The Romany Rye by George Henry Borrow
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page 33 of 544 (06%)
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fast as I conveniently could. Whether he suspected who I was, I
know not; but I did not like his look at all, and do not intend to go again." "Well, then," said I, "you confess that you have redoubtable enemies to your plans in these regions, and that even amongst the ecclesiastics there are some widely different from those of the plethoric and Platitude schools?" "It is but too true," said the man in black; "and if the rest of your church were like them we should quickly bid adieu to all hope of converting these regions, but we are thankful to be able to say that such folks are not numerous; there are, moreover, causes at work quite sufficient to undermine even their zeal. Their sons return at the vacations, from Oxford and Cambridge, puppies, full of the nonsense which they have imbibed from Platitude professors; and this nonsense they retail at home, where it fails not to make some impression, whilst the daughters scream--I beg their pardons-- warble about Scotland's Montrose and Bonny Dundee, and all the Jacobs; so we have no doubt that their papas' zeal about the propagation of such a vulgar book as the Bible will in a very little time be terribly diminished. Old Rome will win, so you had better join her." And the man in black drained the last drop in his glass. "Never," said I, "will I become the slave of Rome." "She will allow you latitude," said the man in black; "do but serve her, and she will allow you to call her 'puta' at a decent time and |
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