Thus endeth the doctrinal of sapyence the whyche is ryght vtile and prouffytable to alle crysten men, whyche is translated out of Frenshe in to englysshe by wyllyam Caxton at westmestter [sic] fynysshed the. vij. day of may the yere of our lord, M,cccc lxxx ix Caxton me fieri fecit

¶ Of them that be in religyon Capitulo lxxv (Book 75)

Relygyon is called deserte / for lyke as the deserte is a pla¦ce sharp / allone. and ferre fro peple. in lyke wyse ought to be the state of religyon sharp. & that by straytnes of lif Item the state of relygyon ought to be ferre fro the world. that he that is in suche estate fele nothyng / but ought to be deed to the world. and lyuyng toward god as saith saynt poul. For lyke as he is that is deeed bodily. that is to wete. the herynge the seyng. the smellyng. the spekyng / and the tastyng / right so ought to be the relygyous so deed toward the world that he f••¦le nothyng that appertryneth to synne. to thende that he may saye lyke as saint poul sayth of hym self The world is crucyfi¦ed in me. and I to the world. A relygyous ought to haue no¦thyng in the world propre to hym self. he ought to make hys tresour in heuen as our lord saith. yf thou wylt be parfight goo and selle alle that thou haste. and gyue to the poure people / and so shalt thou haue thy tresour in heuen. An holy saynt sayth in vytis patrum that pouerte is the waye by whyche heuen is goten. Example. We rede in the holy scripture that our lord sa¦yd [Exā] to Abraham in the persoue of relygyous / goo sayd he out of thy lond▪ that is to wete fro the rychesses of thys world so that thou sette not on them thyn herte. Item goo out of thy lygnage that is to saye. leue thy synnes of dede and of wyll. and put not thy herte so strongly in a persone of thy lygnage ne in none o∣ther but that thou mayst well take it away whan thou wylt / & thyrdly he sayth goo out of the hous of thy fader / that is to saie leue alle the mynde and remembraunce of thys world entyer∣ly so that thou haue there to no loue ne affeccyon / Alas many ther be in these dayes of relygyous people whyche haue not but thabyte of relygyon. and haue renounced nothīg but only tha byte of the world. They wyl haue the delyces of the worlde / and the reuerence of relygyon wyhout payne ¶ They doo grete payne to gadre to gyder fynaunces for to mounte in hye

••••ate or for to despènde it in èuyll vsages ¶ They wyl haue games and esbatementes of houndes and of hawkes / & gyue to theyr houndes that. whyche they ought to gyue to the po¦ure for the loue of god. to thende that they praye for the poure sonles whyche haue lefte to them the goodes. and gyuen to them the rentes. by whyche they kepe and mayntene grete esta¦te▪ and doo lytyl theyr deuoyr to that they ought to doo they loue better two knaues to lede theyr houndes▪ than two chapelains for to doo the dyuyne seruyce and offyce. atte leste yf they wyll not doo: late them doo it to be doon for to dyscharge theyr soules they be horsed lyke vnto knyghtes for yf thou recoūtre & mete a knyght and a relygyous man. thou shalt not conne dyscerne. whyche is the knyght. And whyche is the relygyous now in these dayes: Saynt bernard sayth that on thys day the robe of a monke. and the robe of a kuyght ben alle of one cloth. and al¦so is the goun of a monke as wel furred and purlfid better atte hond than is the robe of a knyght▪ how wel that the rule sayth / that a monke shold be clad not of the derrest and best cloth▪ but of the moste vyle. And sayth Gregore sayth that the seruaunt of our lord ought not to seche vesture ne clothyng for to playse the world. but onely. to kepe hym fro the cold. ¶ Example [Exā] ¶ It is redde of a knyght / the whyche was tuyl horsed / and mette a monk whyche rood on a good hors & was in grete es¦tate. to whome he demaūded what he was. the monke ansuered to hym that he had no lord but god. ¶ The knyght sayd yf ye serue hym. in lyke wyse doo I. We ben brethern and felawes But we haue not euynly parted. For ye ben ryght wel horsed and well cladde. And I am ryght pourely. I wyll as longe were your vesture and ryde your hors / as ye haue / And toke from hym all / ¶ Loo here ye may see how the monke by hys pryde gaaf euyl example to the knyght and occasyon to doo euylle▪ ¶ O thou relygyons persone what someuer thou be w∣han thou art in religyon that thou be wythynforth like as thyn

