The original [and] sprynge of all sectes [and] orders by whome, wha or were they beganne. Translated out of hye Dutch in Englysh.

¶ Of the Byshop of Rome, Car∣dinals and other of hys spiritualty in generall.

IN thys register or rehearsall of sectes is the Byshop of Rome (that vsurpatly called hymselfe Pope) the fyrst in ordre, as an heade & father of hys whole body, accom∣panyed wyth hys members, chylderen and creatures as a henne wyth hyr chekens, na∣mely: Cardinals, Patriarkes, Byshops, Curtisans, Prestes, Monkes, Freres, & hys whole spiritualty. Whose holynesse and lyfe (God be thanked) is so come to lyght, y^t euen the chylderen vpon y^e strete do speake and synge of it. And the deuell also doth shewe hym as though he were wery of hym

out of the worlde, but myddes of the deuels kyngdome, that is the worlde, to watch, and be sober in all godlynesse. For God wyll haue hys to be abrode & in the lyght. Ioh. iii. and Math. v. and set them iudges ouer the whole worlde. He can separate and kepe the roses frō thornes welynough. I knowe none example in the whole scripture of bodely se¦paratynge frome the worlde, saue only of Christe, Moses, and Helias, whiche nother toke vpon them to dwell in wyldernesses, but only for a season to faste or commune w^t God. Wherfore I cā not be persuaded that thys lyfe is so acceptable to God. Christe knoweth how nedeful the true Christēmen be in thys world. Fyrst, that they may lygh∣ten and shyne in the worlde: Secondarly, y^t they maye teach and exhorte: Thyrdly that they may geue counsell and helpe, geuynge a good example to euery man, and stoppe y^e mouthes of bacbyters with y^e truth. Fourth¦ly that God condemne the worlde with thē. Yf ony man wyll here allege Ihon Baptist I answer: Ihon fled not alwaye the com∣pany of men, but only whan he wold praye¦or faste, otherwhyles was he in Herodes courte, where he shoned no man as the he∣remites

do, but preached vnto them repen∣taunce, receauyng them that came to hym, and at tyme conuenient he wente agayne whether the sprete led hym. Thus maye one beynge myddes in the worlde also, be out of the world, as all Christen men ought to be, and as Abraham in Canaan, Daniell in Babilon, Ioseph in Egipte. These fore∣sayde heremites were in y^e tyme of Decius, Ualens, Theodosius and Dicletian, from ccc. year after Christ vntyl. M. about what tyme monkes order beganne. Some saye they fled persecution in the wyldernesses of Egipte, and so were fayne to dwell there vnknowen loke vpon Otho byshop of fri∣singen. the. vii. boke y^e. xxv. chap. thorowout.

iii. Basilius order.

ANno. ccc. lxxxiiii. in the tyme of Siri∣cius B. of Rome began thy fyrst mon¦kysh order, raysed by Basilius Mag∣nus, byshop of Cesarea in Cappadocia. Theyr cote, cloke, cole, and cappe were all whyte. He prescrybed them a rule mixte wyth manye tradicions and doctrines of men: Wherfore he is called of them a fa∣ther and a begynner of relygyous people,

whose lyfe he also prayseth, so that he optay∣ned of the aforesayde Syricius to confirme the order. He called them Monachi, that is, solitary or separate from the worlde, and founded in Grece the fyrst house or cloyster How they be diuided and separate from the world, we haue sene and do se dayly.

iiii. Benedictus or Benets order.

SBenet a father of monks, whiche gathered together all strowed reli∣gious men, dyd begynne a peculiar order Anno. M. xxiiii. in the tyme of Ihon y^e i. B. of Rome vpon the mount Lassinus, where he buylt y^e moost renowned cloyster, geuynge them there a rule, prescripte, and forme of lyuynge, as though Christ had for∣gotten it. Now after he had longe shyned in a wyldernesse, & muche resorte was to hym by reason of hys Gods seruice, he buylt. xii. places and fylled them with religious men. Of thys order is reported to haue ben. xxiiii B. of Rome. c. lxxxiii. Cardinals. M. cccc. lxiiii. Archbyshops and byshops. xv. M. and lxx. renowned Abbots, and as sayeth Ihon the. xxii. Byshops of Rome. v. M. vi. c. lv. monkes canonisate or sayntes. Thys is

the. iii. broode that the B. of Rome hath hatchte. He raysed also an order for hys syster Scolastica, and made her abbesse: hyr clothynge was a black cote, cloke, cole, and vayle. And lest the scripture shulde deceaue her and hyrs, it was commaunded that none shulde reade the holy scripture wythout consente or permission of theyr superior. Here is to be sene how God is sought in all orders, which in hys worde is expelled.

v. Cluniacensis order.

ANno. ix. c. xiii. hath S. Benets order begotten thys secte whose bygynner was Otho the abbot. For whan the monkes of S. Benets rule were nerehande decayed in godlynesse, thys Otho lyued so, that they were quickened agayne byreason of hys holynesse. Theyr clothynge and rule was as Saynt Benets. A duke of A∣quitania Guillidinus by name relyued the Giginacy or Cluniacis cloysters wyth greate substaunce, and yearly rentes.

vi. Uallis vmbrose or Shadowed vale order.

