_lazar_, a leper; from _Lazarus_, in the parable of Dives and Lazarus; hence _lazaretto_, a hospital for lepers, a lazar-house. 244. 'It was unsuitable, considering his ability.' 246. 'It is not becoming, it may not advance (profit) to deal with (associate with) any such poor people.' Cf. Rom. of the Rose, 6455, 6462; and note to P. Plowman, C. xiii. 21. 247. The line is imperfect in the first foot. _poraille_, rabble of poor people; from O. F. _povre_, poor. 248. _riche_, i. e. rich people. 249, 250. 'And everywhere, wherever profit was likely to accrue, courteous he was, and humble in offering his services.' 251. _vertuous_, (probably) energetic, efficient; cf. _vertu_ in l. 4. 252, 253. Between these two lines the Hengwrt MS. inserts the two lines marked 252 _b_ and 252 _c_, which are omitted in the other MSS., though they certainly appear to be genuine, and are found in all the black-letter editions, which follow Thynne. In the Six-text edition, which is here followed, they are not counted in. Tyrwhitt both inserts and numbers them; hence a slight difference in the methods of numbering the lines after this line. Tyrwhitt's numbering is given, [28] at every tenth line, within marks of parenthesis, for convenience of reference. The sense is--'And gave a certain annual payment for the grant (to be licensed to beg; in consequence of which) none of his brethren came with his limit.' _ferme_ is the mod. E. _farm_; cf. 'to _farm_ revenues.' 253. _sho_, shoe; not _sou_ (as has been suggested), which would (in fact) give _a false rime_. So also 'worth his olde _sho_'; D. 708. The friars were not above receiving even the smallest articles; and _ferthing_, in l. 255, may be explained by 'small article,' of a farthing's value. See l. 134. 'For had a man slayn al his kynne, Go shryve him at a frere; And for lasse then _a payre of shone_ He wyl assoil him clene and sone!' Polit. Poems, ed. Wright; i. 266. 'Ever be giving of somewhat, though it be but a cheese, or a piece of bacon, to the holy order of sweet St. Francis, or to any other of my [i. e. Antichrist's] friars, monks, canons, &c. Holy Church refuseth nothing, but gladly taketh whatsoever cometh.'--Becon's Acts of Christ and of Antichrist, vol. iii. p. 531 (Parker Society). And see the Somp. Tale, D. 1746-1751. 254. _In principio._ The reference is to the text in John i. 1, as proved by a passage from Tyndale (Works, ed. 1572, p. 271, col. 2; or iii. 61, Parker Soc.):--'Such is the limiter's saying of _In principio erat verbum_, from house to house.' Sir Walter Scott copies this phrase in The Fair Maid of Perth, ch. iii. The friars constantly quoted this text. 256. _purchas_ = proceeds of his begging. What he acquired in this way was greater than his _rent_ or income. '_Purchase_, ... any method of acquiring an estate otherwise than by descent'; Blackstone, _Comment._ I. iii. For _rente_, see l. 373. We find also: