The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

xij. CHAPITER.

FERTHERMORE it is to wite, that summe of the lay peple not oonli holden aȝens the substaunce of the seid religiouns now had and vsid in the chirche; but also thei holden aȝens the habitis, whiche bi tho religiouns ben assigned to be worn of the religiose persoones. And thei seien that no good skile is, whi tho religiose persoones schulden were so straunge and dyuerse formes of habitis fro her othere Cristen britheren.

Also summe of the lay partie blamen and holden aȝens this, that religiose monasteries (namelich of the begging religiouns) han withinne her gatis and cloocis grete, large, wijde, hiȝe, and stateli mansiouns for lordis and ladies ther yn to reste, abide, and dwelle; and this, that thei han large and wijde chirchis like sumwhat to cathedral or modir chirchis of diocisis.

Also summe of the lay peple blamen and scornen and holden aȝens this, that bi the religioun of Seint Fraunces the religiose persoones of thilk religion schulen not handle and touche with her hond neither bere aboute hem eny money, that is to seye, eny

gold or siluer or othere metal koyned; and ȝit thei ben not weerned bi the same religioun forto telle such money with a stik holdun in her hond, neither forto kepe it in her cofris, neither thei ben weerned for to holde, bere, touche, and handle cuppis and dischis, knyfis and iewelis of siluer and of gold, how euer preciose and delectable to the siȝt tho iewelis ben.

And therfore aftir that fro the bigynnyng of the [ix^e.] [A space left in the MS. for the number.] chapiter of this present v^e. parti hidir to it is proued and stabilid, that it is leeful ynouȝ suche religiouns to be and to renne in vce with the comoun Cristen religioun, y schal now iustifie these here now rehercid thre gouernauncis so vniustli of the lay peple blamed; for y schal expresse and open how that ech of these thre now spokun gouernauncis mai be don and vsid vnder resonable and gode causis. And first into iustifiyng of the firste of these now rehercid gouernauncis, I procede bi iij. principal causis, of which the firste cause is this: Sithen it is sufficientli bifore [bifore is added in the margin by a later hand.] proued that such seid religiouns be in the chirche, it muste needis therwith [be] resonable, good, and profitable, that the religiose persoones of tho re|ligiouns haue a mark and a signe, wherbi thei mowen openli be knowe fro othere persoones being not in tho religiouns; riȝt as, sithen the ordris of dekenys and of preestis musten needis be, it is ful resonable and profitable that summe markis be had, wherbi de|kenys mowen openli be knowe fro preestis, and markis wherbi bothe dekenis and preestis mowen openli be knowe fro lay men. But so it is, that this open mark and signe may not be take sufficientli bi her persoones and her natural bodies, sithen her natural bodies ben like to the natural bodies of othere men. Wher fore

thilk mark muste be take bi her clothing or bi sum mark or signe to be sett and fastned into her clothing. And thanne ferther thus: Sithen the al hool greet clothing is abler to ȝeue this now seid knowing, than schulde be eny lasse mark to be sett into the same clothing; it folewith that the al [al the, MS. (first hand), the marks of transposition being pro|bably in another hand; but the correction is sanctioned by the analogy of other passages.] hool outward seable habit schulde rather be ordeyned into this mark, than eny other lasse thing.

Confirmacioun herto may be this: Not withstonding that wommen mowen be knowe sumwhat fro men bi her natural visagis, ȝit it is resonable and profitable that thei be knowe asunder bi her outward habitis. Wherfore miche rather it is resonable, that a religiose persoon be knowe bi outward habit fro othere per|soones not religiose, sithen bi her natural bodies thei mowen not so [so is added in a later hand.] weel be knowe asundir as mowen be asunder knowe men and wommen. Also it is holde resonable, alloweable, and profitable, that oon temporal lordis meyne haue clothing dyuers fro the clothing of an other temporal lordis meyne; namelich, whanne thei schulen be medlid to gidere in sum oon citee or toun, that the seruauntis of the oon lord mai be knowe fro the seruauntis of the other lord. And in lijk maner in the citee of London it is holde for resonable and profitable, that the persoones of oon craft haue cloth|ing dyuers fro the persoones of an other craft. And al this is for lasse nede or for lasse good cause, than is the cause for whiche religiose persoones schulden be knowen openly fro persoones not religiose. Wherfore it is alloweable, good, resonable, [good, resonable, is added in the margin by a later hand.] and profitable, that religiose persoones haue habit dyuers fro the habit of

othere persoones not religiose. And if this be trewe, certis resonable and alloweable it is, that the habit of oon such religioun be dyuers fro the habit of an other such religioun; and that ech such religioun haue to him his propre assigned habit, namelich, sithen it is alloweable that multitude of suche religiouns be had and vsid in the chirche, as it is bifore in this v^e. parti sufficientli proued.

