40 THE FEEN^CH BLOOD IN AMEEICA 



superiors they were devoted body and soul to a ceaseless 

 round of sensual pleasures. The monastic orders were 

 no better, and filth and gluttony rioted among them. 

 In speaking of them, a contemporary Eomish writer 

 says: "Generally the monks elected the most jovial 

 companion, him who was the most fond of women, dogs, 

 and birds, the deepest drinker — in short, the most dis- 

 sipated ; and this in order that, when they had made 

 him abbot or prior, they might be permitted to indulge 

 in similar debauch and pleasure." 



The ignorance of the clergy in spiritual matters was 

 equalled only by their debauchery. A few scraps of 

 Vulgate Latin with which to conduct the mass, a slender 

 stock of "Aves" and "Paters," sufficed for the rank 

 and file of the priesthood. Of the Bible they literally 

 knew nothing at all. But this cannot be wondered at 

 when even the professed teachers of theology showed a 

 marvellous ignorance of the Holy Scriptures. Eobert 

 Etienne, a famous scholar and printer who was born in 

 1503, wrote as follows concerning the Biblical knowledge 

 of the theologians of the Sorbonne : "In those times, as 

 I can affirm with truth, when I asked them in what part of 

 The New ^hc Ncw Tcstamcnt some matter was written, they used 



Tastament ' ^ 



Unknown to auswcr that they had read it in Saint Jerome or in the 

 Decretals, but that they did not know what the New 

 Testament was, not being aware that it was customary 

 to print it after the Old. What I am going to state will 

 appear almost a prodigy, and yet there is nothing more 

 true nor better proven : Not long since, a member of 

 their college used daily to say, I am amazed that these 

 young people keep bringing up the New Testament to 

 us. I was more than fifty years old before I knew any- 

 thing about the New Testament ! " 



If the theologians had such a slight acquaintance 

 with the teachings of Christ the people could well be for- 

 given for. not having any knowledge at all of Him. 

 There was no translation of the Bible into French, and 



