The practise of prelates. CompiledThe practyse of prelates. Compyled

When the bishops, priests and deacons were fallen and had received of the pope the kingdom that pertained unto the poor people, and had robbed them and parted their patrimony among them selves / then sprang the orders of monks: Whose profession was to abstain from flesh all ⟨image 32⟩their lives, to were vile raiment, to eat but once in the day / and that but butter, cheese, eggs, fruits, roots and such things that were not costly / and might every where be found. And they wrote books / and wrought diverse things to get their living with all. When the lay men saw that the priests were fallen in to such covetousness / & that the Monks were so holy: they thought, these be mete men to minister our alms unto the pore people. For their profession is so holy that they can not deceive us as the priests do, and made the mom kes tutors and ministers unto the pore, and gave great Lands and richesse in to their hands to deal it unto the poor. When the monks saw such abundance / they fell after the ensample of the priests, and toke dispensations of the pope for their rules and strait profession, which now is as wide as their cowls / and divided all among them▪ and robbed the poor once more. And out of the abbeys toke he the most part of his Bishoprics and cathedral churches, and the most part of all the lands he hath / besides that there Remain yet so Many mighty abbeys and nun ryes ther••.

When the bisshoppes, preastes and deacons were fallen and had receaued of the pope the kingdom that parteyned vnto the poore people, and had robbed them and parted their patrymony among them selues / then sprange the orders of monkes: Whose professyon was to abstayne frō flesh all ⟨image 32⟩theyr liues, to were vyle raymēt, to eate but once in the daye / ād that but butter, chese, egges, frutes, rootes and suche thynges that weare not costly / ād myght euery where be founde. And they wrote bokes / ād wrought diuerse thynges to get their lyuinge wyth all. When the laye men sawe that the preastes were fallen in to suche couetuousnes / & that the Monkes were so holy: they thought, these be mete men to minister our almesse vnto the pore people. For theyr profession is so holy that they can not deceau• vs as the preastes do, ād made the mō kes tutors and ministers vnto the pore, ād gaue great Landes and rychesse in to theyr handes to deale it vnto the poore. Whē the monkes sawe suche aboundaunce / they fell after the ensample of the preastes, and toke dispēsacyōs of the pope for their rules ād strait professiō, whiche now is as wyde as their coules / and deuided all amonge them and robbed the poore once moare. And out of the abbayes toke he the most parte of his Bysshoprickes and cathedral churches, and the moste parte of all the landes he hathe / besydes that there Remayne yet so Many myghtye abbayes and nun ryes ther.