of the persoones whiche schulden lyue in tho iiij. ordris sche seith yuel; that is to seie, "that thei schulden [schulden is added in the margin by a later hand.] be flaterers, [flateres, MS.] and enviers, and ypocritis, and bacbiters;" but also of the ordre sche seith, meenyng it to be yuel. For sche seith, "that of wijse and trewe men this ordre schal be cursid;" as thouȝ sche schulde therbi meene, that the ordre schulde be worthi be cursid. And ferthirmore sche seith, "that for her synful and gileful lyuyng the comoun peplis hertis schulden falle awey fro hem, and thei schulden falle and ceese and that her ordre schulde be [be is interlineated in a later hand.] alto broke for her bigilingis, and her wickidnessis." ["Insurgent gentes quæ comedent peccata populi, tenentes ordinem mendicum, ambulantes sine rubore, invenientes nova mala, ut à sapien|tibus et Christi fidelibus ordo per|versus maledicatur. Sed diabolus radicabit in eis quatuor vitia, scilicet adulationem, ut cis largius detur: invidiam, quando datur aliis et non sibi: hypocrisim, ut placeant per simulationem: et detractionem, ut se ipsos commendent, et alios vitu|perent . . . . Populus vero de die in diem durior erit, et expertus erit seductiones eorum et cessabit dare. . . . . Sic ordo vester contritus est propter seductiones et iniquitates vestras." S. Hildegard. Prophet. cited by Fabric. Bibl. Lat. Med. et Inf. Æt. vol. 3, pp. 774-776. q. v.] Wherfore tho iiij. ordris or religiouns or beggeris ben badde and not gode, neither worth be had and vsid in the chirche.
ij. CHAPITER.
FOR answere to the firste argument it is to vndir|stonde, that religioun mai be take in ij. maners: In oon maner religioun is such a binding vp or a bynd|ing aȝen of a mannys fre wil with certein ordinauncis, maad bi God or bi man or with vowis or oothis, that he go not so wijde and so brode in hise choicis and refusis, neither in the executing of hise choicis or of
