I72 
and 
qf Cariczzture 
Groteygue 
In the "Reliqnae Antiques" (ii. 58) we have a parody on the Gofpel of 
St. Luke, beginning with the words, Initiumfallacis Evangelii fecundum 
Lupum, this laft word being, of courfe, a fort of pun upon Lucam. Its 
fubject alfo is Bacchus, and the fcene having been laid in a tavern in 
Oxford, We have no difficulty in afcribing it to fome fcholar of that 
univerfity in the thirteenth century. Among the Carmina Burana we 
find a Iimilar parody on the Gofpel of St. Mark, which has evidently 
belonged to one of thefe burlefques on the church fervice; and as it is 
leiis profane than the others, and at the fame time pictures the mediaeval 
hatred towards the church of Rome, I will give a tranflation of it as an 
example of this fingular clafs of compofitions. It is hardly necetiiary to 
remind the reader that a mark was a coin of the value of thirteen {hillings 
and fourpence 
" The beginning of the holy gospel according to Marks of silver. At that time 
the pope said to the Romans: 'When the son of man shall come to the seat of 
our majesty,lirst say, Friend, for what hast thou come ? But it he should persevere 
in knocking without giving you anything, cast him out into utter darknessi And 
it came to pass, that a certain poor clerk came to the court of the lord the pope, and 
cried out, saying, ' Have pity on me at least, you doorkeepers ot the pope, for the 
hand of poverty has touched me. For I am needy and poor, and therefore I seek 
your assistance in my calamity and misery." But they hearing this were highly 
indignant, and said to him : ' Friend, thy poverty be with thee in perdition ; get 
thee backward, Satan, tor thou dost not savour of those things which have the 
savour of money. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Thou shalt not enter into the joy 
of thy lord, until thou shalt have given thy last farthing.' 
" Then the poor man went away, and sold his cloak" and his gown, and all that 
he had, and gave it to the cardinals, and to the doorkeepers, and to the chamberlains. 
But they said, ' And what is this among so many 3' And they cast him out of the 
gates, and going out he wept bitterly, and was without consolation. After him 
there came to the court a certain clerk who was rich, and gross, and fat, and 
large, and who in a tumult had committed manslaughter. He gave First (Q the 
doorkeeper, secondly to the chamberlain, third to the cardinals. But they judged 
among themselves, that they were to receive more. Then the lord the pope, hearing 
that the cardinals and officials had received many gifts from the clerk, became sick 
unto death. But the rich man sent him an electuary of gold and silver, and he was 
immediately made whole. Then the lord the pope called hefore him the cardinals 
and ofiicials, and said to them : ' Brethren, see that no one deceive you with empty 
words. For I give you an example, that, as I take, so take ye also." " 
This 
mediaeval 
love 
parody 
WES 
not 
unfrequently 
difplayed 
[DOTC 
Li