it that is willing so to do. They use both the Old and the New
Testament, and read both in their own language, but so confusedly
that they themselves that do read understand not what they
themselves do say; and while any part of either Testament is read
there is liberty given by custom to prattle, talk, and make a noise;
but in the time of the rest of the service they use very great
silence and reverence, and behave themselves very modestly and in
good sort. As touching the Lord's Prayer, the tenth man amongst
them knows it not; and for the Articles of our Faith and the Ten
Commandments, no man, or, at the least, very few of them, do either
know them or can say them: their opinion is that such secret and
holy things as they are should not rashly and imprudently be
communicated with the common people. They hold for a maxim amongst
them that the old Law, and the Commandments also, are all abolished
by the death and blood of Christ; all studies and letters of
humanity they utterly refuse; concerning the Latin, Greek, and
Hebrew tongues, they are altogether ignorant in them.

Every year they celebrate four several fasts, which they call
according to the names of the saints: the first begins with them at
the time that our Lent begins; the second is called amongst them the
Fast of St. Peter; the third is taken from the Day of the Virgin
Mary; and the fourth, and last, begins upon St. Philip's Day. But
as we begin our Lent upon Wednesday, so they begin theirs upon the
Sunday. Upon the Saturday they eat flesh. Whensoever any of those
fasting feasts do draw near, look what week doth immediately go
before them; the same week they live altogether upon white meats,
and in their common language they call those weeks the fast of
butter.