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John Ball citations

John Ball fut un prêtre anglais et une figure importante de la révolte des paysans.

Disciple de John Wyclif, il s'associa à Wat Tyler, attira un grand nombre de spectateurs en prêchant contre les riches et les grands et marcha sur Londres à leur tête. Arrêté et mis en prison, il fut délivré par ses partisans, vint avec eux assiéger le roi Richard II dans la Tour de Londres et le força à livrer à la foule Simon Sudbury, archevêque de Canterbury et plusieurs grands officiers, qui furent aussitôt massacrés. Il fut repris et exécuté en 1381.

Un de ses sermons, prononcé à Blackheath contenait la phrase célèbre : « Quand Adam bêchait et Ève filait, où donc était le gentilhomme ? ». Wikipedia  

✵ 1338 – 15. juillet 1381
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John Ball: 4   citations 0   J'aime

John Ball: Citations en anglais

“I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty.”

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John Ball (priest)

Sermon at Blackheath (12 June 1381), quoted in Annals, or a General Chronicle of England my nugget
Contexte: When Adam delved, and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond, and who free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty.

“When Adam delved, and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?”

Help us translate this quote
John Ball (priest)

Sermon at Blackheath (12 June 1381), quoted in Annals, or a General Chronicle of England my nugget
Contexte: When Adam delved, and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond, and who free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty.

“Now reigneth pride in prize
and covetousness is held wise,
and lechery without shame
and gluttony without blame.
Envy reigneth with treason
and sloth is taken in great season.
God do boot, for now is time. Amen.”

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John Ball (priest)

Letter to the people, quoted in Annals, or a General Chronicle of England by John Stow. "Boot" here means "amends," as in the ancient Anglo-Saxon laws

“My good friends, things cannot go on well in England, nor ever will until everything shall be in common, when there shall be neither vassal nor lord, and all distinctions levelled; when the lords shall be no more masters than ourselves. How ill they have used us!… They have wines, spices and fine bread, when we have only rye and the refuse of fine straw; and if we drink, it must be water. They have handsome seats and manors, when we must brave the wind and rain in our labours in the field; but it is from our labour they have the wherewith to support their pomp.… Let us go to the king, who is young, and remonstrate with him on our servitude, telling him we must have it otherwise, or that we shall find a remedy for it ourselves.”

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John Ball (priest)

Typical sermon, described in the Chronicles of England, France, Spain, and other places adjoining by Jean Froissart