,transcriber's ,note3 ,sidenotes have   
been treated as footnotes1 with  anchors
 inserted in the text at the appropriate
 point4 ,upright text  within italic    
passages is indicated like this4        
,,the ,,last ,,age ,,of ,,the ,,church4 
,the                           ,last    
,age of the ,church4                    
,by ,,john ,,wyclyffe4                  
,now first ,printed                     
,from a ,manuscript                     
,in the                                 
,,university ,,library1 ,,dublin4       
,,edited ,,with ,,notes1                
,by                          ,,james    
,,henthorn ,,todd1 ,d4,d41     ,fellow  
of ,trinity ,college1 and ,treasurer of 
,st4 ,patrick's ,cathedral4             
,dublin3                           ,,at 
,,the ,,university ,,press4             
,m4,,dccc4,,xl4          ,illustration  
,the ,preface4      ,a well known       
popular ,writer on the ,history of the  
,christian ,church  has given it as his 
,opinion1 that whoever will carefully   

examine the  original ,records1 will    
soon be convinced that the ,merits of   
,wyclyffe1  as a ,reformer1 have been   
considerably exaggerated4#a ,how far    
this is  true or not1 the ,writer of    
these ,pages will not attempt to        
determine2  but certain it is1 that to  
8examine the original ,records10 with a 
,view  to discover the real ,doctrines  
and ,opinions of ,wyclyffe1 is much more
  easily said than done2 and the ,reader
 who seeks for ,satisfaction from  the  
,biographers of the ,reformer1 or from  
the ,historians of the ,period1  will   
soon be convinced that the original     
,records1 and above all1 the  still     
remaining ,writings of ,wyclyffe and his
 ,followers1 have never been  examined  
with the ,care and ,attention necessary 
for the ,purpose of forming  a just     
,estimate of his ,opinions1 and of the  
,merit of his ,efforts at a             
,reformation of the ,church4    ,the    
,list of ,wyclyffe's ,writings published
 by ,bishop ,bale1 in his  ,work1       

,scriptorum ,majoris ,brytanni          
,catalogus#b1 has been necessarily  made
 the ,basis of all that subsequent      
,writers have collected4 ,it has been   
reprinted1 with many useful additions1  
by the learned and indefatigable  ,john 
,lewis#c1 of whose ,labours every       
,student must speak with  ,gratitude4   
,mr4 ,baber#d also has done much towards
 assisting future  ,inquirers1 by the   
very valuable ,list of the ,reformer's  
,writings that he  has compiled4 ,here1 
however1 we must stop2 ,mr4 ,vaughan's  
,compilation#e  has not added much to   
our ,knowledge of the ,subject1 nor can 
it be  commended either for ,accuracy or
 ,learning2 and ,mr4 ,le ,bas#f does    
not profess to do more than follow his  
,predecessors4 ,his humbler ,task1      
however1 has been executed with great   
,elegance and ,judgment4    ,the ,truth1
 therefore1 is1 that until the ,works of
 ,wyclyffe1 real  and supposititious1 be
 collected and published1 it is vain to 
talk of  determining his ,opinions1 or  

fixing his real ,merits as a ,reformer2 
and  it is with the ,hope of directing  
,attention to this ,subject that the    
following ,tract is now printed4 ,the   
learned ,henry ,wharton#g was  willing  
to believe that all the ,writings of    
,wyclyffe might in his ,time  have been 
recovered3 8omnia ,wiclefi scripta10 he 
says1 8in ,anglia  adhuc delitescere1 et
 ex ,bibliothecis nostris qua publicis  
qua privatis  in lucem erui posse1      
lubenter crederem40 ,perhaps we have    
still all the  ,,mss4 that existed in   
,wharton's ,time1 and it may be still   
within our  ,power to rescue them from  
the ,oblivion in which they have so long
 been  suffered to remain4 ,but the     
,chances of their ,destruction are every
 ,day  becoming greater1 and ,delay in  
such an ,enterprize is highly dangerous4
  ,it is true that many of these        
,documents will be found dry1 and to the
  popular ,reader uninteresting2 buried 
in the barbarous ,latinity of the       
,schools1 or concealed under the perhaps

 still more obsolete ,english of  the   
fourteenth ,century4 ,but they who would
 engage in such a ,labour as  the       
,publication of the ,works of ,wyclyffe1
 must be above the narrow  ,influences  
of modern ,utilitarianism4 ,they must   
keep in ,view a higher  ,field of       
,learning than comes within the ,sphere 
of ,mercantile ,speculators  in         
,literature1 or ,useful ,knowledge      
,societies4 ,they must feel that the    
,value of these ,documents as           
,compositions1 is but a secondary       
,object in  their ,publication2 the     
great ,end must be the ,discovery of    
,truth1 and the  ,preservation of the   
,remains of an illustrious ,character in
 our ,history4  ,what nobler1 what more 
imperishable ,monument could the        
,gratitude of  ,england raise to her    
first ,reformer1 than a complete and    
uniform ,edition  of his extant         
,writings8    ,the ,editor is fully     
sensible that the ,tract which is now   
for the first  ,time given to the       

public1 is very far from being a        
favorable ,specimen  of the ,works of   
,wyclyffe4 ,but it commended itself for 
,publication on  many ,grounds3 ,first1 
its ,shortness4 ,secondly1 its early    
,date2 for it  bears internal ,evidence 
of having been composed in the ,year    
#acefh1  and must1 therefore1 7if really
 by ,wyclyffe17 have been the earliest  
of his ,writings4 ,another ,motive for  
publishing this ,production is          
furnished by the ,consideration1 that1  
if it be genuine1 it reveals to  us a   
,fact not dwelt upon1 so far as the     
,editor knows1 by any of the            
,reformer's ,biographers2 namely1 the   
,connexion which existed between the    
earlier ,doctrines of ,wyclyffe1 and the
 prophetical ,speculations of the       
,beguins1 circulated under the ,name of 
the famous ,abbot ,joachim4    ,it      
remains1 however1 to be proved1 that the
 ,tract now printed is really           
,wyclyffe's2 and this1 the ,editor      
admits1 seemed to him an additional     

,reason for selecting it for            
,publication2 inasmuch as it served at  
once  to raise the ,question1 ,how far  
we have certain ,grounds for attributing
  to ,wyclyffe the ,writings that exist 
under his ,name2 nor is it perhaps  too 
much to say1 that this is a ,subject    
which the learned ,world has  never been
 in a ,condition to consider fully4 ,yet
 there is no preliminary  ,question more
 deserving of ,attention1 if we would   
form a just ,estimate  of our           
,reformer's ,merits2 for it must be     
evident to every reflecting  ,reader1   
that if we are in any ,degree uncertain 
of the ,genuineness of such  ,writings  
as are quoted under the ,name of        
,wyclyffe1 the ,conclusions  drawn from 
them1 as to the ,nature and ,character  
of his ,doctrines1 must be  in the same 
,degree uncertain1 and destitute of     
,authority4    ,in the present ,case1   
the ,grounds upon which the following   
,treatise has  been assigned to         
,wyclyffe1 are no more than             

these3--,first1 that it is  found in a  
,,ms4 ,volume of the fourteenth         
,century1 which contains several  other 
,tracts1 that are believed to be        
,wyclyffe's4 ,secondly1 that it has     
been ascribed to ,wyclyffe1 by ,bishop  
,bale1 ,mr4 ,lewis1 and1 after  them1 by
 his more modern ,biographers4    ,these
 ,remarks are not made with a ,design to
 cast any ,doubt on the  ,genuineness of
 the following ,treatise4 ,it is very   
probably by ,wyclyffe1  although we have
 no better ,reason than the ,authority  
of ,bale for  thinking so4 ,but if any  
,reader should entertain a ,doubt on    
this ,subject1  deeming the ,tract      
unworthy of our ,reformer1 7as many will
 doubtless  feel it to be very different
 from what they would have expected from
 the  ,pen of ,wyclyffe17 the ,editor   
must confess himself unable to satisfy  
such ,scruples2 nor is he aware of any  
,argument by which the ,authority  of   
,bale and ,lewis can be supported4 ,the 
,conclusion1 however1 to  which he      

desires to bring the ,reader1 and for   
the ,sake of which he has  hazarded     
these ,remarks1 is simply this1 that    
until the various ,treatises  attributed
 to ,wyclyffe are collected1 and        
rendered accessible to the  ,learned1 it
 is vain to think of deciding the       
,question how far any given  ,tract is  
worthy or unworthy of his ,pen4 ,one    
other ,particular1 concerning  the      
following ,work1 remains to be          
considered4 ,mr4 ,vaughan#i tells  us   
that 8this is one of the ,reformer's    
,pieces that is to be found only  in the
 ,library of ,trinity ,college1         
,dublin20 and this may1 for aught we    
know1 be true1 although perhaps it only 
means that no other ,copy of the  ,tract
 was elsewhere found by ,mr4 ,vaughan4  
,certain1 however1 it is1  that ,bishop 
,bale has entered the ,treatise in two  
different ,places of  his ,catalogue1   
and under two different ,titles2 from   
which we may infer1  that in his ,time1 
or in the ,times of those from whom he  

copied1 the  ,tract was found in two    
different ,collections4 ,in one place he
 enters it  thus#aj3--7,see ,no4 #hd of 
,lewis's ,catalogue4#aa7        8,de    
simonia sacerdotum1 lib4 #a4 ,heu magni 
sacerdotes in      tenebris40    ,in    
another place#ab he gives it the ,title 
under which it is now  published1 and   
describes it thus#ac3--        8,de     
ultim tate ,ecclesi1 lib4 #a1           
,sacerdotes1 proh dolor6      versantes 
in vitiis40    ,it is by no means       
improbable1 therefore1 that a second    
,copy of the ,tract  may still exist1   
under some ,disguise1 in our public or  
private ,libraries4    ,the ,volume from
 which the ,treatise is now printed1 is 
preserved among  the ,,mss4 of          
,archbishop ,ussher1 in the ,library of 
the ,university of  ,dublin4 ,it appears
 to have been once the ,property of ,sir
 ,robert  ,cotton1 whose ,autograph is  
found on the lower ,margin of the first 
,page1  in his usual ,form of           
,signature#ad3        8,robert ,cotton  

,bruceus40    ,on the upper ,margin of  
the same ,page1 in a ,hand of the early 
,part of the  sixteenth ,century1 now   
nearly obliterated1 may be traced the   
,words1        8,wiclefe roas a thousand
 thre hderyd thre schorr and uiij40     
,over which ,sir ,robert ,cotton has    
written1        8,anno #acfh4 ,wicklif  
workes to the ,duk of ,lancaster40      
,nothing appears in the ,volume to      
indicate the exact ,year in which it    
was transcribed1 but the ,hand-writing  
would lead us to assign it to the       
latter ,end of the fourteenth or        
,beginning of the fifteenth ,century4   
,it is  imperfect in some places1 but   
contains a very valuable ,collection of 
the  ,tracts of ,wyclyffe1 for a        
complete ,list of which the ,reader is  
referred  to some ,papers that were     
published in the ,year #ahce1 in the    
,british  ,magazine#ae2 where he will   
also find an ,account of the ,treatise1 
now  for the first time printed1 8,on   
the last ,age of the ,chirche10 with an 

