multitude of religiouns, rather than in fewer religiouns. Wherfore needis folewith that by multitude of reli|giouns men schulen be more stirid forto chese and take religioun, than bi fewer. And sithen religiouns ben profitable to Cristen peple, as it is bifore schewid in the [vje.] [A space left in the MS. for the number.] chapiter of this present ve. parti, it folew|ith that it is profitable such multitude and diversite of religiouns to be, and so that God wolde haue men in the more noumbre and in the more affect be stirid toward religioun forto logge hem ther ynne, sithen it is bifore proued religiouns to be good. Therfore he ordeyned and purveied into thilk entent so manye dyuerse religiouns in the chirche. And ȝit herwith weelnyȝ of ech religioun he ordeyned or purueied to be manye dyuerse housis and placis, as thouȝ thei weren dyuerse ostries or herbouris forto logge the more multitude at her liking and plesaunt choise ther yn; and so, thouȝ the good of iij. principal vowis be lijke and oon in ech and alle religiouns, ȝit the othere plesauntis [Perhaps we should read ple|sauncis.] and eesis of the religiosis persoones, whiche schulde tolle hem into religioun and whiche also schulde make hem the perfitlier and the stablier per|foorme her othere substancial vowis, ben not like and the same in alle religiouns and neither in alle housis of oon religioun.
And thouȝ summe harme and yuel cometh thoruȝ the hauyng of such now seid multitude, ȝit not so greet harme and yuel as is excludid bi the hauyng of so greet multitude; for not so greet harme and yuel as schulde come of this, that so greet multitude of persoones schulde not entre into tho religiouns, neither so myche harme as is the myche good which [good myche cometh, MS. (first hand); which being added in the margin and the marks of trans|position inserted by a later hand. Perhaps we should read the good whiche.]
