He estate of Marchan­dise (for the time of thys mortall lyfe) is so necessary, that without it we can stant ly leue, it is so alowable and profitable. Prouided that it be faythfully maynteyned.

That it is necessari, lyuely experyence sheweth it open­ly, for of truth it is necessary that the haboundance of one countrey healp to satisfy that whych lacketh in an other. And therby al labouryng persones by diligēt industry are requisit for the mainteinyng of the cōmōweale the whyche without fraude or gyle ought to distribute cōuey, chaunge [Page] conserue and transporte all sortes of wares frō one place to an other accordinge to the exigence of the tyme, and be­houf of y ^• people. The whiche is behouffull to all faythfull marchants, as good & trusty seruants of the comen welth wyth moderate gaynes and profyte of theyr wares with­out dyssemlyng in maynte­ninge their estate, of their persone & housholde so that they occupy in all trouth without circumuention and domage of theyr neybour with out be gylynge or any deceyt. For if Thes [...]. i. fydelyte and enteyer veryte be not foūde in them, they be not marchātes but rather wi [Page] ly theues, and cautelous gal­lants.

By similitude of this estate Iesus Christe hath taught his children. To multyply, en crese, and do profite with the talentes and gystes of God, whyche are delt to euery one according to his good wyl, sai yng thus▪ Occupy vntyll I Luk. xi [...]. come, And at hys comyng a­gayn punished the slouthful and yll seruant that dyd not his deuour to bringe y ^• frute of the gyft that he had recei­ued, doyeng vs to wite that wee shoulde not be ydle and not to receyue the gyftes of God in vayne, or els we can­not escape y ^• punyshment of [Page] God. And it is to be thought that he spake these wordes of bodi marchādyse. For of tru­eth as thys estate wherof I speake is honorable botth in temporall and ciuil thynges: euen so is it cursed and dete­stable in spirituall thynges. And therfor saynt Paule in the vertu of God forbiddeth euery man that wylbe a mi­nister, and seruant of spiritu­all thinges, whiche is the ad­ministration of y ^• holy worde of God, and the ordinances of Iesus Christ, that he appl [...] hym not to tēporal and secu­ler ii. Tim. ii. chafferinge, and netheles, God hath permitted in hys [...]uror that in stead of good pasters, [Page] and veritable ministers of the saide worde, to chaunce in the church I say not alone li grosse chapmē but furious theues, and insaciable raue­nyng wolues.

Should not he be iuged a be­gyler and these, whych selleth the thynge y ^t is not hys own, or that by subtyll meanes in sted of gold and syluer selleth tyn & bras? And should not the byer bee begylled and deceiued? Thus certainly (long ago) to the greate detriment of soules, of bodyes & goodes of the poore people is chaun­ced to vs, that in stead of faithfull seruannts of God that should lede and teach y ^• poore [Page] worlde to the waye of salua­cion, be entred, not by y ^e dore Iohn. x. which is Iesus Christ, but by violence haue clymed in by another waye as false impostores, and as. S. Peter sayeth, i. Pet. ii. fals masters, lyers, teachyng sectes of perditiō, forsakyng the Lorde that hath bought thē, blaspheming the waye of trouth, the whiche in auarice by feined wordes of our seyde marchants haue occupied, for suche workers of iniquytie, haue forgotten nor left no­thing wher with by cautelus inuentions they [...]ht occupy at their pleasure▪ [...]nd will,

And to say the trueth they haue set all thynge to sale e­uē [Page] to crye, Paradyse is to sel, by Paradyse by. There is no spirite that can comprise, nor tong declare all the marketes of these chapmē, and so great a swalow & prodigious multitude. Some poynts we must declare, leauyng y ^e resydue to be thought of pepole of more subtyl vnderstandynge.

The marchants that wee speke of be maruelous wyly. And haue encreased their wares so gratly with their workmanship, that they haue not left towne nor vilage. hil nor valey but thei haue filled thē with theyr shoppes.

There wer neuer slyer fox­es, for they haue ramped all [Page] vnder theyr pawes. And the better to lede their trade thei cause y ^• people to beleue that it is a greate welth, and yet is it neither mornor lesse thā as the fals Iesabell paynted iiii. Re. ix. her eies ye & all her face with ruddy colours & other hewes Ier. iiii. for to seme fayre and esthew the fury of Iehu. Thus like­wise these coueytous of glori [...]uaricians marchants paint their workes, at trybuting it to them [...]el [...]s that belongeth to God. As rightuousnes vertu, sapience, pardane, mercy, re [...]i ion of syne, haucuing euer in their month. Lord God thankes to God, in the named. God, of the authory [Page] of God, of. S. Peter of saint Paule. &c. beholde here the trompe the paynted glosse of theyr malycyousnes, for they knowe well that other wyse they should not be set by, and theyr trade soone be distroed. In bieynge and selling must be good faceyng & disguisyng among thē, hauing their hea­des al most al plucked, shorne or clipped, therfore it is wryt­ten, y ^• none may do as they, biey nge and sellynge, but he haue the name or marke of the beast.

They chepen, they chop, changeand sell, they bye and sell agayne, they barginge to gyther on the best fas you, [Page] for parsonages curats, and do hoke benyfyces, and the bet­ter to do they teache eche o­ther theyr vacatiō and craft. Theyr tyme of barganing is euer redi, & haue sōtim great fayres as tyme and season re­quireth, and always on high feast dayes, clene contrary to the other Marchants. Whē Ester, witsōtyde, halowmas, Christemas and such other come, whiche they them selfes haue ordeined, all Marchāts cease saue these.

For there is nonne handy­craft but when they lust they cause it teaue of, bycause they a lone make sale and works, and all the other do homage [Page] vnto them because it serueth greatly to theyr gaynes.

Of this in or tyme we haue sene an example meruelously to purpose, that was of a crosey generally made and pub­lissed almost ouer al the erth. And God knoweth by what meanes. God knoweth by what supposts by what work men by what croseidiers, such a worke was handled. They constreyned all them whome the woulde, to obey to theyr desires. They threatned al th [...] that in any wyse gaynsayed theyr lyes and abuses.

