tence of cursinge, the which departeth hym fro God, that is Fader, and fro holy chirche his moder.

Also cursinge is cleped the sword of holy chirche : For right as that the strok of the sword, it fleith and depertith the lyf fro the bodi; right so the strok of this goostly sword, it deperteth and doth away god fro a man or a woman wich that is acursed. That is, the lyf of their soules, that thei and their werkes be evermore dede after but if (unless) they have specyall grace of God, for to amende them here. For a many clerkes prove that at the day of dome, and (if) our lady wolde with saynt Johan baptist, and all that ben in heven, knele downe all at ones before the face of God, thei shulde not in that time through prayer of them all, delyuer the soule of a man or of a woman that dyeth in dedly synne. For that were expres ageynste the holy gospelles, were crist saith hymselfe, that he shal truly geve every man there right as he hath deserved here.

And if the day of dome shall be so harde with all tho that dye in any dedly synne, what shall then betyde of them in that same tyme, that be founden openly acursed of God and holy chirche ? In this grete perilous damnacion of soule, ben all tho men and women that I shall spek of.

So that first and formest, we denounce acurse, all tho that holy chirche folsli depriven of any right or profyt, either by law writen, or elles by good custom which hath ben holden and used of old tyme: and in this poynt falleth .III. maner of folk: first all tho that steleth holy chirche goodes in what place so they ben don for to kepe: Or elles that stele unhalowed thynges, out of holy place, or thinges that ben halowed out of place unhalowed, and all tho that wytyngly breke and

destroye any poynt of fredom that longeth to holy chirche and this is nought all onely understand of the fredomes that longen generaly to all holy chirche, but also of other special fredomes, which that some chirche hath more one than an other.

The thridde point is, that all tho ben acursed that purchase wrytes or letters of any lewed (lay) court, for to lette (to hinder) the processe of the lawe of holy chirche, of causes that longen skilfuly unto Cristene court, the wich I shulde nought be demed (judged) by, nor other lawe: and all tho that lette archebisshop, or any other, that hath jurediccion and power by the lawe of holy chirche: that they maye nought visyte their sogettes, or dar nought use their lawe for to amende the soules of them that they have to kepe: and all tho, that falsly flen a wey fro o place to an other, that holy chirche may nought chastise them, ne rewle them as he sholde.

Also god and holy chyrche accurseth all tho, that leye hand in violence on prest or clerk, on any man or woman of religion, but yf it be that they may nought elles saue them selves, or elles that it be in certeyn poyntes that the lawe gevith leue.

Also we denounce all tho acursed, that maliciousli stele or destroye the goodes, that longeth to manere, or to graunges of any men or women of religion, or of archebisshop, of bisshop, other of any other place of mennes of holy chirche, wythout special leve of them that have the goodes to keepe.

Also tho that falsly arreste, or by any way take or enpresoun or destresse men of holy chirche: wher thourought they forsake here benefices for mechef: or whenne they have apeled to the court of Rome, or elles ben somoned theyder by citacion, or to any other

court, all tho be acursed that lette them to pursue their right, and all that therto geue help or any maner counseil.

Also all tho ben acursed, be they never so grete, that procure or geve leve or commaunde, any other to sle, or to mayme them, or to bete: or by any other wey to greve any ordenarye, or juge of the lawe of holy chirche, in body or in here goodes, for als myche as he gave lawful sentence, of suspendinge, or coursynge, or of interdytynge, agen kyng or prince, meir, sherreve, or bayly or agenst any other of what stat so they be, but yf thei make amendes wyth inne the .viii. dayes.

And also tho ben acursed, that use suche mennes leve or don here commaundementes, ne they may nought ben asoiled but by the court of Rome.

And also all tho be thei nevere so grete, the wiche that ben suspened, and don out of holy chirche, or elles ben paraventure openly acursed, yf they make by strengthe, or constreyne by any wey any manere of ordynarie, that longeth to holy chyrche, eyther hym that suspendede them or acursed them, or elles any other, or for drede, or for manace, or any other point for to asoyle them of that sentence ageyns his wille : first an formest that absolucion is nought, and all suche ben acursed in the grete curs.

And also tho that have any temporal lordshyp, and forbede here soget by manas or by peyne, that thei shal nought selle chafare that they use, unto prelatis, ne men of holy chirche, ne bye no thing of them that they have to selle.

These poyntes ther ben, and also many other, that often ful gretly greve and anoye men of holy chirche : of whyche all the doeres and mainteners falle in thys grete curs, as witnesseth wel the lawe of God and holy

ehyrche: but I trowe it be no nede to shewe mo often them here, and therfore I passe over atte thys tyme to speke of other pointes.

Also all tho ben acursed by al holy chirche, that breke or destorble the unite and the pes: first of our lorde the kyng, and sythen of his kynne, by power, or by counseil, by word or by werk: or elles by any way to kerte (to cast; to contrive) or to compace hys deth, or any point of traytourie of hym or of his lond: and all tho that falsly withholde his heretayge or any other ryght, that hym ought lawfully to have: and all tho ben acursed, that geve mede, or elles take any manere geftes for to lette pes, and for to procure strif in any degre, other more or lasse among cristene folk.

Also they ben acursed in hevinn and in erthe, that falsli forswere them upon the holydam: and knowe wel that it is fals whenne they begynne to swere, in questes, or in acises or in any other fals cause: and all tho that hyre suche men, or make them to be hyred, or mayntene them, or teche them, eyther by word or werk, for to lette trewe matrymonye, or lawful herytage, or testament, or ought elles that is trewly ordeyned: and also all tho advokatis of lawe of holy chirche, that in plee of matrimonye, or any other trewe cause make wityngly, and with any semed false exceptions for to destroye, or lette, or tarie a trewe cause, that it may nought spedly be discussed, and ended after the cours of lawe.

Also all tho ben acursed, that for hate or for mede,

2 Somner says, from the AngloSaxon Haligdome, holy doom, or judgment: and this is far more probable, than the usual reference

which the word is supposed by some to have, to the Blessed Virgin.

or any other encheson (occasion) sclaundre falsli, or defame any man or woman, so that they be brought fro good fame unto wykked, where for that thei haue nede to porge them bi the lawe and ben therfore gretly greved, and anoyed in body and in soule.

Also all tho ben acursed, in this gret sentence .. time by yere, that for malice or for wretthe, of persoun, or of viker, or of parish prest, or elles of any other, wyth holde tithes or offringes fro there parisshe chirche, or any other right that it aught lawfuli to have, eyther by lawe writen, or elles bi goode custom, or turne them tho or do them in other place after there owne wylle, so that thei ben nought don to that same place thei shulde be.

¶ And all tho ben acursed that procure, or lette, by word or dede, any man or woman, for to do ther goode wylle and ther devocyon to God, and to holy chyrche ward.

(Nota. Also all tho men of religion, freres, and all other whiche that use to go aboute and preche goodes word, yf thei preche or teche any thyng pryuely or apertly, by any maner colour man or woman is right turned a wey ward, and hath the wers wylle for to paye hys thithes and his offringes, unto his parish chirche, all suche ben acursed by thys grete curs, as it is wryten in the lawe of holy chirche.

And in that same place, the holy pope Clement the firste, with all his counseil, bi all the power that he hadde of God and holy chyrche, he amoyneth (admonisheth) and chargeth alle suche religious men, first and formest on peril of ther soules, and as they answere to God at the dredful day of dome, and also on peyne of endelles damnacyon, that they preche openly .VIII. sythes be yere, unto the commune peple,