metimes gape at,
but seldom apprehend: and they take such a liberty in their speaking of
Latin, that they scorn to stick at the exactness of syntax or concord;
pretending it is below the majesty of a divine to talk like a pedagogue,
and be tied to the slavish observance of the rules of grammar.

Finally, they take a vast pride, among other citations, to allege the
authority of their respective master, which word they bear as profound
a respect to as the Jews did to their ineffable _tetragrammaton_, and
therefore they will be sure never to write it any otherwise than in
great letters, MAGISTER NOSTER; and if any happen to invert the order of
the words, and say, _noster magister_ instead of _magister noster_, they
will presently exclaim against him as a pestilent heretic and underminer
of the catholic faith.

[Illustration: 282]

The next to these are another sort of brainsick fools, who style
themselves monks and of religious orders, though they assume both titles
very unjustly: for as to the last, they have very little religion in
them; and as to the former, the etymology of the word monk implies a
solitariness, or being alone; whereas they are so thick abroad that
we cannot pass any street or alley without meeting them. Now I cannot
imagine what one degree of men would be more hopelessly wretched, if
I did not stand their friend, and buoy them up in that lake of misery,
which by the engagements of a holy vow they have voluntarily immerged
themselves in. But when these sort of men are so unwelcome to others, as
that the very sight of them is thought ominous, I yet make them highly
in love with themselves, and fond admirers of their own happiness. The
first step whereunto they esteem a profound ignorance, thinking carnal
knowledge a great enemy to their spiritual welfare, and seem confident
of becoming greater proficients in divine mysteries the less they are
poisoned with any human learning. They imagine that they bear a sweet
consort with the heavenly choir, when they tone out their daily tally
of psalms, which they rehearse only by rote, without permitting their
understanding or affections to go along with their voice. Among these
some make a good profitable trade of beggary, going about from house to
house, not like the apostles, to break, but to beg, their bread; nay,
thrust into all public-houses, come aboard the passage-boats, get into
the travelling waggons, and omit no opportunity of time or place for the
cra