

973Exyled them all, and toke ther hole possessyon

974In to his owne hands, them sendyng over see

975Ther lyvyngs to seke in extreme poverte.

976This custum also he hath, as it is tolde me:

977Whan prelates depart, yea bysshope, abbott, or curate,

978He entreth theyr lands with owt my lyberte,

979Takyng the profyghts tyll the nexte be consecrate,

980Instytute, stallyd, inducte, or intronyzate,

981And of the pyed monkes he entendeth to take a dyme.

982All wyll be marryd yf I loke not to yt in tyme.

983DYSSYMULACYON. Yt is takyn, ser: the some ys unresonnable,

984A nynne thowsand marke; to lyve they are not able.

985His suggesteon was to subdew the Yrysh men.

986PRIVATE WELTH. Yea that same peple doth ease the Church, now and then.

987For that enterpryse they wold be lokyd uppon.

988USURPYD POWER. They gett no mony, but they shall have clene remyssion,

989For those Yrysh men are ever good to the Church:

990Whan kynges dysobeye yt, than they begynne to worch.

991PRIVATE WELTH. And all that they do ys for indulgence and pardon.

992SEDYSYON. By the messe, and that is not worth a rottyn warden.

993USURPYD POWER. What care we for that? to them yt is venyson.

994PRIVATE WELTH. Than lett them haue yt, a Gods dere benyson.

995USURPYD POWER. Now, how shall we do for this same wycked kyng?

996SEDYSYON. Suspend hym and curse hym, both with yowr word and wrytyng.

997Yf that wyll not holpe, than interdyght his lond

998With extreme cruellnes; and yf that wyll not stond,

999Cawse other prynces to revenge the Churchys wronge,

1000Yt wyll profytte yow to sett them aworke amonge.

1001For clene remyssyon one kyng wyll subdew a nother,

1002Yea, the chyld sumtyme wyll sle both father and mother.

1003USURPYD POWER. This cownsell ys good: I wyll now folow yt playne.

1004Tary thow styll here tyll we returne agayne.

1007DYSSYMULACYON. This Usurpid Power, whych now is gon from hence,

1008For the Holy Church wyll make such ordynance,

1009That all men shall be under his obedyens,

1010Yea, kyngs wyll be glad to geve hym their alegyance,

1011And than shall we pristes lyve here withowt dysturbans.

1012As Godes owne vyker anon ye shall se hym sytt,

1013His flocke to avaunse by his most polytyke wytt.

1014He shall make prelates, both byshopp and cardynall,

1015Doctours and prebendes with furdewhodes and syde gownes.

1016He wyll also create the orders monastycall,

1017Monkes, chanons, and fryers with graye coates and shaven crownes,

1018And buylde them places to corrupt cyties and townes.

1019The dead sayntes shall shewe both visyons and myracles;

1020With ymages and rellyckes he shall wurke sterracles.

1021He wyll make mattens, houres, masse and evensonge;

1022To drowne the scriptures for doubte of heresye,

1023He wyll sende pardons to save mennys sowles amonge,

1024Latyne devocyons with the holye rosarye:

1025He wyll apoynt fastynges, and plucke downe matrimonye;

1026Holy water and bredde shall dryve awaye the devyll;

1027Blessynges with blacke bedes wyll helpe in every evyll.

1028Kynge Johan of Englande, bycause he hath rebelled

1029Agaynst Holy Churche, usynge it wurse than a stable,

1030To gyve up his crowne shall shortly be compelled,

1031And the Albygeanes, lyke heretykes detestable,

1032Shall be brent bycause agaynst our father they babble.

1033Through Domynyckes preachynge an xviij thousande are slayne,

1034To teache them how they shall Holye Churche disdayne.

1035All this to performe he wyll cawse a generall cowncell

1036Of all cristendom to the church of Laternense.

1037His intent shall be for to supprese the gospell,

1038Yet wyll he glose yt with a very good pretens

1039To subdwe the Turkes by a cristen vyolens.

1040Under this coloure he shall grownd ther many thynges,

1041Whych wyll at the last be cristen mennys undoynges.

1042The popys power shall be abowe the powers all,

1043And care confessyon a matere nessessary;

1044Ceremonys wyll be the ryghtes ecclesyastycall:

1045He shall sett up there both pardowns and purgatory.

1046The gospell prechyng wyll be an heresy.

1047Be this provyssyon, and be soch other kyndes,

1048We shall be full suere allwaye to have owr myndes.

1050THE POPE. Ah, ye are a blabbe; I perseyve ye wyll tell all:

1051I lefte ye not here to be so lyberall.

1052DYSSYMULACYON. Mea culpa, mea culpa, gravissima mea culpa.

1053Geve me yowr blyssyng pro Deo et sancta Maria.

1055THE POPE. Thow hast my blyssyng. Aryse now, and stond a syde.

1056DYSSYMULACYON. My skyn ys so thyke, yt wyll not throw glyde.

1057THE POPE. Late us goo abowght owr other materes now.

1059Say this all thre. We wayte her upon the greate holynes of yow.

1060THE POPE. For as moch as kyng Johan doth Holy Church so handle,

1061Here I do curse hym wyth crosse, boke, bell and candle.

