y, made his escape from the field; another, while he was a
hanging, the rope broke, and so he saved his neck, and renewed his
licence for practising his old trade of thieving; another broke gaol,
and got loose; a patient, against his physician's will, recovered of a
dangerous fever; another drank poison, which putting him into a violent
looseness, did his body more good than hurt, to the great grief of
his wife, who hoped upon this occasion to have become a joyful widow;
another had his waggon overturned, and yet none of his horses lamed;
another had caught a grievous fall, and yet recovered from the bruise;
another had been tampering with his neighbour's wife, and escaped very
narrowly from being caught by the enraged cuckold in the very act. After
all these acknowledgments of escapes from such singular dangers, there
is none (as I have before intimated) that return thanks for being freed
from Folly; Folly being so sweet and luscious, that it is rather sued
for as a happiness, than deprecated as a punishment But why should I
launch out into so wide a sea of superstitions?

_Had I as many tongues as Argus eyes, Briareus hands, they all would not
suffice Folly in all her shapes t' epitomise._

Almost all Christians being wretchedly enslaved to blindness and
ignorance, which the priests are so far from preventing or removing,
that they blacken the darkness, and promote the delusion; wisely
foreseeing that the people (like cows, which never give down their milk
so well as when they are gently stroked), would part with less if they
knew more, their bounty proceeding only from a mistake of charity. Now
if any grave wise man should stand up, and unseasonably speak the truth,
telling every one that a pious life is the only way of securing a happy
death; that the best title to a pardon of our sins is purchased by a
hearty abhorrence of our guilt, and sincere resolutions of amendment;
that the best devotion which can be paid to any saints is to imitate
them in their exemplary life: if he should proceed thus to inform them
of their several mistakes, there would be quite another estimate put
upon tears, watchings, masses, fastings, and other severities, which
before were so much prized, as persons will now be vexed to lose that
satisfaction they formerly found in them.

[Illustration: 194]

In the same predicament of fools are to be ranked such, as while they
are yet living, and in good health, take so great a care how they sha