so many
holy water pottes, so many cadlestyckes, so many ymages
of gold. What nede there so many payre of organes (as
thay call them) so costely & chargeable? For one payre
can not serue vs: what profyteth ye musicall criynge
out in the temples that is so derely bought and payed
for, whan in the meaneseson our brothers and systers
the lyuely temples of Christe liynge by the walles/dye
for hungre & colde. _Ogy._ Ther is no vertuouse or wyse
man, that wold nat desyre a meane to be hadde in thes
thynges. But in as moche as thys euyl is growen and
spronge vp of superstityon beyond mesure, yet may it
better be sufferde, specially when we consyder on the
other syde the euyll conscience and behauyor of them
that robb the churches of what so euer iuellys ther may
be so founde, thes || ryches were gyuen in a maner
great men, & of pryncys, the whiche they wold haue
bestowede vpon a worse vse, that is to say other at the
dyce or in the warres. And if a man take any thynge
from thense. Fyrst of all it is taken sacrylege, then
they hold ther handes that were accustomed to gyfe,
besyde that morouer they be allured & mouyde to
robbynge & vaynynge. Therfore thes mene be rather the
kepers of thys treasures the lordes. And to speake a
worde for all, me thynket it is a better syght to
beholde a temple rychely adourned, as ther be some with
bare wolles, fylthy and euyl fauorde, more mete for
stables to put horses then churches for Chrysten
people. _Me._ Yet we rede that Byshopes in tymes paste
were praysede and comended bycause they solde the holy
vesseles of theyr churches, and with that money helped
and releued the || E ij.|| nedy and poure people.
_Ogy._ Thay be praysede also now in our tyme, but thay
be praysed onely, to folow ther doynge (I suppose) thay
may not, nor be any thynge dysposede. _Me._ I
interrupte and lett yowr comunycatyon. I loke now for
the coclusyon of ye tale. _Ogy._ Gyffe audyence, I wyll
make an ende shortly. In the meane seson comyth forthe
he that is the cheffe of them all. _Me._ Who is he? the
abbot of the place? _Ogy._ He werythe a mytre, he may
spend so moche as an abbot, he wated nothynge but ye
name, and he is called prior for this cause
tharchebyshope is take in the abbotes sted. For in old
tyme who so euer was archbyshope of ye dyocese, the
same was also a monke. _Me._ In good faythe I wold be
content to be namyde a Camelle, if I myght spende
yerely the rentes and reuennes of an abbot. _Ogy._ Me