Those who study the Protestant Revolt sometimes forget that it was not left for Luther first to point out the abuses in the Church. The verses given below show how general was the discontent with the conduct of the ecclesiastical officials and how outspoken the criticism of them from the pope down, which may be found in the popular literary productions of England, France, and Germany in the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries. This extract is from a poem not improbably composed by a very clever churchman, Walter Mape or Mapes, who was a member of the literary circle which Henry II of England gathered about him. It is but one of a great number of Latin poems originating at the same period, “remarkable chiefly for pungency of satire or sprightliness of composition.” They were the work of university men, and show us that the Church never succeeded in checking, at least among the educated, the most open and scornful strictures upon the clergy. The poet is represented as caught up into heaven, where he sees visions suggested by the Apocalypse of St. John.
[After a burst of thunder a “goodlie personage” appears and bids the poet “Marke well and undirstand.”]
And when he had thus done he did bringe out a booke,
Whiche booke had titles seven, and seven sealles sealled well,
And withe a stedfast eye badde me therein to looke,
And se therbie what I to all the world should tell.
Of bisshopes’ life and trade, this book hathe right good skill,
As by the sealles thereof more plainlie dothe appeare,
For in the inner part is hidd all that is ill,
But to the outeward shewe all godlie thinges appeare.
Anon a certaine power there was that opened cleare
The formost chapter’s seale, and then I did espie
Foure beasts, whose shape eche one unlike to other were,
But nothinge yet at all in gesture contrarie.
The first of theise four beasts a lion semde to be,
The secund like a cauife, the third an eagle stout,
The fourthe was like a man; and they had wings to flie,
And full of eyen they were, and turnd like wheeles about.
And when unclosed was the first sealles knotte anon,
And I perused well the chapter thorough cleare,
And aftir that I bent my whole sight thereupon,
Whereof the title was as here it may appeare.
The lion is the Pope, that useth to devoure,
And laiethe his bookes to pledge and thirsteth aftir gold,
And dothe regard the marke, but sainct Marke dishonor,
And while he sailes alofte on coyne takes anker holde.
And to the Bisshoppe in the cauife that we did se,
For he dothe runne before in pasture, feild, and fenne,
And gnawes and chewes on that where he list best to be,
And thus he filles himseife with goodes of other men.
Th’ Archdeacon is likewise the egell that dothe flie,
A robber rightlie cald, and sees a-farre his praie,
And aftir it with speed dothe follow by and by,
And so by theft and spoile he leades his life awaie.
The Deane is he that hathe the face and shape of man,
Withe fraude, desceipt, and ^nile fraught full as he may be,
And yet dothe hide and cloke the same as he best can,
Undir pretence and shewe of plaine simplicitie.
And theis have winges to flye, eche one of these said foure,
Because they flye abrode, and lie about affaires,
And they have eyes eche one, because that everye houre
They looke about for gaine, and all that may be theires.
– – – – – – – – – –
Then boisterous wyndes arosf, and earthequakes by and by
And there was harde a voice of thunder from above,
That sounded Ephata, which woorde dothe signifie
An openinge, and anon the fifthe seale did remove.
When I the chapter sawe I reade the preface than,
And there the life and trades of priestes I marked well,
Which doe dishonor God, that all thinges first beganne,
Whiles for one penyes gaine the Trinitie they sell.
Full filthelie the priest dothe service celebrate
Withe voyce, and breathes on God his suifet’s belchinge cheere;
And hathe twoo Latin names, but not bothe of one rate,
Sacerdos is the one, the other’s Presbiter.
He cannot brooke as well Sacerdos name by right,
For by the other name men ought to call him more,
When he gives holie thinges then he Sacerdos hight,
But Presbiter when he hathe drunck well thrise before.
He is more bolde to synne, because he heares in Lent
The people’s greivous crymes, and all their synnes at large,
And all the faultes for whiche they ought for to be shent,
And thus he countes his owne to be of smallest charge.
– – – – – – – – –
[The doings of abbots and monks are next revealed to the poet.]
And when the Abbat dothe amonge his bretheren suppe,
Then tossed are the cuppes with quaffinge to and froe,
And then with bothe his handes the wine he holdeth uppe,
And with a thunderinge voice these wordes he doth out blowe:
“O how muche glorious is the lordes lamp so bright,
The cuppe in strong man’s hande, that makes men druncke I meane.
O Baccus, god of wyn! our covent guyde aright,
Withe fruict of Daviddes stocke to wash us thoroughlie cleane.”
And aftir this the cuppe he takethe from the breade,
And cryes alowde, “Ho! sires, can yow as well as I
Drincke this cuppe in his kind that I lift to my heade?”
They answer, “Yea, we can,” then goe to by and by.
– – – – – – – – – –
Then of a moncke a right demoniacke is made,
And everie moncke dothe chatte and jangle with his brother,
As popingaye or pie, the which are taught this trade,
By filling of their gorge, to speake one to an other.
Their order to transgresse, thei have but small remorce,
By fraude and perjurie, by missreport and spite,
By gredines of mynde, withholdinge thinges by force,
By filling of their pawnches, and fleshlie fowie delight.
Wurse than a moncke there is no feende nor sprite in hell,
Nothinge as covetuouse nor more straunge to be knowen,
For yf yow give him ought, he mate possesse it well,
But if you aske him ought, then nothinge is his owne.