,exposure of certain ,mistakes that have
 been committed respecting it4  ,several
 of the ,remarks contained in those     
,papers have been transferred to  the   
,notes1 which will be found at the ,end 
of the present ,volume4    ,illustration
           ,the last ,age of the        
,chirche4 ,by ,john ,wyclyffe1 ,s4 ,th4 
,p4    ,m4ccc4luj4                      
,illustration          ,the last age of 
the ,chirche4      ,alas forsorwe grete 
prestis sittinge in derkenessis#af  in  
schadewe  of dee_/ not hauynge him at   
openly crie_/ al is ,i wille eue if  ou 
auaunce me4 ei make reseruaciouns_/ e   
whiche ben clepid dymes_/  ffirst       
fruytis_/ oer penciouns_/ aftir e       
opynioun of hem at trete is  matir4 ,for
 no more schulde fatte beneficis be     
reserued ne smale_/ if  no pryuy cause  
of symonye were tretide_/ e whiche ,i   
seie not at is  tyme4 ,but ,joachur#ag_/
 in his book of e seedis of profetis  of
 e  seyingis of popes  of e chargis of  
profetis_/ tretynge is matir_/          

spekynge of e rente of dymes_/ sei      
us#ah_/ foure tribulaciouns ,daui  e    
profete ha bifore seid_/ e seuynty  nyne
 chapitre_/ to entre into  e ,chirche of
 ,god_/  ,bernard#ai acordi ere wi_/    
vpon cantica_/ e  re  pritty sermon_/ at
 ben_/ a nytly drede_/ an arwe fleynge  
in day_/  chaffare walkynge in          
derkenessis_/  myddais deuylrie_/ at is 
to seye_/  antecrist4 ,nytly drede was  
whanne alle at slowen seyntis demyd hem 
silf do seruyse to ,god_/  is was e     
firste tribulacioun at ontrede  e       
,chirche of ,god4 e arwe fleynge in day 
was desceyt of heretikis_/   at was e   
secunde tribulacioun at entred e        
,chirche of ,crist4 at is  put of bi    
wisdom of seyntis_/ as e firste was cast
 out bi stedfastenesse  of martiris4    
,chaffare walkynge in derkenessis is e  
pryui heresie of  symonyans_/ bi resoun 
of whiche e ridde tribulacioun schal    
entre into  ,cristis ,chirche_/ e whiche
 tribulacioun or angusch schal entre e  
,chirche  of ,crist in e tyme of e      

hundrid eer of 4x4 lettre_/ whos ende we
 ben_/  as ,i wele preue_/  is myscheif 
schal be so heuy at wel schal be to  at 
man of holy ,chirche at ne schal not be 
on lyue4 ,and at ,i preue  us bi        
,joachrin#bj in his book of e deedis of 
profetis4 ,men of ebreu  tunge haue xxii
 lettris_/ and byngnge fro e first of   
ebrew lettris_/   euynge to euery lettre
 an hundrid eer_/ e oolde ,testament was
 endid  whne e noumbre euen to e lettris
 was fulfillid4 ,so fro e bygynnynge  of
 ebrew lettris in to ,crist_/ in e      
whiche e oolde ,testament was endid_/   
weren two and twenty hundriddis of      
eeris4 is also schewi openly bi         
discripcioun of tyme_/ of ,eusebi#ba_/  
,bede#bb_/  ,haymound#bc_/ most  preued 
of acounteris_/ or talkeris4 ,so        
,cristen men hauen xxi lettris_/        
bygynnynge fro e first of ,latyn        
lettris_/  euynge to eche 4c4_/ e  newe 
,testament was endid whanne e noumbre of
 es assingned lettris  was fulfillid4   
,and is is as so as in e bigynnynge ,god

 made heuene   ere_/ for e oolde        
,testament is figur of e newe4 ,but     
aftir ,joachim#bd   ,bede#be_/ fro e    
bygynnynge of ,latyn lettris to e       
comynge of ,crist  weren seuene hundrid 
eere_/ so at ,crist cam in e hondrid of 
4h'4  lettre_/ ,crist steye to heuene_/ 
and aftir at_/ undir 4k'4 lettre_/      
,crist  delyuered his ,chirche fro nytly
 drede_/ e whiche was e firste drede at 
,goddis ,chirche was inne4 ,aftir at_/  
vndir 4m4 lettir_/ ,crist delyuered  his
 ,chirche fro e arwe fleynge in day_/ at
 was e secunde tribulacioun  of e       
,chirche_/  at was demynge by           
,joachim#bf  oere at vndir 4m4  lettre  
schewede e multitude of heretikis       
contraryinge e bire of ,crist  his      
pascioun  his assencioun_/ in at at 4m4 
lettre most figured ,crist4  ,euery     
lettre in e abece may be sounded wi opyn
 mou saue 4m4 lettre  one_/ e whiche may
 not be souned but wi clos mou4 ,so     
,crist myte not  come out of e maydenes 
wombe_/ but sche hadde be clos4 ,and es 

ben uerse  of 4m4 lettre_/              
,college claustris exire solent         
patefactis_/      ,una sed ex istis n   
egreditur nisi clausis4    ,aftir at_/  
vnder 4x4 lettre_/ was e ridde          
tribulacioun in ,goddis  ,chirche_/ e   
whiche 4x4 lettre is last of ,latyn     
lettris_/  e ridde  tribulacioun schal  
be schewid in e hondrid eere of 4x4     
lettre4 ,i preue  it bi two resouns_/ e 
firste is is4 ,petir e ,apostle e whiche
 was  in e tyme of 4,i4 lettre_/ myte   
not vttirly distrie ,symoun ,magus_/ but
  bi helpe of ,poul#bg_/ e whiche was e 
rittene ,apostil4 ,so_/ if 4x4  lettre  
be e rittenee fro 4,i4 lettre_/ in e    
tyme of 4x4 lettre ,crist  schal clanse 
his ,chirche fro marchaundise walkygnge 
in derkenessis4 e  secunde resoun is    
suche4 it cam not at tribulacioun at    
schal be in  ,goddis ,chirche bi cause  
of chaffare walkynge in derkenesses_/   
at at  is prophesied schal come4 ,sie   
anne at we ben in 4x4 lettre_/ as it is 
schewid_/ is tribulacioun schal come in 

4x4 lettre oere aftir_/ but aftir  4x4  
lettre_/ at is e last of ,latyn         
lettris_/ schal be no tribulacioun  in  
,goddis ,chirche bote e foure  e laste_/
 e whiche schal be bi e  deuel of       
mydday_/ at is ,antecrist#bh_/ e whiche 
tribulacioun bi no ,latyn  lettre may be
 certefied_/ as es re bifore4 ,ffor his 
comynge oonly to ,god  is knowen_/      
knowleche of him to ,god oonly reserued4
 ,whefore it folwi  at vndir 4x4 lettre 
schal be schewid ilke tribulacioun at   
schal be in  ,goddis ,chirche_/ by      
resoun of chaffare walkynge in          
derkenessis4    at we ben vndir e       
hundrid eere of 4x4 lettre_/ ,i schewe  
schortly by  ,bede#bi vpon e profetis of
 ,sibille_/ and by ,joachim#cj in e book
 of  e seedis of profetis_/  oere       
writeris of stories4 ,ffro e bygynnynge 
of ,latyn lettris to ,crist ,ih_/ were  
seuene hundrid eer_/ and fro ,crist  til
 now_/ rittene hundrid eer and sixe     
fyfty#ca_/ so at ere ben to  come of our
 abece but foure  fourty eer_/  bi is of

 e hundrid eere  of 4x4 be passid sixe  
fifty eere4 e synnes bi cause of whiche 
suche  persecucioun schal be in ,goddis 
,chirche our tyme ben es_/ for ,goddis  
,chirche is foundid in kynrade of       
prelatis4 is same rekened ,joachim#cb   
in e bookis bifore4 ,also for goodis of 
holy ,chirche at prelatis wi  holde to  
hem_/ as pensiouns_/ firste frutis_/    
fermes_/ prouendris_/ e  whiche may wel 
be clepid collibiste_/ es synnes and    
oere suche ben  marchaundise walkynge in
 derkenessis4 e manere of tribulacioun  
schal  be such as ,joachim#cc sei in e  
book of e charge of profetis4 ,men of   
holy ,chirche schal be seyd in a manere 
of careyne_/ ei schal be cast out  as   
dogge in myddis placis4 ,her wi acordi  
,carnosencis_/ in a book at  he clepi   
pollicraticon#cd_/ e seuene book_/ e    
tene chapitre_/  he  aleye ,gregor      
seiynge us_/ pestilencis_/ smyttingis to
 gidere of folkis_/   hurtlynge to      
gidere of rewmes_/  oir harmes schal    
come to e ere_/ for  at worschipis of   

holy ,chirche be eue to vnwori men4 ,and
 in e eitee  book#ce_/ defaute of       
prestis among ,goddis folk bryngi in    
tirnauntis4 at  is tribulacioun is nye_/
 and whanne it schal come_/ bi hem at   
treti  is matir is_/ whanne men schulle 
wante tee_/ and comynly alle children_/ 
boren sien e first pestylence_/ ben such
 at wanten eite grete tee4  ,herwi      
acordi ,merlyn ,ambrose#cf_/ at such    
angusche is nye_/ for as by  hem_/ in e 
tyme of e myscheif of e kok_/ at we     
clepe fraunce_/ at schal  be distroyed  
by e sixte of irlond_/ e witt is our    
kyng wi his children4  ,sibille#cg      
acordi herto_/ at suche tribulacioun is 
nye_/ in es verse3        ,gallus       
succuutus aquile victricia signa_/      
,mundus adorabit_/ est vrbs vix presule 
digna_/      ,papa cito moritur_/ ,sesar
 regnabit vbique_/      ,sub quo tunc   
vana cessabit gloria cleri4    ei at    
treten es verse of ,sibille_/ alle at ,i
 haue seen_/ acorden in  is_/ at seculer
 power of e ,hooly ,goost elispirid_/   

at de_/ veniaunce  of swerd_/ myscheifs 
vnknowe bifore_/ bi whiche men es daies 
schule be  ponyschid_/ schulen falle for
 synne of prestis4 ,men schal falle on  
hem_/   caste hem out of her fatte      
beneficis_/ and ei schule seye_/ he cam 
in  to his benefice by his kynrede_/ es 
bi couenant maad bifore_/ he for his    
seruyse_/  es for moneye_/ cam into     
,goddis ,chirche4 anne schal eche  suche
 prest crye_/ ,alas_/ ,alas_/ at no good
 spiryt dwellid wi me at my  comynge    
into ,goddis ,chirche4 e wordis of      
,josue #b4 c4 e ridde4 ,i seide  at     
,crist entrede into hooly ingis_/ at is 
holy ,chirche_/ by holy lyuynge   holy  
techinge_/ preynge e ,fadir for vs4 e   
,mayster of ,scholys#ch  rehersi_/ e    
ridde book of ,kyngis_/ e v4 c4_/ aftir 
e talis of iewis  of ,salamon_/ ere was 
a stork hadde a berd_/  his berd was    
sperid vndir  a vessel of glas_/ and    
whanne is stork sau his brid_/ 4 at he  
myte  not come to hym_/ he brout a litil
 reed worme out of wildirnesse_/   wi   

his blood he anoyntide e glas4 e glass  
to barst_/  e brid fleye  his wey4 ,so  
oure ,lord e ,fadir of heuene hadde     
mankynde in helle_/ at  was glasyne_/ at
 is to seye britil as glas4 ,to breke it
 be brout suche  a litil reed worme_/ at
 was our ,lord ,ih ,crist_/ as ,daui    
sei_/ e on   twenty ,salme4 #b;i4#ci    
,ego sum vermis_/  non homo_/ ,i am a   
worme  no man_/   wi his blood he       
delyuered mannes kynde4 ,zacarie#dj     
writi_/ e nyne  chapitre_/ ou forsoe wi 
blood of witnesse_/ or i testament_/    
hast ledde  out hem at were bounde in e 
pyt4 ,so whanne we weren synful_/       
children  of wrae_/ ,goddis sone cam out
 of heuene_/  preyying his fadir for his
  enemyes_/  he deyed for vs anne_/     
myche raere now we ben maad ritful bi   
his blood schule be saued4 ,poul writi  
to e romayns4 v4 c4#da ,he schal  preye 
for vs4 ,ihs wente into heuene to apere 
to e semlant of ,god for  vs4 ,poul to e
 hebrees4#db e whiche semlant he graunte
 vs to see_/ at  lyue  regne wiout      

