he friars who went about preaching homilies on
the people's favourite vices some humorous rogues may, like the
"Pardoner" of the "Canterbury Tales," have made a point of treating
their own favourite vice as their one and unchangeable text:--

My theme is always one, and ever was:
Radix malorum est cupiditas.

But others preferred to dwell on specifically lay sins; and these
moralists occasionally attributed to the love of expenditure on dress
the impoverishment of the kingdom, forgetting in their ignorance of
political economy and defiance of common sense, that this result was
really due to the endless foreign wars. Yet in contrast with the pomp
and ceremony of life, upon which so great an amount of money and time
and thought was wasted, are noticeable shortcomings by no means
uncommon in the case of undeveloped civilisations (as for instance
among the most typically childish or childlike nationalities of the
Europe of our own day), viz. discomfort and uncleanliness of all sorts.
To this may be added the excessive fondness for sports and pastimes of
all kinds, in which nations are aptest to indulge before or after the
era of their highest efforts,--the desire to make life one long
holiday, dividing it between tournaments and the dalliance of courts of
love, or between archery-meetings (skilfully substituted by royal
command for less useful exercises), and the seductive company of
"tumblers," "fruiterers," and "waferers." Furthermore, one may notice
in all classes a far from eradicated inclination to superstitions of
every kind,--whether those encouraged or those discouraged by the Church

(For holy Church's faith, in our belief,
Suffereth no illusion us to grieve.
"The Franklin's Tale."),

--an inclination unfortunately fostered rather than checked by the
uncertain gropings of contemporary science. Hence, the credulous
acceptance of relics like those sold by the "Pardoner," and of legends
like those related to Chaucer's Pilgrims by the "Prioress" (one of the
numerous repetitions of a cruel calumny against the Jews), and by the
"Second Nun" (the supra-sensual story of Saint Cecilia). Hence, on the
other hand, the greedy hunger for the marvels of astrology and alchemy,
notwithstanding the growing scepticism even of members of a class
represented by Chaucer's "Franklin" towards

such folly
As in our days is not held worth a fly,

and notwithstanding the exposure of fraud by repentant or sickened