I.
Abbas non debet esse nimis rigidus.
Vnde Anselmus.
SOM tyme þer was ane abbott þat asked cownceƚƚ of Saynt Anselme, & sayd vnto hym [MS. hyr.] , "what saƚƚ w[e] do with childer þat er nurysshid & broght vpp̛ in our clostre? ffor," he sayde, "we sese nott day & nygh[t to] bete þaim, & yitt þai er ay þe langer þe wers." And þan̛ Saynt Anselme ansswerd hym̛ agayn̛ [&] sayd̛, "ye spend fuƚƚ wele your nurysshyng & your̛ almos, þat of [After of, bestis makis men, erased.] men̛ makis b[estis], ffor, & þou sett in my garthyn̛ a yong plante of a tre, & closyd it rownde aboute, strayte on̛ [evur]-ilk side, þat it mot nott sprede furtℏ no bewis, whatkyn̛ a tre wolde spryng þeroff? ffor sut[h, an] vnprofitable tre. On̛ þe same maner of wise," he said̛, "do ye; ye kepe strayte in your clostre chi[lder] & yong men̛, with ferdnes & thretyngis, so at þai may hafe no libertie; whar̛-oppon̛ it happe[ns], for als mekiƚƚ as þai fele in you anence þaim selfe no maner of luff nor swettnes, nor hafe no fai[th] [Latin MSS. fidem boni. (This reference and others following, are to the Latin MSS. Harl. 268, and Arundel, 375, in the British Museum).] of no gudenes afterwerd in you, þerfor̛ it happyns of þaim be a mervolos maner, & a wrichid. ffo[r] evur as þai grow & waxis in bodis, Right so in þaim growis haterid̛ & suspecion̛ of aƚƚ [Latin MSS. omnis mali.] [yƚƚ]; and þerfor̛, for als mekuƚƚ as þai of no man̛ war nurisshid̛ in trew nor in perfite charite, þerfo[r þai] may not luke of no man̛, bod with a sowr̛ cowntenance and a froward̛ luke." et c̛.