Three Middle-English versions of the Rule of St. Benet and two contemporary rituals for the ordination of nuns.

About this Item

Title
Three Middle-English versions of the Rule of St. Benet and two contemporary rituals for the ordination of nuns.
Author
Benedict, Saint, Abbot of Monte Cassino.
Publication
London,: Pub. for the Early English text society by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., limited,
1902.
Rights/Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact mec-info@umich.edu. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact libraryit-info@umich.edu.

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Subject terms
Monasticism and religious orders -- Rules
Benedictines.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AHA2736
Cite this Item
"Three Middle-English versions of the Rule of St. Benet and two contemporary rituals for the ordination of nuns." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AHA2736. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed October 31, 2024.

Pages

XLVIII.

Of þe trauaile spekis sain Benet in þis sentence, and sais þat vnait sete es il to þe saule. For þi salle ye trauaile times, And in þe times at lescuns, als it es ordaind. Fra þe paskis til þe Mihelmesse, when matins es done til heze vndirn sal ye wirke, ilke day when time es, þat es nede to do. Fra vndirn to midday at lescuns. Eftir midday, when þai haue etin, sal ye reste in yure bedde alle wid silence. Yef any wille þat tyme loke lescun, loke þat sho rede sua, þat sho ne noy noht þe oþir. Noon sal be rungen by tyme, And siþin wirke til euensang. Yef þai haue mikil at do, corn at gadir and oþir laburs at do, þai salle noht gruche for þi; for þan liue ye right, yef ye liue wid þe labur of yure hende, Als haly men did bi-fore yu, & ta-postils; bot mesurlike sal ye wirke for þa þat ere febil.

Page 33

Fra þe feeste of þe Mihthel til þe lentin, when prime is sungen til vndern salle [folio 29a] ye studie in lescuns. fra vndern til noon salle ye wirke suilke as ye haue at do. When noon ringis, ilkain sal lay downe þat es in þaire hende, and ga til þe kirke; And eftir mete til lescuns ouþir salmes. In lentin, fra prime til heze vndern sal ye entende yure lescun, And syþin wirke til noon. At te bigining of lentyn sal be broght in-til þe chapitur alle þe bokis, and ilkain take þaris & rede it ouir. Þabbesse sal loke a simpil nunne ouþir tua for to ga imangis taim atte timis þat tay sal saie for to loke þat nane site vnait, And for to loke wilke attendis mare til vnait þan til hir lescun. Þa þat ere funden suilke, for þi þat tay do iuil til þamselfe and til [MS. and til twice.] oþir als-sua, þai sal be warnid ane tyme, and a-noþir time. Yef sho wil noht a-mende, Man sal take suilke amendis of hir, þat te oþir be warnid þurz hir. At te timis þat es set efter euensang til lescuns, þa þat ere acumbird wid laburs sal noht studie on þe sundais, ne on þe oþir feste-dais, Bot toþir alle at lescuns. Yef it be ani þat mai noht studie ne rede, Oþir labur sal þai do, þat tay ne sitte noht al dom. Þa þat ere noht in ese, man sal giue þaim sum þing at do, þat tay ne sitte noht vnait, Ne þat tay ne be noght [folio 29b] ouir-mikil greuid wid trauaile; þabbes sal loke þaire sekenes. Lauerd for his pite giue vs sua to wirk, and sua vre lescuns at vnderstande, þat we at te ende til heuin be broght. Amen.

Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.