There was neuer sene a­greatter market, hel and heauen were openned, for to take [Page] in, put out, or kepe styll all that came at theyr pleasur, so that thei brought any pre­sent, for wythout that a man could not spede of these galantes. We dyd make holidayes, assēbles, feastes and processi­ons, altogether at they myndes & ordynaunce, and not so hardy to say, nay

They griped, they plucked, rauyssed, slax, woul, yarne, thred, butter, chese, oxē, caul­ue [...] shepe, gold and siluer, al thynges were saleable. And than thei ruff [...]ed, thei drāke, [...]led and plaied, I dare not [...]ye whored, for eury thynge went forwarde wyth them.

And to say the trueth, these [Page] marchants be different from the other, for it is not lyghtly sene but they be cōtent with some one trade, some w ^t cloth, other with cataile, some with sylke or metall, other w ^t corne or wine. &c. but these woluish grossers, grosse vp all at once and rauysh euery where, to set all thynges on sale, it is a worlde to se theyr trade, no­thynge scapeth them, but at their plasures thei occupi it, yea mē, womē, childern, now borne and vnborne, bodyes, soules of the quicke and dead of goodes visible and inuisi­ble, heauen, earth, and h [...]lle bread, meat, tyme and dayes. Mariage, vestimentes, rasu­res, [Page] shauing, anointinges, clo thinges, bulles, pardons, in­dulgences, remissions, bones other relykes and rogacions, expectyues, dispences, ex­emptions, sacramentes, and holi workes of god. Of bread, wine, oyle, towe, mylke, wa­ter, salt, fyer, fumigations, encensynges, ceremonies, songes, melodies, wod and stone, of brotherhodes, inuentions tradicions, deceptions, lawes and wythout nombre of such tryfetrafe, wherby they ca [...] meruelously well drawe mo­ney to them, wherby the por [...] people are so vndertrod, gna wen, deuoured, and so strau [...] ged for y ^• knowledge of God [Page] that it is not possyble to be­leue it.

And who euer woulde haue thought y ^• whyche they haue deuysed, that by ouer greate subtyltie they haue so abea­stad the people that thei makthē kisse a trenchor or a small platter of gold, siluer, or lead: which thei name the platine, somtyme their fyngers endes that is to witte theyr nayles, or some dead bones of dead folke, whiche they call relikes whereby they haue goten so many gyftes and presents. Luk xxi [...].

The Byshopes of Ierusa­lem gaue money to Iudas for to kisse a precious and worthi thynge, a thynge a lyue and [Page] fayre, whyche was y ^e precious and worthy face of our sauy­our & redēptor. Iesu Christe.

But these are more wyly, and by their fraude do other wyse, for by their fals babe­lynges and cautelous waies, they haue so punished almost al people, in makyng them to kisse bones and other vnleful dead thinges. And receyue therfore plenty of money euery where not passyng where, so they maye haue it▪

I leaue the kyssyng of the capmerchants shoo or slipper for the kisse of baudy Thais was neuer so dearly solde as that is, or the kissinger of his minions. But for bicaus that [Page] here aboue wee haue spoken of bones and other trashe of dead thinges vnlafull: it shal be behouefull to se and reade a lyttel treaty ingeniously & profitablye compiled but late by a ryght docte and learned man named M. Iohn, Cal­uyne, of the abuse of relykes intituled the vtile aduertis­ment, of the greate proffyte that should come to Christē ­dome, if an inuentory were made of all the holy corpses, and relykes in al regions the begynnyng wherof is thys.

Saynt Austyn in a boke that he intiled, of the labour of Monkes lamentynge cer­tayne bearers of rogations, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] which alredy in his tyme ex­ercysed vilayne and dysho­nest fayres and markets, bearyng hyther and thether the relikes of martirs. Adde yea, if they bee mertyrs.

By the whyche worde it singnifieth that as than be­gon the abuse of tropery, be­rynge about bones gathered here and there. Makyng the symple people beleue y ^• they were saynts bones.

Syth the begynnyg herof is so aunciēt, it is no doubt but they haue greatly encreased all this long while also seyng that the world is so merueil­lousli corrupt sith that tyme, that is declyning styll in ap­payringe [Page] tyll that it camè to the extremitie that we see it in now.

For certaynely by suche mayster liers, workers of wi­ckednes, people effeminate, the worde of verite is hyd, let ted: corrupt and blasphemed, to exalt, a [...]aunee, and pub­lysh and vtter their most fals and aduou [...]erous wares not wyth out dere sale of thē. For neuer the wordes of an aduo cacite, at torney, orator or phisitiō were so dere, as the wordes of such patriarkes.

Nede it were that y ^• great pastor i. P [...]. 1. our sauiour & redemptor Iesu Christ that bought vs not wyth golde and syluer, [Page] or any corruptible thing: but w ^t his precious bloud, should come wyth power and dryue away these great mastyfhri­gant Marchāts, wyly chan­gers, and abusers, whych oc­cupy the temple of God the whyche by figure was some­tyme made in the cite of Ie­rusalem, and whan hys good Iohn. ii. pleasure is in the vertue of his holy name, by the wepon of hys holy worde, and spirit of his mouth: make an end of such a miserable worke.

Alas, whan shall we se the tyme accomplished that oure Lorde hath promised by hys [...]a [...]h. xiiii. prophete zacharye sayeyng. There shall nomore be mar­chants [Page] in y ^• hous of our Lord God in these dayes.

Oh howe these good mar­chants will grene and frown whan they may nomore sell theyr wares and works? as it is writen. The marchants of Apo. xviii. the erth shal wepe and wayle bycause that none shall bye theyr wares any more. And after y ^• letter, thys is spokē of those marchantes of whome we speake. Ryght happy they are & shalbe y ^• maye se y ^• tyme and day so desirable. And truly it is greate wonder that the worlde can suffre and su­steyne so horryble and outra­gious fardelles. For there is no desolation vpon the erth, [Page] but that it is come by these moste fearfull and fallatious marchants.

And althoughe the doinges be so merueylous that it is impossible to know it, or writ it fully, yet muste wee som­what touch their nimblenisse and gentylcastes of their wi­les. In their practyke they be sowple and sleight, wythout doubt more than I wene.

I sit not a greate actiui­te, to sell well, and in sellynge to be well payde: and at the lenth the byer hath but the syght therof? Scantly any It alian or Lomberd cā do it, but these can do it welmough Euery man seeth that it is [Page] so, but euery man doeth not perceyue it they haue so s [...]om­bred, blinded, & abeasted the probatū. poore worlde.

