xercise; wherefore, to speak more plainly, they have not the
friar's gown, but only the colours thereof.

[Footnote 177: _i.e._ friars' gowns. Boccaccio constantly uses this
irregular form of enallage, especially in dialogue.]

[Footnote 178: Or, as we should nowadays say, "typical."]

Moreover, whereas the ancients[179] desired the salvation of mankind,
those of our day covet women and riches and turn their every thought
to terrifying the minds of the foolish with clamours and
depicturements[180] and to making believe that sins may be purged with
almsdeeds and masses, to the intent that unto themselves (who, of
poltroonery, not of devoutness, and that they may not suffer
fatigue,[181] have, as a last resort, turned friars) one may bring
bread, another send wine and a third give them a dole of money for the
souls of their departed friends. Certes, it is true that almsdeeds and
prayers purge away sins; but, if those who give alms knew on what
manner folks they bestow them, they would or keep them for themselves
or cast them before as many hogs. And for that these[182] know that,
the fewer the possessors of a great treasure, the more they live at
ease, every one of them studieth with clamours and bugbears to detach
others from that whereof he would fain abide sole possessor. They
decry lust in men, in order that, they who are chidden desisting from
women, the latter may be left to the chiders; they condemn usury and
unjust gains, to the intent that, it being entrusted to them to make
restitution thereof, they may, with that which they declare must bring
to perdition him who hath it, make wide their gowns and purchase
bishopricks and other great benefices.

[Footnote 179: _i.e._ the founders of the monastic orders.]

[Footnote 180: Lit. pictures, paintings (_dipinture_), but evidently
here used in a tropical sense, Boccaccio's apparent meaning being that
the hypocritical friars used to terrify their devotees by picturing to
them, in vivid colours, the horrors of the punishment reserved for
sinners.]

[Footnote 181: _i.e._ may not have to labour for their living.]

[Footnote 182: _i.e._ the false friars.]

And when they are taken to task of these and many other unseemly
things that they do, they think that to answer, "Do as we say and not
as we do," is a sufficient discharge of every grave burden, as if it
were possible for the sheep to be more constant and stouter to resist
temptation[183] than the shepherds. And