131. These four lines stand thus in Whitaker's text, _Bote holy churche and charité | choppe a-doun swich shryvers, | the moste myschif of molde | mounteth up faste._ Whitaker has translated it quite wrong, "May true charity and church discipline knock down these, the greatest pests on earth, who are rapidly increasing!" The simple meaning of the passage, as given by Whitaker, is, "Unless holy church and charity chop down such shrivers (confessors), the greatest mischief of the world is increasing fast." The present text affords a better and equally clear meaning, "Unless holy church and they hold better together, the greatest mischief in the world is increasing, or gaining ground very fast." 141. _of falshede of fastynge_, the comma has slipped in by accident. The meaning is "of breaking fast-days." 147. _He bunchith hem_, MS. Trin. 2. 168. _the pestilence tyme._ See further on, the note on l. 2497. The great plague of 1349 and 1350 had carried off so much people, that hands were wanting to cultivate the lands in many parishes, and the distress which followed, with the failure of tithes which naturally accompanied it, drove the parsons to plead poverty as an excuse for going to London and seeking other occupations. 192. Whitaker's text inserts the following passage between this line and the one following:-- Conscience cam and acusede hem, And the commune herde hit, And seide, "Ydolatrie ye soffren In sondrye places menye, And boxes ben y-set forth Bounden with yren, To undertake the tool Of untrewe sacrifice, In menynge of miracles Muche wex hongeth there, Al the worldle wot wel Hit myghte nat be trywe. Ac for it profitith yow to pors-warde, Ye prelates soffren That lewede men in mysbylyve Leven and deien. Ich lyve wel, by oure Lorde! For love of youre covetyse, That al the worlde be the wors; As holy wryght telleth What cheste and meschaunce To children of Israel Ful on hem that free were, Thorwe two false preestes. For the synne of Ophni And of Finees hus brother, Thei were disconfit in bataille, And losten _Archa Dei_, And fore hure syre sauh hem syngen, And aoffred hem don ylle, And noght chasted hem therof, And wolde noght rebukie hem, Anon as it was y-told hyme That the children of Israel Weren disconfit in bataille, And _Archa Dei_ y-lore, And hus sones slayen, Anon he ful for sorwe Fro hus chaire thare he sat, And brak hus necke a-tweyne; And al was for venjaunce That he but noght hus children. And for they were preestes, And men of holy churche, God was well wrother, And toke the rather venjaunce. For-thei ich seye, ye preestes, And men of holy churche, That soffren men do sacrifice And worsheppen mawmettes, And ye sholde be here fadres, And techen hem betere; God shal take venjaunce In alle swiche preestes Wel harder and grettere, On suche shrewede faderes, Than ever he dude on Ophni And Finees, or in here fadere.