eende_/ ,amen4          ,,notes4        
,illustration          ,notes4      ,how
 far the foregoing ,tract has suffered  
from the ,carelessness or  ,ignorance of
 the ,transcriber1 it will not be       
possible to determine1 until  another   
,copy shall be discovered4 ,it is the   
,object of the following  ,notes to     
correct some of the more obvious        
,mistakes1 as well as to trace  the     
,historical ,origin of the ,tract1 and  
to explain its ,references and          
,allusions4 ,the ,editor has not thought
 it necessary to preserve in  every     
,instance the ,contractions of the      
original ,manuscript2 but he has        
carefully retained the ,spelling1 even  
in some ,cases where an ,error of  the  
,transcriber is evident4 ,the           
,anglo-,saxon ,letters1  and 1 are used 
throughout the ,,ms41 and are preserved1
 as being characteristic of the         
,orthography of the ,period4      ,,page
 xxiii4 line #c4    ,not hauynge him at 
openly crie4    ,there seems some ,error

 or ,omission of the ,transcriber here2 
but the  ,allusion is probably to ,st4  
,matt4 iv4 #i4 ,a learned ,friend has   
ingeniously  suggested to the ,editor1  
that 8nought-having0 may mean           
disregarding1 pro  nihilo habentes1 not 
fearing1 abhorring1 or thinking any     
,harm of him  that openly crieth1 8all  
these ,things will ,i give thee1 if thou
 wilt fall  down and worship me20 i4 e4 
not fearing the ,demon of ,simony4      
8,avaunce0  is perhaps substituted for  
adoraveris1 in order to render the      
,passage  more applicable to ,clerical  
,simony1 or ,purchase of ,preferment4   
,ibid4 line #f4    ei make              
reseruaciouns4    ,the ,exactions of the
 ,court of ,rome had been made the      
,subject of  ,legislation in ,england1  
from the #ce of ,edw4 ,i41 in which     
,year  7,a4,d4 #acjf-g7 ,petitions were 
presented to the ,king from the         
,nobility  and ,commonalty of the ,realm
 against the intolerable ,exactions of  
the  ,pope#dc2 7,super variis novis et  

intollerabilibus gravaminibus1          
oppressionibus1 injuriis1 et            
extorsionibus 444 auctoritate et mandato
  ,domini ,pap27 and these ,petitions   
were the ,occasion of a ,statute#dd1    
passed at a ,parliament held at         
,carlisle in that ,year1 whereby the    
,papal  ,taxation of ,abbeys and        
,religious ,houses was restrained1 and  
in certain  ,cases prohibited4 ,in the  
,year #acej-a1 however1 7#be ,edw4      
,,iii47 only ,six  ,years before the    
,date of the ,tract before us1 the      
,statute against ,papal  ,provisions of 
,benefices was passed#de1 in which the  
,pope's ,power of  presenting to        
,benefices in ,england1 in ,violation of
 the ,rights of the  natural ,patrons1  
was restrained1 and the ,provisors      
attached4 ,the ,word  ,reservation seems
 to be used in the ,text to denote the  
,provisions  prohibited by these ,acts  
of ,parliament2--it is thus defined by  
,du  ,cange#df3 8,rescriptum seu        
mandatum summi ,pontificis1 quo certorum

  beneficiorum1 cum vacaverint1         
collationem sibi reservat faciendam cui 
voluerit1 aliis legitimis collatoribus  
exclusis40 ,this is exactly what  the   
,statutes referred to term ,provision4  
,the ,word ,reservation1  however1 is   
used by our modern ,law-,authorities#dg 
in a more general  ,sense1 to denote a  
,rent or ,profit reserved by the ,owner 
of an ,estate  or ,tenement for his own 
,use3 and in this ,sense the ,first     
,fruits or  ,annates1 ,tenths1 and      
,pensions1 claimed by the ,court of     
,rome are rightly  termed ,reservations1
 and in their ,origin are clearly       
,simoniacal3  such ,pensions1 ,first    
,fruits1 and ,tenths being in fact the  
,price paid  to the ,court of ,rome for 
,collation1 as appears from the ,statute
 #ac  ,ric4 ,,ii4#dh ,stat4 #b1 c4 #b1  
7,a4,d4 #achi-ij17 where after reciting 
the  ,statutes #be ,edw4 ,,iii4 and #ce 
,edw4 ,i4 the ,act goes on to complain3 
,et ja monstre soit a nr4 s4 le ,roi c4 
8,and now it is shewed to our  ,lord the

 ,king1 in this present ,parliament     
holden at ,westminster1 at  the ,utas of
 the ,purification of our ,lady1 444 by 
the grievous ,complaints  of all the    
,commons of his ,realm1 that the        
,grievances and ,mischiefs  aforesaid do
 daily abound1 to the great ,damage and 
,destruction of all  this ,realm1 more  
than ever were before1 viz4 that now of 
late our ,holy  ,father the ,pope1 by   
,procurement of ,clerks and otherwise1  
hath reserved1  and doth daily reserve  
to his ,collation1 generally and        
especially1 as  well ,archbishopricks1  
,bishopricks1 ,abbeys1 and ,priories1 as
 all other  ,dignities1 and other       
,benefices of ,england1 which be of the 
,advowry of  ,people of ,holy ,church1  
and doth give the same as well to       
,aliens as to  ,denizens1 and taketh of 
all such ,benefices1 the ,first ,fruits1
 and many  other ,profits1 and a great  
,part of the ,treasure of the said      
,realm is  carried away and dispended   
out of the said ,realm by the           

,purchasers of  such ,graces2 and also  
by such privy ,reservations many ,clerks
 advanced  in this ,realm by their true 
,patrons1 which have peaceably holden   
their  ,advancements by long ,time1 be  
suddenly put out3 ,whereupon1 the said  
,commons have prayed our said ,lord the 
,king1 c40 ,and again1 in ,statute  #f  
,hen4 ,,iv4#di 7,a4,d4 #adjd7 cap4 #a4  
,sur la grevouse compleint1 c4  8,for   
the grievous ,complaints made to our    
,sovereign ,lord the ,king by his       
,commons of this ,parliament1 holden at 
,coventry1 the vj4 ,day of ,october1    
the vj4 ,year of his ,reign1 of the     
horrible ,mischiefs and damnable ,custom
  which is introduct of new in the      
,court of ,rome1 that no ,parson1       
,abbot1  nor other1 should have         
,provision of any ,archbishoprick or    
,bishoprick1  which shall be void1 till 
he hath compounded with the ,pope's     
,chamber1 to  pay great and excessive   
,sums of ,money1 as well for the ,first 
,fruits of  the same ,archbishoprick or 

,bishoprick1 as for other less ,services
 in the  same ,court1 and that the same 
,sums1 or the greater part thereof1 be  
paid  beforehand1 c40    ,thus it       
appears that the ,exactions of the      
,papal ,court were attracting  great    
,attention in ,england1 at the ,period  
when this ,tract was  written4 ,the     
,parliament1 viewing the ,matter as     
,politicians1 denounced  the ,papal     
,claims on the ,grounds that large ,sums
 of ,money were annually  sent out of   
,england1 and ,aliens advanced to       
spiritual ,livings in the  ,church2     
,wyclyffe taking up the ,question as a  
,theologian1 censures  these ,exactions 
as ,simoniacal1 and refers to them as   
symptomatic of the  ,approach of        
,antichrist4    ,the ,dismes mentioned  
in the ,text are the ,decim ,decimarum1 
or ,tenths  of all ,livings1 which1 with
 the ,first ,fruits1 were originally    
claimed by  the ,pope1 although         
subsequently annexed to the ,crown2 and 
which now form  the ,foundation of the  

,fund called ,queen ,anne's ,bounty4#ej 
,the ,pensions exacted by the ,court of 
,rome were still more directly          
,simoniacal3 they are thus alluded to in
 the ,preamble of an ,act#ea  passed in 
the ,reign of ,king ,henry ,,viii41     
where the ,commons1 addressing  the     
,king1 say3 8,that where your ,subjects 
of this your ,realm1 and of  other      
,countries and ,dominions being under   
your ,obeysance1 by many ,years  past   
have been1 and yet be greatly decayed   
and impoverished by such  intolerable   
,exactions of great ,sums of ,money as  
have been claimed and  taken1 and yet   
continually be claimed to be taken out  
of this your ,realm1  and other your    
said ,countries and ,dominions1 by the  
,bishop of ,rome1  called the ,pope1 and
 the ,see of ,rome1 as well in          
,pensions1 ,censes1  ,peter-pence1      
,procurations1 ,fruits1 ,suits for      
,provisions1 and ,expeditions  of ,bulls
 for ,archbishopricks and ,bishopricks1 
c4444 ,it may1 therefore1  please your  

most noble ,majesty1 for the ,honor of  
,almighty ,god1 c4444  ,that no ,person 
or ,persons of this your ,realm1 or of  
any other your  ,dominions1 shall from  
henceforth pay any ,pensions1 ,censes1  
,portions1  ,peter-pence1 or any other  
,impositions to the ,use of the said    
,bishop1 or  of the ,see of ,rome40     
,,page xxiv4 line #b4    smale4    ,this
 ,word in the ,,ms4 is written          
apparently 8samle10 which must be an    
,error4 ,the ,editor has ventured to    
adopt a conjectural ,emendation1 and    
print it 8smale10 i4 e4 small4 ,this1 at
 least1 will make ,sense2 for1  the     
,author's ,argument is1 that if there   
were nothing of a ,simoniacal  ,nature  
in the ,reservation of ,benefices1 the  
small ,benefices would be as  often made
 the ,subjects of the ,papal ,provisions
 and ,reservations1 as  the 8fatte0 or  
more valuable ,livings2 but the contrary
 being the ,case1  it follows that the  
,income of the ,benefice is the real    
,object1 and1  therefore1 that all these

 ,exactions of the ,court of ,rome are  
,simoniacal  in their ,origin4          
,ibid4 line #d4    ,joachur4    ,an     
evident mistake of the ,scribe for      
,joachim4 ,in another ,place1 by a      
different ,error1 we find the ,abbot    
called ,joachrin4 ,see p4 xxvi4         
,ibid4    ,in his book of e seedis of   
profetis1 c4    ,whether one ,book or   
more be here referred to seems doubtful4
 ,the ,editor  is disposed to think that
 three different ,works are             
intended2--the first1  ,of the ,seedis  
of ,profetis2 the second1 ,of the       
,seyingis of ,popes2  and the third1 ,of
 the ,chargis of ,profetis4 ,in another 
,place 7p4 xxvi7  we find ,joachim      
quoted 8in his ,book of the ,deedis of  
,profetis20 and  7p4 xxix7 8,joachim in 
the ,book of the ,seedis of ,prophetis40
 ,again 7p4  xxx7 8the ,bookis0 of      
,joachim are spoken of in the plural    
,number1 and  8the ,book ,of the ,charge
 of ,prophetis0 is quoted1 as distinct  
from the  rest4    ,it is probable that 

the ,book of the ,seedis of ,profetis1  
and the ,book  of the ,deedis of        
,profetis1 may be the same2 the ,word   
,deedis or  ,seedis being one or other  
of them a ,mistake of the ,transcriber4 
,if  the ,word ,seedis be correct1 the  
,title of the ,work was probably ,de    
seminibus prophetarum2 unless we take   
,seedis1 as derived from the ,verb  to  
say1 for dicta2 for which there seems no
 ,authority1 especially as  we find     
,seyingis used to express dicta1 in the 
very ,passage before  us4 ,from the     
other ,reading1 the ,title of the ,book 
would be ,de gestis  prophetarum4 ,the  
,book ,of the ,seyingis of ,popes may1  
perhaps1 be meant  for the ,liber de    
,flore of the ,abbot ,joachim1 which the
 ,author of his  ,life#eb tells us was  
also called ,de summis pontificibus4    
,it is quite obvious1 however1 that if  
these ,books contained the ,doctrine    
for which they are quoted by ,wycliffe1 
7viz4 that the ,year #adjj was  to be   
the ,date of the ,revelation of         