ANno. M. cccc. or as some saye: āno. M. lxx. Ihon a Florentine, whose father called Gualbertus was a knyght, dyd begynne thys order vnder S. Benets rule wyth addynge therto, and chaungynge of black clothes into graye: whereof ther is many in Tuscia and vpper Lōbardy. Thys Ihon after the tenoure of hys story or legēd was come to the monkery or cole after this fashion: He was at variaunce with an vp∣landysh man, for slayenge of hys brother, wherfore as he vpon a tyme rode out of Florence to auenge hys brothers death, the manslayer met hym euen in the teth, not farre from the cloyster Minati in the moū∣taynes, vpon whome he fell. Now whan the vplandysh man sawe no escapynge, he fell at hys fete, desyrynge hym for the cruci∣fyed Iesus Christe to pardon and forgeue hym hys offence. Where vpon Ihon was so reconciled concernynge the manslaughter, that he abatyng hys moode and leauynge hys fury, forgaue hym all the dette. Now as he wente from thence in the afore sayde cloyster, and fell downe bofore the crucifixe there shuld y^e image haue moued & bekēned

with the heade, sygnifyenge that God was pleased with the forgeuenesse of the dette vnto the manslayer: which crosse is yet at this houre sene by Florence vpon an hyll, where greatreuerence is shewed to it. Up∣pon this was he styred to geue hymselfe o∣uer vnto a spirituall conuersacyon, gat him a none to an ende of the mount Apenninus where he buylded a cloyster, and beganne this order. At y^e last he dyed Anno M. lxxiii. after that the order was well encreased in persones and cloysters.

vii. Grandimontesis order.

ANno. M. lxxvi. vnder Alexāder the. ii. B. of Rome dyd this newe order be∣gynne, by one Steuen the sonne of a gentylmā of Auernia: which trauayled ma¦ny cōtries to seke out a solitary place, wher he myght serue God quyetly: at the laste he came in Aquitania, where he founde a moū¦tayne full of woodes, and spryngynge foun¦taynes, and an vntroden lande. There dyd this Steuē pytche, and beganne a strayght lyfe wyth fastynge, watchynge and prayeng to God. His meate was bread and water, his clothynge was a cote of males vpō his

bare body, and a black cloke ther vpō, where w^t he dyd penaunce, & y magined to become ryghteous before God. With this lyfe he ga¦thered many discyples, whom he exhorted to wylfull pouerte. Now thought the mon∣kes of S. Austins order theyr tytle to be bet¦ter to y^t place: wherfore y^e brethren wolde re¦myue w^t a good wyl, prayenge God instātly to shew thē another cōuenient place. Wher¦fore vpon a tyme as Agnus dei was songe at masse, a voyce (whether it came frō God or y^e deuel) was herde, sayenge: In Grandi∣monte. Upon this they rose & buylded there a cloyster or place for them.

viii. Gregorians order.

IN the yeare. ccccc. xciiii. dyd Grego∣rius Magnus borne of a noble stock of Rome, very plenteously endued w^t goodes of fortune forsake all, & chose a rely∣gious state. After the deceasse of his father he builded. vi. religious houses in Sicilia, ge¦uynge thē a forme & rule of lyuynge: and he buylded another w^tin Rome, in the name & honour of S. Andrew, wherin he dwelte w^t many brethrē, whō he steared greatly to the subduyng & chastenynge of y^e fleshe. He dyd we are a copper coloured course cloth accor¦dyng to his rule. His brethren (because they

kept his rule as diligētly, as yf it had bē gods word) they wer called Gregoriās after hym.

ix. The fyrst order of S. Austins.

IN the year. cccc. xc. dyd S. Austine (af¦ter y^t his mother was departed) sayle vnto Cartago w^t his brethrē, distribu¦ted his patrimony amōge poore folke, & be∣gan in a house in y^e woodes to take vpō him to folow the Apostles by a rule, hauynge a sleght black garmēt: whether it was a cole, or not, I can not shew. I rekē it was in dede a blacke garmēt as shalbe specifyed here af∣ter in y^e order of y^e chanōs: Ther is no order as it was institut: Yee though y^e foūders of thē had a fre & good meaning, (wherof I am not sure) yet by addyng & abatynge more or lesse thē Austyne or Benet & such other in∣stitut they are so sore chasiged, y^t they shulde not now know theyr brethrē. I fynd nomore of S. Austin but y^t he was feruēt to folow y^e Apostles, couetyng & endeuouryng to lyue after theyr example, wherfore he called his rule y^e gospel. But I feare me lest y^e deuel al¦so haue scoffed w^t S. Austine & his good mea¦nyng: For yf y^e rule be his, wherfore calleth he her y^e gospel: yf she is Christes, wherfore calleth he y^t rule y^t is p̄scribed al mē his own?

as though euery Christē man neded not to lyue after the ensample of Christ and his A¦postles? Fynally in euery playe hath the de¦uell one parte. It passeth my capacyte to shewe the manyfold dyuersite of the orders of S. Austyne. Yee I feare lest Austyne him selfe shuld scarce know thē for his disciples.

x. Ambrosius order, two sortes.

OF S. Ambrose that was in S. Austi∣nes tyme aboute the yeare of oure Lorde. cccc. xc. & dyd conuerte hym, I reade no mōkry. But I thynke some apes or counterfayters haue presumed to folowe his lyfe, seynge he was coūted for a monster of the worlde, & haue at ony tyme sene hym haue on a graye or russet garment, and so counterfayted hys clothynge and conuersa∣cyon: but the pyth wherin all cōsysteth, that is, fayth in the hart, that haue they left him, hauynge a rechelesse harte vnder a graye garment. An other order is ther rekened of S. Ambrose, which weare whyte cotes, and a cloke theron, wherewith they foolyshly y∣magyne to do God an acceptable seruyce, and yet they (as all other) are playne herety¦kes: seynge they seke health and thynke to

meryte therby by God, whiche hath an eye to fayth onely. Iere. v. loketh vpon y^e worke∣mayster and tre, and not vpon the frutes or workes. Gen. iiii. Pro. xxi. Math. vii. &. xii.

xi. Ieronimus order. ii. kyndes.

