All men know what a pernitious thing couetousnesse is. For they which are not contented to liue with a litle, but will néeds be rich, neither care for any man, nor yet spare any man. Hungry guttes séeke sundrie wayes to fill themselues: fewe willingly endure hunger. Wherefore it is not be maruelled at, if amongst Monks and Priests at these our dayes, who haue bene euer reported to be couetous, there be some founde, which by false apparitions of soules, séeke their gaines, inuenting holy pilgrimages, and other baytes to get mony. For what wil not idle and slothfull lubbers attempt to purchase riches? Doth not Saint =Paule= say, that those which will waxe rich by idlenesse, fall into the snares of the Diuell? [Sidenote: Enuis.] Emulation, wilfulnesse, enuie, hatred, contention, desire to ouercome, what they may doo, what they may bring to passe, daily experience teacheth vs. The Preachers of _Berna_, when they perceiued they could not ouercome their aduersaries by any other means, yéelded themselues (which is horrible to be spoken) vnto the diuel, making him one of their counsell. And who can deny but yͤ priests now adayes are also for the most part, stubborne, and full of contention. [Sidenote: Idlenesse.] Idlenesse is the nurse and mother of all mischiefe: what goodnesse then may ye looke for of them, which not only exercise themselues in no labours prescribed by God, neither yet apply themselues to good learning, but day and night play the gluttons? Tell me I pray thée, whether the laboring husbandman, or the idle man, who alwayes spent his time in inuenting pernitious mischiefes, first founde out those cruel instruments of warre which they call gunnes? [Sidenote: Loue.] It might be declared in many words what loue is able to do. Now because Monks and Priests liue idlely, abounding in all wantonnesse, and yet are restrained from holy marriage, what maruell is it if at this time also they faine and counterfeit many visions, that they might thereby the easier enioy their loue? And here I wil not say it is to be feared, that there are many amongst them so wicked and villanous, as to exercise & practise magicall Artes, and such like, which are vtterly forbidden. Who can then maruell hereafter, if it be sayd, they counterfeyt spirites, affirming they haue let men see this or that soule? For in what men soeuer these vices be, which we haue rehearsed, surely those dare boldly aduenture any thing. No kinde of men are more obnoxious to these kinde of things, than those which leade their life in Monasteries, and Colledges: and therefore no man ought to maruell or thinke it a straunge thing, if we say that in times past many false visions haue bene practised, and may also at this day likewise happen. For yͤ world, as all men iustly complaine, waxeth worse and worse. Men are now more impudent, more bold, more couetous, and more wicked, than euer they were in times past.