Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

84
JOURNAL OF JOHN LAUDER
day), Adultery, and sick like illicit commixtions, since even
notwtstanding of this licence we grant to hinder them from
the other, (for ex duabus malis minus est eligendimi), we sie
some stil perpetrating the other. 0 brave, but since we sould
not do evil that good sould come theirof, either let us say this
praetext to be false and vicket, or the Aposles rule to be
erroneous. Nixt if ye do it on so good a account, whence
comes it that the whores most buy their licence by a 100,000
livres a year they pay to your exchequer, whey have they not
simply their liberty since its a act, as ye say, of so good
consequence ?
The ancient inhabitants of Rome at that tyme when it
became of Pagan Christian seimes to me much viser then our
reformers under Knox when we past from Papisme to Pro*
testantisme. They did not demolish the Heathen Idol temples,
as we furiously did Christian, but converted them to Christian
temples, amongs others witness the stately temple dedicat to
the goddess Fortune, much respected by the Romans, at present
a church. Yea the Italians boasts that they have cheated,
robbed the Devil in converting that hous which was consecrat
for his service unto the service of the true God. But all that
heirs of our act laughts at it as madness.
Theirs a Scots Colledge at Rome.
I find that conclusion the Duke of Burgundy tried on a
peasant, whom he fand in a deip sleip in the fields as he
returned from the hunting on a tyme, wery good. On a
tyme we fel a discoyrsing of those that are given to riseng
in their sleip and do things, whiles more exactly then give they
ware waking. I cannot forget on drollery. 2 gentlemen fell to
lodge to gither at one innes, the one began to plead for a bed
by himselfe, since the other would find him a wery ill bed¬
fellow, for he was so much given to hunting, that in the night
he used to rise and cry up and doune the chambre hobois,
hobois, as on his dog; the other thought U’e sy if I can put
you from that, wheiron he feigned he was iust of that temper
in rising thorow his sleip, and that he was so much given to
his horses that he thought he was dressing and speaking to
them. Since it was [so]1 they lay both together; about midnight
1 Interlined.