AFter Christes byrth. cccc. xc. yeare or there about toke Ierome vpon hym y^e religious or heremiticall clothynge, in the wyldernesse of Syria, after he was consecrate a prest & cardinall at Rome. Af∣terwarde anno. M. cccc. viii. rose a new beg¦gynge order vnder the name of S. Ierome in the tyme of Innocentius the. vii. Anno M. cccc. v. a county Redo by name a religi∣ous man of the. iii. order of S. Fraunces in the lande of Etruria by the towne Fesula∣na, whose companion was Water Marsis. These twayne dyd begynne, institute and augmente this order of obseruacyon. This order is brought vnder the rule of S. Au∣styne, by the reason of the excellent vowe of Gregory the. xii. B. of Rome, & endued with priueleges and lybertyes. Whan thys order now was decaied & neare hande come to nought, it was renewed and restored a∣gayne by one Lupus a Spaynyard, general

of y^e same order, which ordened new cōstitu¦ciōs & orders, takē of y^e sayenges of S. Ierō, & was cōfirmed w^t sundry preuileges & fran∣chises by Eugeni{us} y^e. iiii. B. of R. & w^t a gray cloke ī remēbraūce of y^t religiō of y^e aforsayd iii. order. This was don anno. m. cccc. xxxvii

xii. Chanons or regular prestes.

THis order began to florysh agayne in y^t tyme of Gregory y^e. vii. & Hēry the iiii. emperour, an. M. lxxx. ī y^e church of S. Quirin at Beulake y^e which was first institute by y^e Apostles, after by S. Austine, & now by master Yuon prouest of the same church, which was afterward B. of carnotū They weare a blacke gowne, & a scapulary wounde aboute the arme, they be halfe mō∣kes and halfe prestes.

xiii. The Sarrabaites order.

TO this secte surely belonge suche of y^e spiritualty that by mouth professe wylfull pouerte & not w^t harte. For these Sarrabaites be sayd not only to come of Ananias & Saphira by vntrue dissimula¦cyon of retaynyng theyr goodes Actu. v. but also by lynage & kynred. These vnder y^e co∣lour of wylful pouerte, wolde seme to haue forsaken & byddē al tēporal goodes farewel,

after y^e instituciō of y^e apostles: vnder y^e wh¦ich colour y^e couetous wretches busyed to gather great goodes & possessiōs, which they optayned. Of these doth S. Hierome wryte thryse to S. Austine. They dwelt fyrst in E¦gipt ī holes & caues, clothed w^t oxē & suynes hedes, gyrded about w^t halters vnshod & blou¦dy went they oft to Ierusalē at y^e feast cōfes¦syng theyr wylful pouerte & despysyng of al thynge, so lōge, tyl they were enryched ther∣by. They pulled thēselues by y^e beerd ī sight of al y^e people, wherby they gat thēselues a name of great holynesse, afterward retur∣ned home agayn ladē w^t goodes, where they lyued at theyr ease S. Austine cōmaūded to flye these. They plated thornes in y^e hēmes of theyr vesturs, wher w^t they be blouded thē¦selues. Finally they began many straūge de¦uyces tyl they waxed rych & lyued ī ydelnes Read Bede & Aug. the. xxi. sermō ad fres in Eremo.

xiiii. Charterhouse order.

ANno. M. lxxxvi. dyd this order begyn in Gallia or Fraunce by Bruno the Philosopher & diuine, whō Bernard calleth a fayre pyler of the church. This or∣der is confirmed by Alexander the. iii. and the. iiii. Bishops of Rome with many other This order {pro}spered greatly not by reasō of

tyme (as euery man knoweth) but because of the strayghtnesse of lyuynge. On this fearful wyse dyd the order begynne: Whyle the vniuersite of Paris floryshed, ther dyed one of it that was of great renowne both of learnynge and honesty. Now whyle the Dirige was songe for hym, in the presence of many doctours, masters, & learned men, at these wordes: Quātas habeo īiquitates &c. as y^e body rose in the coffin, a voyce was herde sayenge: By the ryghteous iudgemēt of God am I accused. At this voyce were they all abashed and concluded not to burye the coarse. The secōde daye, was lyke voyce herde. On the thyrde daye was neare hande the whole cytie gathered to heare the voice and then dyd the coarse ryse agayne as be∣fore, with this voyce: By the ryghteous iud¦gement of God am I condēned. This pear¦sed thorow many hartes, but specyally Bru¦nos, borne at Colen, which then was deane and ruler of the vniuersite, so that he sayde to his disciples: Lo how peteously and pyte fully peryshed he, which notwithstandynge was rekened of euery man a saynt for hys lyuynge. Here vpon wente he in a wylder∣nesse with seuen men, and buylded there an

house purposynge in his mynde to leade a strayght lyfe, euery frydaye to fast breade & water: and neuer to eate fleshe, were he ne∣uer so sycke, to weare heery clothes nexte his body, neuer to come in to the worlde, to kepe pertuall sylence, and to speake only w^t God, to syt alone in a cell, & so wyth greate chastenyng to do penaunce for his synnes. Urbanus the. ii. B. of Rome is reported to haue ben this Brunos disciple. Hugo also y^t was as who saye an heremyte and charter house monke in this world, a very myrrour and example of all vertue, wolde haue takē vpon hym this order, but he could get no ly¦cence of the B. of Rome. I passe ouer y^t fa¦ble that is wrytten of hym. Lo good reader these deuelysh practyses vpon what funda∣ment they are groūded. The deuell thought this shalbe my deuyse: For the worlde can not iudge or discerne this lyuyng, they shall estyme it an holy lyuynge, all is golde wyth them y^t shyneth, chefly in spiritual matters. Yf this lyuynge be of value, then are the Heithen, Turkes, & Calicutes vertues mē: for they haue mōkes of strayghter lyuynge. But whosoeuer the matter be, the worlde wyll haue monkes and freres.

xv. Anthonyes order.