Amonge good and true marchāts it hath not ben seen that euer they sold the onely sight of their wares. For thei say cominly the sight shal cost you nothynge but all these iackes lyke i [...]gelers, momers or tomblers haue well lerned to play theyr pageants for wyth out cease they can sell and resele derely y ^• onely sight of theyr baggadge. This y ^•. I saye is beste knowen in good townes. For if any be called of god by death sodainly these marchants do enquire of the [Page] frendes or executers if they wyl haue the beste cloth the next or y ^e least, y ^• best crost, or the next for to bringe y ^• corps to the church, and therto ac­cordynge for to paye, wher in the pore people be sore abused for all wel consydered, it uay­leth asmoche to the dead per­sone as to the byer and all a lyke. Of the corps it is cer­tain couer it neuer so wel, yet wyl it not sweate, nor saugh nor stier at the beautie of the cloth nor at the riches of the crosse. As to the folysh byer, it is wel sene that he may pay wel for he hath nothyng but the sight ther of. And on the morow it shalbe solde lykwise [Page] to another. Thus can these maisters pollers uymbly vn­fold and showe theyr wares, and properly fold it and bere away theyr tooles.

Moreouer is it not an ac­tyuite to sel wares more dere after the rate of the gramēts wher wyth the marchante is arayed yea though the ware be neuer the better. Suche thynges were neuer sene in other marchants but these, yet with out cease they do it & yet no body doeth perceyus it nor thynke theron.

I would wytte of you, if y ^• masse (as they do saye) of a Chanon be not dearer thā of a vicar, of an abbot than of a [Page] monke of a byshop than of a dean and so of the other, And yet they saye them selfe that the masse of a naughty priest is as much worth as another which we beleue wel mough

Wherfore I woulde wite of them wher of cometh such diuersyte of price of one ma­ner of marchandyse as for answer they haue none, but by the diuersite of y ^• vestiments, wher in they be lyke to a harlo [...], that seketh her fylthynes more or lesse after the sorte of her rayments.

In this passage these great harlo [...] [...]gers wyll loue me better and be more pleased to compare them onely but to [Page] an harlot, and that in this I woulde not compare them to the traitour Iudas, as one of their bokes doeth, named, Stella clericorum. Stella clericorum, where the faire boke saieth thus.

Qui missā celebrat pro pecunia, videtur mihi dicere cum proditore Iuda. Quid vul [...]is mihi dare, et ego e [...] vobis tradā?

That is to saye. Whoso celebrateth masse for money, he sayeth with iudas the traitor. What wyll ye gyue me, and I shall delyuer hym to you? Here be terrybel mar­chants that this do sel their God. They sell God and de­uil nothyng scapeth them.

They conger, they charme the wether, the hayle, y ^• tem­pest. They make salte watres [Page] and vintage. To be brief thei playe wunders in al thynges and ar a great dele more fyue than musterd.

Is it not a great sleyght to sel one piece of ware al hole to mani folkes at once in one selfe houre and instant, with out knowledg ether of other, and of eche of them to take and receiue the hole payment and money. They name them selfe angeles bycause of theyr offices but angeles make not the people blinde for all their brightnes, as these darke an­gels do. If they were but angels only thē were this great meruel, but by their own sai­nge▪ thei be gods & half gods, [Page] great gods, and litel gods doinge all at theyr wille in hea­uen in erth, and in hel. And therfore they may (as it is sayde) as it pleaseth them sell theyr wares easyly al at one chop to sondri people, but the wilyste is oftimes taken.

That it is so the practyse shewth, as it is opēli sen whā there is great prease, as whā the kynges court is nygh to them, or any other great as­semblyng of noble men.

The mother is, the better the practise is handled, and namely whan the Marchan­te is estemed and that he can stoupe and nod, or hange hys head [...]n y ^• one syde, and make [Page] a sad countenaunce. The case may be thus.

Some greate Lorde cometh to a conuente of fryres, bee they greay or blake, the one is as good as the other, sayeng to one of them shal we haue a masse? yea mi lorde, another cometh to the same fryre, and asketh for a masse also, yeshal haue my Lorde. Yet an o­ther cometh for asmoche, yee my Lorde, and so come as many as will, he refusteth none.

Than cometh the goodly Domine, & dispatcheth them all at ones, and the gentylm [...] go their waie wel pleased, the marchante is payed and pai­ed agayne, both go theyr way [Page] laughynge, aswell the byer as the seller. Is not thys a great habilite? is it not wel wrought? Of suche wares their store houses are ful, and these be called, store hous masses, or salted masses. That god of hys gracious goodnes ryght soone vnsalte and wa­ter it.

Truly they be so apte and prōpte, that fewe or none can do their beanes. Amōge other thynges they be almoste all marchants of war but in all the worlde is no appoticary nor chāldeler that can worke in theyr maner.

Some poore, foole cometh to the tempel, deuoutly (as [Page] they say) & stycketh vp a can­dell vpon a pyller, and oure marchaunt anone snatcheth and puffeth it out, and for y ^• pryce sellethe it to an othere, that setteth it vp in the same plase. And oure marchāt that watcheth for it, is styll redye to snatche & to blowe, and sell it to an other that anone wyl sette it vp agayne, so that by snatchyng and by pouffeyng oure marchantes ceas not to gatherin al day, wherby they are ryche anone for as ye se al retorneth to them both ware and money.

A lytel war doeth thē great case, be the marchants great or litel for comenly they vse [Page] it all. The lytell ones sell it wrought in candells, and the greate marchauntes selle by lumpes tacked vpon paper, or at the tayle of parchement. This that I say is well kno­wen, at the least way to offy­cyals, scribes notaries, secre­taries of abbayes, proctours chancelers of Byshops, arch­byshops, cardinalles &c.

The great Gargantua. I say the hygh prouost of these marchants that is the moste feared and dred the wylest of thē al kepeth his bank vnder exchang to all people conuer­tynge leade into golde. In thys worlde was there neuer seen suche an alcumyste, that [Page] vnder lead (by hym and hys) could fynde suche a vayne of golde. The whyche the good marchāt Pauorme hath not hid in his writīges. Whā by elegant ceremony, or at least: Pauorm super pri▪ prin [...] ▪ de electione, in glossa prima in fine. wai barbariē, he wrate thus.

