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Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

General

Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400

HERE ENDETH THE FIRST PART OF THIS TALE, AND HERAFTER
              FOLOWETH THE SECONDE PART.

              PART II.

  To accorde with this wordë "fal"
  No more English can I find;
  Shewe another now I shall,
  For I have moche to say behind,                       480
  How preestes han the people pynd,
  As curteys Christ hath me [y-]kend,
  And put this matter in my mind
  To make this maner men amend.

  Shortly to shende hem, and shewe now                  485
  How wrongfully they worche and walke;
  O hye god, nothing they tell, ne how,
  But in goddes word, +tell many a balke.
  In hernes holde hem and in halke,
  And prechin of tythes and offrend,                    490
  And untruely of the gospell talke;
  For his mercy, god it amend!

  What is Antichrist to say
  But evin Christes adversáry?
  Such hath now ben many a day                          495
  To Christes bidding full contráry,
  That from the trouthë clenë vary;
  Out of the wayë they ben wend;
  And Christes people untruely cary;
  God, for his pitè, it amend!                          500

  That liven contráry to Christes lyf,
  In hye pride agaynst mekenesse;
  Agaynst suffraunce they usen stryf,
  And angre ayenst sobrenesse;
  Agaynst wisdom, wilfulnesse;                          505
  To Christes tales litell tend;
  Agaynst mesúre, outragiousnesse;
  But whan god woll, it may amend!

  Lordly lyf ayenst lowlinesse,
  And demin all without mercy;                          510
  And covetyse ayenst largesse,
  Agaynst trewth[e], trechery;
  And agaynst almesse, envy;
  Agaynst Christ they comprehend.
  For chastitè, they maynteyn lechery;                  515
  God, for his gracë, this amend!

  Ayenst penaunce they use delytes,
  Ayenst suffraunce, strong defence;
  Ayenst god they use yvel rightes,
  Agaynst pitè, punishments;                            520
  Open yvell ayenst continence;
  Hir wicked winning wors dispend;
  Sobrenesse they sette in-to dispence;
  But god, for his goodnesse, it amend!

  Why cleymen they hoolly his powére,                   525
  And wranglen ayenst all his hestes?
  His living folowen they nothing here,
  But liven wors than witles beestes.
  Of fish and flesh they loven feestes,
  As lordes, they ben brode y-kend;                     530
  Of goddes pore they haten gestes;
  God, for his mercy, this amend!

  With +Dives such shall have hir doom
  That sayn that they be Christes frendes,
  And do nothing as they shuld doon;                    535
  All such ben falser than ben fendes.
  On the people they ley such bendes,
  As god is in erthe, they han offend;
  Sucour for suchë Christ now sende us.
  And, for his mercy, this amend!                       540

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400

HERE ENDETH THE FIRST PART OF THIS TALE, AND HERAFTER
              FOLOWETH THE SECONDE PART.

              PART II.

  To accorde with this wordë "fal"
  No more English can I find;
  Shewe another now I shall,
  For I have moche to say behind,                       480
  How preestes han the people pynd,
  As curteys Christ hath me [y-]kend,
  And put this matter in my mind
  To make this maner men amend.

  Shortly to shende hem, and shewe now                  485
  How wrongfully they worche and walke;
  O hye god, nothing they tell, ne how,
  But in goddes word, +tell many a balke.
  In hernes holde hem and in halke,
  And prechin of tythes and offrend,                    490
  And untruely of the gospell talke;
  For his mercy, god it amend!

  What is Antichrist to say
  But evin Christes adversáry?
  Such hath now ben many a day                          495
  To Christes bidding full contráry,
  That from the trouthë clenë vary;
  Out of the wayë they ben wend;
  And Christes people untruely cary;
  God, for his pitè, it amend!                          500

  That liven contráry to Christes lyf,
  In hye pride agaynst mekenesse;
  Agaynst suffraunce they usen stryf,
  And angre ayenst sobrenesse;
  Agaynst wisdom, wilfulnesse;                          505
  To Christes tales litell tend;
  Agaynst mesúre, outragiousnesse;
  But whan god woll, it may amend!

  Lordly lyf ayenst lowlinesse,
  And demin all without mercy;                          510
  And covetyse ayenst largesse,
  Agaynst trewth[e], trechery;
  And agaynst almesse, envy;
  Agaynst Christ they comprehend.
  For chastitè, they maynteyn lechery;                  515
  God, for his gracë, this amend!

  Ayenst penaunce they use delytes,
  Ayenst suffraunce, strong defence;
  Ayenst god they use yvel rightes,
  Agaynst pitè, punishments;                            520
  Open yvell ayenst continence;
  Hir wicked winning wors dispend;
  Sobrenesse they sette in-to dispence;
  But god, for his goodnesse, it amend!

  Why cleymen they hoolly his powére,                   525
  And wranglen ayenst all his hestes?
  His living folowen they nothing here,
  But liven wors than witles beestes.
  Of fish and flesh they loven feestes,
  As lordes, they ben brode y-kend;                     530
  Of goddes pore they haten gestes;
  God, for his mercy, this amend!

  With +Dives such shall have hir doom
  That sayn that they be Christes frendes,
  And do nothing as they shuld doon;                    535
  All such ben falser than ben fendes.
  On the people they ley such bendes,
  As god is in erthe, they han offend;
  Sucour for suchë Christ now sende us.
  And, for his mercy, this amend!                       540

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucerian and Other Pieces: Being a Supplement to the Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

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