ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1553- 



and after the consecration, they carry it about the 



Church in a saucer, and prohibite no man from re- 

 ceiving and taking of it, that is willing so to doe. 

 They use both the Olde and the Newe Testament, and 

 read both in their owne language, but so confusedly, 

 that they themselves that doe reade, understand not 

 what themselves doe say : and while any part of either 

 Testament is read, there is libertie given by custome 

 to prattle, talke, and make a noise : but in the time 

 of the rest of the service they use very great silence 

 and reverence and behave themselves very modestly, 

 and in good sort. As touching the Lords praier, the 

 tenth man amongst them knowes it not : and for the 

 articles of our faith, and the ten commandements, no 

 man, or at the least very fewe of them doe either 

 know them or can say them : their opinion is, that such 

 secrete and holy things as they are should not rashly 

 and imprudently be communicated with the common 

 people. They holde for a Maxime amongst them, that 

 the olde Lawe, and the commandements also are 

 abolished by the death and blood of Christ : all 

 studies and letters of humanitie they utterly refuse : 

 concerning the Latine, Greeke, and Hebrew tongues, 

 they are altogether ignorant in them. 



Every yeere they celebrate foure severall fastes, which 

 they call according to the names of the Saints : the 

 first beginnes with them, at the time that our Lent 

 beginnes. The second is called amongst them the fast 

 of S. Peter. The third is taken from the day of the 

 Virgin Marie. And the fourth and last begins upon 

 S. Philips day. But as we begin our Lent upon 

 Wednesday, so they begin theirs upon the Sunday. 

 Upon the Saturday they eate flesh : whensoever any of 

 those fasting feastes doe drawe neere, looke what weeke 

 doth immediatly goe before them, the same weeke they 

 live altogether upon white meates, and in their common 

 language they call those weekes, the fast of Butter. 



In the time of their fasts, the neighbours every 



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