Di [...]nt aliqui quod nuncii pape non sunt deaurati sed plumbati: sed dic ni [...]i­lominus quod possūt di [...]i deaurati: quia dant plūbum et reportant autum.

That is to saye. Some say that the popes messagers be not gylded but leaded, but neuertheles, saye thou, they maye bee called golden, for they gyue leade and receyue gold. This may be called an easy bodyly worke. To such a worke man all thynges are proper to cheapen and steale. [Page] And y ^• better to close hys ma­ter, the name of Sanetissimu [...] receyueth it.

Albeit that he is but a hat maker yet he is a hatseller to, The hat maker of Rome. and there was neuer hat ma­ker that solde hats so deare, and acordyng to the color he maketh the pryce for if thei be read they be the derer, and also the byers mater is the bet­ter, wytnes of Christofer of Forlinio, of thetytle of Arac­clie the spaniard of Angloys, wyth hys greate corde. Also T. Wolsay of the tytel of. S. Cicelie & other whōe I leaue for al the worlde doeth know them. And whan these gen­tyl byers be thus coyffed and [Page] wrapped with their read hat tes of this great capper, they go fro town to town, fro place to place, specyally to the courtes of Princes and Kinges to make their mustres, and stall theyr marchandise, or els it maye be to practise some but­tin for this read hat is full of great vertue, to them that knowe it fyrste fro the tyme y ^• he is couered wyth all, he is at leyser to do all what he wyl, to kepe as many benify­ces as he can catche, whither they be (as they saye) compa­tyble or vncompatyble, lesse or more, al serueth the kechin.

Secondly he is affraūche­sed and fre fro the vnanites, [Page] that is, for any benefice that he catcheth, he oweth no va­cation, whiche is a ioly prac­tise. Thirdly he is alredy in the way and nygh to be hym­self the great hatmaker, or souerayn haberdasher.

[...]ee not these goodly priuile­ges. Thys is it that maketh the derth of such hate.

Than at the example of thē there be cappers y ^• lykewyse are sellers of bonets. The sel­lers dyne veray well at the exspences of y ^• byers, y ^• which folyshe byers be so mad and folyshe that they brybe and stryue in many places for cap pes and hooddes with tayles styckinge on them, who shall [Page] haue the fyrste, the second or thirde. &c. Not with standing that they be al alyke of ordre. Other ther be y ^• seke for such byggynnes (I woulde saye bo [...]etts) wherin thei haue nether more nor lesse knoledge, thowgh that they wil not for get theyr liripypies, I mene their peltry capperons.

Now I am in thought of a mater new inought, that hath comen in times past.

And I pray al you that shall rede thys present treatyse to pardone me if ye know it. [...]t is of a chapman that kepeth in Rome, y ^• rowme of y ^• great [...]la [...]a. marchāt. For as Platina writeth in the boke of the lyfe of [Page] the byshope Ione the .viii. of that name the .Cvi. byshop was a womā which held and possessed the pontifical syedge two yeres, a moneth and .iiii. dayes.

At the end of whyche tyme (and she beynge pope, or that Questio pregnās I do not lye popesse) she childed a yong popy. I would wit than if shee were chosen. Via Spiritus sanc [...]. And if her mar­chantdyse were sale worthy, and as good as of a mā? And when she gaue absolutyon, or that she gaue or solde any Croyse, Miter, or Hatte.

Or that shee ordeyned anye Byshopes, Prestes, or Deakenes, what cometh all thys [Page] geare to? Item whereby cam the sacerdotall Carecte, & many other thynges whyche for this tyme I let pas if ye can say any thinge to this, do all swere me, for as for me I vn­derstand nothynge els, but that it was very gallyardde and pleasaunt.

Wherby I retorne to my marchants, of whome truely some be wilier thā some, and al together to the wilynes of the kechin. For albeit that in France Normādi & Picardi▪ &c. be maruaylous wyly, yet haue they not as touchynge this wrought so fineli, as thei of the contrey of Santonge, and of Towrain. That wher [Page] fro Christemas to the feast of candelmas as they call it, at euery tyme y ^• these marchāts synge euensong, whan they come to an anthem that they name. De fructu. Yf they do spie Of fruterers. hapely any fruytfull persone.

I meane fruitfull, yf the purs be well stored to whom they knele, and stowpe alowe to begyn the De fructu, and thā the poore simple kneler gooth full sympelly to synge the De fructu on the best fashion, and than the marchantes chaūte, cry and howle, to the end, and afterwarde all the euenynge laugh, toye, play, God know­ethe howe they fare. And as these marchāt fruters fructifi [Page] for the profyte of the table al togither I say to profyte of their gaynes, and domage of theyr neyghbours that hyer and fynde them, and yet the good simple folke holde them content with their knauery.

Thys fruitefull people be in fraunce and other regions but in Englande I thinke be but a few, for thanked be god many of there il tres be pluc­ked vp by the rotes and felled and their wicked marchants fruiterers be wel steyed, and shalbe God wyllyng more.

Thus can these fyne mar­chants by wyls and trewan­ [...]ise fructifie at the expences of other. In singing and pla­yeng [Page] nymbly for theyr owne welth lyke fals futers.

In dede their singuler halilite is very euydent that they hauyng nothynge haue multitiplied and encreased to so great goodes, that al most they haue vsurped and obteined all the richesse of the erth, as Realmes Dukedōes, Cōutyes Principalites, Baronies Towns, Lordships, Herita-Rentes, Housynges. Fruits, and all that is possible to say.

Truly I am ashamed to thinke on it, they haue swa­lowed al togyder. They haue disheryted Princes, Kynges, Lordes, Machāts, Burgeses and people of all estates and [Page] al because at theyr beginning they in hypocrisi could fayne their pope holynes.

But now they be so riche and mighty, that bi force thei do wytholde, & rather would mengyle and melt the skyes, the erth and y ^e see, and al that is in them, than any thynge should scape their handes.

And therfore they reise and▪ moue warres, debates stry­ues & troubles, they brynne, they slea, they persecute, they [...]nprisone, and to their power driue away al them that gain [...] them. They haue no nede of bokes of holy scripture for to mayntene theyr feats but [...]pholde them by strength, as [Page] brigants and murtherers do for to resyst verite theyr is no thyng wyth thē but force and violence.

