true, good, natural mutton as any in Leadenhall market; and G- confound you both eternally, if you offer to believe otherwife. Such a thundering proof as this left no further room for objection; the two unbelievers began to gather and pocket up their mistake as haftily as they could. Why, truly, faid the firft, upon more mature confideration.-Ay, fays the other interrupting him, now I have thought better on the thing, your lordship feems to have a great deal of reafon. Very well, faid Peter; here, boy, fill me a beer-glafs of claret; here's to you both with all my heart. The two brethren, much delighted to see him fo readily appeased, returned their most humble thanks, and faid, they would be glad to pledge his lordship. That you fhall, faid Peter; I am not a person to refufe you any thing that is reasonable; wine, moderately taken, is a cordial; here is a glass a piece for you; it is true natural juice from the grape, none of your damned vintners brewings. Having fpoke thus, he prefented to each of them another large dry cruft, bidding them drink it off, and not be bashful, for it would do them

по

no hurt. The two brothers, after having performed the ufual office in fuch delicate conjectures, of staring a fufficient period at lord Peter and each other, and finding how matters were like to go, refolved not to enter on a new difpute, but let him carry the point as he pleased: for he was now got into one of his mad fits, and to argue or expoftulate farther would only ferve to render him a hundred times more untractable.

I have chosen to relate this worthy matter in all its circumstances, because it gave a principal occafion to that great and famous rupture, which happened about the fame time among these brethren, and was never afterwards made up. But of that I shall treat at large in another fection.

However it is certain, that lord Peter even in his lucid intervals was very lewdly given in his common converfation, extreme wilful and pofitive, and would at any time rather argue to the death, than allow himself once to be in an error. Befides, he had an abominable faculty of telling huge palpable lyes upon all occafions;

By this rupture is meant the reformation.

and

and not only swearing to the truth, but curfing the whole company to hell, if they pretended to make the least scruple of believing him. One time he swore he had a cow at home, which gave as. much milk at a meal, as would fill three thousand churches; and what was yet more extraordinary, would never turn four. Another time he was telling of an old 'fign-poft, that belonged to his father, with nails and timber enough in it to build fixteen large men of war. Talking one day of Chinese waggons, which were made fo light as to fail over mountains : Z-ds, faid Peter, where's the wonder. of that? by G-, I faw a large boufe

The ridiculous multiplying of the virgin Mary's milk a mong the papifts, under the allegory of a cow, which gave as much milk at a meal, as would fill three thousand churches. W. Wotton.

i By this fign poft is meant the cross of our bleffed Saviour; and, if all the wood, that is fhewn for parts of it, was collected, the quantity would fufficiently juftify this farcafm.

*The chapel of Loretto. He falls here only upon the ridicu

lous inventions of popery: the
church of Rome intended by
these things to gull filly, fuper-
ftitious people, and rook them"
of their money; the world had
been too long in flavery, our
ancestors gloriously redeemed
us from that yoke.
church of Rome therefore ought
to be expofed, and he deserves
well of mankind that does ex-
pose it. W, Wotton.

The

Ibid. The chapel of Loretto, which travelled from the Holy Land to Italy.

of

of lime and ftone travel over fea and land, granting that it stopped fometimes to bait; above two thousand German leagues. And that which was the good of it, he would swear desperately all the while, that he never told a lye in his life; and at every word; by G-, gentlemen, I tell you nothing but the truth: and the D-l broil them eternally, that will not believe me.

In fhort, Peter grew fo fcandalous, that all the neighbourhood began in plain words to fay, he was no better than a knave. And his two brothers, long weary of his ill usage, resolved at last to leave him; but first, they humbly defired a copy of their father's will, which had now lain by neglected time out of mind. Instead of granting this request, he called them damned fons of whores, rogues, traytors, and the reft of the vile names he could mufter up. However, while he was abroad one day upon his projects, the two youngsters watched their opportunity, made a shift to come at the will, and took a copia vera, by which they presently faw how grofly they had been abused; their father

• Tranflated the fcriptures into the vulgar tongues.

having left them equal heirs, and strictly commanded, that whatever they got fhould lie in common among them all. Pursuant to which their next enterprize was to break upon the cellar-door, and get a little good drink to spirit and comfort their hearts. In copying the will they had met another precept against whoring, divorce, and separate maintenance; upon which their next work was to difcard their concubines, and fend for their wives. Whilft all this was in agitation, there enters a follicitor from Newgate, defiring lord Peter would please to procure a pardon for a thief, that was to be hanged to morBut the two brothers told him, he was a coxcomb to feek pardons from a fellow, who deferved to be hanged much better than his client; and discovered all the method of that impofture, in the fame form I delivered it a while ago, advising the follicitor to put his friend upon obtaining a pardon from the king. In the

row.

Administered the cup to the laity at the communion. f Allowed the marriages of

priests.

• Directed penitents not to

truft to pardons and absolutions procured for money, but fent them to implore the mercy of God, from whence alone remiffion is to be obtained.