262 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 



found than the character of Sloth (C, VIII., 1-67; of. B. X., 306-309). 

 They quarrel constantly with the friars over the profits of confession 

 (C, VII., 1 19-129), and live as wolves among their own sheep (C, 

 XVII., 241-278). 



Priests who dwell in cities should be attached to some church (C,. 

 VI., 89). They should desire poverty as the more blessed condition, 

 and, apparently, Wyclif's "poor priests" are commended (C, 

 XIV., loi) while the spirit of the new movement is further ap- 

 proved in that Langland commends translation of the IJible (C, XL, 

 88). Priests should be created for their learning, and should be free 

 born. But learning without the Spirit of God is emptiness; such 

 clergy are easily turned from the faith; while the ignorant are always 

 blind leaders of the blind. They may be lost, as were the builders of 

 the ark (C, XII., 250), having their reward in this world, and forfeit- 

 ing it in the next {A, III., 237). A priest must suffer all things, and 

 pass by riches, wine, and women (C, XII., 103-118). Passus XVIII. 

 gives one of the strongest pictures of what a perfect priest should be, 

 in contrast with the depth of infamy to which many have fallen. 



Priests may take no tithes of evil men, else they shall be punished 

 in purgatory (C, VII., 300). They must be faithful to the minutest 

 details of duty, and even "overskipping" in reading the services is a 

 fault so serious as to be twice condemned (C, XIV., 119; XVIII., 

 118). Langland utters a point-blank denial of the general assumption 

 of priests and monks that to them is due the first and best of every- 

 thing (C, XVIIL, 58-63):- 



IL'lp thy father first before friars aiul monks, 

 And before priests and pardoners, or an}' people else. 

 Melp thy kin Ciirisl bade, for there be^inm-lii charity, 

 .\nd afterward await wlio hast mo.st need. 

 And there help if thou hast, and that liold I charity. 

 t'lersry aw Clergy means scholarship as well as priesthood. 



!<<'iioiar!«iii|i. The advantages of Clergy are pictured in Passus XV. 

 It has skill to confound its adversaries, makes record of the truth, 

 teaches, ^d leads to salvation. Untaught men have a learning of 

 their own, but it saves not souls; it is but knowledge of birds and 

 beasts, and is folly without the Divine Spirit (C, XV., 72). Even a 

 single line of Holy Writ in the memory has power to save a thief from 

 the gallows (C, XV., 129). The clerk may protect himself and others; 

 if he err, he destroys all faith of those about him, but if he does well, 

 his followers do better ((,', X\TII., 122). 



Friars. The four orders of friars of which Langland usually 



speaks were the Eremite or Austin friars, or Augustines; the Carmel- 

 ites, or white friars; the Dominicans, or Jacobins, or black, or preach- 

 ing friars; and the Franciscans, Minorites, or grey friars. The fifth 