O peasant wolues, wolues insatiable, that haue spared nothing but ye haue plucked it vnder your pawes Howe Act .xx. trulye spake saynt Paule of you, whan he wrote thus. I knowe that after my depart­ynge rauishinge wolues shal i. Timo .iiii. enter that wyll not spare the floke. Of such marchants it Ezechiel. xxxviii. ii. Pet. iii is wryten to Timothe in the fyrst, In Ezechiel and diuers Iude. ii. other passages.

Yf there were euer mat­ter of iniquite, there was ne­uer y ^e like vnto this. For good [Page] marchāts, onely persent their wares exposing to them that wyll bye a reasonable pryce, and constrayne no bodye to bye or take therof. But these wicked do the contrary, for boystously they constrayne the people will they or not to passe thorough theyr cruell handes, and without respite, to bye theyr fals marchandises at theyr owne pleasures, or elles pronoūce thē heretiks and who that hath no money muste go seeke for some, and make shifte though nothyng shoulde remayne.

The case is thus. Some poore mā dyeth charged with wife and smal children. This [Page] thynge is pitefull and requireth mercy. And for to con­fort the pore widow, certayn almesses ought to be delt vn­to her, to confort her and her houshold. But in stead of kind prouidēce, these vnkind i. Tim. iii and cruell marchantes of her lytelle come to make an ende of all, & they by force or ryght wyll haue y ^• they do demand, bread, drinke, offrynges, can­delles, oxe or cowe gown, kir­tell, Iaket, bed, shetes, good fare, or money, and put▪ her from all vnder shadow of.

Requiem, Fundis, and Libera.

And syth we are in this purpose, there was neuer suche iniquite knowen amonge ani [Page] marchants but in these. The whiche openly wythout feare or shame sell that the whiche is nothynge theyrs, and yet they sel them to the persones to whome they do belong of ryght. Yea, and that worst is a. M. tymes and mo they sell one self thing.

Answer to me. Who cau­sed to make the belles of the church? whose be they? dyd­these fals marchants bere thē thyder? lykewise the ground in the church or churchyard, whose is it fro whens can it? Is it of theyr fatherly heri­tage? It is not certaynely.

But belongeth to the peo­pel and paryshiens. I would [Page] wit of thē fro whēs came such a boldnes to thē so for to sell y ^• sowne of the belles, which thei caused not to bee made, & also tak not y ^• pain to ring thē, for they be to dilicate minstrels, & so for to sel & resel y ^e groūd that is not theyrs. Truely after their accustomed facion it is a veri dere groūd, that so often Of buri­ynges. tymes is so vniustli pa [...]ed for. For it is euer to begyn. They wil answer me (I knowe wel) y ^• it is y ^• right of their church, Prop [...] quar to modo. whych easyly I agre to. For properly y ^• right of their churche is to cach, flei, rauish steal & polle, which is neuer don in the church of Iesus Christe & therfore consider pore [...]eople [Page] on whose syde those marchants be. Iesus Christe commandeth Math. x. to giue for nothing that whyche he hath gyuen. And these marchants engrosse it outragyously, and so become Marchauntes, sheweynge therby appertly that they haue nothinge comyn wyth Canane­a [...]s & negotiator idē Iesus Christ. Showing thē also to be wors thā the other Cananeans, whā good Sa­ra toke her rest in God, for in theyr right of theyr sepulcher they woulde take nothing of Abraham.

But he whych before y ^• death [...] ii. of hys wyse posseded neuer in [...] said groūde, would haue had some ryght therin, prefi­guring [Page] that some day by the pormise of God it shoulde be his own truli, he would haue gyuen some money therfore to Ephrom the sōne of Seor, Gen. xviii. for a very possessyon, where as a sepulchre was in a dow­ble felde, the which possession was entierly gyuen and ad­iugged to hym in herytage wyth y ^• vsufruits of the tres growing ther. And herby it is certain that this pore pai­nime toke no money of Abra­ham for nothynge, but take hym a faire heritage, whiche these fals marchants do not to the pore people. For wyth­out ceas they take much mo­ney. Alas they do not knowe [Page] wherfore. But for a pastyme is it not a good syght to se sometyme a sorte of disgised and countrefet galāts openly feyght for to haue a dead cor­ps of some body.

The gray a gainst the gray. Frauciscans a gaynst the do­minicans? The augustines a gaynst y ^e Carmelyts. Blacke againste white. The pyed a­gaynst the Crossed. Priestes a gaynst Monkes. Curates a­gaynst Chanons, and al such sortes of cauellers, whyche ought to be dryuen away as mastyfes, as raueus, and cor­morants Thys that I say is manifest, and yet it can not be remembred of what spirite [Page] these marchāts wer driuen a­brode, who moeued thē thus so shamefully as to rēne after they pray as wolues and fox­es after caryon but the desyre to norishe well their potage or soppes, their rybawdry or (as thei saye) their estate, that is to saye, theyr gormandyse and ouer licarous kitchin, for they thynke on none other thynge.

There of cometh if there be any mocyon of a benefyce that alwaye, they enquire of the proffytes therof by yere ferme, bi pencion, bi residence Corban. Corban. how much the church, aduantage is, that is to wyte, the Mar. vii baptysmes, maryages, offrin­ges, [Page] kissynges, lyghtes, oblacions, pilgrimages. Yf ther be any Irefull saint that wylbe feared, and aboue all, if there be moche people because of mortuaryes, burynges lega­ries anniuersaries, and such fine mētions, and huge char­ges vpon the poore people, for as they saye in right fayre la­ten. Vbi oues, ibi pelles. That is Vbi oues ibi pelles. to say, where as shepe is ther is wolle, whyche truely they can well sheare and gather.

And in dede they be all of one craft & can none other so wel as thys. That is, they be al shearers, deuoures, sleyers yea & that so neare that they sucke y ^e bloud, and the sweat.

[Page]And of such rapine they vphold eche other iolily, it is playnly sene dayly, wythout any remedy.