habyte sheweth wythout forth that is to saye a very religyous & trewe seruaunt of god of whom thou brest the leuerey. for by the leuerey ben the meyne of a lord knowen. yf thou be suche as thyn habyt sheweth. I doubte not / but that thou holdest thy self and reputest the for deed to the world. For thou hast lefte the glorye of the world▪ And how wel that thou hast playsyrs. ta∣ses and delyces of the world to thy dampuacyon. Neuertheles thou art not so abandouned to the world in dede / how wel that thou be in thy herte lyke as thou were of the world / And also thou lesest god and the world. And shalt haue in thys world and in that other torment / Proprete in the persone of relygy∣on is a right horrible synne / and hath be many tymes greuous¦ly punysshed in tyme passed. ¶ The holy scripture sayth that the Apostles and dyscyples of our lord after hys passyon lyue∣den in suche wyse that ther was not one that sayd thys is myn but they dystribued to euerich after that he had nede. ¶ Exam¦ple. [Exā] It happed that there was a man named Ananye. And hys wyf called saphyre whyche were of the comynalte of the discyples. and sold a felde that they had and brought a parte of the money to the feet of the apostles: & reteyned that other par¦te. Saynt peter sayd to them. what is thys that ye haue doo. ye lye not to vs whyche lyue wyth vs and retryne propre go∣od / but ye lye and be vntrewe ayenst the holy ghoost. And and ne they deyd sodaynly▪ tofore alle thapostlee and dyscyples / w∣herfore they doubted moche for to reteyne ony thyng proper / ¶ Example. Saint gregore recounteth in hys dyalogue that [Exā] in hys monastery in whyche he duelled and wherof he was go¦uernour tofore he was pope. that there was a monke named Juste the whyche was a physycyen▪ ¶ And it happed that thys monke was seke. And whan he sawe that he shold deye. he sayd to hys brother whyche was a seculer / ¶ I haue sayd he hyd thre floryns in suche a place▪ ¶ And told

it not to hys brethern of the relygyon. ¶ The monkes cain in to hys chambre. And serched oueral and fonden the thre floryns the whyche they shewed to saynt Gregore. whyche thenne was moche angry / by cause that he that lyued in comynalte wyth them had made tresour for hym self onely and that at hys deth he had not she wde it to hys brethern. Saynt Gregory for to puruere for remedye to the helthe of thys monke▪ and to thende that he had contrycyon and repentaunce of hys synnes▪ and for to gyue ensample to other he comauuded that none of hys bre∣thern. shold be at his deth. and that he shold not haue confort ne consolacyon of them And yf he demannded of hys brother secu¦ler whyche kepte hym. why hys brethern vysyted not hym that he shold ansuere hym. by cause thou hast made tresour. and ha¦ste not delyuered it to the couent they haue abhomynacōn of the Saynt Gregore dyde it by cause he shold haue contricyon of hys synne to fore he d••yde. and saint gregorye sayd to hys fela∣wes / whan he shal be deed burye hym not in the cyme ••orye of the brethern. but make a pytt in th donghyl & caste hym ther in & caste the thre floryns vpon hym sayēg thy money be wyth the in perdycion▪ and after couere hym wyth erthe. whan the other brethern sawe thys. they doubted moche to reteyne ony thynge that was contrarie to theyr soule. and alle that they had. And also that whyche was lawful for them to reteyne they brought all in comyn / therty dayes after that the monke was deed sa∣ynt Gregorye sayd to oue of his brethern / ¶ It is a gre¦te whil that the soule of our brother hath be in purgatorye. goo forth / and fro hens forth: to therty dayes saye euery day a mas¦se for hym. And see wel that thou faylle not▪ And he faylled not▪ ¶ And the therty day after that / the deed monke appered to hys brother seculer that lyued ¶ And he demaunded hym how it stode wyth hym. The deed monke ansuered to hym. I haue been oner euyl at case vnto thys day. But now I am wel▪ ¶ For thys day I haue receyued