,antichrist17 they could not have  been 
genuine ,productions of the ,abbot      
,joachim4 ,the ,opinion of ,joachim     
was1 that the ,year #abef would be the  
,era of the total ,extinction of  the   
,christian ,church1 and that the        
,triumph of ,antichrist was then to     
commence1 and to continue for three     
,years and a half1 counting from the    
,middle of the ,year #abef1 to the ,end 
of the year #abfj4 ,as in the ,lines3-- 
,hoc ,cistercienni ,joachim prdixit in  
anno      ,quo ,saladinus sanctum sibi  
subdidit ,urbem1      ,cum fuerint anni 
completi mille ducenti1      ,et seni   
decies a partu ,virginis alm1      ,tunc
 ,antichristus nascetur demone          
plenus4#ec    ,this ,theory was derived 
from the famous #abfj ,days of          
,prophecy#ed1  taking ,days for ,years1 
and computing from the ,commencement of 
the common  ,christian ,era4 ,but when  
the ,year #abfj passed away and the     
,prophecy  was not fulfilled1 the       
,followers of ,joachim attempted to     

correct  the ,hypothesis of their       
,master1 and many of them 7as for       
,example the  ,beguins#ee1 who adopted  
the ,speculations of ,peter ,john de    
,oliva17  took hold of the #acce ,days  
of ,daniel1 and from them fixed upon the
  ,year #acce1 as the ,date of          
,antichrist's ,destruction4 ,the ,editor
 has  not had ,access to any of the     
,remains of ,peter ,john's ,writings1   
but he  is informed by a learned        
,friend1 in whose ,accuracy he has the  
fullest  ,confidence1 that ,peter ,john1
 in his ,tractatus de ,antichristo#ef1  
has fixed upon the ,year #acef1 as the  
,year of the ,revelation1 not the       
,destruction1 of ,antichrist1 by adding 
#if1 the supposed ,date of the          
,apocalypse1 to #abfj4 ,joachim1        
however1 in greater ,conformity  with   
,scripture1 made the ,termination of the
 #abfj ,days1 7or ,years1 as  he        
considered them17 the ,period of the    
,end1 not of the ,beginning of          
,antichrist4 ,our ,author's ,theory#eg1 

supported by a ,cabbalistic             
,computation from the ,letters of the   
,alphabet1 which the ,editor has not    
been able to discover elsewhere1 makes  
the ,year #adjj the ,era of the         
,revelation of ,antichrist2 and ,walter 
,brute#eh1 in #acij1 appears to  have   
put forward a ,conclusion not very      
dissimilar1 although maintained on      
different ,grounds4 ,his ,argument was  
drawn from the ,joachitic ,theory of    
the prophetic ,days taken for ,years1   
and from the ,supposition that the      
#acce ,days of ,daniel commenced at the 
,desolation of the ,temple under        
,adrian4    ,on the whole then it is    
unquestionable1 that ,wycliffe had      
before him  some spurious ,productions  
of ,beguinism1 circulated under the     
,name of  the ,abbot ,joachim1 but which
 could not possibly have been derived   
from  the genuine ,writings of that     
,enthusiast4 ,none of these spurious    
,books1  so far as the ,editor's limited
 ,means of ,research have enabled him to

  ascertain1 have been preserved in our 
,libraries1 or are noticed by the       
,authors who treat of the ,doctrines of 
,joachim and his ,successors4    ,it is 
evident from p4 xxxi1 that the ,tract   
before us was composed in or  after the 
,year #acef1 the fatal ,year of the     
,revelation of ,antichrist1  according  
to the ,followers of ,peter ,john4      
,ibid4 line #i4    e seuynty  nyne      
chapitre4    ,the ,passage quoted is    
taken from the ninetieth ,psalm1 as it  
is numbered  in the ,latin ,vulgate1    
7ninety-first in our ,english ,version47
 ,the  ,editor is not aware of any      
,reason why this ,psalm should be       
referred to  as 8the seventy and ninth  
,chapter10 and he is1 therefore1        
constrained to  assume1 that there is   
here a ,mistake of the ,transcriber1    
who1 perhaps1  had before him numeral   
,letters or ,figures1 which he read     
erroneously4  ,the ,words referred to   
are to be found in ,verses #e and #f4   
,non timebis  a timore nocturno4 ,a     

sagitta volante in die1 a negotio       
perambulante in  tenebris3 ab incursu1  
et dmonio meridiano4      ,ibid4 line   
#aa4    ,and ,bernard acordi ere wi4    
,the ,passage here referred to will be  
found in ,st4 ,bernard's ,works#ei1     
,serm4 xxxiii4 in ,cantica1 num4 #ad1 et
 seq4 ,adhuc nisi tdio fuerit  longitudo
 sermonis1 has quatuor tentationes      
tentabo suo ordine assignare  ipsi      
corpori ,christi1 quod est ,ecclesia4   
,et ecce quam brevius possum  percurro4 
,videte primitivam ,ecclesiam1 si non   
primo pervasa est acriter  nimis a      
timore nocturno4 ,erat enim nox1 quando 
omnis qui interficeret  sanctos1        
arbitrabatur obsequium se prstare ,deo4 
,hac autem tentatione  devicta1 et      
sedata tempestate1 inclyta facta est1 et
 juxta promissionem  ad se factam1 in   
brevi posita in superbiam sculorum4 ,et 
dolens inimicus  quod frustratus esset1 
a timore nocturno convertit se callide  
ad  sagittam volantem in die1 et        
vulneravit in ea quosdam de ecclesia4   

,et  surrexerunt homines vani1 cupidi   
glori1 et voluerunt sibi facere nomen3  
et exeuntes de ecclesia1 diu eamdem     
matrem suam afflixerunt in diversis  et 
perversis dogmatibus4 ,sed hc quoque    
pestis depulsa est in sapientia         
sanctorum1 sicut et prima in patientia  
martyrum4      ,,page #be4 line #g4     
chaffare walkynge in derkenessis is e   
pryui heresie of symonyans4    ,here our
 ,author abandons ,st4 ,bernard's       
,interpretation1 which expounds         
negotium perambulans in tenebris1 not of
 ,simony1 but of ,hypocrisy1  and       
,avarice4 ,serpit hodie putida tabes per
 omne corpus ,ecclesi1 et  quo latius1  
eo desperatius3 eoque periculosius1 quo 
interius 444 omnes  qu sua sunt qurunt4 
,ministri ,christi sunt1 et serviunt    
,antichristo4  ,honorati incedunt de    
bonis ,domini1 qui ,domino honorem non  
deferunt4  ,inde is quem quotidie vides 
meretricius nitor1 histrionicus habitus1
  regius apparatus4444 ,inde dolia      
pigmentaria1 inde referta marsupia4     

,pro hujusmodi volunt esse et sunt      
ecclesiarum prpositi1 decani1           
archidiaconi1 episcopi1 archiepiscopi4  
,nec enim hc merito cedunt1 sed  negotio
 illi1 quod perambulat in tenebris4#fj  
,ibid4 last line4    on lyue4    ,as    
,chaucer4        ,and here-againes no   
,creature on live      ,of no degree    
availleth for to strive4#fa    ,on live 
is now contracted or corrupted into     
alive4 ,thus we say1  a-coming1         
a-saying1 a-board1 a-purpose1 a-sleep1  
a-way1 c41  for on coming1 on saying1 on
 board1 on purpose1 c4 ,by which it     
appears that ,dr4 ,wallis#fb is mistaken
 in supposing this ,class of  ,words to 
be compounded with the ,preposition at4 
,john ,hopkins1 in his ,version of      
,psalm lxxvii4 #af1 has retained the old
  ,form1 on trembling1 for a-trembling2 
8,the ,waters1 ,lord1 perceived thee1   
,the ,waters saw thee well1      ,and   
they for ,feare away did flee           
,the ,depths on trembling fell40        
,numerous instances will be found in    

,chaucer#fc1 as1        8,on hunting ben
 they ridden really40    and again1#fd  
8,he could hunt as the wilde dere1      
,and ride on hauking for the rivere40   
,,page xxvi4 line #b4    haue4    ,this 
,word should probably be haven2 but it  
is haveth in the ,,ms4 ,in  the next    
,line1 8byngnge10 for 8bygynnynge10 is  
an obvious ,mistake of the  ,,ms4       
,ibid4 line #i4    weren two and twenty 
hundriddis of eeris4    ,by this ,date  
the ,writer probably intended the       
,interval from the ,birth  of ,heber1 to
 the ,birth of ,,christ3 which by the   
,computation of ,bede  in his ,chronicon
 sive de sex tatibus mundi1 wanted but  
five ,years of  #bbjj1 a mere ,trifle   
with such ,expounders of ,prophecy as   
our ,author4      ,ibid4 line #ab4      
,eusebi1 ,bede1  ,haymound4    ,the     
,works here referred to are1 probably1  
the ,chronicon of ,eusebius1  translated
 and preserved by ,st4 ,jerome#fe2 the  
venerable ,bede's  ,chronicon1 sive de  
sex tatibus mundi2 and the ,histori     

,ecclesiastic  ,breviarium1 sive de     
,christianarum rerum memoria1 ,libb4 ,x4
 of ,haymo1  ,bishop of ,halberstadt1   
who died ,a4,d4 #hec4      ,,page xxvii4
 line #e4    fro e bygynnynge of ,latyn 
lettris4    ,that is to say1 from the   
,foundation of ,rome4 ,the ,writer      
speaks in round  ,numbers4      ,ibid4  
line #ae4    demynge4    ,this ,word is 
perhaps a ,mistake of the ,transcriber  
for demed1 i4 e4  deemed1 considered4   
,,page xxviii4 line #h4    and es ben   
uerse of 4m4 lettre4    ,the ,editor has
 not been able to find these ,verses    
elsewhere4 ,the ,letters  of the        
,alphabet are represented as ,colleg1 or
 ,members of a ,college1  all the rest  
of whom go forth when the ,gates are    
open2 one only1 viz4  m1 when they are  
shut4 ,college is for ,colleg4          
,,page xxix4 line #c4    but bi helpe of
 ,poul4    ,this alludes to the         
well-known ,story1 told by a great      
,number of the  ,antients1 of the       
,destruction of ,simon ,magus1 by the   

,prayers of ,saints  ,peter and ,paul4  
,sulpitius ,severus#ff relates this     
,event in the  following ,words3 ,etenim
 tum illustris illa adversus ,simonem1  
,petri ac  ,pauli congressio fuit4 ,qui 
cum magicis artibus1 ut se ,deum        
probaret1  duobus suffultus dmoniis     
evolasset1 orationibus ,apostolorum     
fugatis  dmonibus1 delapsus in terram1  
populo inspectante disruptus est4 ,the  
same ,account is given by ,st4 ,cyrill  
of ,jerusalem#fg2 after stating  that   
,simon had so far succeeded in deceiving
 the ,romans1 that the  ,emperor        
,claudius had erected a ,statue to him  
with the ,inscription    1 he adds#fh3  
8,the ,error spreading1 that goodly     
,pair1  ,peter and ,paul1 the ,rulers of
 the ,church1 being present1 set        
,matters  right again2 and on ,simon1   
the supposed ,god1 attempting a         
,display1 they  straightway laid him    
dead4 ,simon1 that is1 promised that he 
should be  raised aloft towards ,heaven1
 and accordingly was borne through the  

,air  on a ,chariot of ,dmons2 on which1
 the ,servants of ,god falling on their 
,knees1 gave an ,instance of that       
,agreement1 of which ,,jesus said#fi1   
,if  two of you shall agree as touching 
any ,thing that they shall ask1 it      
shall be done for them3 and reaching the
 ,sorcerer with this ,unanimity of      
their ,prayer1 they precipitated him to 
the ,earth40    ,for other ,authorities1
 see the ,note of the ,benedictine      
,editor of ,st4  ,cyrill1 on this       
,passage1#gj and ,tillemont1 ,memoires  
pour servir a  l',histoire              
,ecclesiastique2 ,saint ,pierre1 ,art4  
#cd4ga      ,ibid4 line #f4    ,crist   
schal clanse his ,chirche4    ,in the   
,original this is1 8,chirche schal      
clanse his ,chirche20 the ,editor  has  
not hesitated to correct so obvious a   
,mistake4      ,,page xxx4 line #a4    e
 deuel of mydday4    ,demonium          
meridianum1 alluding to ,ps4 xc4 #f1 in 
the ,vulgate4      ,ibid4 line #f4      
whefore4    ,a ,mistake of the ,,ms4 for

