of London prohibited a great number of books which he thought had a
tendency to destroy religion and virtue, as did also the king in 1529,
but in so great esteem were his works then, and so highly valued by
the people of taste, that they were excepted out of the prohibition of
that act.

The PARDONERS PROLOGUE.

Lordings! quoth he, in chirch when I preche,
I paine mee to have an have an hauteine speche;
And ring it out, as round as doth a bell;
For I can all by rote that I tell.
My teme is always one, and ever was,
(Radix omnium malorum est cupiditas)
First, I pronounce fro whence I come,
And then my bills, I shew all and some:
Our liege--lords seal on my patent!
That shew I first, my body to warrent;
That no man be so bold, priest ne clerk,
Me to disturb of Christ's holy werke;
And after that I tell forth my tales,
Of bulls, of popes, and of cardinales,
Of patriarkes, and of bishops I shew;
And in Latin I speake wordes a few,

To faver with my predication,
And for to stere men to devotion,
Then shew I forth my long, christall stones,
Ycrammed full of clouts and of bones;
Relickes they been, as were they, echone!