How they take no[903] hede Theyr sely shepe to fede, But plucke away and pull The fleces of theyr[904] wull, Vnethes[905] they leue a locke 80 Of wull amonges[906] theyr[907] flocke; And as for theyr connynge, A glommynge and a mummynge, And make therof a iape; They gaspe and they gape All to haue promocyon, There is theyr hole[908] deuocyon, With money, if it wyll hap, To catche the[909] forked cap: Forsothe they are to[910] lewd 90 To say so, all beshrewd! What trow ye they say more Of the bysshoppes lore? How in matters they be rawe, They lumber forth[911] the lawe, To herken[912] Jacke and Gyll, Whan they put vp a byll, And iudge it[913] as they wyll, For other mennes skyll, Expoundyng out theyr clauses, 100 And leue theyr owne causes: In theyr prouynciall[914] cure They make but lytell sure, And meddels[915] very lyght In the Churches[916] ryght; But _ire_ and _venire_, And solfa[917] so alamyre, That the premenyre Is lyke to be set[918] a fyre In theyr iurisdictions[919] 110 Through temporall afflictions:[920] Men say they haue prescriptions[921] Agaynst spirituall[922] contradictions,[923] Accomptynge them as fyctions.[924] And whyles the heedes do this, The remenaunt is amys Of the clergy all, Bothe great[925] and small. I wot neuer[926] how they warke, But thus[927] the people barke;[928] 120 And surely thus they say, Bysshoppes, if they may, Small houses wolde[929] kepe, But slumbre forth and slepe, And assay to crepe Within the noble walles Of the kynges halles, To fat theyr bodyes full, Theyr soules lene[930] and dull, And haue full lytell care[931] 130 How euyll[932] theyr shepe fare. The temporalyte say[933] playne, Howe bysshoppes dysdayne Sermons for to make, Or suche laboure to take; And for to say trouth, A great parte is for[934] slouth, But the greattest parte Is for[935] they haue but small arte And ryght sklender[936] connyng 140 Within theyr heedes wonnyng. But this reason they take How they are able to make With theyr golde and treasure Clerkes out of[937] measure, And yet that is a pleasure. Howe be it some there be, Almost two or thre, Of that dygnyte, Full worshypfull clerkes, 150 As[938] appereth by theyr werkes, Lyke Aaron and Ure, The wolfe from the dore To werryn[939] and to kepe From theyr goostly shepe, And theyr[940] spirituall lammes Sequestred from rammes And from the[941] berded gotes With theyr heery cotes; Set nought by golde ne grotes, 160 Theyr names if I durst tell.