The Eighteenth Chapter

Minton, Gretchen E.

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7296-0_22

The Eighteenth Chapter

Gretchen E. Minton³

Chapter
First Online: 24 November 2013

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Part of the book series: Studies in Early Modern Religious Tradition, Culture and Society ((SERR,volume 6))

Abstract

Under the title of Babylon is here in this chapter following described the fearful judgement of the malignant church, with the ruinous fall of antichrist and his kingdom, prefigured afore in Isaiah and Jeremiah.

The 16th-century texts repeat the title for Part 3 here.

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Notes

1.
In Parts 1 and 2, Bale labels his words a ‘paraphrase’ on the biblical text, matching the terminology on the title pages. However, in Part 3 he switches to calling this a ‘commentary’. See Introduction 6–7.
2.
Saint] 1548; S. 1570. The 1570 text often prints S. John rather than Saint John; subsequent instances are not collated.
3.
the material temple of Solomon = the church of the Jews (referring to the destruction in 70 C.E. which precedes the much greater destruction described here).
4.
both] 1570; doth 1548.
5.
seven for one afore = i.e., the seven heads of the beast indicate a sevenfold increase in the evil of the whore.
6.
the] 1570; om. 1548.
7.
Gomorrean] 1570 (Gomorrahean); Gomorre and 1548, 1550. Bale uses this term again below (401), as well as in Votaries (see OED) in reference to those who follow the ways of Gomorrah.
8.
odible = hateful, horrible, odious (OED, obsolete).
9.
See Is 13.
10.
stew = brothel (OED n. ² 4).
11.
constuprated = ravished (OED, obsolete).
12.
not] 1570; no 1548.
13.
oath] 1570; other 1548.
14.
housel = administration of the Eucharist; communion (OED vbl. n. 1).
15.
palms] 1548; palme 1570.
16.
warren = a piece of land enclosed and preserved for breeding game (OED n. ¹ 1a).
17.
tot-quot = a dispensation or license to hold as many ecclesiastical benefices as the holder pleases or can get (OED 1, obsolete).
18.
your] 1570; yours 1548.
19.
that = what.
20.
John of Hildesheim was a 14th-century Carmelite and author. This story is about the French Cardinal Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord and Peter Thomas, a Carmelite and papal legate, also from Perigord (in southwestern France). Petrus de Morone is Pope Celestine V (c. 1215–96).
21.
admonishments] 1570; and mouishmentes 1548; and monishments 1550; + monishments 1550 (W).
22.
Many of these names have appeared in the text before now, but this serves as an even more comprehensive list of medieval thinkers whom Bale reveres because they called upon a reformation of the Catholic church. The list is roughly in chronological order, and many of these men, especially in the early part of the list, spoke out against transubstantiation. This names have been changed into their more common form unless there is an ambiguity in the way that Bale lists them. For more details, see Appendix 3.
23.
Better known as Ratramnus.
24.
Eriugena, Johannes Scotus.
25.
Eusebius Bruno.
26.
Waleran was actually bishop of Nuremburg from 1090–1100. Bale makes the same mistake below (354) and in a marginal note in the Fasciculi Zizaniorum.
27.
Rupert of Deutz.
28.
Joachim of Fiore.
29.
Given the chronological context of this list, Bale must be using the name Cyril the Greek to refer to Cyril of Constantinople. See below, 422.
30.
Gilbert of Leicester is an unknown figure; Bale probably confused him with Gilbert of Sempringham.
31.
Nicolaus Gallus is unknown, perhaps intended as a reference to Nicholas Lyra (who is listed just eight names later).
32.
Marcus of Florencia is unknown.
33.
Pierre d’Ailly.
34.
Gerson, Jean le Charlier de.
35.
Allemand, Louis.
36.
John of Segovia.
37.
Thomas of Rennes.
38.
Matthew Palmer and David Bois are unknown.
39.
John of Goch.
40.
Wesel, Johannes Rucheruth von.
41.
Joannes Crutzer is unknown.
42.
Rodrigo Sánchez de Arévalo.
43.
The person intended is probably James of Brescia.
44.
The greatness…threatened her = i.e., The mischiefs have asked for (warranted) these plagues, as was the case for Sodom and Gomorrah.
45.
body] 1570; bodyes 1548.
46.
give] 1570; gaue 1548.
47.
her] 1570; there 1548, 1550.
48.
goddess] 1548; goodnesse 1570.
49.
