By Clement Marot by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Both, in a way. Clément Marot, a French poet from the 16th century, penned the original work. Longfellow translated it into English in the 19th century. The title "By Clement Marot" reflects Longfellow's acknowledgment of the source. The concepts and structure belong to Marot; the English phrasing comes from Longfellow.

The poem portrays Friar Lubin as a hypocrite — adept at every vice yet unable to embrace any virtue. On a larger scale, it's a satirical critique of corrupt clergy who preach one thing but practice another. The core message is that hypocrisy in a religious leader is particularly egregious because they exploit a moral authority that they genuinely lack.

It's an old saying that refers to the two sides of a coin — heads (cross) and tails (pile). When someone says a person is left "without cross or pile," it means they've been left with nothing at all, not a single coin. It's a striking way to express that Lubin wipes people out entirely.

The refrain "Friar Lubin cannot do it" / "Friar Lubin will do it well" establishes a catchy call-and-response rhythm reminiscent of a song or a joke with a solid punchline. Each stanza adds to a growing list of Lubin's talents for mischief, while the refrain delivers the ironic twist. This repetition enhances the satire, and by the third stanza, the conclusion feels definitive.

No. "Friar Lubin" is a fictional character created by Marot to represent a type—a mix of corrupt clergy instead of a particular person. The name "Lubin" in French culture is linked to someone simple or foolish, which adds to the mockery: this character isn't a clever villain, just a greedy, self-indulgent hypocrite.

Irony drives the piece. The poem lauds Lubin's vices as if they are talents, while highlighting his failure to be virtuous as a shortcoming. By portraying wickedness as a form of skill and goodness as something he simply can't achieve, the poem renders his corruption absurd rather than merely evil.

It's the poem's sharpest insult. A dog lacks a moral code, no vows, and no pretensions to virtue — yet even a dog will drink water (a symbol of sobriety and purity). Lubin, who has taken religious vows and preaches sobriety, refuses to. This comparison positions him morally beneath an animal, which is as low as satire can get.

Marot penned his work during the early Reformation, a time when criticizing the Catholic Church's corruption was both common and perilous. Mocking corrupt friars was a popular literary tactic—Chaucer had done it two centuries prior, and Erasmus was actively doing the same around the same time as Marot. With Protestant sympathies himself, Marot faced exile twice due to his religious beliefs, making this type of poem a significant personal risk.