Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

. PERES THE PLOWMANS CREDE. 363said that this great Lady, having been somewhat wanton in her youngeryears, became an hearty Penitent, and departed this life mvio 1394, 17R. II, and was buried in this church' (the church of the Black Friars'convent).— Chauncy's Hertfordsh., p. 545. Edmund de Langley wasalso buried here, and so was the king himself. The custom was, tobequeath one's body to a convent for burial, and to bequeath a largesum of money to it at the same time; see 11. 408-417. It should benoted, too, that Richard often held a royal Christmas at Langley ; hedid so certainly in 1392, and again in 1394; see Stow's and Capgrave'sChronicles.This, doubtless, gave the Friars excellent opportunities.365. See Glossary, s. v. Clawe)?.366, ' God grant they lead them well, in heavenly living, and cajole themnot for their own advantage, to the peril of their (the kings') souls.'374. Lefte, remained.375. Digne, disdainful; hence, repulsive; but there is not often muchlogical sequence or connection in proverbs of this sort. Yet that this isthe right explanation' is evident from Chaucer ; see the Glossary.378. Als as, all so as, i. e. just as if.379. Leesinges lyeth, lie their lies.383. See note to 1. 153. The friar in the Sompnoures Tale seems tohave been a Carmelite ; see Somp, Tale, 1. 416.387. By lybbeth, live by.388. We know of no ' subtlety, Christ knows the truth.'393. And, if.401. To wynnen withe my fode, to earn my food with.402. Lerne, teach ; commonin provincial English.405. ' Catus amat pisces, sed non vult tingere plantam ;' see Macbeth,act. i. sc. 7, 1. 45.406, So— parted, are not given away in that manner.409. Carefully compare the death-bed scene described fully in Massingberd'sEng. Ref. pp. 165-168 ;'and see also Chaucer's Sompnoures Tale.Si dives in patria quisquis infirmetur,lUuc frater properans et currens moneturEt statim cum venerit infirmo loquetur,Ut cadaver mortuum fratribus donetur.'Political Poems, vol. i. p. 257.415. ' It is God's forbidding but that she die while she is in a mind toshare her wealth among us ; God let her live no longer, for our letters(of confraternity) are so numerous.' Rich people could buy letters orcharters of fraternization; see Massingberd, Eng. Ref. p. 118. It wasof course inconvenient that those who had obtained these letters shouldlive long afterwards.