licencid forto be summe heremytis and summe reclusis; and manye monkis han be take out of cloistir lijf to be bischopis.
And so, if alle thingis ben aboute wel considerid longing to the religiouns now vsid in the chirche, noon of hem alle is chalengeable and blameable to be, for that eny point of his fundacioun is meened to be aȝens the comaundement of lawe of kinde or of Cristis sacramentis, how euer it be with the badde dis|posiciouns and the badde lyuyng of summe persoones in tho religiouns; whos badde lyuyngis is no cause forto therbi proue the religiouns to be badde. For no wey is forto proue that eny of tho religiouns is badde, saue these ij. now bifore tretid; that is to seie, oon, that noon religioun ouȝte be founde bi man forto be sett to the lawe divisid and ordeyned and assigned bi Crist; and the other is, that thouȝ it be leeful religioun to be founde and sett to the lawe of Crist, ȝit sum statute, rite, or obseruaunce of these religiouns ben aȝens the comaundement of Cristis lawe maad of lawe of kinde and of sacramentis. And sithen noon of these ij. weies mowe sufficientli be founde in eny of the religiouns now had and vsid, as is now openli and sureli proued, it folewith needis that noon of these religiouns mowe worthili be reproued and blamed to be, that is to seie, as an vnleeful thing.
Neuertheles this is open ynow, that not in alle religiouns the occupaciouns assigned and foundid bi the religioun ben like fruyteful with the occupaciouns of sum other religioun; and also in ech religioun now vsid the occupaciouns foundid and devisid bi the re|ligioun bisidis the thre principal vowis, (that is to seie, of chastite, of wilful and expropriat pouerte, and of obedience to the prelat, whanne he comaundith comaundementis of the religioun,) myȝte be myche amendid, bothe the occupaciouns of her preiyng and officiyng and of her contemplacioun, and also the occu|paciouns