 ,wherefore4      ,ibid4 line #aj4    in
 derkenessis4    ,the ,word in was      
omitted by the ,original ,scribe2 but is
 added in the ,,ms4  by a more recent   
,hand4      ,ibid4 line #ab4    ,bede   
vpon e profetis of ,sibille4    ,this   
,reference is to some spurious ,work    
attributed to ,bede1 and which  is      
probably not the same as the ,tract ,de 
,sybillis#gb1 published among  ,bede's  
,works1 and also by ,joh4 ,opsopus      
,brettanus1 at the ,end of his  ,edition
 of the ,sybilline ,oracles2 for that   
,tract does not contain any  thing like 
the ,computation from the ,latin        
,letters1 for which ,bede is  here      
referred to by our ,author4      ,,page 
xxxi4 line #h4    ,goddis ,chirche is   
foundid in kynrade of prelatis4    ,this
 ,expression is illustrated by the      
,preamble of the ,statute of            
,provisors1 7#be ,edw4 ,,iii47#gc3      
8,whereas late in the ,parliament of    
good ,memory of ,edward ,king of        
,england1 ,grandfather to our ,lord the 

,king that now is1 the xxv4 leg4 xxxv4  
,year of his ,reign1 holden at          
,carlisle1 the ,petition heard1 put     
before the said ,grandfather and his    
,council1 in his said ,parliament1 by   
the ,communalty of the said ,realm1     
containing3 ,that whereas the ,holy     
,church of ,england was founden in the  
,estate of ,prelacy1 within the ,realm  
of ,england1 c40#gd      ,ibid4 line    
#ac4    e whiche may wel be clepid      
collibiste4    ,collybiste1 from the    
,greek ,word 1 which is used ,st4 ,matt4
  xxi4 #ab1 where ,st4 ,jerome remarks3 
,sed quia erat lege prceptum1 ut  nemo  
usuras acciperet1 et prodesse non       
poterat pecunia fnerata1 qu  commodi    
nihil haberet1 et interdum sortem       
perderet1 excogitaverunt et  aliam      
technam1 ut pro nummulariis1            
,collybistas facerent1 cujus verbi      
proprietatem ,latina lingua non         
exprimit4 ,collyba dicuntur apud eos1   
qu nos appellamus tragemata1 vel vilia  
munuscula4 ,verbi gratia1 frixi         

ciceris1 uvarumque passarum1 et poma    
diversi generis4#ge    ,see also ,du    
,cange1 ,glossarium1 vv4 ,collibium1    
,collybista4      ,,page xxxii4 line #a4
    schal be seyd in a manere of        
careyne4    ,careyne1 from the old      
,french1 carogne1 carrion2 8seyd in a   
manere  of careyne10 perhaps may mean1  
8they shall be spoken of as a ,sort of  
,carrion10 unless there be here some    
,mistake of the ,transcriber1 which  is 
not improbable4 ,the next ,clause1 8thei
 schal be cast out as dogge in  myddis  
places10 is possibly an ,allusion to    
,is4 v4 #be4 ,et facta sunt  morticinia 
eorum1 quasi stercus in medio platearum2
 the ,word dogge  being a ,mistake for  
donge2 and1 8in myddis places0 the      
,author's ,version  of in medio         
platearum2 although it is highly        
probable that myddis is  corrupt4       
,ibid4 line #c4    her wi acordi        
,carnosencis4    ,john of ,salisbury1   
called ,carnotensis1 because he was     
,bishop of  ,chartres4 ,the ,passage    

referred to occurs in his ,polycraticus1
 sive  ,de ,nugis ,curialium1 ,lib4 vii4
 cap4 #bj4gf ,si dicas quia ignis  per  
septuaginta annos ,babylonic            
captivitatis sub aqua vixerat1 demum    
extinctus est1 ,antiocho vendente       
,jasoni sacerdotium2 aut quod ,beatus   
,gregorius testatur1 quia pestilentia et
 fames1 concussiones gentium1           
collisiones regnorum1 et quamplurima    
adversa terris proveniunt1 ex eo  quod  
honores ecclesiastici ad pretium vel    
humanam gratiam conferuntur  personis   
non meritis4 ,the other ,reference      
7,line #aa7 is to ,lib4 viii4  cap4     
#ah4gg ,nam et peccata populi faciunt   
regnare hypocritam1 et  sicut ,regum    
testatur historia1 defectus sacerdotum1 
in populo ,dei1  tyrannos induxit4      
,ibid4 line #aj4    be eue4    ,a       
,mistake probably for ben geve1 i4 e4   
been given4      ,ibid4 line #af4       
alle children boren sien e first        
pestylence1 c4    ,the ,year #acdh and  
two following ,years are recorded in all

 our ,chronicles1  as remarkable for a  
most formidable ,pestilence which       
devastated  ,europe#gh1 and is said to  
have been attended with this singular   
,circumstance1 that the ,children born  
after the ,pestilence had begun1  were  
found to be deficient in the usual      
,number of ,teeth4 ,it may be enough  to
 quote from our ,english ,annalists1 the
 ,chronicle of ,caxton4 ,speaking  of   
the #bcrd ,year of ,king ,edward the    
,third1 the ,historian says#gi3 8  ,and 
in the xxiij ,yere of his ,regne1 in y  
,east ,partyes of the ,worlde1  there   
began a ,pestylence and ,deth of        
,sarasyns and ,paynyms1 that so grete  a
 ,deth was never herde of afore1 and    
that wasted away the ,people1 so that   
unneth the tenth ,persone was left      
alive4  ,and in the same ,yere1 about y 
,south ,countrees there fell so moche   
,rayne1 and so grete ,waters1 that from 
,chrystmasse unto ,mydsomer there was   
unnethes no ,daye nor ,nyght but that   
rayned somewhat1 through which ,waters y

 ,pestilence was so enfected1 and  so   
haboundant in all ,countrees1 and       
namely1 about y ,court of ,rome1 and    
other ,places1 and ,see ,costes1 that   
unneth there were lefte lyuyng ,folke   
for to bury them honestly y were deed4  
,but made grete ,diches and ,pyttes  y  
were wonders brode and depe1 and therin 
buryed them1 and made a ,renge  of deed 
,bodyes1 and cast a lytell ,erth to     
couer them aboue1 and than cast  in     
another ,renge of deed ,bodyes1 and     
another ,renge aboue them4 ,and thus    
were they buryed1 and none other wyse1  
but yf it were so y they were ,men  of  
grete ,estate1 so that they were buryed 
as honestly as they myght40  ,and       
again#hj1 8,and in this same ,yere10 #bd
 ,edw4 ,,iii4 8and in the  ,yere afore1 
and in the ,yere nexte folowynge1 was so
 grete a ,pestylence  of ,men from the  
,eest in to the ,west1 and namely       
through ,botches1 y they  that sekened1 
as on this ,daye1 dyed on the thyrde    
,daye after1 to y  whiche ,men y so dyed

 in this ,pestylence had but lytell     
,respyte of theyr  ,lyggynge4 ,than     
,pope ,clement of his ,goodnes and      
,grace1 gave them full  ,remyssyon and  
,forgyuenes of all theyr ,synnes that   
they were shryuen of1  and this         
,pestylence lasted in ,london fro       
,mighelmasse vnto ,august nexte         
followynge1 almost an hole ,yere4 ,and  
in these ,dayes was ,deth without       
,sorowe1 ,weddynges without ,frendshyp1 
wylful ,penaunce1 and ,derth without    
,scarsete1 and ,fleynge wout ,refute or 
,sucour1 for many fledde from ,place  to
 ,place bycause of the ,pestylence1 but 
they were infected1 and might not       
escape y ,deth1 after y y ,prophete     
,isaie sayth1 ,who that fleeth fro  the 
,face of ,drede1 he shall fall into the 
,dyche4 ,and he y wyndeth him  out of y 
,dyche1 he shall be holden and tyed with
 a ,grenne4 ,but whan this  ,pestylence 
was cesed1 as ,god wolde1 unnethes y    
tenth ,parte of the ,people  was left on
 lyue4  ,and in y same ,yere began a    

wonders thynge1 that all  y were borne  
after y ,pestylence had two ,cheketethe 
in ther ,heed lesse  than they had      
afore40    ,hollinshed records#ha in    
like ,manner the ,fact of the           
,pestilence1 and  the ,desolation caused
 by it throughout ,europe4 ,of ,london  
he says that  the ,death 8had bin so    
great and vehement within that ,citie1  
that over  and beside the ,bodies buried
 in other accustomed burieng ,places1   
7which  for their infinit ,number cannot
 be reduced into ,account71 there were  
buried that ,yeare0 viz4 #acej 8dailie1 
from ,candlemasse till ,easter1 in  the 
,charterhouse ,yard of ,london1 more    
than two hundred dead ,corpses40  ,he   
also notices the ,fact of the ,children 
wanting ,teeth1 but he makes  the       
,defect to be four1 not two 8cheke      
,teeth10 as ,caxton's ,chronicle        
stated#hb3 8 ,this ,yeare in ,august    
died ,philip de ,valois the ,french     
,king4 ,here is to be noted1 that all   
those that were borne after the         

,beginning of that great ,mortalitie    
whereof ye have heard1 wanted foure     
cheke ,teeth 7when they came to the time
 of ,growth7 of those #cb which the     
,people before that ,time commonlie vsed
 to have1 so that they had but #bh40    
,our ,author1 it will be observed1      
differs from ,hollinshed in making  the 
,defect 8eight grete ,teeth10 and in    
this he has the ,authority of the       
second ,continuator of the ,chronicle of
 ,william de ,nangis1 published by      
,d',achery in his ,spicilegium#hc2 a    
,narrative which apparently has  been   
the ,source from which many of our      
,english ,chroniclers have borrowed4    
,it contains a very minute ,history of  
this memorable ,pestilence1 with        
several curious ,particulars not        
mentioned by other ,writers4 ,the       
,author  endeavours to account for the  
,plague by supposing the ,explosion of a
  ,comet1 whose sudden ,evaporation1 he 
suggests1 may have disseminated in  the 
,atmosphere pestilential ,vapours4 ,he  

tells us also that the ,jews were       
suspected of having poisoned the        
,fountains1 and that many of them were  
in  consequence put to ,death1 and      
burnt1 in various ,places4 ,the         
circumstance  of the ,children born with
 a smaller ,number of ,teeth is thus    
recorded#hd3--    ,cessante autem dict  
epidemi1 pestilenti1 et mortalitate1    
nupserunt  viri qui remanserunt et      
mulieres ad invicem1 conceperunt uxores 
residu  per mundum ultr modum1 nulla    
sterilis efficiebatur1 sed prgnantes    
hinc  inde videbantur1 et plures geminos
 pariebant1 et aliqu tres infantes      
insimul vivos emittebant2 sed quod ultra
 modum admirationem facit1 est  quod    
dicti pueri nati post tempus illud      
mortalitatis supradict1 et  deinceps1   
dum ad tatem dentium devenerunt1 non    
nisi viginti dentes vel  viginti duos in
 ore communiter habuerunt1 cum ante     
dicta tempora homines  de communi cursu 
triginta duos dentes1 sub et supra1     
simul in mandibulis  habuissent4 ,quid  

