moreamplelatitudeofseaandriverfishwasgraduallyallowedorassumed；buttheuseoffleshwaslongconfinedtothesickortravellers；andwhenitgraduallyprevailedinthelessrigidmonasteriesofEurope，asingulardistinctionwasintroduced；asifbirds，whetherwildordomestic，hadbeenlessprofanethanthegrosseranimalsofthefield。Waterwasthepureandinnocentbeverageoftheprimitivemonks；andthefounderoftheBenedictinesregretsthedailyportionofhalfapintofwine，whichhadbeenextortedfromhimbytheintemperanceoftheage。
^49SuchanallowancemightbeeasilysuppliedbythevineyardsofItaly；andhisvictoriousdisciples，whopassedtheAlps，theRhine，andtheBaltic，required，intheplaceofwine，anadequatecompensationofstrongbeerorcider。
[Footnote44:St。Jerom，instrong，butindiscreet，language，expressesthemostimportantuseoffastingandabstinence:\"NonquodDeusuniversitatisCreatoretDominus，intestinorumnostrorumrugitu，etinanitateventris，pulmonisqueardoredelectetur，sedquodaliterpudicitiatutaessenonpossit。\"Op。
tom。i。p。32，adEustochium。Seethetwelfthandtwenty—secondCollationsofCassian，deCastitateanddeIllusionibusNocturnis。]
[Footnote45:EdacitasinGraecisgulaest，inGallisnatura，Dialog。i。c。4p。521。Cassianfairlyowns，thattheperfectmodelofabstinencecannotbeimitatedinGaul，onaccountoftheaerumtemperies，andthequalitasnostraefragilitatis，Institut。iv。11。AmongtheWesternrules，thatofColumbanusisthemostaustere；hehadbeeneducatedamidstthepovertyofIreland，asrigid，perhaps，andinflexibleastheabstemiousvirtueofEgypt。TheruleofIsidoreofSevilleisthemildest；