The same Theodoret, continuing to relate the life of the holy Hermits, says, that some of them used to wear iron shoes, and others were constantly burdened with cuirasses inwardly armed with points. Some would willingly expose themselves to the scorching heat of the sun in summer days, and to the nipping cold of winter evenings: and others (continues Theodoret) as it were buried themselves alive in caverns, or in the bottom of wells; while others made their habitations, and in a manner roosted, upon the very tops of columns. Now, among all those numerous and singular methods of self-mortification which Theodoret describes as having been constantly practised by the above-named holy Hermits, we do not find, as hath been above observed, any mention made of flagellations: methods of doing penance, these, which it is hardly credible, Theodoret would have neglected to mention, if those holy Men had employed them[44]. [Illustration: (end of chapter mark)] FOOTNOTES: [42] Our Doctor of the Sorbonne and Abbé Boileau (whose meaning is here faithfully laid before the reader) speaks with much confidence of the proofs he derives in support of his opinion, from the above Latin lines, which he adds he thinks he has done _well_ and _wisely_ to produce; and I have postponed to the end of his argument, to make any remark upon the subject, in order to let him enjoy his triumph a little longer. However, his whole reasoning is no more than a quibble on the sense of the word _flagrum_; which, indeed signifies a whip, but also signifies a lustful passion: both come from the verb _flagrare_, to burn; and _flagrare amore_, to burn with love: hence the word _flagrans delictum_, which is said of a Man who is caught in the act of debauching another Man’s wife, or as some Civilians express it, _alienam Uxorem subagitans_: from the above expression the French have made the words _flagrant délit_, which have the same meaning; and they say of a Man under the above circumstances, that he is caught _en flagrant délit_. The real meaning of the Latin lines above-quoted, is, therefore, that Christians ought to be free, not from every kind of _flagellation_, but from lustful passions. Those lines, it may be observed, together with the quibble contained in them, of which our Author has availed himself to support his private opinion, are in the same taste with the other productions of Monks, during the times of the _middle age_, and of the general decay of literature, when finding out quibbles and puns, and succeeding in composing acrostics, anagrams, and other _difficiles nugæ_, engrossed the whole ambition of Versificators: though, to say the truth, worse lines than the above have been written in that kind of style.