ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1553- 



Furthermore they have a great number of Religious 

 men : which are blacke Monks, and they eate no flesh 

 throughout the yeere, but fish, milke and Butter. By 

 their order they should eate no fresh-fish, and in their 

 Lents they eate nothing but Coleworts, Cabbages, salt 

 Cowcumbers, with other rootes, as Radish and such like. 

 Their drinke is like our peny Ale, and is called Quass. 

 They have service daily in their Churches ; and use to 

 goe to service two houres before day, and that is ended by 

 day light. At nine of the clocke they goe to Masse : 

 that ended, to dinner : and after that to service againe : 

 and then to supper. You shall understand that at every 

 dinner and supper they have declared the exposition of 

 the Gospel that day : but howe they wrest and twine the 

 Scripture and that together by report it is wonderfull. 

 As for whoredome and drunkennesse there be none such 

 living : and for extortion, they be the most abhominable 

 under the sunne. Nowe judge of their holinesse. They 

 have twise as much land as the Duke himselfe hath : but 

 yet he is reasonable eeven with them, as thus : When 

 they take bribes of any of the poore and simple, he hath 

 it by an order. When the Abbot of any of their houses 

 dieth, then the Duke hath all his goods moveable and 

 unmoveable : so that the successour buieth all at the 

 Dukes hands : and by this meane they be the best 

 Fermers the Duke hath. Thus with their Religion I 

 make an ende, trusting hereafter to know it better. 



To the right worshipfull and my singular good Uncle, 

 Master Christopher Frothingham, give these. 



Sir, Reade and correct; 

 For great is the defect. 



238 



