JOURNAL OF JOHN LAUDER

16

a thing we had not'sien before, to wit in a corner of the Church
having 4 or 5 rocks of tow, some tied wt red snoods, some wt
blew. On the sieng of this I was very sollicitoua to know
what it might mean. Having made my selfe understood about
it I was told that when any honest women died *she might
leive a rock full of tow to be hung up in the church as ~c
symboll that they ware vertuous thrifty women. This put me
in mind of Dorcas whose coats and thrift the women showed to
Paull after she was died. Mass being ended I went and fell
in discours with the Curé. We was not long together when we
fell hot be the ears first we was on the Jansenists opinion about
Praedestination, which by a bull from the present Pope, Alex"
the 7, had bein a litle before condemned at Paris then we fell
in one frie wil, then one other things, as Purgatory, etc.; but 1
fand him a stubborn fellow, one woluntary blind. We was in
dispute above a hower and all in Latin in the tyme gathered
about us neir the half of the parish, gazing on me as a fool
and mad man that durst undertake to controlle their curé,
every word of whose mouth, tho they understood it no
more nor the stone in the wall did, they took for ane oracle,
which minds me of the misernblenese and ignorantnese of the
peasants of France above all other commonalty of the world our
beggars leading a better life then the most part of them do.
In our returning amongs the best merriments we had was
my French, which mov ed us sewerall tymes to laughter for 1
stood not on steeping stones to have assurance that it was
right what 1 was to say, for if a man seek that, he sall never
speak right, since he cannot get assurance at the wery first
but most acquire it by use. 4 leagues from Orleans, we
lighted at Gargeau 1 wt Maddle.2 Ever after this biademoi-
selle and I was wery great, which 1 know not whow the Mr.
of Ogilvy took, 1 being of much shorter standing their in
Orleans then he was.

Just the Sabath before my parting from Orleans began the
Jesuits Logick and Ethick theses to be disputed the 1
of Ogilvy and 1 went to hear, who bleetly S stayed at behind
all almost; I, as give I had bein a person interested thrust

1 Now Jargeau.

2 Mademoiselle.

3 Blately, modestly.