sons came to. 101. Now as I haue reckened vp the names and varieties of these prodigious sects: it commeth to mind consequently to inferre the prophecie of Hildegardis, as wel agaynst the whole route of Romish prelates, and the fall of that Church, as especially against the beggyng Friers and such other vnprofitable bellies of the Church. This Hildegardis is holden of the papistes themselues to be a great Prophetisse, whose prophecy procedeth in this maner: first agaynst the priestes and Prelates of the Romish Church, as followeth.

HIldegardis a Nonne, and (as many iudged a prophetisse) lyued in the yeare. 1146. In her prophecies she doth most greuously reprehend, not only the wicked and abhominable life of the spirituall papistes: but also the contempt of ecclesiasticall office, and also the horrible destructiō of the Church of Rome. In a certaine place she hath these wordes. And now is the law neglected among the spirituall people which neglect to teach and doe good thyngs. The masters likewise and the Prelates doe sleepe, despising iustice and laying it aside. In a certayne vision: the Church appeared to her in the shape of a woman, complayning that the priestes had berayed her face wyth dust, & rent her coat, &c. and that they did not shyne ouer the people, neyther in doctrine neither in example of life: but rather contrariwise, that they had driuen the innocent lambe from them. She sayd moreouer, that all ecclesiasticall order did euery day become worse and worse, and that Priestes did not teach but destroy the law of God. And for these horrible crimes and impieties, she threatneth and prophecieth vnto them Gods most heauy wrath and displeasure, and dolefull punishments. There is no cause why the spirituall papistes should flatter themselues vpon this: that she promiseth agayne to the ministers of the Church those good thinges to follow, like as Ioannes de Rupe scissa doth, and other such like prophets: for they say it will come to passe that they must repent before the tymes be amended. By which thing (vndoubtedly) they meane, the godly ministers in the reformed Churches, which for the most part were of the spirituall number, and yet did forsake the dishonest life, & those wicked idolatries. Now, where as the priestes & mōkes, that is, the whole rable and spiritualtie doe account Hildegard for a true prophetisse: they ought to cōsider that by her they are most seuerely accused: not as by a woman, but as by God himselfe. And I pray you, what abhomination, impietie, and idolatry hath beene committed since that time by the spiritualtie? I will note here a certayne prophecy of hers, taken out of the common places of Henry Token, because we see it manifestly fulfilled in our time. She prophesieth of the reformation of religion, and sayth that it shall be most godly.

MarginaliaA prophecy for the decay of the Romish Church.Then shall the crowne of Apostolicall honour be deuided, because there shall be found no religion among the Apostolicall order, and for that cause shal they despise the dignitie of that name, and shall set ouer them other men and other Archb. In so much, that the Apostolike sea of that tyme (by the diminution of hys honour) shall haue scarse Rome, and a few other countries thereabout vnder hys crowne. And these thinges shall partly come to passe by incursion of warres, and partly also by a common councell, and consent of the spirituall and secular persons. Then shall iustice florishe, so that in those dayes men shall honestly apply themselues to the auncient customes and discipline of auncient men, and shall obserue them as the auncient men did. The glose agreeth. &c.

These thinges thus premised, now wil we come to the prophecy of the foresayd Hildegard concerning the foresaid begging Friers aboue mentioned: reciting her words: not onely as they are printed in a booke printed of late in Germany, but also as my selfe haue seene and read, agreeing to the same booke worde for word, and yet haue the same to shew: written in olde parchment leaues in such sort as the thing it selfe most euidently declareth a great antiquitye of tyme. The wordes of her prophecy be these.