And they be not onely mar­chants, sellers and occupiers but also the moste parte are couetous sellers agayne. Or the better to vnderstād what I say, a seller again is he that byeth for to sell agayne to a­nother, for proffite and gay­nes Act. viii. by it as also Simon Magus would haue done, wher­of it is spoken in the Aacts of thappostles. And. S. Austin vppon the Cxxx. Psalme, after hys maner of rekenyng in speakynge of the sayd Si­mon saieth thus, The power [Page] of the Apostles pleaseth hym more than the goodnes of the Christians, in asmoch as he saw bi y ^• leing on of y ^• apostles handes God gaue the gyftes of the holi gost in such maner that the Christianes spake new languages, he would haue done as they dyd, But he would not be faythfull as they were and be a good ser­uant of Iesus Christ, but because that he would be seen mighti and somwhat hie and therfore he offred and would haue gyuen money to haue such a power as thei had, and truly he would haue derely bought that whiche he knew w [...]ll afterward. The felawes [Page] of this sayde Simō be al mi­serable biers of benefices and eccleciasticall officers, whyche are excommunicate by the authoritie of God, & not one lye of God, but also by the authoryte of the decres and auncient cannos, as pestilent people, by whō the churche of God is robbed, wasted, and desolated, y ^• reformation of the church letted, and the salua­tion of y ^• people withdrawen.

O Lord God what a boke might be made of this mater if tym woulde suffer it, but I remit it al to the Iugemēt of those persones whiche loue and dread the almighty lord.

What do you noble and Rom. xiii vertuous [Page] Princes, Lordes and Ladyes, why haue ye no re­garde ouer these marchants, and notwythstandynge that by theyr pride they wyll not be visyred of you, yet will thei or not, ye haue authoritie o­uer thē. And to you and none other it belongeth to castyse, to correct, and represte the great excesse of suche theues.

Do it than, to thende that it be not uerified of you that is voken in Esaye.

Suche princes are infidels E [...]le. i. companiōs of theues, but rather that in y ^• presence of the liuinge God, of whom ye bere E [...]o him the name, whiche hath giuen you the poure of the sworde, [Page] for to vse it to hys honor, de­fendynge innocentes punish­ing al male factors, be ye foūd faithfull and veritable, Con­sentynge to all godnes resy­stynge euylle wythe all your power, for hys good wyll, for by hym ye are commited ther to, & he alone may exalt you or put you down in this pre­sent lyfe, and the life to come, and herof ye maye be sure, if ye seke his honor, he wil honor you. Yf ye exalt hym he wyll exalt you.

By hys wisdome kynges do Pro viii. reygne, and Lordes do ordein ordinaunces of Iustice. And the mysprision of the dyuine wyll & wisdome is cause of al [Page] euyls ouer Kinges, Princes, Lordes, coūtres and nations ii. Regū. xxiiii. Which may be sen in Dauid Solomō, Ezechi, Achab, Manasses iii. Re, xi. and other. And let no man take feare in forthering the honore of God, as the simple Sedechie dyd. Fearynge more the prynces of Iuda & of Ierusalē, thē y ^• only God. Not beleueyng y ^• good coūsel Ieremie. xxxii. et xxxix. of Ieremi. The which Sede­chie neuertheles afterwarde foūde tru that which the prophete had tolde him. And was put fro the goodes y ^• wer ordened for him. For it is not in y ^• power of men to put Kynges fro their crowes but it belongeth Danie. i. to y ^• only god, which trās [Page] ferreth kingdomes as it pleaseth hym. The which if he be with you: who cā be againste Rom. viii. you? Oh God if ye were as prompt and redy to procure the honor of God as these a­uaricyous marchāts are apt and diligent about theyr busines, that nothing escape thē O Lorde howe euery thinge should be well.

It is no nede to speak of ther study and diligence, for euery body seth it. They haue a. C. eyes euer open to watch as the cat for the mous. Argus sawe neuer clerer before and behynde, nomore dyd Ianus wyth hys dowble face. If the belles rynge in any place (as [Page] thei say) for an obit than oure gentyl gallants trudge apace but our Lord knoweth what a drage there is of them.

Yf the mayster or the dame of a hous be seke, so that they be any thing riche, for of the poore they pas not, and that they haue any token of death oure marchants togo thether a pace a pace to put in theyr myndes to remember theyr shoppes, theyr byldyng theyr church, their brethen, and for to haue some aniuersari foundacion, or other testamenta­ry gift. Do what ye wyl, out of the hous ye get them not tyll they haue some praye, or elles they will saye that he or [Page] she be Lutherien heretykes:

God knoweth what wily wrinches, what subtyll falla­ces they do commit fro day to day. Thinke who will on the houshold, on the famuly, on of the chyldren, rent or detts al is one to them so they may haue theyr askynge they care not. If any bridales be, thy­der rene oure marchants to fare well, and to blysse y ^• bride bed. If any woman lye in childbed, thei togo, to say go­spels ano to be at the syttyng vp and chirching.

To be short be it at lyfe or death, our marchāts be euer practisyng some bribles, they neuer make an end. And the [Page] better to dyspose the matter after theyr sorte not one of them will mary, because they maye the better vse theyr byt cheri at their ease to passe the tyme, and to lyue wythout thought.

For to conclude it is to be noted that amonge so greate a felowshyppe of marchants there be two sorts, yet none of them both do liue in pure­nes of chastite, of the whiche some of them gouerne them selfe in course & rude tyranie, the other in fayre hypocrysy.

The fyrst be thei that opē ­ly constraine the people to by theyr wares, and there is no remedy but passe that wyae, [Page] or els to be flayne and mur­dred of them, or at the least ex­cōmunicate in their sinagog.

The other that could not come to vsurpe the power to commaunde, can by an other meane, that is to wite in the apparence of pouertie bering walets all vpō their shulders full simply faining a lowting caūtenance selling them sellfe as the Essians, Saducians, or Pharisians dyd.

Sōtyme they would giue their owne habite to the pore, pretendyng some holynes the which afterwarde was paied a. C. times dowble. Thus can they worke subtylly in they marketes and fayres. Than [Page] is there anothor sorte of fyne bestial frires lowtes, lowting theyr heades bi the waye bea­ring great beades lyke father Robert of Islyngton, Mar­chants of theyr owne workes and merytes, as if they hade some in store to sell againe.

