wear aix ash-coloured habit and a canvas girdle ; but compare their lives, and nothing can be more disagreeable : I speak of a great many, but not of all. And this may be carried through all orders and profes- sions. A preposterous confidence springs from an erroneous judgment, and from them both, preposterous scandals. Ltet but a Franciscan go out of doors with a leather girdle, if he has chanced to lose his rope, or an Augustine with a woollen one, or one that uses to wear a girdle without one, what an abomination would it be accounted 1 What danger is there, that if some women should see this they would miscarry ! And from such trifles as these, how is brotherly charity broke in upon ! what bitter envyings, how virulent slauderings ! The Lord exclaims against these in the gospel, and so does Paul vehemently, and so ought divines and preachers to do.
Fi. Indeed they ought to do so ; but there are a great many among them whose interest it is to have people, princes, and bishops such as they are themselves. And there are others again that have no more sense as to these things than the people themselves ; or if they do know better, they dissemble it, consulting their own bellies rather than the interest of Jesus Christ. And hence it comes to pass, that the people being everywhere corrupted with erroneous judgments, are secure where there is danger, and fearful where there is none ; can sit down satisfied where they should proceed, and go forward when they should return. And if a man attempt to bring any one off from these erroneous principles, presently they cry out sedition, as though it were sedition for any one with better remedies to endeavour to correct a vicious habit of body, which an ignorant pretender to physic has for a long time nourished, and almost brought it to be natural. But it is time to leave off these complaints, for there is no end of them. And if the people should hear what discourse we have, we are in danger to have a new proverb raised upon us, that a salt-fishmonger and a butcher trouble their heads about such things.
Bu. If they did, I would return this proverb upon them, Scepe etiam est olitor opportune locutis. A little while ago I was talking of these things at the table, and as ill luck would have it, there sat a ragged, lousy, stern, old, withered, white-livered fellow ; he had scarce three hairs on his head, and whenever he opened his mouth he shut his eyes; they said he was a divine, and he called me a disciple of Antichrist, and a great many such like things. Fi. What did you do then 1 Did you say nothing ? Bu. I wished him a drachm of sound judgment in his stinking brain, if he had any. Fi. I should be glad to hear the whole of that story. Bu. So you shall, if you will come and dine with me on Thursday next ; you shall have a veal-pie for dinner, so tender baked that you may suck it through a quill. Fi. I will promise you I will come ; if you will come and dine with me on Friday, I will con- rince you that we fishmongers do not live merely on stinking salt fish.
THE FUNERAL.
Marcolphus, Phœdrus.
Ma. Where have you been, Phædrus! What, are you just come out of Trophonius's cave? Ph. What makes you ask me that question?
