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1529] were incapable of the most ordinary duties; and for many years before the burst of the Reformation the coming storm was gathering. Priests were hooted, or 'knocked down into the kennel,' as they walked along A straw for Goddys curse,

What are they the worse?

'What care the clergy though Gill sweat,

Or Jack of the Noke?

The poor people they yoke

With sumners and citacions,

And excommunications.

About churches and markets

The bishop on his carpets

At home soft doth sit.

This is a fearful fit,

To hear the people jangle.

How wearily they wrangle!

'But Doctor Bullatus

Parum litteratus,

Dominus Doctoratus

At the broad gate-house.

Doctor Daupatus

And Bachelor Bacheleratus,

Drunken as a mouse

At the ale-house,

Taketh his pillion and his cap

At the good ale-tap,

For lack of good wine.

As wise as Robin Swine,

Under a notary's sign,

Was made a divine;

As wise as Waltham's calf,

Must preach in Goddys half;

In the pulpit solemnly;

More meet in a pillory;

For by St Hilary

He can nothing smatter

Of logic nor school matter.

'Such temporal war and bate

As now is made of late

Against holy church estate,

Or to maintain good quarrels;

The laymen call them barrels

Full of gluttony and of hypocrisy,

That counterfeits and paints

As they were very saints.

'By sweet St Marke,

This is a wondrous warke,

That the people talk this.

Somewhat there is amiss.

The devil cannot stop their mouths,

But they will talk of such uncouths

All that ever they ken

Against spiritual men.'I am unable to quote more than a few lines from Satire. At the close of a long paragraph of details an advocate of the clergy ventures to say that the bad among them are a minority. His friend answers:— 'Make the company great or small,

Among a thousand find them shall

Scant one chaste of body or mind.'