ANno. ccc. xxiiii. began Antony in E∣gipt a strayght & solitary lyfe. He was the fyrst hermite. His meat was only breade & water, & fasted vntyl Sōne set. He went wyllyngly in the wyldernesse, where many resorted vnto hym, y^e which made him theyr Abbot. S. Ierome sayth that he wrote vii. epistles or letters in y^e Egiptian speche, full of sprete & mysteryes, which afterward were trāslated into Greke. Athanasius B. of Alexandria wryteth his lyfe in a cōplete boke. He dyed at Thebaida. y^e. ccc. lvii. yeare after Christes byrth, the. c. v. yeare of his a∣ge, whō nother I cā, nor wyll iudge, he hath one to iudge hym: but y^e sorte of apes y^t ende¦uoure to folowe hym in clothynge, & not in fayth, makynge of his lyuyng a rule, so lyke to his lyfe, as y^e deuell is lyke God, those I say I coūte as heretykes & dissardes. This coūterfaited order weareth only a black gar¦ment w^t a blewe crosse theron, they vse beg∣gynge, they haue a fraternite, wherein they threatē folke w^t S. Antonis fyre, yee they ha¦ue brought y^e matter so farre, y^t in some par∣ties they haue pygges fatted to thē, wher w^t they fat theyr bellyes, & mock & maw at vs.

xvi. Paulus or Paulins order.

THe yeare. ccc. xlv. was one Paulus an heremiticall monke or heremite in Egipte, a cōpanion to y^e foresayd Antony, which spent his lyfe in wildernesse Whan he was. xv. yeare of age, fleynge the promotynge of Ualerianus & Decius Em¦perours of Rome, though he was of noble progeny, yet left he all, & went in to wylder¦nesse, where he dwelt in a lytel caue. xcviii. yeares vnknowen, to ony man, lyuynge in fastynge & prayer w^t water & breade, herbes & rootes such as y^e wildernesse dyd mynister thus lyued Paule. But marke y^t apes that haue y^t name & order after hym, & yet haue nomore of hym, then some Christen men haue of Christ, that is, y^e surname: For all his goostlynesse, lyfe, fayth, consysteth wyth them in theyr whyte garmētes or coules & kappes: The coloure of whose clothes we reade no where y^t Paul dyd we are lyke, so y^t I can not tell frō whēce they haue y^t name. For Paul fasted, but they are fulbelyes: he was poore, but they are rych: he was solyta¦ry, but they rūne about: he had sīple clothing & a clene hart, but these haue a whit garmēt & black hartes: so y^t of Paule they haue no

black scapulary and a blacke kappe but they haue chaūged y^e scapulary in to a whyt lynē rochet. This order is sayde to haue many learned men.

xix. Of S. Iustines order.

THe year. M. cccc. xxxii. some say. M. cccc. xii. dyd one Lodwyck or Lewis Barbus a coūseler of Uenice, rayse vp a new order of S. Iustine, vnder S. Be∣nets rule, in y^e parties of Treuisa, in y^e cloi¦ster of S. Iustin by y^e cytie Badua. This or¦der hath Eugenius the. iiii. confirmed with many & great priueleges. Theyr clothynge can I not describe.

xx. The heremites, of S. Austins. or Guishelmians order.

THe year. cccc. xviii. (as is said before) began this order in a wood aboute y^e citie Hippo by Cartago. Whā he had dwelte there. iii. yeare, he began to make a rule for thē after y^e Apostles rule. Upō thys came ther so many to y^t place, y^t one wolde haue thought it had snowed mōkes, so y^t ma¦ny cloysters were buylt of thē. Now whā y^e Uādalies came in Aphrica, they ouercame neare hād y^e. iii. part of y^e world, so y^t they quē¦ched almoost al y^e Christē name. Wherfore

certayn brethrē came in to Hetruria, ende∣uouryng there y^t y^e holy order shulde not be rooted out. But because of y^e persecucyon y^t y^e Gothies & Lōbardes vsed, this hermetical order was clene destroied, & monkry neare∣hande clene rooted out. Thus is this order oft decayed & oft raysed agayne, refourmed, & gotten many names, as now a dayes the Benedictines & Grayfreres, wherof some be called barefooted, some obseruaūtes, som Franciscanes, some Bernardines, some mi¦nores, some Amedei. As this order now had bē decayed a great whyl, ther rose one Guy¦liame a duke of Aquitania & coūty of Licta∣nia, which this youth was taught of s. Ber¦narde. This mā restored agayn S. Austins order both in wordes & dedes. For y^e greater he was afore in y^e worlde, y^e lowlyer he was become ī y^e wyldernesse, whether he wēt of fre wyl to chastise his flesh & subdue it, w^t a cote of males on his bare body, alway wat∣chyng, prayeng, & fastyng: wherfore he was called a father & restorer of y^e order. Whan Guyliam now saw y^e decay of his order, but y^e increace of y^e cisterciēses order, he gat a ge¦lousy to this order, & busyed hī to enlarge it, insomuch y^t he gathered a great nōbre of per¦sōs, which were called Guylelmites vntyl y^e tyme of Innocētius y^e. iiii. B. of Ro: For thē