autem numerus iste dentium in post natis
 significet1  multum miror1 nisi        
dicatur1 quod per talem et tantam       
mortalitatem hominum  infinitorum et    
successionem aliorum et reliquorum qui  
remanserant1 mundus  est quodammodo     
renovatus et seculum1 ut sic sit qudam  
nova tas2 sed  proh dolor6 ex hujus     
renovatione seculi non est mundus       
propter hoc in  melius commutatus4 ,nam 
homines fuerunt postea magis avari et   
tenaces1 cum  multo plura bona quam     
antea possiderent2 magis etiam cupidi1  
et per lites  brigas et rixas atque per 
placita seipsos conturbantes1 nec per   
hujusmodi  terribilem mortis pestem a   
,deo inflictam fuit pax inter ,reges et 
dominos  reformata1 quinimo inimici     
,regis ,franci ac etiam guerr ,ecclesi  
fortiores et pejores quam ante per mare 
et per terram suscitaverunt1  et mala   
ampliora ubique pullularunt4 ,et quod   
iterum mirabile fuit2  nam cum omnis    
abundantia omnium bonorum esset1 cuncta 
tamen cariora  in duplo fuerunt1 tam de 

rebus utensilibus1 quam de victualibus1 
ac  etiam de mercimoniis et mercenariis 
et agricolis et servis1 exceptis        
aliquibus hereditatibus et domibus qu   
superflue remanserant his diebus4       
,charitas etiam ab illo tempore         
refrigescere cpit valde1 et iniquitas   
abundavit cum ignorantiis et peccatis3  
nam pauci inveniebantur qui  scirent aut
 vellent in domibus1 villis1 et castris1
 informare pueros in  grammaticalibus   
rudimentis4    ,the ,allusion contained 
in the ,tract before us to the          
,circumstance of the  ,children wanting 
,teeth1 may possibly be urged as an     
,objection to the  early ,date of #acej1
 which it claims for itself4 ,for if    
this ,circumstance  of the ,want of     
,teeth be a ,fable1 it is not probable  
that it could so  soon have become      
current2 and if on the other hand it be 
true1 it seems  hardly possible that the
 ,fact could have been ascertained in   
#acej1  respecting all ,children born   
since the first ,pestilence1 i4 e4 since

  #acdh4 ,however1 it is possible that  
by the first ,pestilence our ,author    
may have alluded1 not to that of #acdh1 
but to that of #acdj1 which is thus     
described by ,knighton#he1 under that   
,year3 8,in state scilicet anno  grati  
,m4,,ccc4,,xl41 accidit qudam           
execrabilis et enormis infirmitas in    
,anglia quasi communis1 et prcipue in   
comitatu ,leicestri1 adeo quod  durante 
passione homines emiserunt vocem        
latrabilem ac si esset latratus  canum2 
et fuit quasi intolerabilis pna durante 
passione4 ,exinde fuit  magna           
pestilentia hominum40    ,it is no      
,doubt a ,difficulty that the           
,continuator of ,william de ,nangis  and
 other ,chroniclers1 represent the      
,phenomenon of the ,want of ,teeth  as  
the ,consequence of the ,pestilence of  
#acdh1 but the ,story may have          
originated at the former ,period1       
although later ,writers recorded it in  
,connexion with the more recent and more
 formidable ,pestilence4    ,the        

,editor1 however1 leaves this ,question 
to be decided by future  ,research1 and 
by ,judges more competent than himself4 
,it is not impossible  that the whole   
,passage#hf in which the ,date of       
8thrittene hundrid yere  and sixe and   
fifty0 has been given1 may prove to be a
 ,quotation from  the ,book referred to 
under the ,title of 8,joachim in the    
,book of the  ,seedis of ,profetis10 and
 if so1 the ,tract before us must of    
course be the  ,production of a later   
,period4      ,,page xxxiii4 line #a4   
,merlyn ,ambrose4    ,for the ,history  
of ,merlyn1 see ,geoffrey of ,monmouth's
 ,historia  ,regum ,britanni1 ,lib4 vi4 
c4 #ag1 #ah4 ,the famous ,prophecy of   
,merlyn  will be found in ,lib4 vii4 c4 
#c1 #d4 ,it has also been repeatedly    
published  in a separate ,form1 with the
 ,commentaries in seven ,books of       
,alanus de  ,insulis4      ,ibid4 line  
#c4    of e myscheif4    ,in the        
original ,,ms4 these ,words are         
repeated1 8in the tyme of the  myscheif 

of the myscheif of the ,kok20 the       
,editor did not deem it  necessary to   
retain so obvious a ,mistake of the     
,transcriber4      ,ibid4 line #e4    e 
sixte of irlond4    ,this ,personage is 
mentioned in numerous ,prophecies       
circulated under  the ,names of ,merlyn1
 ,gildas1 ,robert of ,bridlington1      
,sybill1 and  others1 in the fourteenth 
and fifteenth ,centuries1 many of which 
appear  to have had their ,origin in the
 ,prophecy of ,merlyn1 preserved by     
,geoffrey of ,monmouth1 already referred
 to1 where we find 8the sixte  of       
,irlond0 thus noticed3--    ,sextus     
,hiberni mnia subvertet1 et nemora in   
planitiem mutabit3  ,diversas portiones 
in unum reducet1 et capite leonis       
coronabitur4#hg    ,the following       
,collection of ,prophecies relating to  
,sextus of ,ireland1  is from a ,,ms4   
written about the ,middle of the        
,fourteenth ,century1 and  preserved in 
the ,library of ,trinity ,college1      
,dublin4    ,iste sunt prophetie diuerse

 a diuersis prophetate de ,sexto        
,hibernie#hh1 qui vocatur ,dominus here 
there is an erasure in the  ,,ms4 ,rex  
,anglie et ,francie et ,sextus ,dominus 
,hibernie1 de quo  ,prophetie sunt      
notate4 ,hermerus ,dominus sapientum4   
,anno a ,creatione  mundi sex ,m4,,ccc  
et ,,iiii4#hi ,lilium regnans in        
nobiliore mundi  mouebit se contra senem
 leonem1 et veniet in terram eius inter 
spinas  regni sui1 et circumdabit filium
 leonis illo anno ferens feras in       
brachio  suo4 ,cuius regnum erit in     
terra lune timendus per vniuersum mundum
  potestate agentis principalis1 cum    
magno exercitu suo transiet aquas et    
gradietur in terram leonis carentis     
auxilio1 quia bestie regionis sue iam   
dentibus suis eius pellem               
dilaceraverint4 ,illo anno veniet       
,aquila a parte  orientali1 alis        
extensis super solem1 cum multitudine   
pullorum suorum1 in  adiutorium ,filii  
hominis4 ,illo anno ,aquila destruetur4 
,amor magnus erit  in mundo4 ,una die in

 quadam parte leonis erit bellum inter  
plures reges  crudeles1 quod usque ad   
diem illum non viderunt homines2 illa   
die erit  sanguinis diluvium1 et perdet 
,lilium coronam solis1 quam accepit     
,aquila1  de qua ,filius hominis        
postmodum coronabitur4 ,per quatuor     
annos sequentes  fient multa in mundo   
prelia inter omnes homines fidem        
tenentes1 quia  illo tempore credenda   
sunt4 ,omnia tunc erint communia4 ,maior
 pars mundi  destruetur1 caput mundi    
erit ad terram declinatum4 ,filius      
hominis et  ,aquila relevabunt ille sic1
 et tunc erit pax in toto orbe terrarum1
  et copia fructuum1 et filius hominis  
mare transiet1 et portabit signum       
mirabile ad terram promissionis1 sed    
prima causa sibi permissa remanebit4    
,item versus illius sompniatoris viri   
religiosi1 per quos versus  cognoscitur 
,sextus ,hiberni4        ,illius        
imperium gens barbara senciet illum1    
,roma volet tanto principe digna dici1  
,conferet hic ,rome plus laudis quam    

sibi ,roma1      ,plus dabit hic orbi   
quam dabit orbis ei4    ,versus         
vaticinales de ,normannia1 de eodem     
,sexto4        ,anglia transmittet      
,leopardum lilia ,galli1      ,qui pede 
calcabit ,cancrum cum fratre superbo1   
,ungues diripient ,leopardi ,gallica    
regna1      ,circulus inuictus          
circumdabit unde peribunt4      ,anglia 
regnabit1 ,vasconia porta redibit       
,ad iuga consueta ,leopardi ,flandria   
magna      ,flumina concipient que      
confundent genetricem4      ,lilia      
marcescent1 ,leopardi posse vigebit1    
,ecclesie sub quo libertas prima        
redibit4      ,huic ,babilon veniet     
truces aras non teret omnes1      ,acon 
,ierusalem ,leopardi posse redempte1    
,ad cultum fidei gaudebunt se redituras1
      ,imperium mundi sub quo dabit hic 
heremita4    ,versus cuiusdem nomine    
,gildas1 per quantum tempus regnabit    
idem  ,sextus4        ,ter tria lustra  
tenent cum semi tempora ,sexti1      ,en
 vagus in prima perdet1 sub fine        

resumet1      ,multa rapit medio        
volitans sub fine secundi1      ,orbem  
submittet reliquo1 clerumque reducet    
,ad statum primum1 post hoc renouat loca
 sancta      ,hinc terram spernens      
secundo ethere scandit4    ,in another  
,,ms4#ij in the ,library of ,trinity    
,college1 ,dublin1 there is  preserved a
 ,prophecy in which ,sextus of ,ireland 
is also mentioned1  and which1 as the   
,editor is informed by his learned      
,friend ,john ,holmes1  ,esq41 of the   
,british ,museum1 occurs also in the    
,arundel ,,ms4 #eg1 fol4  #d1 b41 where 
it is entitled1 8,versus ,gylde de      
,prophetia ,aquile40    ,it will suffice
 to quote from this ,prophecy the ,lines
 where ,sextus is  mentioned4           
,sextus ,hybernensis milleno milite     
cinctus1        ,hostibus expulsis      
castra relicta petet1      ,menia       
subversa vix antrix apta ferarum        
,pinget et eiectus bubo necabit apem4   
,ibid4    e witt is our kyng wi his     
children4    8,the witt10 i4 e4 the     

,meaning2 alluding probably to the      
,interpretation  given of this part of  
the ,prophecy by ,alanus de ,insulis1   
who supposes  the then reigning ,king   
,henry ,,ii4 and his ,sons to be        
intended2 his ,words  are#ia3--         
,henricus qui nunc in ,anglia regnat1   
quinque filios suscepit ex  ,regina     
conjuge sua1 quorum unus mortuus est1   
quatuor vero supersunt4  ,habuit et     
sextum ex concubina1 qui clericus est1  
magn1 ut aiunt1  juxta tatem1           
probitatis4 ,hic itaque vel sextus      
dicetur ,henrici ,regis  filius1 si     
mortuus ille quem habuit ex ,regina     
inter alios computetur1  vel quintus1 si
 soli superstites a propheta numerantur1
 et alius adhuc  expectandus1 quem hic  
,sextum appellat4 ,possumus tamen sextum
 istum  intelligere1 qui in ,anglia     
regnaturus sit post quatuor istos1 et   
alium  quintum quicunque ille sit1 hoc  
est sive istorum frater1 sive non1 de   
quo dicitur quod ,hyberni sit mnia      
subversurus1 excisurus nemora1 et  in   

planitiem mutaturus diversas portiones1 
id est regna diversa1 non est  enim unum
 regnum1 sed plura1 ad unum regnum      
reducturus1 ejusque coronam1  assumpta  
feritate et fortitudine leonina1 suo    
capite impositurus4      ,ibid4 line #i4
    ,sibille acordi herto4    ,the      
,verses of 8,sibille0 here quoted are to
 be found in a large ,collection  of    
other ,prophecies of the same character1
 in a ,manuscript#ib of the  fourteenth 
,century1 preserved in the ,library of  
,trinity ,college1  ,dublin4 ,the       
,editor is also enabled1 through the    
,kindness of ,mr4  ,holmes1 to give here
 a complete ,copy of them from the      
,cotton ,,ms4  ,claud4 ,b4 vii41        
collated with the ,arundel ,,ms4 #eg1   
fol4 ,in this latter  ,,ms4 which is    
written1 as ,mr4 ,holmes conjectures1 in
 a ,hand of about the  ,year #acej1 and 
also in the ,dublin ,,ms4 the ,line     
,terr motus1 c4 comes  immediately      
before the ,line ,millenis ducentenis4  
,the other various  ,readings are given 