MarginaliaHildegardis prophesying of fryers and monkes.In those dayes shall rise a senseles people, proud, greedy, without fayth, & subtile, the which shal eate the sinnes of the people, holding a certayne order of foolish deuotion vnder the fayned cloke of beggery: preferring themselues aboue all other, by their fayned deuotion: arrogant in vnderstanding, and pretending holynes: walking wythout shamefastnes, or the feare of God: in inuenting many new mischiefes strong and stout. But this order shall be accursed of all wyse men, and faythfull Christians: they shall cease from labour, and geue themselues ouer vnto idlenes: chusing rather to liue thorow flattery, and begging. Moreouer, they shall together study, how they may peruersly resist the teachers of the truth, and stay them together wyth the noble men. How to seduce and deceiue the nobilitie, for the necessitie of their liuing, and pleasures of this worlde: for the deuill wyll graft in them foure principall vices (that is to say) flattery, enuy, hipocrisie, and slaunder. Flattery, that they may haue large giftes geuen them. Enuy, when they see giftes geuen vnto other, and not vnto them. Hypocrisie, that by false dissimulation, they may please men. Detraction, that they may extoll and commende themselues, and backbite others, for the prayse of men, and seducing of the simple. Also, they shall instantly preach, but without deuotion or example of the Martyrs: and shall detracte the secular Princes, takyng away the Sacramentes of the Churche from the true pastors, receiuyng almes of the poore, diseased, and miserable, and also associatyng themselues with the commō people: hauing familiaritie with women, instructyng them how they shall deceiue their husbandes and frendes by their flatterie & deceitfull wordes, and to robbe their husbandes to geue it vnto them: for they will take all theefe stollen and euill gotten goodes, and say: geue it vnto vs, and we wyll pray for you, so that they beyng curious to hide other mens faultes, do vtterly forget their owne. And alas, thei will receiue all thynges, or rouers, pickers, spoylers, theeues and robbers, of sacrilegious persās, vsurers, adulterers, hereticks, schismaticks, apostataes, whores and baudes, of noble mē, periurers, marchantes, false iudges, soldiours, tyrauntes, Princes, of such as liue contrary to the law, and of many peruerse and wicked men, followyng the perswasion of the deuill, the sweetenes of sinne, a delicate and transitory life, and fulnes euen vnto eternall damnation.

All these thinges shall manifestly appeare in them vnto all people, and they (day by day) shall waxe more wicked & hard harted: and whē as their wickednes and disceites shal be found out, then shall their gifts cease, & then shal they goe about their houses hungry, and as madde dogges lookyng downe vpon the earth, & drawing in their neckes as doues, that they might be satisfied with bread: then shall the people cry out vpō them. Wo be vnto you ye miserable children of sorow, the world hath seduced you, the deuill hath bridled your mouthes, your flesh is frayle, & your hartes without sauour, your myndes haue bene vnstedfast, & your eyes delited in much vanitie and folly, your dainty bellyes desire delicate meates, your feete are swift to runne vnto mischief. Remember when you were apparātly blessed, yet enuious: poore in sight, but rich: simple to see to, but mighty flatterers: vnfaythfull betrayers: peruerse detracters: holy hypocrites: subuerters of the truth: ouermuch vpright: proud, vnshamefast, vnstedfast teachers, delicate martyrs, confessors for gayne: meeke, but slaunderers: religious, but couetous: humble, but proude: pitifull, but hard harted lyers: pleasant flatterers, peacemakers, persecuters, oppressors of the poore, bringyng in new sectes newly inuented of your selues: mercyfull thought but found wicked, louers of the world, sellers of pardons spoylers of benefices, vnprofitable orators, seditious conspirators, dronkardes, desirers of honours, maintainers of mischief, robbers of the world, vnsatiable preachers, men pleasers, seducers of women, and sowers of discord, of whom Moyses the glorious prophet, spake very well in his song. A people without coūsell or vnderstandyng: would to God they did know, vnderstand and fore see the end. You haue builded vp an high, and when you could ascend no higher, then did you fall euen as Symon Magus, whom God ouerthrew, & did strike with a cruell plague: so you likewise thorough your false doctrine, naughtynes, lyes, detractions, and wickednes, are come to ruine. And the people shall say vnto them, go ye teachers of wickednes, subuerters of truth, brethrē of the Sunamitie, fathers of heresies, false Apostles: which haue fained your selues to follow the life of the Apostles, & yet haue not fulfilled it in no part: ye sonnes of iniquitie, we will not follow the knowledge of your wayes, for pride and presūption hath deceiued you, and insatiable concupiscence hath subuerted your erroneous hartes. And whē as you wouild ascend higher then was meete or comely for you (by the iust iudgement of God) you are fallen backe into perpetuall opprobry and shame.

This Hildegardis whose prophecie we haue mētioned, lyued about the yeare of our Lord, 1146. as were read in Chronico Martini.