the friars who went about preaching homilies on the people's favourite
vices some humorous rogues may, like the "Pardoner" of the "Canterbury
Tales," have made a point of treating their own favourite vice as their
one and unchangeable text:--

My theme is always one, and ever was:
Radix malorum est cupiditas.

But others preferred to dwell on specifically lay sins; and these
moralists occasionally attributed to the love of expenditure on dress the
impoverishment of the kingdom, forgetting in their ignorance of political
economy and defiance of common sense, that this result was really due to
the endless foreign wars. Yet in contrast with the pomp and ceremony of
life, upon which so great an amount of money and time and thought was
wasted, are noticeable shortcomings by no means uncommon in the case of
undeveloped civilisations (as for instance among the most typically
childish or childlike nationalities of the Europe of our own day), viz.
discomfort and uncleanliness of all sorts. To this may be added the
excessive fondness for sports and pastimes of all kinds, in which nations
are aptest to indulge before or after the era of their highest efforts,--
the desire to make life one long holiday, dividing it between tournaments
and the dalliance of courts of love, or between archery-meetings
(skilfully substituted by royal command for less useful exercises), and
the seductive company of "tumblers," "fruiterers," and "waferers."
Furthermore, one may notice in all classes a far from eradicated
inclination to superstitions of every kind,--whether those encouraged or
those discouraged by the Church
(For holy Church's faith, in our belief,
Suffereth no illusion us to grieve.
"The Franklin's Tale."),