And openly thei haue made to beleue that all the benefactoures of theyr orders haue won heauen bi the merites of these holy beaupers, quent­chyng the fayth therby, and putting the holy name of Iesus Christe in darcknes, blas­phemeynge openly the grace and mercy of the Lorde God, the whyche is not wone by worke or merite, or elles grace [Page] should not bee grace, howebe i [...] by such dreamyng lyes, and fayninge, these arrogant su­persticious fat trewāts haue sed theyr myserable bealyes wyth the labour of the simple people.

I maye say miserable west inoughe, for there was neuer so manye vngracious sortes of people vpon the earth.

They do disfigure and fatten them selues, they extermine theyr faces as hypocrits.

They torment & punishe them sefes for to appere to the worlde suche as they bee not. Truly thei tak great paynes to go to the Deuill.

And often tymes whan they [Page] se a yong child comē of a good stocke and riche kinred, they wylle so entyce hym asmuche as they may to catch hym in limetwyges & snare to make him lyke vnto them. To such folkes Iesus Christe gyueth his curse, when he saieth wo Mathei. xxiii. vnto you hypocrits that compas both sea & lande, to make one your nouice, and whan he is made he shalbe dowble wors than you. This is their Consola­cio mise­ [...]orum. ioy and consolacion to drawe any to their estate. Wherby it is very veryt able, that the delyte of a wycked persone is to haue thē that be lyke vnto him. This is true that I say. And it is not sayd of a desire [Page] or affection to missay any person: but to the ende that the sheepe of Iesus Christe may kepe and delyuere them selfe from such deceiuers, that out warde seme to bee symple Mat. vii sheepe, and in warde be very rauēing wolues. And by the healpe of their great and ve­rye shepeherd Iesu, they may be preserued, & that of thē & al other that are in darcknes & errour bee entierly verified y ^• which S. Pet. saith you haue i. Pet. ii. ben as lost shepe, but nowe ye be retorned to the pastor & bi­shope, of your soules. And we iii. Regū. xx. xviii. et xix. must not in this point stay at y ^• great nōber, at y ^• multitud, or at their riches & pouer. For [Page] it is much better to here Miche alone, thā the. iiii C. fals Lu [...]. ii. prophets, Helie alone than all the sacryficers of Baal.

The good and simple. Simon and the aūcient wydow Anne thā al the Pharisiens, sacrifiers, Scribes, & docters whyche hade made a dene of murtherers of the house of God. Of whose successors I pray oure Lorde ryght soone to giue knowledge to al prin­ces and Lordes, men lerned and of authoriti, y ^• they maye make suche prouidens and remedy that the vengeaunce of God do not fall on the poore peopel, and on all y ^• erth. For thei commit so mani detesta­ble [Page] wyles and gyles that it is not possible to thinke it, wyt­nes y ^• fals fayned spirite, that seth. xx. yeres was gylefully and maliciously mente by the gray fryeres of Euereus in y ^• conuent of Normandy. And of late tyme suche another by the gray fryeres of Orliance.

To the greate sclander not only of the realme, but also of all other Christen nations. Thys was in Fraunce.

I pray you was there no The translatour. suche folysh fayned triflyng deceite in England I report me to thē that haue seen and herd of them as of rodes and other geugaus, whyche moc­kage is true, euident, and co­mēly [Page] knowen of al mē of eue­rye degre, whyche as nowe to speak of ani more I wil leaue of abiding to se y ^• there shalbe done such iustice that it shall be example to all the worlde.

For if any partyculer per­sone be punished for a folysh or lytell fawt that he doeth, how moche more ought suche hypocrites for to be punished extreamely, the which vnder the syght of holynesse abuse the poore people in suche wise to the great blasphemi of god & diffamatiō of theyr neygh­bour. All the world than may bee sure that if the Lordes of Iustyce cause not punishmēt as is apperteyneynge for it, [Page] that y ^• Lorde God wil take so terrible reuengeaunc that al the worlde shall tremble for the hyd [...]ousnes of it.

Lykewyse of the wyles of these croscrepers whych fay­nyng multytude of prayers with multytude of pardoned prayers, and beades: thynke the soner to begyle the people kneling euer in one place da­ly, and lycking of pyllers, ky­ssing of y ^• images fete, to seme more holy, and amōge thēselfe very detratores of God. And yet they feare to displease one the other for feare of accuse­mēt. O dissimbling folishnes and foule hypocrysy.

There be mani other thyn­ges [Page] whych as now I reporte me y ^• I coulde [...]ay of a trueth if I woulde but I wyll ab­steyne me fearyng to offend the weake.

Nowe after that I haue spoken of these will foxes and cautelous Marchants wyth whom is comprehended here mites and recluses.

It shalbe good to speake of a great flocke of Chap womē asmuche or wylyer than the marchants whiche be of them selues named Mōkesses, Ab­besses, Prioresses, Chanone­sses, systers of al colors, reclu­ses, & many such other sortes of vermyne, but I reserue this mater (the whiche truly [Page] be not very cleane) tyli some other tyme.

For thys present season i [...] I haue sayd il or lytell, I put it all to the iudgment of more wyse and fayethful louers of verite to whom humbly I require to encreas, amplify and set forth that whyche I haue willed to pas bryefly, fearing to anoy y ^• readers by mi rude speache.

It hath suffysed me for to shew somewhat of y ^• euil that hurteth vs so sore, oneli for to giue occasiō to people of good desier here after to deuise som what more, finally trusteyng by the boūtie of the father of mercy, of some goood delyne­raūce, [Page] the whiche of his grace delyuer vs all fro y ^• darkenes of errour, fro deceiful lyuing, fro Idolatrie and infidelite.

Wherin wee be myserably fallen, in asmoche as we haue lest his pure and holy worde, folowynge oure owne opini­ons ii. Cor. xi. and folyshe fantasies, for Satā y ^• tēptor, enimie of our salnacion by cautyle transfi­gurynge hym into an angell of lyght, vnder shadow and colour of veryte alwaye cam agaynste y ^• wyll of God, lyke as among other thinges it is Deu [...]r. xxxiiii. certayn that y ^• body of Moy­ses the which God dyd bury, and vnto thys day neuer mā dyd fynde hys sepulchre, all­thoughe [Page] that the deuill hath Iude. i. inforced hym to reueyle and shewe it. but y ^e angell of God resysted him, alwaye callinge for healp to the Lord. For truly thys fals serpent woulde haue abused & deceiued vs w ^t the body, bones, and relykes of the sayd holy prophete teching to reyse some hous of de­uotion, some faire pilgrimag, and a pleasant and new ma­ner to serue God, other thā that whiche he hath cōmaunded. The whyche thynge the prophets could not haue condempned afterwarde nor re­proued it, oneles they should haue ben accused of infidelite and malyse: seynge the holy­nes [Page] and great excellencie of y ^• same, whereby God had done so many admirables. For the folysh men wythout Iuge­ment beholdynge the workes of saints onely, do forget him that bi them doeth such wor­kes. In good soth vnder such apparence and colour of goodnes, the deuill should greatly triumphe in that place as he hath done syth, and dayly entend eth to do in mani places as it appeared here in thys land and doeth yet in some o­ther countrees, with other in finite abusions.

