Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Capitulum 10 /

ABoute this tyme beganne thordre of whyte monkes in bur¦goyne in the dyocyse of Cabyloneus / that ordre is cleped or¦dre Cystersiensis in latyn and bygan in this maner / W / de r / li / 2 One steuen hardyng of the nacion of englond monk of shyrburn from his childholde wente in to scotland and afterward in to fraū¦ce / there he lerned lyberal scyences and toke the pryckes of the lo¦ue of god and wente to Rome at last with one of his scole feres Noo greef myght departe them tweyne / Noo thyng them letted that they nold euery day say the sauter / It sprange in his wytte as it cam forth afterward / For he cam in to burgoyne and in to molys in the grete newe abbaye / he threwe awey the here / there he toke lyghtly the poyntes of the rule that he had seen byfore / And whanne he sawe other put forth to be holden and kepte that he hadde neuer seen / nother herde in seynt benets rule / he enquyred the skylle & the reason therof soberly as a monk sholde & said / the higher worcher made al thyng by reson & gouneth al thyng that he made by reason / by reson the elementis haue theyr beyng & the sterres also meoueth by reason and kepyn theyr cours by reson /

And so shold our kynde stonde by reson & falleth of the reson by sleuthe and vnconnyng and is y cleped ageyn by law to reson / & also by saynt benets rule / in the whiche rule is somwhat contey∣ned of the whiche I am not of power to conceyue the reasonne / but yet I holde that it be resonne to assente to auctoryte / For the auctorytees of holy scripture ben alone though it seme somtyme / that they discorde and god doth nothyng withoute reasonne / how shal I than trowe that hooly fader that folowyd cast ordeyned ought withoute reasonne / As though we shold yeue feyth to all̄ one auctoryte & nought to reson / Than of that ye doo shewe sōme auctoryte other reason / and sheweth ensample of seynt benets ru¦le / yf ye mow not / it is al ydel that ye make profession / that is so noble & despyse to folowe the lore therof / the sentence of this spe∣che passed from one to other & meoued many on lest / they hadde ronne in veyn other shold renne in veyn / than it was demed that the su{per}fluyte of the rule shold be take awey & only the marouh shold be holde / thabbot made hym besy to make all assente / but it is harde to wreche vp on thoughtes that is roted in of long ty¦me / Only eyghten mōkes & abbot hardyng left that abbay & sai∣de that the clennes of the rule myght not be holden in place there ryches were gadred & ther plente of mete & deynk stoffed the sou¦le & the wyt that sholde withstande / than they wente to cisterus a place that was to fore hond ful of wode & of lādes / but now ther is a famo{us} abbay / the which abbay is hugely aduaūced by help of the bisshop of yvē / & aft{er}ward by help of the pepe· R / Theraft the yere of our lord a / M· an C / & xxxv / one walt espek brouʒt that ordre of whyte monkes in to englond / & made at Ryual an abbay of thordre of Cysteraus that is thordre of whyte monkes W / de regibus li / quarto / These ben the obseruauntes that semyn hard in that ordre / they shal were no maner furres nother lynen cloth nother wollen that is smal and softe as stamyn nother bre∣che / but in the wey one of hem shal haue on him twey curtels & a coule / though it be wynter but yf they wol they may haue lesse in somme maner tyme / they slepe clothed & gyrde & aft{er} mateyns they go neu{er} to bed ageyn· they dispose so the houre and tyme that before laudes the day lyght begynneth to sprynge / anon aft{er} lau∣des they sing prime / after that they go to hādwork that they do by day they make an ende therof withoute candel light / none of hem shal be from houres nother frō cōplyn / but yf he be seke / aft{er} com¦plin y^e selerer & y^e hosteler go stilly out & serue the ghestes / thabbot

doth not hym self / but nygh as he graunteth to other monkes / he is oueral present with his flok / but only at mete & that by cause of ghestes / & thēne he is serued but only with twey messes / none of hem eteth blode nother flessh but yf he be seke / frō the thyrtenth day of September to the eester tyde / they ete but ones a. day out take the sonday / they go neuer out of theyr cloystre / but by cause of hondwerk / they speke in noo place but to theyr pryour or the abbot / they putte no gybletes to the houres of goddes seruice out take placebo and dirige for the deede / they vse Ambros offyce & haue charge of ghestes and of seke men / Fyrst this abbot of mo∣lyce helde streytely these ordenaunces and compellyd other to hol∣de hem also / but in tyme that come afterward the man thought•• that he hadde be lykyngly nourysshed and somme of the monke•• knewe wel his lust and lykyng / and procoured lettres of the po¦pe of reuokyng by the whiche lettres this abbot was brought ageyne to his fyrst abbay and al the monkes with hym oute ta¦ke eyght and made alberyk her abbot and hardyng her pryour / But therafter this steuen hardyng was abbot there and bylded sixten abbayes / and byganne the seuententh / That ordre encreced so that tyme / that the monkes of Cyste{us} were espyed / of al mon¦kes the myrour of hem that were goodly besy and repreef / and chastyng of sleuth / here they be clepyd ostrum of the slowe oostrū hight tanu in frensshe