but a _Pharisee_, _Father_," said I, laughing.

"Nay, thou art no _Pharisee_," saith he. "But that they were a nation
and not a sect, I should write thee down a _Sybarite_. _Nell_ is as
near a _Pharisee_ as we have one in the chamber; yet methinketh it were
to insult her to give her such a name."

"Go on," saith Aunt _Joyce_. "I'm waiting."

"What, for thine own class?"

"Mine and thine," saith she.

_Father's_ eyes did shine with fun. "Well, _Joyce_, to tell truth, I am
somewhat puzzled to class thee: but I am disposed to put thee amongst
the _Brownists_."

"What on earth for?" saith she.

"Why," quoth he, "because thou hast a mighty notion of having things
thine own way."

"Sir _Robert_," quoth Aunt _Joyce_, "pray you, box my cousin's ears for
me, as you sit convenient.--And what art thou thine own self, thou
caitiff?"

"A _Bonus Homo_," answers _Father_, right sadly: whereat all that did
know _Latin_ fell a-laughing. And I, asking at my Lady _Stafford_, she
told me that _Bonus Homo_ is to say Good Man, and was in past time the
name of a certain Order of friars, that had carried down the truth of
the Gospel from the first ages in a certain part lying betwixt _Italy_
and _France_.

"_Nell_," saith _Father_, "I did thee wrong to call thee a _Pharisee_:
thou art rather a _Herodian_."

"But I pray you, Sir _Aubrey_, what did you mean by the name you gave
me?" saith Mistress _Martin_. "For I would fain wit my faults, that I
may go about to amend them: and as at this present I am none the wiser."

"The _Essenes_," saith he, "Mistress _Martin_, were a sect of the Jews,
so extreme orthodox that they did deny to perform sacrifice or worship
in the Temple, seeing there they should have to mingle themselves with
other sects, and with wicked men that brought not their sacrifices
rightly. Moreover, they would neither eat flesh-meat nor drink wine:
and they believed not that there were so much as one good woman in the
whole world."

"Then I cry you mercy, Sir _Aubrey_," quoth she, "but if so be,
assuredly I am not of them. I do most heartily believe in good women,
whereof methinks I can see four afore me, at the very least, this
instant moment: nor have I yet abjured neither wine nor flesh-meat."

"Oh no, the details be different," saith he: "yet I dare be bold to say,
you have a conceit of a perfect Church, whereinto no untrue man should
ever be suffered to enter."

"Ay, that have I," said she. "Methi