oor parsonage, or a vicarage of 50_l._ per annum,
but we must pay to the patron for the lease of a life (a spent and out-worn
life) either in annual pension, or above the rate of a copyhold, and that
with the hazard and loss of our souls, by simony and perjury, and the
forfeiture of all our spiritual preferments, in _esse_ and _posse_, both
present and to come. What father after a while will be so improvident to
bring up his son to his great charge, to this necessary beggary? What
Christian will be so irreligious, to bring up his son in that course of
life, which by all probability and necessity, _cogit ad turpia_, enforcing
to sin, will entangle him in simony and perjury, when as the poet said,
_Invitatus ad haec aliquis de ponte negabit_: a beggar's brat taken from
the bridge where he sits a begging, if he knew the inconvenience, had cause
to refuse it." This being thus, have not we fished fair all this while,
that are initiate divines, to find no better fruits of our labours, [2030]
_hoc est cur palles, cur quis non prandeat hoc est_? do we macerate
ourselves for this? Is it for this we rise so early all the year long?
[2031]"Leaping" (as he saith) "out of our beds, when we hear the bell ring,
as if we had heard a thunderclap." If this be all the respect, reward and
honour we shall have, [2032]_frange leves calamos, et scinde Thalia
libellos_: let us give over our books, and betake ourselves to some other
course of life; to what end should we study? [2033]_Quid me litterulas
stulti docuere parentes_, what did our parents mean to make us scholars, to
be as far to seek of preferment after twenty years' study, as we were at
first: why do we take such pains? _Quid tantum insanis juvat impallescere
chartis_? If there be no more hope of reward, no better encouragement, I
say again, _Frange leves calamos, et scinde Thalia libellos_; let's turn
soldiers, sell our books, and buy swords, guns, and pikes, or stop bottles
with them, turn our philosopher's gowns, as Cleanthes once did, into
millers' coats, leave all and rather betake ourselves to any other course
of life, than to continue longer in this misery. [2034]_Praestat
dentiscalpia radere, quam literariis monumentis magnatum favorem
emendicare_.

Yea, but methinks I hear some man except at these words, that though this
be true which I have said of the estate of scholars, and especially of
divines, that it is miserable and distressed at this time, that the church
suffers sh