But  he  soon  experienced  the  danger  of  ex-
tending his  ridicule  to  the  orthodox.  The  pre-
ferment of  a  profane  scoffer  at  priests  must  have
augmented  their  spleen ;  and  the  Franciscan
friars,  still  smarting  from  his  Somnium,  found
means  of  representing  him  to  the  king  as  a  man
of  depraved  morals,  and  of  dubious  faith.m  But
on  this  occasion  their  obstreperous  zeal  recoil-
ed upon  themselves.  By  comparing  the  humi-
lity of  their  professions  with  the  arrogance  of
their  deportment,  James  had  formerly  begun  to
discover  their  genuine  character ;  and  the  part
which  he  supposed  them  to  have  acted  in  a
late  conspiracy  against  his  own  life,  had  not
contributed  to  diminish  his  antipathy.  Instead
of  consigning  the  poet  to  disgrace  or  punishment,
the  king,  who  was  aware  that  private  resentment
would  improve  the  edge  of  his  satire,11  enjoined

m  "  Et  cum  non  satis  justas  tree  sua  immodicx  causas  inveiiirent,  ad  commune
religionis  crimen,  quod  omnibus  quibus  male  propitii  trant  intentabant,  decurrunt,
(Buchanani  Vita,  p.  3.)     See  also  the  dedication  of  his  Franciscanut.
