EDGAR.

* 5 ?

mixing with the laity in the pleasures of gaming, chunting, dancing, and singing; and their openlyliving with concubines, by which it is commonlysupposed he meant their wives. He then turnedhimself to Dunstan the primate; and in the nameof king Edred, whom he supposed to look downfrom heaven with indignation against all thoseenormities , he thus addressed him. “ It is you ,

“ Dunstan, by whose advice I founded monas-“ teries , built churches , and expended my“ treasure in the support of religion and religious“ houses. It ou were my counsellor and assistant“ in all my schemes : You were the director ofmy conscience : To you I was obedient in all“ things. When did you call for supplies , which“ I refused you'? Was my assistance ever wantingft to the poor? Did I deny support and establish-<c ments to the clergy and the convents ? Didtc I not hearken to your instructions , who told“ me, that these charities were, of all others, thecc most grateful to my Maker, and fixed a per-cc petual fund for the support of religion ? Andw are all our pious endeavours now frustrated by“ the dissolute lives of the priests ? Not that Icc throw any blame on you : You have reasoned,

“ besought, inculcated, inveighed: But it now“ behoves you to use sharper and more vigorous“ remedies; and conjoining your spiritual authoritycc with the civil power, to purge effectually the£c temple of God from thieves and intruders

Abbas. RievaL p. 360, 361. Spell. Cone. p. 476,

4 77 , 478 .

HAP

II.

V