in the ,margin2 ,a4 denoting the        
,arundel1 and ,d4 the  ,dublin          
,manuscript4    8,,sybilla de eventibus 
regnorum et eorum ,regum ante finem     
mundi40#ic        ,gallorum lenitas     
,germanos iustificabit1      ,itali     
gravitas ,gallos confusa necabit4       
,succumbet ,gallus#id1 ,aquil           
victricia#ie signa      ,mundus         
adorabit1#if erit urbs sub#ig presule   
digna4      ,millenis ducentenis        
nonaginta sub annis1      ,et tribus#ih 
adiunctis1 consurget aquila grandis4    
,terr motus erunt1 quos#ii non          
procul#ajj auguror esse4                
,constantine cades1 et equi de marmore  
facti1      ,et lapis erectus1 et multa 
palatia ,rome4      ,papa cito moritur1 
,cesar regnabit ubique1      ,sub quo   
tunc vana cessabit gloria#aja cleri4    
,anno millesimo ,c4ter vicesimo v4 dabit
 ether      ,blada vina fractus fiet pro
 principe luctus2      ,una columpna    
cadet1 qu terram schismate tradet1      
,gens periet subito1 ,petro testante    

perito4    ,the last four ,verses occur 
only in the ,dublin ,,ms41 and seem to  
contain  an ,allusion to the            
,prophetical ,doctrines of ,peter ,john1
 or rather of  his ,followers4 ,the     
,date intended is probably #acbe1 taking
 8,c4ter0  for ,,ccc2 and that this     
,year was one of the ,eras fixed by the 
,beguins  for the ,revelation of        
,antichrist1 appears from the ,liber    
,sententiarum  ,inquisitionis ,tholosan1
 published by ,limborch#ajb2 for        
,example  ,petrus ,moresii1 a ,beguin1  
receptus ad tercium ordinem ,sancti     
,francisci  conjugatus1 was examined by 
the ,inquisitors on the #hth of ,april1 
#acbb1  and declares1 ,credidit et      
credebat firmiter1 tempore quo captus   
fuit1  quod ,antichristus esset         
venturus1 et consumpmaturus cursum suum1
 infra  annum quo computabitur          
incarnacio ,domini ,m4,,ccc4,,xxv4      
,the ,verses1 as quoted by our ,author1 
are very corrupt in the ,original ,,ms4 
,the ,editor has therefore ventured to  

alter 8viccus0 into 8victricia20        
8urbis0 into 8urbs10 and 8tessabit0 into
 8cessabit40      ,ibid4 last line4     
elispirid4    ,this ,word is very       
probably corrupt1 although ,lewis1 who  
appears to have  received from ,dublin a
 ,transcript of this ,tract1 or copious 
,extracts1  does not seem to have       
considered it so1 for he has inserted   
the ,word  in his ,glossary1 and quotes 
for it only the ,authority of the       
,passage  before us2 he says#ajc1       
8,elispired1 perhaps for expired4       
,secular power of the ,hooly ,goost     
expired1 alluding to the secular ,power 
the ,popes have4 ,for having  quoted    
four ,verses of ,sibille1 one of which  
is3 ,papa cito moritur1  ,csar regnabit 
ubique1 ,wiclif adds1 thei that treten  
this ,verse of  ,sibille1 alle that ,i  
have seen1 accorden in this1 that       
secular power of  the ,hooly ,goost     
elispired40      ,,page xxxiv4 line #ac4
    e wordis of ,josue #b4 c4 e ridde4  
,the ,editor is unable to explain this  

,reference4      ,ibid4 line #ag4    e  
,mayster of ,scholys rehersi4    ,peter 
,comestor1 ,chancellor of the ,cathedral
 of ,paris in #aafd1 and  ,author of the
 ,historia ,scholastica1 is the ,person 
here called ,master  of ,schools4 ,the  
,passage referred to occurs in the      
,hist4 ,schol4 on  the third ,book of   
,kings1 cap4 viii4 7not cap4 v4 as      
quoted by our  ,author71 and is as      
follows#ajd3--    ,fabulantur ,iudei ad 
eruderandos lapidei celerius habuisse   
,salomonem  sanguinem vermiculi qui     
,tamir dicitur3 quo aspersa marmora     
facile  secabantur1 quem invenit hoc    
modo4  ,erat ,salomoni strutio habens   
pullum1 et inclusus est pullus sub vase 
vitreo4 ,quem cum videret strutio1  sed 
habere nequiret3 de deserto tulit       
vermiculum3 cuius sanguine liniuit      
vitrum1 et fractum est4    ,the same    
,story with the very same mystical      
,application of it which is  made by our
 ,author1 is given by ,peter ,berchorius
 in his ,reductorium  morale1 who quotes

 from ,gervase of ,tilbury4 ,this latter
 ,writer1 as  we learn from ,berchorius1
 took the ,story from ,peter ,comestor1 
and  being an ,englishman1 was most     
probably the immediate ,source from     
which  the ,author of the ,tract before 
us derived it1 especially as ,gervase   
wrote upwards of a ,century before      
,berchorius1 who died in #acfb4 ,the    
,editor has not had an ,opportunity of  
consulting the ,work of ,gervase of     
,tilbury1 but it is probable that       
,berchorius has done little more than   
extract his ,words4#aje    ,de          
struthione mirabile quid ponit          
,geruasius1 et videtur accipere de      
,historia ,scholastica4 ,dicunt ,iudi   
7ut ait7 quod cum ,salomon templum      
dificaret1 ut lapides citius            
sculperentur1 inclusit pullum           
struthionis  in vase vitreo1 quem cum   
struthio habere nequiret1 ad desertum   
iuit1 et  exinde vermem qui ,thamus     
dicitur1 apportauit1 cuius sanguine     
vitrum  liniuit2 fractoque statim vitro1

 pullum recuperauit4 ,quo agnito        
,salomon  de sanguine illorum vermium   
lapides templi fecit liniri1 et sic     
faciliter  potuerunt imprimi vel sculpi4
 ,idem ver ,geruasius dicit ,rom in     
quodam antiquo palatio fialam liquore   
lacteo plenam1 esse inuentam1  quo      
liniti lapides facillim sculpebantur4   
,talis vermis videtur fuisse  ,christus4
 ,pullus enim ,struthionis1 i4 homo 7qui
 erat per creationem  pullus1 et filius 
,dei ,patris7 fuerat incarceratus1 et   
carceri culp et  pn1 a mundi principio  
destinatus4 ,struthio ergo1 i4 ,deus    
,pater1 a  deserto paradisi1 vermem1 i4 
,christum hominem factum1 adduxit1 et   
ipsum  per passionem occidit1 vel occidi
 permisit1 et sic cum isto sanguine     
portas carceris infernalis fregit1 et   
pullum suum hominem liberavit4  ,zac4   
#i4 ,tu autem in sanguine testamenti tui
 eduxisti vinctos tuos de  lacu4 ,igitur
 quicunque voluerit lapidem1 quicunque  
cor suum durum et  lapideum1 per        
contritionem scindere1 et per           

conversationem sculpere  decreuerit1    
adhibeat sanguinem huius vermis1 i4     
dominic passionis  memoriam1 et liquorem
 lacteum memori su benedict1 et sic     
nunquam  erit ita durum aut obstinatum1 
quin recipiat contritionis scissuram1   
et correctionis sculpturam4 ,ezech4 #cf4
 ,auferam cor lapideum de carne  vestra1
 et dabo vobis cor carneum4    ,the same
 ,story occurs in some ,copies of the   
,gesta ,romanorum#ajf1 where  the       
,artifice by which the ,worm 8thumare10 
7as it is there called17 was  detected1 
is ascribed to the ,emperor ,diocletian 
of ,rome4 ,see ,swan's  ,translation of 
the ,gesta ,romanorum1 vol4 #a4 ,introd4
 p4 lxiv4    ,the ,name of the ,worm1 to
 which the marvellous ,property of      
breaking ,stones  is ascribed1 is       
corruptly given by the foregoing        
,authorities4 ,it is  called by the     
,jews1 not tamir1 or thamus1 but schamir
 771 and  frequent ,allusions to it     
occur in the ,rabbinical ,writers4 ,the 
original  ,story is to be found in the  

,talmud1 and seems intended to explain  
what  we read #a ,kings1 vi4 #g1 that   
neither ,hammer nor ,axe nor any ,tool  
of  ,iron was heard in the ,temple of   
,solomon while it was in building4 ,the 
following#ajg is an abridged ,account of
 the original ,legend3 ,solomon1  when  
about to build the ,temple1 perceived by
 his ,wisdom1 that it would  be more    
acceptable to ,,god1 if built of ,stones
 upon which no ,tool of  ,iron had ever 
been raised4 ,whereupon he inquired of  
the ,rabbis how  this was to be         
effected4--,they told him that he must  
procure the ,worm  ,schamir1 by the     
,help of which ,moses had cut the       
,stones of the ,high  ,priest's         
,breastplate4 ,solomon then inquired    
where this ,worm was to be  found4 ,the 
,rabbis confessed their ,ignorance1 but 
advised him to summon  certain ,devils1 
and compel them1 by ,torments1 to make  
the ,discovery2  this was done1 and the 
,devils answered1 that ,aschmedai1 the  
,king of  the ,devils1 alone1 could tell

 where the ,worm ,schamir was to be     
found4  ,accordingly1 ,benaiah1 ,son of 
,jehoiada1 was sent with a ,chain on    
which the ,name of ,,god was inscribed1 
to bind ,aschmedai1 and bring him       
before ,solomon4 ,it took some ,time to 
capture ,aschmedai1 and a long  ,account
 is given of the ,difficulties of the   
,undertaking4 ,at ,length1  on the third
 ,day1 he is brought to ,solomon1 who   
asks him for the  ,schamir4 ,aschmedai  
answers1 ,it is not in my ,keeping2 but 
,sara-,dima  7the ,angel that presides  
over the ,sea7 has it1 and he will      
entrust it  only to the ,wild-,hen 771  
from whom he exacts an ,oath for its    
safe  ,return4 ,solomon asked what the  
,wild-,hen did with the ,schamir2 the   
,dmon answered1 ,she brings the ,worm to
 the ,rocky ,mountains1 destitute  of   
,grass and ,verdure1 and by its means   
she breaks down their ,rocks2  she then 
carries up the ,seeds of ,trees1 and    
thus the ,mountains1 once  ,barren1     
become covered with ,woods4 ,having     

obtained this ,information1  ,solomon   
sought out the ,nest of the ,wild-,hen1 
and enclosed it1 with her  ,young ,ones1
 in a ,covering of transparent ,crystal4
 ,the ,wild-,hen1 on her  ,return1      
seeing her ,nest and ,young ,ones1 but  
finding herself unable to  enter it1    
flew away1 and soon after returned with 
the ,worm ,schamir2  whereupon          
,solomon's ,servants1 who had been lying
 in ,wait for her1 set  up a great      
,shout1 which so terrified her1 that she
 dropped the ,worm1  and thus ,solomon  
obtained ,possession of it4 ,the        
,wild-,hen1 however1  flew away1 and    
hanged herself1 for having lost the     
,worm1 and broken her  ,oath4 ,see      
,eisenmenger1 ,entdecktes ,judenthum    
,theil1 ,i4 p4 #cej4 ,johan4            
,christoph4 ,wagenseilii ,sota1 p4      
#ajgb1 and ,buxtorfii ,lexicon ,chald4  
et  ,talmud4 in voce 4      ,,page xxxv4
 line #a4    aftir e talis of iewis of  
,salamon4    ,that is1 8reherseth1      
after1 or according to1 the ,tales or   