Alas what an horror hath spred throughe the vniuersall worlde by that meanes. The [Page] marchants haue scraped wel, pilled wel, heaped wel, and loked well throught that hole. And where is any spirit that euer could recite, or tong de­clare, al the viage, al the wild and newe pylgrymages that by lytell and lytel haue ben inuēted? There be as many maner of saynts as of people and beastes.

As. S. Loye for horses S. Anthony for swine, S. Loup for shepe. S. Iohn for lames S Hubbert for dogges. One for gotes an other for kien. S fereioll for gees, and so forth of y ^• remenaunt. And for peo­ple there is great plentie. For there is no mēbre vpon man, [Page] nor any disease reygnynge v­pō him, but it hath a perticu­ler phisitiō. S. Iob (that ne­uer thought on it (healeth y ^• great pockes. saynct Appolin the tethe.

Howbeit that I haue meruayled of tentyms, that these good workemē gaue not that office to. Saint. Christophre, whych had so great and long tethe that Cobrande was no thynge lyke. Probacion.

In a certain place of Fraunc called Beaunoys is a lytell abbay of. Sain. Christopher, where as the reuerends ther do shewe a to the whyche as they say is one of. S. Christophres. The whych to the is so [Page] bygg and long that if he had had but. xii. in hys mouth, it should haue ben wyder than the greatest ouens mouth in all parys, what a felowe were he y ^• had. xxiiii. or. xxx. suche in his mouth atones? Truly thys goodly toth in brede is more than agreate halfe fote, and byg accordyngly. O in­tollerable irrisyon. And yet it serueth a monge these good marchants.

And to come to our purpose Saynt Quintin healeth the Cough. Many healeth the feuers, but there is so many of thē that they let eche other S. Clare helpeth redde eien. S. Aduertyn the head ache [Page] of women. S. Mayn of the scab. I leaue. saynt. Gyles in Cōstantin that often helpeth womē to haue childrē. Such saints inow are found at the fryres and monkes. S. Mor healeth the gowt whan he is at leyser. S. Syeth fyndeth lost thinges, another serueth to go. Another to come. One to begin, an other to make an end. Neuer was seen suche worke men. Nor neuer was seen such afyre. But aboue al other y ^• can be deuised, there is none Iolier. S. Maturin that healeth all them wyth empty heades as mad and abstraught people, which be thy der brought, God knoweth [Page] Howe they be handled. The measur of olde fathers cānot serue. They shallbe rubbed, horscomed, and whipped that it is pyte, and yet neuer the wyser, but whan they haue done, they muste haue money and wyne, and so he is fayne to renne a way lustyly.

Were it not agreat almes by charyte to haue whypped and scourged a gallant na­minge, hym selfe an aulmosi­ner, I wotte not frowhens, whiche a whyle ago in the ci­te of, Abeuile in Pycardy played aprety gewgaw.

And the better to vnder­stand his gābawed whan the Quene made her enter there

[Page]She beyng with her asis­tantes in the churche of. S. [...]oulfrāe this holi father af­ter his masse sayd, he made a supersault and willyngly as a tumbler fell downe as in a sown, feining to be rauished, or to se sōme heauenly vision.

And in dede the good gen, tylman woulde haue persua­ded the simple people that he had seen the virgen Mary accōpanied with certain saints. As. S. Peter and. S. Paule whiche had shewed him some diuine secrets.

The whiche thinge anone was publyshed for certayne and true by the vpholders of his degre. I meane valyaunt [Page] pillers of y ^e church, although it was but a lye and deceyt.

As hymself syth hath con­fessed, sayenge that he dyd it onely to be estemed the more holy man, and by cause more credet should be giuen to his wordes. This was the inuention of suche a worke man, which had nofeare to lye, and in his mockery offended God greueously, for to accomplish hys knauery.

How be it. S. Paul hath expressely writen that the verite of God hath no nede of oure dreaming lyes, and that Rom. iii. none ought to do ani euill, to thend that goodnes may hap­pen hym. But what thought [Page] take such folkes for. S. Paul or of hys wrytynges? Wher­fore such a Iacke aboue all o­ther y ^t coulde bee thought or spoken of as a fole wyth hys lyke felowes ought to be led to the god. S. Maturin and ther as a holi bodi to be reised vp, and pleasantly haue hys head rubbed, horscomed, bru­shed handled tormoyled and whipped, to make hym know what it is to bee folyshe or wyse, speciallye in mattiers of greate weyght.

For aboue all y ^• folyes that can be done, sayd or thought, the greatest is to counterfeit any thynge belonging to god

O Lorde God how y ^e world [Page] by such minions and fals me­nes hath ben in tymes past, and yet is enpoysoned wyth greate erroure and sedicion.

There be other saynts for artifycers or handy craftes, euery one in hys occupation and faculte. S. Crispian maketh shoes. And saynt. Rocke cobbleth them. S. Cosme hea leth soores and wounds. S. Iuy kepeth proces in y ^• lawe. S. honory maketh matches.

One goeth on fot, another rideth, one is naked, another well clothed. One is armed another with a single wepon It is wonderous to think on it. And in good sothe if I would delate, worke set forth [Page] and amplifie all y ^• is hyd vn­der thys fayned shadowe I had nede to make agreat boke by it selfe a lone.

Wherfore I differ this purpose tyll another tyme, aby­dynge the helpe of the Lorde. The whiche for euer b [...] pray­sed exalted, and manyfied his onely best beloued sone oure Lorde Iesus Christ, whyche wyth hys bloud hath purged vs who be blessed In the worlde of worldes