1062Lyke as this same roode turneth now from me his face,

1063So God I requyre to sequester hym of his grace.

1064As this boke doth speare by my worke mannuall,

1065I wyll God to close uppe from hym his benefyttes all.

1066As this burnyng flame goth from this candle in syght,

1067I wyll God to put hym from his eternall lyght.

1068I take hym from Crist, and after the sownd of this bell,

1069Both body and sowle I geve hym to the devyll of hell.

1070I take from hym baptym, with the other sacramentes

1071And sufferages of the churche, bothe amber dayes and lentes.

1072Here I take from hym bothe penonce and confessyon,

1073Masse of the v wondes, with sensyng and processyon.

1074Here I take from hym holy water and holy brede,

1075And never wyll them to stande hym in any sted.

1076This thyng to publyshe I constytute yow thre,

1077Gevyng yow my power and my full autoryte.

1078Say this all thre. With the grace of God we shall performe yt than.

1079THE POPE. Than gett yow foreward so fast as ever ye can

1080Uppon a bone vyage: yet late us syng meryly.

1081SEDYSYON. Than begyne the song, and we shall folow gladly.

1083THE POPE. To colour this thyng [To PRIVATE WELTH] thow shalte be callyd Pandulphus,

1084[To SEDWSYON] Thow Stevyn Langton, [To DYSSYMULACYON] thy name shall be Raymundus.

1085Fyrst thou Pandolphus shall opynly hym suspend

1086With boke, bell, and candle: yff he wyll not so amend,

1087Interdycte his lande, and the churches all up speare.

1088PRIVATE WELTH. I have my massage; to do yt I wyll not feare.

1090THE POPE. And thow, Stevyn Langton, cummand the bysshoppes all

1091So many to curse as are to hym benefycyall,

1092Dwkes, erles and lords, wherby they may forsake hym.

1093SEDWSYON. Sur, I wyll do yt, and that I trow shall shake hym.

1094THE POPE. Raymundus, go thow forth to the crysten princes all:

1095Byd them in my name that they uppon hym fall

1096Bothe with fyre and sword, that the Churche may hym conquarre.

1097DYSSYMULACYON. Yowr plesur I wyll no longar tyme defarre.

1098THE POPE. Saye this to them also: Pope Innocent the thred

1099Remyssyon of synnes to so many men hath granted,

1100As wyll do ther best to slee hym yf they may.

1101DYSSYMULACYON. Sur, yt shall be don with owt ony lenger delay.

1102THE POPE. In the meane season I shall soch gere avaunce,

1103As wyll be to us a perpetuall furderaunce.

1104Fyrst eare confessyon, than pardons, than purgatory,

1105Sayntes worchyppyng than, than sekyng of ymagery,

1106Than Laten servyce, with the cerymonyes many,

1107Wherby owr bysshoppes and abbottes shall gett mony.

1108I wyll make a law to burne all herytykes,

1109And kyngs to depose whan they are sysmatykes.

1110I wyll all so reyse up the fower beggyng orders,

1111That they may preche lyes in all the cristen borders.

1112For this and other I wyll call a generall cownsell

1113To ratyfye them in lyke strength with the gospell.

1115THE INTERPRETOUR. In thys present acte we have to yow declared,

1116As in a myrrour, the begynnynge of Kynge Johan,

1117How he was of God a magistrate appoynted

1118To the governaunce of thys same noble regyon,

1119To see mayntayned the true faythe and relygyon;

1120But Satan the Devyll, whych that tyme was at large,

1121Had so great a swaye that he coulde it not discharge.

1123Upon a good zele he attempted very farre

1124For welthe of thys realme to provyde reformacyon

1125In the Churche therof, but they ded hym debarre

1126Of that good purpose; for by excommunycacyon

1127The space of vij yeares they interdyct thy nacyon.

1128These bloudsuppers thus of crueltie and spyght

1129Subdued thys good kynge for executynge ryght.

1131In the second acte thys wyll apeare more playne,

1132Wherin Pandulphus shall hym excommunycate

1133Within thys hys lande, and depose hym from hys reigne.

1134All other princes they shall move hym to hate.

1135And to persecute after most cruell rate.

1136They wyll hym poyson in their malygnyte,

1137And cause yll report of hym alwayes to be.

1139This noble Kynge Johan, as a faythfull Moyses,

1140Withstode proude Pharao for hys poore Israel,

1141Myndynge to brynge yt owt of the lande of darkenesse,

1142But the Egyptyanes did agaynst hym so rebell,

1143That hys poore people ded styll in the desart dwell,

1144Tyll that duke Josue, whych was our late Kynge Henrye,

1145Clerely brought us in to the lande of mylke and honye.

1147As a strong David, at the voyce of verytie,

1148Great Golye, the pope, he strake downe with hys slynge,

1149Restorynge agayne to a Christen lybertie

1150Hys lande and people, lyke a most vyctoryouse Kynge;

1151To hir first bewtye intendynge the Churche to brynge,

1152From ceremonyes dead to the lyvynge wurde of the Lorde.

1153Thys the seconde acte wyll plenteously recorde.

1154FINIT ACTUS PRIMUS.