,legends of the  ,jews1 concerning      
,solomon40      ,ibid4 line #h4    e    
glass to barst4    ,to1 perhaps for 8al 
to10 statim1 penitus4 ,thus in our      
,english  ,version of the ,bible1       
7,judg4 ix4 #ec47 8,and a certain ,woman
 cast a ,piece  of a ,millstone upon    
,abimelech's ,head1 and al to brake his 
,skull40      ,ibid4 line #ad4    e on  
twenty ,salme4 #b;i4    ,the ,editor is 
not sure that he has rightly deciphered 
the ,letters  represented by 8#b;i20 he 
once thought they were 8xi10 but this   
seemed  inexplicable1 and he now        
believes them to be an ,attempt of a    
very  ignorant ,transcriber to represent
 in ,arabic ,numerals the ,number of the
  ,psalm referred to4      ,,page xxxvi4
 line #ae4    ,poul writi to e romayns4 
,this ,reference belongs to what goes   
before1 not to what follows4 ,mr4       
,vaughan1 in his ,life of ,wycliffe#ajh1
 not perceiving this1 has  altered the  
,text to make the ,sense perfect1 and   
quotes the ,passage thus3  8,so1 when we

 were sinful1 and the ,children of      
,wrath1 ,god's ,son came out  of        
,heaven1 and praying ,his ,father for   
,his ,enemies1 ,he died for us4 ,then   
much rather shall we be saved1 now we   
are made righteous through ,his  ,blood4
 ,st4 ,paul writeth to the ,romans1 that
 ,jesus should pray for us1  and that   
,he went into ,heaven to appear in the  
,presence of ,god for us4 ,the  same    
also he writeth to the ,hebrews1 the    
which ,presence may ,he grant us  to    
behold1 who liveth and reigneth without 
,end4--,amen40    ,mr4 ,vaughan1        
however1 does not tell his ,readers what
 ,passage of  the ,epistle to the       
,romans1 occurring1 also1 in the        
,epistle to the  ,hebrews1 he supposes  
our ,author to have quoted4 ,there      
exists1 in ,fact1  no such ,passage2 nor
 does the ,text stand in ,need of any   
,emendation4  ,the ,references1 in both 
,cases1 come after the ,passages quoted2
 and this  removes all the ,difficulty  
which ,mr4 ,vaughan appears to have     

found in  the ,reading of the original  
,manuscript4      ,,finis4              
,illustration          ,,footnotes      
#a ,milner1 ,hist4 of the ,church1 vol4 
iv4 p4 #aba4 ,lond4 #ahai4    #b ,cent4 
vi4 p4 #dej4    #c ,the ,hist4 of the   
,life of ,john ,wiclif1 ,d4,d4 ,by ,john
 ,lewis1 ,m4,a4  ,oxf4 #ahbj4    #d     
,memoirs of ,wiclif4 ,by the ,rev4 ,h4  
,h4 ,baber1 ,m4,a4 #dto4 ,lond4 #ahaj4  
#e ,the ,life of ,john de ,wycliffe1    
,d4,d4 ,by ,robert ,vaughan4 ,lond4     
#ahca4    #f ,the ,life of ,wiclif4 ,by 
,chas4 ,w4 ,le ,bas1 ,m4,a4 ,lond4      
#ahcb4    #g ,appendix ad ,histor4      
,litterar4 ,cl4 ,v4 ,gul4 ,cave4 vol4   
ii4 p4 #fc4  ,fol4 ,oxon4 #agdc4    #h  
,see ,page xxxi4    #i ,vaughan's ,life 
of ,wycliffe4 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bee4 ,note4  
#bnd ,edit4    #aj ,balus1 ,de ,script4 
,brytanni4 ,cent4 vi4 p4 #dec4    #aa   
,lewis1 ,life of ,wiclif1 p4 #aie4      
#ab ,bale1 ,u4,s4 p4 #ded4    #ac       
,lewis1 p4 #bje4 ,no4 #adh4    #ad ,see 
,nichols' ,autographs1 ,plate #dd4 ,no4 

#e4    #ae ,british ,magazine1 vol4 vii4
 p4 #ecb1 and p4 #fij4 ,vol4 viii4 p4   
#bfg1 and p4 #djb4    #af ,ps4 #ajf4    
#ag ,joachim4    #ah ,psal4 #ij4    #ai 
,bernard4    #bj ,joachim4    #ba       
,eusebi4    #bb ,bede4    #bc ,haymound4
    #bd ,joachim4    #be ,bede4    #bf  
,joachim4    #bg ,act4 #h4    #bh       
,antecrist4    #bi ,bede4    #cj        
,joachim4    #ca ,nota4    #cb ,joachim4
    #cc ,joachim4    #cd ,carnotensis1  
in ,polycratico4    #ce ,in lib4 #h4    
#cf ,merlyn ,ambrose4    #cg ,sibille4  
#ch ,mayster of ,scholys4    #ci ,psal4 
#ba4    #dj ,zach4 #i4    #da ,rom4 v4  
#db ,heb4 #i4    #dc ,ryley1 ,placita   
,parliam4 p4 #cgi4    #dd ,statutes of  
the ,realm1 ,vol4 i4 ,lond4 #ahaj1 p4   
#aej4    #de ,ibid4 p4 #caf4 ,gibson's  
,codex1 p4 #fe4 #bnd ,edit4    #df      
,glossarium1 in voc4    #dg ,coke3 ,part
 i4 lib4 ii4 c4 #ab1 sect4 #bae4    #dh 
,statutes of the ,realm1 vol4 ii4 p4    
#gj1 #ga4 ,lond4 #ahaf4    #di ,ibid4 p4
 #dh4    #ej ,see ,gibson1 ,codex1 ,tit4

 xxxv4 p4 #hbd4 ,godolphin1             
,repertorium1 c4  xxx4 ,ayliffe1        
,parergon1 p4 #fc4    #ea ,stat4 #be1   
,hen4 ,,viii4 c4 #ba4 ,gibson's ,codex1 
p4 #hg4    #eb ,vit4 ,joach4 c4 v4 ,acta
 ,sanctorum1 ,maii tom4 vii4 p4 #ajc4   
#ec ,,ms4 ,harleian4 ,num4 #abhj4 #h4   
fol4 #bbg4    #ed ,rev4 xi4 #c1 xii4 #f4
    #ee ,see the ,beguin ,confessions in
 the ,liber ,sententiar4 ,inquis4       
,tolos4 pp4 #bih1 #cjc1 published by    
,limborch4 ,hist4 ,inquisit4    #ef     
,tract4 de ,antichristo1 fol4 #dh1 b4   
#eg ,see p4 xxvii1 et seq4    #eh ,fox's
 ,acts and ,monuments1 vol4 i4 p4 #ede4 
,lond4 fol4 #afhd4    #ei ,opp4 ,s4     
,bernardi4 ,ed4 ,bened4 p4 #acif4 ,c4   
tom4 iv4    #fj ,in ,cant4 ,serm4       
xxxiii4 s4 #ae4    #fa ,cant4 ,tales4 v4
 #cjda4    #fb ,wallisii ,gram4 ,anglic4
 p4 #hf4 ,lond4 #hvo4 #agfe4    #fc     
,cant4 ,tales1 v4 #afhi4    #fd ,ibid4  
v4 #acfff1 #g4    #fe ,opp4 ,b4         
,hieronymi4 tom4 viii4 ,ed4 ,vallarsii4 
#ff ,sacr ,hist4 lib4 ii4 p4 #ie1 #abmo4

 ,amstel4 #afie4    #fg ,catech4 vi4    
#ad4    #fh ,library of the ,fathers1   
7vol4 ii4 ,transl47 #hvo4 ,oxford1      
#ahch1 p4  #fh4    #fi ,matt4 xviii4    
#ai4    #gj ,opp4 ,b4 ,cyril4 fol4 ,par4
 #agbj1 p4 #if4    #ga ,tom4 i4 p4 #agf4
    #gb ,sibyllina ,oracula ex vett4    
,codd4 ,aucta1 c4 a ,joh4 ,ops4         
,brettanno1  #hvo4 ,paris1 #afjg1 p4    
#eae4    #gc ,statutes of the ,realm1   
vol4 i4 p4 #caf4    #gd ,gibson's       
,codex1 p4 #fe4    #ge ,b4 ,hieron4 in  
,matt4 xxi4 #ab1 #ac1 tom4 vii4 ,ed4    
,vallarsii1 #dto4  ,venet4 #agfi1 ,col4 
#afb4    #gf ,polycrat4 p4 #dia4 ,lugd4 
,bat4 #afci1 #hvo4    #gg ,ibid4 p4     
#fce4    #gh ,see ,boccacio ,decameron1 
,giorn1 #a4    #gi ,caxton's ,chronicle1
 fol4 ,lond4 #aebh1 fol4 c4xxiii4a4     
#hj ,fol4 cxxiii4 d4    #ha ,chron4 sub4
 an4 #acdh1 vol4 ii4 p4 #cgh-i4 ,lond4  
#aehg4    #hb ,ibid4 p4 #cgi4    #hc    
,d',achery1 ,spicileg4 tom4 iii4 p4     
#aji1 sq4    #hd ,ibid4 p4 #aaj4    #he 
,de event4 ,angli4 7,apud x4 ,script47  

,col4 #behj4    #hf ,see p4 xxxi4    #hg
 ,galf4 ,monmuthen4 lib4 vii4 c4 #c1 ap4
 ,rer4 ,brittan4 ,scriptores4  p4 #ej4  
,heidelb4 #aehg4    #hh ,cod4 ,,ms4 in  
,bibl4 ,coll4 ,,ss4 ,trin4 ,dubl4 ,cl4  
,b4 ,tab4 #b1 ,no4  #g1 fol4 #bji4      
#hi ,vid4 ,contin4 altera ,chronici     
,gul4 de ,nangis1 ap4 ,dacherii         
,spicil4 t4 iii4 #ajd1 where this       
,prophecy is attributed to ,johannes de 
,muis4    #ij ,cod4 ,,ms4 in ,bibl4     
,coll4 ,,ss4 ,trin4 ,dubl4 ,class4 ,e4  
,tab4 #e1  ,no4 #aj1 fol4 xliii4    #ia 
,prophetia ,anglicana vii4 ,libris      
explanationum ,alani de ,insulis4       
,francof4 #afjc4 #ab4 lib4 iii4 p4 #ia4 
#ib ,cod4 ,,ms4 in ,biblioth4 ,coll4    
,,ss4 ,trin4 ,dublin4 ,class4 ,e4 ,tab4 
#e1  ,no4 #aj4    #ic ,deest titul4 in  
,cod4 ,dublin4    #id ,gallus succumbet4
 ,a4 ,d4    #ie ,victoria4 ,d4    #if   
,abhorrebit4 ,d4    #ig ,vox4 ,d4    #ih
 ,aliis4 ,d4    #ii ,erit1 quem4 ,a4    
#ajj ,plus4 ,a4    #aja ,cessabunt      
gaudia4 ,d4    #ajb ,limborch4 ,hist4   

,inquisit4 ad fin4 p4 #cjc4    #ajc     
,hist4 of the ,life of ,wiclif4 ,oxf4   
#ahbj4 7,table of obsolete  ,words2 in  
voc47    #ajd ,petri ,comestoris ,hist4 
,schol4 #h4 ,florent4 #aebf4 fol4 cxvii4
    #aje ,berchorii ,red4 ,mor4 lib4    
xiv4 c4 #fj4 n4 #d4 p4 #feh4 fol4       
,venet4  #afhc4    #ajf ,gesta          
,romanorum1 c4 translated from the      
,latin by the ,rev4  ,charles ,swan4 #b 
vols4 #ab4 ,london1 #ahbd4    #ajg      
,talmud ,babyl4 ,tract4 ,gittin4 fol4   
#fh4 col4 #a1 #b4    #ajh ,vol4 i4 p4   
#bei4 #bnd ,edit4