A Proper Dialogue Between A Gentleman and a Husbandman facts for kids

A proper dyaloge betwene a Gentilman and a Husbandman eche complaynynge to other their miserable calamite through the ambicion of the clergye is a very old book, printed in 1529 by a printer named "Hans Luft" (who was also known as Johannes Hoochstraten) in a city called Antwerp. This book was so important that it was even on a list of books that were banned during the time of King Henry VIII. People sometimes called it "Dialogue between gentleman & plowman." Even though it sounds like the famous story of Piers Plowman Tradition, Piers himself isn't a character in this book.

The first version of the book starts with a long poem of 684 lines. After this, there's a dialogue written in the 1500s. Then, it includes a much older text from the late 1300s, written by a group called the Lollards. This older text was against the power of the clergy (church leaders). A second version of the book also added another part, probably from the late 1400s, which argued that the Bible should be available in everyday language for everyone to read.

What is This Book About?

The story in the book begins with a gentleman who is sad because his social class has lost its power. He feels they can no longer help poor people. He believes this happened because, a long time ago, people were tricked into giving their land and money to the church.

The Gentleman and the Husbandman's Talk

Then, a husbandman (a farmer) joins the conversation. He argues that the church leaders, who he sees as corrupt, should have their wealth taken away. He says they take advantage of poor people. The book specifically mentions that the church's ideas about purgatory (a place where souls go after death) and indulgences (payments to reduce time in purgatory) were big tricks used by the clergy. The husbandman blames the clergy for rising rents and other problems.

The husbandman suggests taking these issues to Parliament (which was meeting in 1529, known as the "Reformation Parliament"). However, the gentleman hesitates. He mentions a book by Simon Fish called A Supplicacyon for the Beggers and Thomas More's book, The Supplycacyon of Soulys (also from 1529), which defended the idea of purgatory.

The book also talks about historical figures who opposed the clergy and faced difficulties. These include King John, Sir John Oldcastle, and Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. It also mentions how William Tyndale's New Testament was banned and destroyed in 1526, and how King Henry V treated the Lollards harshly.

Old Ideas, New Times

To show that opposing the church's wealth wasn't a new idea, the husbandman introduces what he believes is a very old document. This document is actually the late-1300s Lollard text. It supports taking away the church's wealth and stopping clergy from holding government jobs. The husbandman says this text is from the time of King Richard II.

Now I promyse the after my iudgement
I haue not hard of soche an olde fragment
Better groundyd on reason with Scripture.
Yf soche auncyent thynges myght come to lyght
That noble men hadde ones of theym a syght
The world yet wolde chaunge perauenture
For here agaynst the clergye cannot bercke
Sayenge as they do thys is a newe wercke
Of heretykes contryued lately.
And by thys treatyse it apperyth playne
That before oure dayes men did compleyne
Agaynst clerkes ambycyon so stately.

The husbandman's words then smoothly lead into the old Lollard text. This older text was updated slightly to fit the arguments against the Roman Catholic Church at the time the book was printed.

See also

• Dissolution of the Monasteries
• Piers Plowman Tradition