Roman emperors portrayed as persecutors of the early Christians. Bale probably means the emperor Trajan (ruled 98–117 CE), though the name could also refer to Trajan Decius (ruled 249–51 CE). Both were accused of persecuting the Christians, though the latter engaged in a much more widespread and organized persecution. See also 345.
50.
heavily] 1570; heauenly 1548; heaueuly 1550.
51.
angels] 1570; aungell 1548.
52.
Traditional iconography of these Catholic saints.
53.
heavily] 1570, 1550; heauenlye 1548.
54.
wrack = a disastrous change in a state or condition of affairs; wreck, ruin, subversion (OED n. ¹ 3).
55.
her] 1548; his 1570.
56.
with a pun on ‘idol’.
57.
canopy] 1548; canapys 1570.
58.
pyx = the vessel or box in which the consecrated bread of the Eucharist is kept (OED n. ¹ 1).
59.
Ludwig X, Duke of Bavaria (1516–54) and Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1514–68).
60.
John Eck, John Cochlaeus, Conrad Tregarius, Kaspar Schatzgeyer, Ambrose Pelargus, Nikolaus Ferber (Herborn), Johannes Hoffmeister, Thomas Badia, Stephen Gardiner (Winchester)—all Catholics and opponents of Reformed theology. For more information on these figures and on the Diet of Regensburg, see above, 239, and Appendix 3.
61.
a poena et culpa = i.e., a release from guilt and punishment (connected to indulgences).
62.
drowning] 1570; drowynge 1548.
63.
absolve] 1548 (assoyle), 1570 (assoile).
64.
raines = A kind of fine linen or lawn, originally imported from France (OED n. 1).
65.
thyine = the epithet of a tree, and its wood, mentioned in Rev 18; supposed to be the African coniferous tree Callitris quadrivalvis, which yields gum sandarac (OED). This word is first used in English in Wycliffe and Tyndale’s translations of the Bible. The NRSV translates this word ‘scented’.
66.
of] 1570; om. 1548.
67.
The rest of this paraphrase focuses on the Roman Catholic use of ceremonial vestments and objects. This is an example of the typical Protestant criticism of such outward forms of worship.
68.
seest me and seest me not = i.e., modern equivalent of ‘now you see me, now you don’t’.
69.
the] 1570; om. 1548.
70.
gad = to go from one place to another, to wander; esp. to wander about with no serious object, stopping here and there, to rove idly (OED v. ² 1a).
71.
processions] 1570; procession 1548.
72.
parure = an ornamental part of an alb or other vestment (OED n. 1).
73.
amice = an oblong piece of white linen, used in the Western church in conjunction with the alb (OED amice¹). Bale further adds that these amices are made of cats’ tails and of calaber (= a kind of fur, apparently obtained from some foreign species of squirrel [OED 1]).
74.
Maundy dishes = the items used or distributed at a Maundy ceremony (OED Maundy n. C1).
75.
standish = inkstand.
76.
cruse = a small earthen vessel for liquids (OED).
77.
mazer = a bowl, drinking cup, or goblet . . . made from a burr or knot of a maple tree and frequently mounted with silver or silver-gilt bands at the lip and base (OED n. ¹). OED notes an occurrence in this word in Faerie Queene (2.12.49).
78.
latten = a mixed metal of yellow colour, either identical with, or closely resembling brass (OED 1).
79.
alcumine = a mixed metal (Christmas, citing Halliwell). No such word is attested in OED.
80.
17] 1548; 7 1570.
81.
superaltaries] 1548; superalities 1570. superaltar = a portable altar consecrated for use on an unconsecrated altar (OED n. ¹).
82.
There is an understood ‘are meant’ after ‘odours’, to parallel the sentence structure in #18.
83.
that they] 1548; they that 1570.
84.
rose] 1570; cose 1548.
85.
spike = French lavender (OED n. ¹ 4, obsolete).
86.
salver] Christmas; sauers 1548; sauours 1550, 1570.
salver = one who salves or heals; applied to Christ or the Virgin Mary (OED salver¹)
87.
The Holy Rood of Beccles was a well-known pilgrimage destination
days] 1548; daye 1570.
88.
requiescant in pace = ‘May they rest in peace’ (part of the Roman Catholic burial service).
89.
Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter, commemorating the Last Supper. Ember days are four sets of three days throughout the year in the liturgical calendar that were set aside for fasting and prayer and were considered especially suitable for the ordination of clergy
Embering] 1548 (embryng), 1570 (Imber).
90.
Fine] Christmas; Fyue 1548, 1570.
