“ And ta t if his knave kneel, that {hall his cope bring,
“ He loureth at him, and aflceth him who taught him cürtefie,
“ Little had lords to done, to give lands from her heirs,
“ T o religious that have no ruth if it rain on her altars.
“ ■ In many places ther they perfons be, by himfelf at eaie :
“ O f the poor have they no pity, and that is her eharitie;
“ And they letten hem as lords, her lands lie fo broad.
“ And there p a l come a king% and confefs you religious;
“ And beate you, as the bible telleth, for breaking your rule,
“ And amend monials, and monks, and chanons,
“ And put hem to her penaunce ad priflinum flat urn ire.”
* F. 1. a. “ This predi&ion, although a probable condufion concerning a king who
« after a time would fupprefs the religious houfes^ is remarkable. I imagined it might
ff have been foSHH mtothe eopiesTlnlSe reign o f lang*Henryk III. but it is to be found
fc in MSS. o f this poem, older than the year 1400.” fol. 1. a. b ?
*1 Again, where he, P ie r s P low m a n , alludes to the K n ig h ts T em p la rs , lately lup-
fC prrifed, he lays
- ■ ■■ ■ Men o f holie kirk
“ Shall tu rn a s T emp la rs did j the tyme approachetb n e r e ."
** This , I luppofe, was a favourite do&rine in Wickliffe's difcourles.”
W ar ton 's H iß . o f E n g l iß Poetry, Vol. I. p. 2,82,
L E T T E R XVIII,
W t tL tAM of Waynjlete becatde biftiop of Wittehefier in the year
1447, and feems to have puifued the generous plan of iVykeham
in endeavouring to reform the Priory of Selhdrttt.
When Waynflete came to die fee he found prior Styfe, alias Steps,
{till living, who had been elected as long ago as the year 1411.
Among say documents I find a curious paper of the things
put into the euftody of Peter Bernes the facrift, and efpecjaily
fome relics: the title of .this evidence is “ N 9. .50, InJentura
«« prioris de Setbarne quorundam tra'dk, Petr» Berms facdfta:,
“ ibidem, ann. Hen. VI. - - - una cum cottfiff. ejaftferw Petri
“ fcfipt,” The occafion of this catalogue, or lift of effe&s,
being drawn between the prior and facrift does not appear, i#or
the date when; only that it happened is the reigrr of Ben. VI,
This tranfa&ion probably took place when Bernes entered on his
office ; and there is the more reafon to fuppofe that to be the eafe,
becaufe the lift confifts of veftments and impletwenfs, and relics,
foeh a» belonged to- the church of the Priory, and fell1 under the
care of the facrift. For the numerous- items I {hall refer the curious
reader to-the Appendix, and lhaH> juft mention the relics,
although they are sot all fpscrffed; and the ftate of die live
flock of the monaftery at that jun&ure.