A Supplication for the Beggars

"A Supplication for the Beggars" by Simon Fish is a forceful pamphlet from 1529 that acts as both political and religious commentary, showing the tough times of that era. It strongly criticizes the Church's riches and control in England, pointing out their greedy actions and bad behavior, and pushing for big changes and responsibility in the church. Appealing to King Henry VIII, Fish cries out about the problems of poor people and how they are weighed down by dishonest church leaders who are "strong puissaunt and counterfeit holy, and ydell beggers." Fish believes that the huge amounts of money the church gets from tithes and funeral costs hurts regular people and weakens the king's power, leading to a breakdown of society; instead, he wants church leaders to get their money from real work, not by taking advantage of people. This text is a heartfelt demand for things to get better during the Reformation.