The originals of both these documents are in the State Paper Office.  There are copies in the Bodleian Library.—­MS. Tanner, 105.

[206] Skelton gives us a specimen of the popular criticisms:—­

  “Thus I, Colin Clout,
  As I go about,
  And wondering as I walk,
  I hear the people talk: 
  Men say for silver and gold
  Mitres are bought and sold: 
  A straw for Goddys curse,
  What are they the worse?

  “What care the clergy though Gill sweat,
  Or Jack of the Noke? 
  The poor people they yoke
  With sumners and citacions,
  And excommunications. 
  About churches and markets
  The bishop on his carpets
  At home soft doth sit. 
  This is a fearful fit,
  To hear the people jangle. 
  How wearily they wrangle! 
  But Doctor Bullatus

  “Parum litteratus,
  Dominus Doctoratus
  At the broad gate-house. 
  Doctor Daupatus
  And Bachelor Bacheleratus,
  Drunken as a mouse
  At the ale-house,
  Taketh his pillion and his cap
  At the good ale-tap,
  For lack of good wine. 
  As wise as Robin Swine,
  Under a notary’s sign,
  Was made a divine;
  As wise as Waltham’s calf,
  Must preach in Goddys half;
  In the pulpit solemnly;
  More meet in a pillory;
  For by St. Hilary
  He can nothing smatter
  Of logic nor school matter.

  “Such temporal war and bate
  As now is made of late
  Against holy church estate,
  Or to mountain good quarrels;
  The laymen call them barrels
  Full of gluttony and of hypocrisy,
  That counterfeits and paints
  As they were very saints.

  “By sweet St. Marke,
  This is a wondrous warke,
  That the people talk this. 
  Somewhat there is amiss. 
  The devil cannot stop their mouths,
  But they will talk of such uncouths
  All that ever they ken
  Against spiritual men.”

I am unable to quote more than a few lines from ROY’S Satire.  At the close of a long paragraph of details an advocate of the clergy ventures to say that the bad among them are a minority.  His friend answers:—­

  “Make the company great or small,
  Among a thousand find thou shall
  Scant one chaste of body or mind.”

[207] Answer of the Bishops to the Commons’ Petition:  Rolls House MS.

[208] Joanna Leman notatur officio quod non venit ad ecclesiam parochialem; et dicit se nolle accipere panem benedictum a manibus rectoris; et vocavit eum “horsyn preste.”—­HALE, p. 99.

[209] HALE, p. 63.

[210] Ibid. p. 98.

[211] Ibid. p. 38.

[212] Ibid. p. 67.

[213] Ibid. p. 100.

[214] CAVENDISH, Life of Wolsey, p. 251.

[215] HALL, p. 764.

[216] Ibid. p. 764.

[217] State Papers, vol. vii. p. 361.

[218] 6 Hen.  VIII. cap. 16.