were they called to the cytie out of the wyl¦dernesse, and theyr name chaūged in to He∣remites of S. Austine. This Guileame af∣ter the heremitish lyuynge by the consente of Anastasius & Adrian byshops of Ro. dyd buylde aboute (or as some say w^tin) Paris y^e fyrst beggynge order, the whiche was con∣firmed by Anastasius the. iiii. So that thys is the fyrst beggynge order that is brooded, chaūged from pouerte in to ryches, goynge so lōge about tyl they were nothyng worth. After y^t buylded they with beggynge many other cloysters, vntyll they haue fylled the worlde: & so is beggynge that once was for∣byddē, become a gods seruice. This chaūge lasted from. M. c. l. tyll. M. c. lx. yeare.

xxi. The regular order of the ob∣seruaunces of S. Austine.

ANno. cccc. Whan S. Austine was cho∣sen byshoppe in Aphrica he was com∣pelled to leaue the wyldernesse and to wayte vpon his office: wherfore he busyed to buyld also a cloyster in his house, wherin he wyth his chyldren and housholde myghte lyue after the Apostles rule, whiche were of one mynde to Godwarde, and to possesse all thynges in cōmune. But what maner of

clothynge they dyd weare, fynde I expressed by no credible storywrytter. wherfor it is to be thought y^t they haue vsed honest raymēt, accordyng to the fashiō of the contrye, and not to haue knowen of ony cole, as the apes do imagyne. And yf it were so that he had vsed a cole, yet counterfayte his sonnes and folowers hym in nothynge els saue that pagen, the whiche euery vyle and noughty fellow can do. As for hys holynesse of lyfe and fayth, that bequeeth they hym, as not pertaynynge to them. The clothyng of the Austins apes is not now a dayes a∣lyke in all places, but oft chaunged after the vse of the contryes, so that. x. sortes of Au∣stinians are in one cote. I wyll not speake here of theyr fayth, seynge that euery one hath a sundery fayth, and yet wolde be cal∣sed an Austinian: they make, breake, make agayne, and mende, and that such thynges as Austine wolde not once haue dreamed, yee whan he ryseth, wyll not knowe. Some weare all white, some black cotes, some white rochets and a scapulary wyth a black cole, some otherwyse. Ther be rekened to be xxiiii. kyndes of orders only vnder sente Au¦stins rule, wherof euery one hath his patrō,

in folowyng whose lyfe they thynk to please God: yet is ther none that wyl folow Christ

xxii. Cisterciensis order.

THe yeare. M. xcviii. after Christes byrth begā in y^e wyldernesse of But gony thys order by Roberte the spiri¦tuall abbot and father of the same, whyche was afterwarde confirmed by Urbane the ii. B. of Rome, & brought vnder S. Benets rule. By reason of many fraūchises and pri¦ueleges vnder the shadowe of holynesse it is come so farre, that theyr abbots somtyme and heremites and dwellers in wyldernesse are now Lordes and peres of realmes, yee drowned in the worlde and hys pompt, ry∣dynge with so many horses, that one wolde thynke ther came a worlde. Thys is a straunge flyenge and despysynge of y^e world Some wolde thynke it were a mockage of heremiticall lyuynge. Whan I wryte of theyr order and begynnynge, and beholde them now, yf in my mynde I conpare them together that were than and be now, my thynke I wryte of Christe and take the de∣uell for an ensample, and make hym a bro∣ther of Christes couente. For as the deuell

is Christes ape and counterfayter, whyche foloweth hym euen vpon the heles, and wyl do all thynges after hym, euen so do the a∣pes lykewyse. The fyrst founders though I ame not perfecte of theyr sprete, with what intent they beganne, and seynge one maye well suppose that they were not dryuē ther∣to by a good sprete: (for theyr intent is to much geuen to sectes, theyr owne ease and profite, yee and to heresy also) yet haue they a better appearaunce and shyne of holynes. To go to farre in Gods iudgmentes is not permytted vnto man, yet maye euery tre be iudged by hys frutes. He that wyl not be reproued of hys wycked lyuynge, let hym endeuoure to redresse it. Whan thys. or∣der of saynt Benet decreased, and decayed in vertue, than went Robert wyth. xxi. mon¦kes as despysers of earthly & louers of hea∣uēly thynges into a wyldernesse called Cis∣tercium, and there iustitute them a newe order called Cisterciensish order. After warde by counsell and procuracion of some dukes, byshops and legates, beganne they to chaunge the Heremytage into an ab∣baye, whych in shorte space came to greate lorde shyppes. Steuen the whych was abbot

after Robert, was sory that so few came to hys religion, forcause of the straytnesse of y^e order. In the meane season came Bernarde with hys bethren and made y^e religion more easyer. They weare reed shues and whyte rochets on a black cote, all shoren, saue a lytell cirkle.

xxiii. Bernardes order.

ANno. M. c. xx. dyd Bernarde shyne, a Burgonion, the sonne of a knyght of great lynage, the abot of Clareuall or Clereuale, wherof he was abbot. xxxvi. year In hys tyme he buylded. c. lx. Cloysters.

