XX. COMPENDIUM DISPENDIUM.

POPE BONIFACE the Ninth, at the end of each hundred years, appointed a jubilee at Rome, wherein people, bringing themselves and money thither, had pardon for their sins.

But centenary years returned but seldom; popes were old before, and covetous when they came to their place. Few had the happiness to fill their coffers with jubilee-coin. Hereupon, Clement the Sixth reduced it to every three and thirtieth, Paul the Second and Sixtus the Fourth to every twenty-fifth year.²⁰²⁰Examen Con. Trident. p. 736, col. 2.

Yea, an agitation is reported in the conclave, to bring down jubilees to fifteen, twelve, or ten years, had not some cardinals (whose policy was above their covetousness) opposed it.

I serve my prayers as they their jubilees. 103Perchance they may extend to a quarter of an hour, when poured out at large. But some days I begrudge this time as too much, and omit the preface of my prayer, with some passages conceived less material, and run two or three petitions into one, so contracting them to half a quarter of an hour.

Not long after, this also seems too long; I decontract and abridge the abridgment of my prayers, yea (be it confessed to my shame and sorrow, that hereafter I may amend it) too often I shrink my prayers to a minute, to a moment, to a Lord have mercy upon me!