The secunde cause into the iustifiyng of this same firste gouernaunce is this: Sithen it is so, that suche religiouns ben alloweable, (as it is bifore sufficientli proued), [The first lines of this paragraph (as far as proued) occur twice over in the MS.; the first attempt being full of mistakes is cancelled.] it is alloweable and ful resonable and pro|fitable, that the religiose persoones in tho religiouns haue ofte in her siȝt or feeling and therbi ofte in her mynde rememoratijf [remembratijf, MS. originally, but the correction may have been made by the original scribe. As the form occurs twice below unaltered it has been retained in the text, but it is exceedingly suspicious.] signes forto ofte and myche therbi be remembrid upon the chargis of the religioun, whiche thei han taken upon hem to kepe and ful|fille; riȝt as for such cause God wolde that the comoun peple of the Iewis schulde haue the comaunde|mentis of Moyses tablis writun in the wallis of her chambris biholding aȝens her beddis, and in the wallis of her hallis biholding aȝens her mete table. But so it is, that no more conuenient, redier, and ofter seen and feelid remembratijf signe into this seid purpos for re|ligiose persoones couthe be founde and assigned, than her outward habit. Wherfore it is resonable, allowe|able, and profitable, that her outward habit be mad to hem into such for hem a remembring signe forto hem remembre ofte and myche into the chargis of her religioun taken upon hem. And thus myȝte not her habit be to hem such a remembring signe, but

if it were dyuers fro the habit of othere persoones not religiose; neither the outward habit of oon religioun myȝte so perfitli and so sufficientli move and remem|bre into the al hool charge of his religioun, if it were not sum what dyuers fro the outward habit of an other religioun, as it may, if it be sum what dyuers. Wherfore it is resonable, alloweable, and profitable for cause of remembring, that religiose persoones haue outward habitis dyuerse fro the outward habitis of lay men, and that the persoones of oon religioun haue her outward habit dyuers fro the outward habit of persoones in an other religion.

Also the outward habitis of religiose persoones mowen be remembratijf signes to the lay peple not religiose forto remembre hem silf therbi thus: Lo, these persoones thus clothid han forsake the greet en|termeting with the world and the greet felicite and prosperite of the world for the greet ioie, reward, and mede, which thei therfore abiden to haue in heuen; it is good therfore to us forto do in the same wise, or in sum other wise lijk [or in sum other wise lijk is added in a later hand, and partly written on an erasure.] good to us or more, ac|cording to oure abilte. Wherfore it muste needis be, that also into the remembring of persoones not being religiose as of persoones being religiose, it is allowe|able and profitable that religiose persoones haue ha|bitis propre to her religiouns.

The iij^e. cause into iustifiyng of this same firste gouernance is this: Sithen suche religiouns ben al|loweable to be, (as it is bifore sufficientli proued,) and alle men bi her natural freelnes ben redi and prompte into gaynes of aray and into dyuerse fynd|ingis of schap in aray for vein glorie and for othere not gode causis, it is resonable, alloweable, and pro|fitable,

if sum remedie be devisid, take, and vsid, wherbi refreinyng and lett mai be mad to this perel now rehercid. But so it is, that for to dyuyse, take, and vse stabili oon schap of outward habit, (namelich such a schap which is rather foul than gay, and which schulde rather lette fro glorie than tice into glorie,) and for to dyvise, take, and vse stabili oon colour of clooth in outward habit is a ful noble re|medie and a refreynyng aȝens the seid natural freel|nes, bi whiche religiose persoones myȝten and wolden ellis breke forth into nyce fyndingis of dyuerse schappis in her outward aray and into gay and riche blasing colour, and so ther yn synne bi manye wijsis. Therfore it is resonable, alloweable, and profitable for cause of such refreynyng, that in ech such reli|gioun the religiose persoones haue her outward ha|bitis stabilid to hem in oon maner of sumwhat foul or vnfair schap and in oon maner of poor and symple colour, and that thei be bounde forto holde hem stabili and vnchaungeabili therto. And thus miche is ynouȝ for iustifiyng of the firste gouernaunce.