Some saye that he hath chaūged somthynge in the Cisterciensysh order, chefely in the garment, for they weare now black clokes vpon whyte cotes. Neuerthelesse to declare theyr foundacion and originall they weare the Cisterciēsish rochets vpō hygh and prin¦cipall feaste dayes. Theyr rule accordeth very well w^t S. Benets. S. Bernard wrote many bokes which testifye of hys learnyng and holynesse. Thys order hath many cloy∣sters & swalowed vp innumerable goodes of the worlde, whose abbottes many one are Lordes, rydynge wyth many horses, and say

masse wyth myter, croyser and cope lyke a byshop. They serue God many wayes, only they preach not lyke contemplatife fathers, orels very lytle, perchaunce it becommeth them not, or els theyr order wyll not suffre them to vse so sleght an office, or (y^t I myght soonest be persuaded) they can it not & ther∣fore commit it vnto vplandysh prestes, so y^t I thynke one coulde not furnysh one Ber∣narde out of so many cloysters, though he bet them euen to a plate.

xxiiii. Templer order, theyr be∣gynnynge and decaye.

AFter Christes byrth the yeare. M. c. x. in the tyme of Gelasius the. ii. begāne thys order at Ierusalem and cōtinued nearehāde. cc. yeare, whose begynnyng was thus: After that Gotfraye duke of Lorayne conquered Ierusalem, certayne knyghtes perceauyng that such pylgroms as came to them of theyr denociō and were robbed and murthered by the waye, they made a bonde amonge them to serue God in chyualry. At the begynnynge they were but few & gaue themselues to wylfull pouerte, and theyr chefe-mayster was a keper of the tempell

bore, wherof they were called Templar lor∣des. They dwelte together, not farre frome the sepulchre, lodgynge the pylgroms, ke∣pynge them from myschefe, and shewynge them much kyndnesse, bryngynge thē from one holy cytie vnto an other. Theyr orders badge was a whyte cloke with are ede crosse S. Barnarde made them a rule. They be∣came very rych in few dayes by gyftes of greate men and pylgroms, wherfore plea∣sure toke roote also amonge them, so that they came to decaye of vertue into al vyce, & were all destroyed vpōone daye in y^t tyme of Clemēt the. v. B. of Rome, āno. M. ccc. x. because that (as some saye) they were fallen to the Saracens, scornynge Christ with the infideles, for whose cause (notwithstādyng) they were heyred to warre. Wherfore they were in one daye destroyed in fraūce (where they had theyr beynge) of Philip kynge of Fraunce and other lordes, by the consent of the B. of Rome, wyth theyr graundmayster both twnes, castels, treasures, possessions & other goods all burnt & murthered, as was done also before in Asia and Syrya. These foresayde Lordes and the kynge by the B. of Romes permission dyd make an apoynt∣ment

and bonde by a bull (and no man shuld disclose thys priuite vnder damnaciō of hys soule) how that on one daye they shulde fall vpon them, and depryue them all of theyr lyues, and to wende the goods to other spi∣tuall vses, hyrynge wyth them other defen∣ders of the fayth. Thus peryshed thys order all in one daye, and theyr goodes were part¦ly turned to the knyghtes of Rhodis, which than beganne there, hauynge there theyr graundmayster, partly was it bestowed to the spiritualty in Englande. Some saye that thys rootynge out of them was more because of enuy of theyr prosperite and roy¦alte, than of gyltynesse. For as theyr graūd∣mayster Iames Burgonion was burnte at Paris wyth many of hys brethren, he toke hys death theron that he was neuer gylty of the accusacions layde to hym. But yf religions now shulde be destroyed for theyr ryches, or els because they are gone from the fayth: I feare me ther shulde fewe cloysters remayne standynge for theyr ly∣uynge and hypocrisyes sake.

xxv. The order of Tem∣ple knyghtes.

AFter the byrth of Christ. M. xx. began the order of temple knyghtes at Ieru∣salem, called S. Ihons. These lyue vn¦der S. Austines rule, and haue black lay clothynge, yet very lyke the rule, and there vpon a whyte crosse on theyr brest, they are institute to fyght bodely agaynst the infide∣les. Theyr chefe beynge is in the Ile Rho∣dis, where they be vnder a graundmayster with all theyr houses and churches. And though they be for the moost parte seculare, yet enioye they the fredomes of the church, fulfyllynge dayly theyr taxe of Pater no∣sters.

xxvi. Premonstratensis order.

AFter Christes byrth. M. c. xix. be∣ganne thys order in the byshopryke of Laudunēsis. vnder S. Benets rule by one borne at Colē called Notohobertus or as some saye Norbertus. Of thys order can I fynde nothynge perticularly, but that they be clothed in whyte from toppe to toe to declare theyr vnstayned virginite.

xxvii. Humiliatorum or the submitted order.

AFter Christes byrth the yeare. M. c. lxvi dyd thys order begynne, (Yet do some saye that it was vnder Henry the vi. anno. M. c. lxxxix) in the tyme of Alexan∣der the. iii. The fyrst saye that what tyme the Emperoure Frederike Barbarossa had troubled Italy, and specially Gallia Cisal∣pina, and had bannyshed many, both men & women and chylderen into Dutchland: as they now cōtinued there a season and were fylled wyth mysery, they clothed themselues all in whyte, came to the emperoure, pray∣enge hym forgeuenesse, and to let them go home agayne, the which was graunted and permitted vnto them. Now whan they were come home, they kepte thēselues together, and promysed to go in lowly clothynge, the men and wemen to be separated ech from other, & to laboure euery one what he was skylde in, and had a commune purse (Theyr heade called they a Prouest, they kepte the rule of S. Benet. Thys order increased so both in goods and persons, that it was con∣firmed and endued with many priuileges of the B. of Rome.

xxviii. The Sambonites or good brethren order.

