and the mercer brought a pattern of it immediately to our three gentlemen: An' please your worShips, faid he, my Lord C-, and Sir J. W. had linings out of this very piece last night. It takes wonderfully; and I shall not have a remnant left, enough to make my wife a pin-cushion, by to-morrow morning at ten a clock. Upon this they fell again to rummage the will, because the prefent cafe alfo required a positive precept, the lining being held by orthodox writers to be of the effence of the coat. After long fearch, they could fix upon nothing to the matter in hand, except a fhort advice of their father in the will, to take care of fire, and put out their candles before they went to fleep. This, though a good deal for the purpofe, and helping very far towards felf-conviction, yet not feeming wholly of force to eftablish a command; (being refolved to avoid farther fcruple, as well as future occafion for fcandal), says he that was the fcholar, I remember to have read in wills, of a codicil annexed; which is indeed a part of the will; and what it contains, hath equal authority

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thers dreffes, refers to fome particular error in the church of Rome; though it is not eafy, I think, to apply them all. But by this of flame-coloured fattin, is manifeftly intended purgatory; by gold-lace may perhaps be unde. ftood, the lofty ornaments and plate in the churches. The fhoulder-knots and filver fringe are not fo obvious, at leaft to me. But the Indian figures of men, women, and children, plainly relate to the pictures in the Romish churches, of God like an old man, of the virgin Mary, and our Saviour as a child.

* That is, to take care of hell; and, in order to do that, to fubdue and extinguish their lufts.

rity with the rest. Now, I have been confidering of this fame will here before us; and I cannot reckon it to be complete for want of fuch a codicil. I will therefore faften one in its proper place very dextrously. I have had it by me fome time. It was written by a dog-keeper of my grandfather's*; and talks a great deal, as good luck would have it, of this very flamecoloured fattin. The project was immediately approved by the other two; an old parchment scroll was tagged on according to art, in the form of a codicil annexed, and the fattin bought and worn.

Next winter, a player, hired for the purpose by the corporation of fringe-makers, acted his part in a new comedy, all covered with filverfringe; and, according to the laudable custom, gave rife to that fashion. Upon which, the brothers confulting their father's will, to their great aftonishment found thefe words: Item, I charge and command my faid three fons, to wear no fort of filver-fringe upon or about their said coats, &c. with a penalty, in cafe of disobedience, too long here to infert. However, after fome paufe, the brother fo often mentioned for his erudition, who was well skilled in criticisms, had found in a certain author, which he faid fhould be nameless, that the fame word, which in the will is called.

fringe,

* I believe this refers to that part of the Apocrypha, where mention is made of Tobit and his dog.

This is certainly the farther introducing the pomps of habit and ornament.

fringe, does alfo fignify a broom-flick *; and doubtlefs ought to have the fame interpretation in this paragraph. This another of the brothers difliked, because of that epithet filver; which could not, he humbly conceived, in propriety of fpeech, be reasonably applied to a broom-ftick. But it was replied upon him, that this epithet was underftood in a mythological and allegorical fenfe. However, he objected again, why their father fhould forbid them to wear a broom-stick on their coats; a caution that feemed unnatural and impertinent. Upon which he was taken up fhort, as one that spoke irreverently of a mystery; which doubtless was very useful and fignificant, but ought not to be over-curiously pried into, or nicely reafoned upon. And, in fhort, their father's authority being now confiderably funk, this expedient was allowed to ferve as a lawful difpenfation for wearing their full proportion of filverfringe.

A while after, was revived an old fafhion, long antiquated, of embroidery with Indian figures of men, women, and children †. Here they re

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membered

The next fubject of our author's wit, is the gloffes and interpretations of fcripture, very many abfurd ones of which are allowed in the most authentic books of the church of Rome. W. Wotton.

The images of faints, the bleffed virgin, and our Saviour an infant.

Ibid. Images in the church of Rome, give him but too fair a handle, The brothers remembered, &c. The allegory here is direct.. W. Wotton.

membered but too well, how their father had always abhorred this fashion; that he made feveral paragraphs on purpose, importing his utter deteftation of it, and beftowing his everlasting curfe to his fons, whenever they fhould wear it. For all this, in a few days, they appeared higher in the fashion than any body else in the town. But they folved the matter, by saying that these figures were not at all the fume with those that were formerly worn, and were meant in the will. Befides, they did not wear them in the fenfe as forbidden by their father; but as they were a commendable cuftom, and of great ufe to the public. That thefe rigorous claufes in the will did therefore require fome allowance, and a favourable interpretation, and ought to be underftood cum grano falis.

But fafhions perpetually altering in that age, the fcholaftic brother grew weary of searching farther evafions, and folving everlasting contradictions. Refolved therefore, at all hazards, to comply with the modes of the world, they concerted matters together, and agreed unanimonfly, to lock up their father's will in a strong box*, brought out of Greece or Italy, I have forgotten which; and trouble themselves no farther to examine

*The Papifts formerly forbade the people the ufe of fcripture in a vulgar tongue: Peter therefore locks up his father's will in a Strong box, brought out of Greece or Italy. Thefe countries are named, because the New Teftament is written in Greek; and the vulgar Latin, which is the authentic edition of the Bible in the church of Rome, is in the language of old Italy. W. Wotton.

amine it, but only refer to its authority whenever they thought fit. In confequence whereof, a while after, it grew a general mode to wear an infinite number of points, most of them tagged with filver. Upon which, the scholar pronounced ex cathedra*, that points were absolutely jure paterno, as they might very well remember. It is true, indeed, the fashion prescribed fomewhat more than were directly named in the will: However, that they, as heirs-general of their father, had power to make and add certain claufes for public ́emolument, though not deducible, totidem verbis, from the letter of the will; or elfe multa abfurda fequerentur. This was underftood for canonical; and therefore, on the following Sunday, they came to church all covered with points.

The learned brother, fo often mentioned, was reckoned the best scholar, in all that, or the next ftreet to it; infomuch, as having run fomething behind-hand in the world, he obtained the favour of a certain lordt, to receive him into his house, and to teach his children. A while after, the lord died; and he, by long practice of his father's

will,

*The Popes, in their decretals and bulls, have given their fanction to very many gainful doctrines, which are now received in the church of Rome, that are not mentioned in scripture, and are unknown to the primitive church. Peter accordingly pronounces ex cathedra, that points tagged with filver were abfolutely jure paterno; and fo they wore them in great numbers. W. Wotton. This was Conftantine the Great, from whom the Popes pretend a donation of St Peter's patrimony, which they have been never able to produce.