the goodes and masses that haue be sayd for me / Saynt Ber¦nard sayth that wh•• a mouke entendeth to haue rychesses of the world. He gyueth ouer euyl ensample to the seculers. And sayth that he taketh agayn that. whyche he hath lefte. And resembleth the hound that retorneth agayn to hys wmyte. ¶ And saynt Iherome sayth that a monke whyche hath euyl entencyon to proprete is not worth an halfpeny. ¶ In lawe canon is not supposed that an Abbotte may not dispence that hys monke may haue ne reteyne propre. ¶ For the re∣noncyacyon of proprete is annexed to the rule of monkes. ly∣ke as is the dowe of chastyte. In suche wyse that the pope may not dyspence wyth a monke beyng a monke. ¶ But the pope may wel make of a monke noo monke. For he may ma∣ke hym a bysshop / ¶ And by that he shal be nomore subget to the rule of monkes / A relygyous ought to be poure in dede and in will veryly / For soo he hath avowed. Saynt Iherome saith. that he is not poure. but is riche ynowh. that lacketh noo brede / ¶ Example. We rede in the lyf of [Exā] faders / that a poure monke solytarye was seke by the espace of therty dayes. ¶ And there was none that vysyted hym. God sente to hym an Aungell fro heuen whyche kepte hym. And mynystred to hym hys necessytees ¶ It happed thenne that the other f••••••es of the deserte cam and vysyted hym And anone the Aungel departed thens. The seke man began to crie to the brethern sayeng goo hens. For whan ye were co∣me the Aungel that serued me wente away. ¶ Th•• relygyouses oughten to be chaste. For they ••e bounden to kepe it and haue avowed it. ¶ Chastyte is a moche fayre ver∣tue. But who that wyl kepe it wel / ••e muste flee alle compa∣nye of wymmen. ¶ Saynt bernard sayth yf thou muste ne∣des speke to a woman speke but lytyl / and beholde her not ••ye∣ly in the vysage. and touche her not by the hōdes for ouermoche harme may come therof. ne sytte not to nyght her. ne lawhe not

lightly come in no detke place to sepeke to hyr. For in alle these thynges yf ther be noo synne. yet ther is suspecyounof them that see it or knowe it. and so ther is blame / and whan thou shalt speke to a woman / holde the in suche manere / and also hounestli as thou Woldest doo yf he rhusboud were there present or ellis thy prelate. to the ende that yf ony cam vpon you. that thou ha¦ue noo cause to be a shamed / And also saynt bernard counseyl∣leth the that thou haue no famylya••yte to ony woman what someuer she be. r••lygyouse ne other. For many tymes comen therof grete pe••llis and euyl temptacyons. ¶ And I saye to the yf thou haue good peas of herte and wyth god▪ flee all fa∣mylyaryte of wymmen. And loue them alle lyke wel. especyal¦ly the good and deuoute. and occupye the not wyth them. for lyke as we haue sayd tofore thou art not more holy than was Dauyd. more wyse than was Salomon. ne more stronge than was sampsom / the whiche were moche deceyued by wy∣men / Item I counseylle the sayth saynt bernard: that thou ••erke ne ne here gladly a womā speke / For whan thou herest hir spe. ke. she enflameth the / It is a moche sure thyng that thou see hir not For whan thou seest hir she enuenymeth the. but it is mo∣che more sure whan thou thouchest hir not. For whan she thon che. h the. she fowleth the / Example. it is. redde: of an hermyte [Exā] that his moder cam for to see him▪ & whan she sholde retorne / he conueyed her▪ It happed that they shold passe ariuer▪ and the her mite toke hir for to bere ouer the watter▪ but he wrapped hys handes wyth hys mantel. to thende that he shold not touche hyr flessh / And she that sawe wel hys entencyon sayd to hym. Caytyf wherfore art thou a ••erd to touche me / ¶ I am thy moder ¶ It is good to wete. that whan he wold not touche her at the departyng / that he kyssed her not at hyr comyng.