21.
What manner men
needeth for to beg?
For whom oweth
such men to beg?
Why beggest thou
so for thy bretheren?
If thou saiest, for they have need,
then thou doest it for the more perfection,
or els for the least,
or els for the meane.
If it be the most perfection of all,
then should all thy brethren do so,
and then no man needed
to beg but for him self.
for so should no man beg
but he needed.
And if it be the least perfection,
why lovest thou then other men
more than thyselfe?
For so thou art not well in charitie,
since thou shouldest seek the more perfection,
after thy power living
thy self most after God;
and thus leaving that imperfection,
thou shouldest not so beg for them.
And if it is a good mean,
thus to beg as thou doest,
then should no man do so,
but they been in this good meane;
and yet such a mean granted to you may never
be grounded on Gods law,
for then both lerid and leaud
that ben in meane degree of this world.
should go about
and beg as ye do.
And if all should do so,
certes well nigh all the world
should go about
and beg as ye done,
and so should there be ten beggers
against one yever.
Why procurest thou men
to yeve the their almes,
and saiest it is so needful,
and thou wilt not thy selfe
win thee that meed.
22.
Why wilt thou not beg
for poore bedred men
that bin poorer
than any of your sect,
that liggen and mow not go about
to help him selfes?
Sith we be all brethren in God,
and that bretherhed passeth
any other that ye
or any man could make.
And where most need were,
there were most perfection;
either els yee hold them
not your pure brethren,
but worse, but then ye be
unperfect in your begging.
Why make ye so many
maisters among you,
sith it is against the teaching
of Christ and his apostles?
23.
Whose ben all your rich courts that yee han,
and all your rich jewels,
sith ye seyen that ye han nought
ne in proper ne in common?
If ye saine they ben the popes,
why gather yee then of poore men and lords
so much out of the kings hand
to make your pope rich,
And sith ye sain that it is great perfection
to have nought in proper ne in common,
why bee ye so fast about to make
the pope, that is your father, rich,
and put on him imperfection?
Sithen ye saine
that your goods been all his,
and he should by reason
be the most perfect man.
it seemeth openlich
that ye been cursed children
so to slander your father
and make him imperfect.
And if yee saine that the goods be yours,
then do ye ayenst your rule.
And if it be not ayenst your rule,
then might ye have
both plough and cart,
and labour as other good men done,
and not so to beg by losengery,
and idle, as ye done.
If yee say that it is more perfection to beg,
than to travell or to worch with your hand,
why preach ye not openly,
and teach all men to do so,
sith it is the best and most perfect life
to the help of their soules,
as ye make children to beg,
that might have bin rich heirs?
Why make ye not
your feasts to poore men,
and yeveth him yefts,
as yee done to the rich,
sith poore men han
more need than the rich?
What betokeneth that ye goe
tweine and tweine togither?
If ye be out of charitie,
ye accord not in soule.
Why beg ye and take salaries therto
more than other priests,
sith hee that most taketh,
most charge hath?
24.
Why hold ye not saint Francis
rule and his testament,
sith Francis saith that God shewed him
this living and this rule?
and certes, if it were Gods will,
the pope might not fordo it,
or els Francis was a lier,
that saied in this wise.
And but this testament that he made
accord with Gods will,
or els erred, he is a lier,
that were out of charitie;
and as the law saith, he is accursed
that letteth the rightful last wil of a dead man.
And this testament is the last will
of Francis that is a dead man;
it seemeth therefore
that all his freers been cursed.
25.
Why will ye not touch no coined money
with the crosse ne with the kings head,
as ye done other jewels
both of gold and silver?
Certes if ye despise the crosse,
or the kings head,
then ye be worthy to be despised
of God and the king;
and sith ye will receive money
in your hearts, and not with your hands,
it seemeth that ye hold more holinesse
in your hands than in your hearts,
and then be false to God.
What manner men
needeth for to beg?
For whom oweth
such men to beg?
Why beggest thou
so for thy bretheren?
If thou saiest, for they have need,
then thou doest it for the more perfection,
or els for the least,
or els for the meane.
If it be the most perfection of all,
then should all thy brethren do so,
and then no man needed
to beg but for him self.
for so should no man beg
but he needed.
And if it be the least perfection,
why lovest thou then other men
more than thyselfe?
For so thou art not well in charitie,
since thou shouldest seek the more perfection,
after thy power living
thy self most after God;
and thus leaving that imperfection,
thou shouldest not so beg for them.
And if it is a good mean,
thus to beg as thou doest,
then should no man do so,
but they been in this good meane;
and yet such a mean granted to you may never
be grounded on Gods law,
for then both lerid and leaud
that ben in meane degree of this world.
should go about
and beg as ye do.
And if all should do so,
certes well nigh all the world
should go about
and beg as ye done,
and so should there be ten beggers
against one yever.
Why procurest thou men
to yeve the their almes,
and saiest it is so needful,
and thou wilt not thy selfe
win thee that meed.
22.
Why wilt thou not beg
for poore bedred men
that bin poorer
than any of your sect,
that liggen and mow not go about
to help him selfes?
Sith we be all brethren in God,
and that bretherhed passeth
any other that ye
or any man could make.
And where most need were,
there were most perfection;
either els yee hold them
not your pure brethren,
but worse, but then ye be
unperfect in your begging.
Why make ye so many
maisters among you,
sith it is against the teaching
of Christ and his apostles?
23.
Whose ben all your rich courts that yee han,
and all your rich jewels,
sith ye seyen that ye han nought
ne in proper ne in common?
If ye saine they ben the popes,
why gather yee then of poore men and lords
so much out of the kings hand
to make your pope rich,
And sith ye sain that it is great perfection
to have nought in proper ne in common,
why bee ye so fast about to make
the pope, that is your father, rich,
and put on him imperfection?
Sithen ye saine
that your goods been all his,
and he should by reason
be the most perfect man.
it seemeth openlich
that ye been cursed children
so to slander your father
and make him imperfect.
And if yee saine that the goods be yours,
then do ye ayenst your rule.
And if it be not ayenst your rule,
then might ye have
both plough and cart,
and labour as other good men done,
and not so to beg by losengery,
and idle, as ye done.
If yee say that it is more perfection to beg,
than to travell or to worch with your hand,
why preach ye not openly,
and teach all men to do so,
sith it is the best and most perfect life
to the help of their soules,
as ye make children to beg,
that might have bin rich heirs?
Why make ye not
your feasts to poore men,
and yeveth him yefts,
as yee done to the rich,
sith poore men han
more need than the rich?
What betokeneth that ye goe
tweine and tweine togither?
If ye be out of charitie,
ye accord not in soule.
Why beg ye and take salaries therto
more than other priests,
sith hee that most taketh,
most charge hath?
24.
Why hold ye not saint Francis
rule and his testament,
sith Francis saith that God shewed him
this living and this rule?
and certes, if it were Gods will,
the pope might not fordo it,
or els Francis was a lier,
that saied in this wise.
And but this testament that he made
accord with Gods will,
or els erred, he is a lier,
that were out of charitie;
and as the law saith, he is accursed
that letteth the rightful last wil of a dead man.
And this testament is the last will
of Francis that is a dead man;
it seemeth therefore
that all his freers been cursed.
25.
Why will ye not touch no coined money
with the crosse ne with the kings head,
as ye done other jewels
both of gold and silver?
Certes if ye despise the crosse,
or the kings head,
then ye be worthy to be despised
of God and the king;
and sith ye will receive money
in your hearts, and not with your hands,
it seemeth that ye hold more holinesse
in your hands than in your hearts,
and then be false to God.