THE PRIEST.

1

THE PRIEST:

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

"Wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous wolves,

"Who all the sacred mysteries of Heaven

"To their own vile advantages shall turn

"Of lucre and ambition, and the truth

"With superstitions and traditions taint."-Milton.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

Printed by T. C. Hansard, Peterboro'-court, Fleet-street, London.

JU.: 5.13

THE PRIEST.

CHAPTER I.

"Oh, good old man, how well in thee appears
The constant service of the antique world;
When service sweat for duty, not for meed !
Thou art not for the fashion of these times,
When none will sweat, but for promotion,
And having that, do chook their service up,
Even with the having; it is not so with thee."

"You might add too, my wealth,

Shakspeare.

[annum

Which he contemns; five hundred crowns per (For which I've ventured hard, my conscience

knows it)

Not thought upon ; —

[flouted;

This chain, which my lord's peasants worship,
My solemn hums and ha's the servants quake at,
No rhetoric with him; every hour he hangs out
Some new flag of defiance to torment me."

Beaumont.

A FINE sun at the latter end of April had set twilight was gradually deepening into the darker shade of night.