THe yeare. M. c. xcix. dyd Ihon surna∣med the goode a restorer of S. Au∣stins order florysh, which had such a pryck of the flesh, that he feared he sholde haue ben fayne to forsake religion, and to haue turned agayne to the world: wherfore he toke sharpe thornes, which he put vnder the nayles of hys handes, and put hys han∣des oft vnder a stone to preasse them, and chastysed hym selfe so harde that he was of∣tymes besyde hys wyt. He laye. iii. dayes spechlesse, so that he knew nothyng of hym∣selfe. At the which tyme a woyce shuld haue sayde to hym: Ihon, thou hast conquered, thou shalt nomore be assaulted of thy flesh. Thus was he at the fyrst a good mōke. Af∣ter thys he raysed vp the decayed order of saynte Austine, chaungynge lytell in gar∣ment, but makynge the order strayghter. U¦pon thys came many to se hys holynesse, which were steared to forsake the world, to renounce all, and to accōpany themselues to hym, yeldynge themselues to the lyfe of S. Austine. They buylded many cloysters, and surnamed themselues Sambonites or the good brethren: for he was called y^e good Ihon or Iohannes bonus. Such is the be∣gynnynge

(good reader) of the orders that swalow vp landes and people, and deuoure wedowes houses. It is a commune prouer∣be: A yonge angell, and olde deuell.

xxix. The crossebearers or Crossed freres order.

IN the yeare of oure Lorde. M. cc. xv beganne thys order in the. lxviii. coun¦cell of Rome, it was begonne longe to fore, but sometyme lefte agayne: at the laste it was raysed agayne and cōfirmed by Innocentius the. iii. in the. xviii. year of hys byshopryke of Rome. The begynnyng was of thys maner: Amonge thē of Albania rose a pestilent heresy, which caused a great dis∣sension amonge them of Rome. Wherfor y^e B. of Rome sente many agaynst them mar¦ked wyth the crosse, whiche were all slayne. These laudable & prayse worthy souldyers dyd he halow therfore, and raysed the order agayne wyth geuynge of many fredoms & preuileges. Unto thys order dyd Innocētius y^e. iiii. B. of Ro. geue a rule, cōmaundynge y^t y^e spirituall of thys order shuld alway weare a crosse in theyr hondes. Quiriacus a B. & martyr in y^t tyme of Helena the mother of

Constātine y^e greate Emperoure is sayd to be the founder of it: but it was come to such decaye, that it was almoost gone to nought. The yeare of oure Lorde. M. cc. xxii. shulde it haue ben refourmed: theyr clothynge is a black cope with a crosse theron, the byg∣nesse of an hande.

xxx. Carmelites or whyte freres order.

ANno. M. cc. xviii. dyd Alberte a patri∣arke of Ierusalem rayse agayne thys order in Syria by mount Carmelus geuynge of hys owne power therto many fraunchises and priuileges, and ordened a rule for it. Now whan thys order encreased and multiplyed thorowout the worlde it suf¦fered much trouble. Wherfore Honorius y^e iii. B. of Rome thought that thys order suf∣fered vnworthely so much, by reason of hys holynesse (which yet was not greate) for the which cause he translated thys order vnder y^t tytle of oure lady of mount Carmelus, chaū¦gynge somwhat theyr rayment. Some saye that thys holy order in hys fyrst clothynge (that they sayde was of Helias or Heliseus) was greatly accepte to the Soldane, and

endued with many almesses of hym: but af∣ter they thaunged theyr rayment, he droue them out of hys kyngdome, so that of neces∣site they came in Europa. There haue they fallen to beggynge, so that in short space they grue greatly. They boast Cirill, An∣gelus, and Albertus to be theyr sayntes. Lo good reader thys is the reasonable grounde of theyr order, which was so good, that it pleased also the Heythen, whiche shame and rebule Math. x. Ioh. xv. xvi. they wyll in a maner boast where as the true Christen be alwaye persued of the euell Christen: yee the properte, nature, and chaunce of the gos¦pell is, that it bryngeth hatred of the worlde w^t it. Marke farther: thys holy cole brought them a crosse and trouble, who euer herde such lyke? Thys order is to begge, to take of euery man, and to do nothynge agayne for it. Theyr clothynge was wonte to be a whyte and blacke checkered cope, but now a black cote gyrded about thē, & a whyte cloke vpon y^t. Theyr order is to drynke wyne and to begyle the people wyth much bablynge Math. xxiii.

xxxi. Preacher order or black freres of S. Dominike.

ANno. M. cc. xx. was Dominike Cala∣guritane a Spayniarde the begynner, leader and father of thys order: which yet beynge in hys mothers wombe was de∣clared vnto her what he shulde be, on thys maner: She dreamed, that she had a wolf in hyr wombe, which had a burnynge torch in hys mouth, the which the preachers do grea¦tly auaunce and expoūde it to theyr orders glory, as they well can. Neuerthelesse it is well knowen what beast a wolfe is, he is no shepe which signifyeth Christ and hys Ioh. x As for the torche, I take it for hys wolfysh learnynge, wherewyth he hath set all the worlde on fyre and begyled, or els made thē shepe, that he myght deuoure them: for fyre and a torche do not alwaye sygnifye y^e holy goost. Now lytell doth it agre than with ho∣lynesse & the gospell that theyr dreame doth sygnifye, that she bare a wolfe, where as Christen men are shepe, & in no place called wolues, nor yet is the wolfe ony where ta∣kē for goodnes? Thys Dominike was fyrst a chanon regular, but w^t great feruētnesse of sprete (as is well to be thought) foūded he thys order, & toke the cole, y^e clothyng of hys order vpō hym, for he douted how to be haue

