But It Is Said That Some Parts Of The
Ardent Doctrines Are Still Retained.
They give the first piece
broken off from every loaf of bread to the poor; they sit down to
dinner by three to a dish, in honour of the Trinity.
With extended
arms and bowing head, they ask a blessing of every monk or priest,
or of every person wearing a religious habit. But they desire,
above all other nations, the episcopal ordination and unction, by
which the grace of the spirit is given. They give a tenth of all
their property, animals, cattle, and sheep, either when they marry,
or go on a pilgrimage, or, by the counsel of the church, are
persuaded to amend their lives. This partition of their effects
they call the great tithe, two parts of which they give to the
church where they were baptised, and the third to the bishop of the
diocese. But of all pilgrimages they prefer that to Rome, where
they pay the most fervent adoration to the apostolic see. We
observe that they show a greater respect than other nations to
churches and ecclesiastical persons, to the relics of saints,
bells, holy books, and the cross, which they devoutly revere; and
hence their churches enjoy more than common tranquillity. For
peace is not only preserved towards all animals feeding in
churchyards, but at a great distance beyond them, where certain
boundaries and ditches have been appointed by the bishops, in order
to maintain the security of the sanctuary. But the principal
churches to which antiquity has annexed the greater reverence
extend their protection to the herds as far as they can go to feed
in the morning and return at night. If, therefore, any person has
incurred the enmity of his prince, on applying to the church for
protection, he and his family will continue to live unmolested; but
many persons abuse this indemnity, far exceeding the indulgence of
the canon, which in such cases grants only personal safety; and
from the places of refuge even make hostile irruptions, and more
severely harass the country than the prince himself. Hermits and
anchorites more strictly abstinent and more spiritual can nowhere
be found; for this nation is earnest in all its pursuits, and
neither worse men than the bad, nor better than the good, can be
met with.
Happy and fortunate indeed would this nation be, nay, completely
blessed, if it had good prelates and pastors, and but one prince,
and that prince a good one.
BOOK II
PREFACE
Having in the former book clearly set forth the character, manners,
and customs of the British nation, and having collected and
explained everything which could redound to its credit or glory; an
attention to order now requires that, in this second part, we
should employ our pen in pointing out those particulars in which it
seems to transgress the line of virtue and commendation; having
first obtained leave to speak the truth, without which history not
only loses its authority, but becomes undeserving of its very name.
For the painter who professes to imitate nature, loses his
reputation, if, by indulging his fancy, he represents only those
parts of the subject which best suit him.
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