91.
comely] 1570; comenly 1548.
92.
According to the Liber Pontificalis (Lives of the Pontiffs), Pope Alexander I (early 2nd century) instituted the Last Supper as part of the Mass. Bale’s point is that, for Catholics, common bread is not sufficient for the Eucharist, so they have special flour that enables them to make more money.
93.
Wasp (used here as a mock title, Saunder Wasp) is a figurative term applied to persons characterized by irascibility and persistent petty malignity (OED n. ¹ 2a). Cf. ‘Saunder smell-smock’ (188).
94.
that = so that.
95.
tributaries] 1570; tributers 1548. Both words mean ‘one who pays tribute’.
96.
See above, 237.
97.
marked] 1548; market 1570.
98.
unto] 1570; too 1548.
99.
idolaters] 1548; Idolatrous 1570.
100.
which] 1548; that which 1570.
101.
are] 1548; were 1570.
102.
heart] 1570; hare 1548.
103.
thy] 1548; om. 1570.
104.
men-pleasers] 1548; mens pleasures 1570; men pleasurs 1550.
105.
they] Christmas; om. 1548, 1550, etc.
106.
Johann Eck, who disputed with Luther and Carlstadt at the Disputation at Leipzig (Lipsia) in 1519.
107.
This list is of opponents of the Reformation at the Sorbonne in the 16th century: Natalis Beda (Noel Bedier), Jodocus Clichtovius (Josse Clichtove), Pierre Cousturier (Sutor), Aegidius Delphus (Gillis van Delft), and Guillaume Duchesne (de Quercu). Liset and Godet are unknown.
108.
‘Paraclete’ originally was a title given to the Holy Spirit, meaning an advocate, intercessor, or comforter. OED (n. 2) gives this as the first instance of an allusive usage of the term.
109.
Bale once again accuses Stephen Gardiner of running ‘stews’ (=brothels); see above, 309.
110.
the] 1548; their 1570.
111.
ungodly] 1570; unholy 1548.
112.
have] 1570; hath 1548.
113.
in] 1548; it 1570.
114.
copes] 1570; cuppes 1548.
115.
wherry = a light rowing-boat used chiefly on rivers to carry passengers and goods (OED n. ¹ 1).
116.
Christmas notes that ‘scute’ is ‘a light boat, from the Dutch schuyte’, but no such word is attested in OED.
117.
soul priest = a prist having the special function of praying or saying mass for the soul of a dead person (OED).
118.
they] 1548; om. 1570.
119.
royal] 1570; ryall 1548, 1550, 1550(W).
120.
reason] 1570; reasons 1548.
121.
upon another] 1570; up an other 1548, 1550.
122.
Philo, the Hellenistic Jewish philosopher (20 BCE–50 CE).
123.
complaint] 1570; complayne 1548.
124.
manqueller = a murderer; a manslaughterer (OED 1).
125.
drums] 1570; drones 1548.
126.
wait = a player on the flute, hautboy, trumpet, etc. (OED n. 8c, obsolete).
127.
shawm = a medieval musical instrument of the oboe class (OED 1).
128.
pricksong = music sung from notes written or pricked (OED 1).
129.
faburden = one of the early systems of harmonoizing (OED 1).
130.
Here Bale displays a distrust of music in worship services that several other Reformers shared.
131.
chrismatory = the vessel containing the chrism or consecrated oil (OED 1a).
132.
corporas = corporal (cloth upon which the consecrated elements are placed during the mass).
133.
mark = sign, badge, brand (OED n. ¹ 12a), with the related senses of: tonsure of a priest or monk (12b) and the mark of the Beast and/or Cain (12c).
134.
With a pun on ‘idol’.
135.
fatherless] 1548; fathereesse 1570.
136.
See Mt 23.24.
137.
altars] 1548; aulter 1570.
138.
synagogues] 1548; sinagog 1570.
139.
thy] 1548; om. 1570.
140.
thy] 1570; the 1548.
141.
charms] 1570; charmers 1548.
142.
affects] 1550; afferts 1548.

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Department of English, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
Gretchen E. Minton

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Department of English, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
Gretchen E. Minton

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Minton, G.E. (2013). The Eighteenth Chapter. In: Minton, G. (eds) John Bale’s 'The Image of Both Churches'. Studies in Early Modern Religious Tradition, Culture and Society, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7296-0_22

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7296-0_22
Published: 24 November 2013
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-7295-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-7296-0
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