hymselfe in the heresy y^t was spronge vp of the virgine Mary, y^t he myght roote it out. As he now vanquissed & ouercame y^t gayu∣sayers of the B. of Rome at Tolossa, he op∣tayned the cōfirmacion of hys order of Ho∣norius the. iii. B. of Rome, the which after∣warde ouerwhelmed al contryes. Thys shy¦nynge man dyed at Bononia, & was cano∣nisate of Gregory the. ix. Theyr order is to begge as the Carmelytes, and to forsake ly∣tle by wylfull pouerte, wherby they take much and waxe rych. Theyr cote is whyte, theyr cope black. Theyr rule is S. Dominks and not Christes, accordynge to the name. Marke good reader what strawy & papiry foundaciō the orders haue, yee founded vpō a frosen yse, so that whan the Sōne of truth doth shyne, than melteth theyr foundacion, & theyr buyldynge decayeth. What a lyke tale is thys y^t an author of sectes shal destroye sectes and heresyes? Yf one heretike maye driue out an other, thā were these hereticall dyuels alwayes the fearcest. But Christ say¦eth. mat. xii. y^t one deuel can not dryue out another, yet are they cōfirmed to roote out all heresy, namely that is agaynst the Po∣pishnesse. Afterwarde in a generall chap- 〈…〉〈…〉 Bononia it was concluded to geue

ouer all vnmoueable goodes and rētes that they myght so themore frelyer wayte vpon y^e office of preachynge, but now they coulde be content to haue more than they haue in possession. Innocentius B. of Rome saw in a dreame the church loused and discharged vpon Dominikes shulder, wherfore he dyd confirme the order.

xxxii. The barefooted order.

ANno. M. cc. xxii. approbated Honorius the. iii. B. of Rome a good frerely fa∣ther thys order also. The whiche was founded of one Frauncis an Italian which was a marchaunte and a worldly man vn∣tyl he was. xxv. yeares of age. After that cast he in his mynde to folow Christ, despysyng all worldly thynges. And whan he was shod & gyrded wyth a duble gyrdell, he remēbred the wordes Christ: (Possesse nother two co¦tes, nor shues, nor yet a staffe. &c. and: whoso forsaketh not all thynges can not be my disciple,) he caste all thynges from hym euen also the gyrdell, and gyrded a coard aboute hym, and beganne contynently thys order. In the whyche he was so strayght to hymselfe, that to chastise hys

fleshe in wynter season he wolde couer his body with yse and snowe. He called pouerte alwaye his lady, and loued rather to heare hymselfe reuyled then praysed, he kepte no∣thynge ouer nyght. His harte desyred mar∣tyrdome, where vpon he wente in to Siria to the Soldane, which receaued hym honou¦rably: wherby it is to be thought that surely he tolde hym not the trueth. For trueth is seldom welcome in courtes, and in y^e world. I wyll here passe ouer the fable how Christ and his sayntes dyd marke hym with the. v. woundes. As he had now thus chastised his flesh. xviii. yeare, he dyed at Assis, and was canonised of Gregory the. ix. Thus hast thou (good reader) described vnto the the gos¦pellysh ape, the pyler, staye and foundacyon of the barefooted order. Let it be so that he had a good meanynge, where be then his fo¦lowers? I maye se perchaūce his cole or gar¦ment, but his lyfe I se nowhere. I reade not that he nor his wente aboute wyth a boxe, sayenge gospell from house to house, and in euery gam were one played, nor yet that he ware cutte shues or patius.

xxxiii. The minorites of s. Fraūces.

〈2+ pages missing〉〈2+ pages missing〉

fyre and swearde.

xxxvi. The Celestines order.

THe yeare of our Lorde. M. cc. xcvli. was there a good B. of Rome, Cele∣stine by name, which wyllyngly ga∣ue ouer the byshopryke, and wolde haue re∣turned agayne to his hermitage (wherin he dwelty quyetly before his popyshnesse) had he not ben letted by Boniface the. viii. B. of Rome. Some apes counterfayted this holy B. takynge vpon thē an order vnder y^e rule of S. Benet in a wyldernesse, and called thē selues Celestines after Celestine. Theyr orders garment, cloke, cole, and kappe shuld haue ben blew, and Celestine shulde haue begōne it, but his storye denyenge it accor¦deth not here with.

xxxvii. The Dutch order, or order of the lordes of Prusse.

ANno. M. cc. xvi. or as theyr rule specy∣fyeth. M. c. xc. whan the Emperoure Frederike the. ii. hooste laye in Pruse to resyste the assaultes of the infideles, and that ther rose a great disease amonge y^e soul dyers, some of y^e goodharted souldyers made

a cotage or tente of a shippe, wherin they caryed the diseased, and with great tēdaūce serued them there, gatherynge an almesse a¦monge the hooste, and whan they wente to felde, they were alwaye the fyrst lyke feruēt souldyers: so that prynces and great mē had a great mynde to them. Amonge these were some rych and honest cytesens of Lubeke & Breme which vndertoke by the Emperour to make a brotherheade amonge them, by y^e which dede they dyd alure many to them.

They promysed also yf the lande of Pruse shulde be geuen them, they wolde lyke bre∣thren and men of chyualrye, conquere it a∣gayne. This was graunted them, geuē and registred. Duke Conrade also of Mosauia that wrote hymselfe lorde of it, gaue them ouer his tytle vnder a golden bull. Thus raysed they a brotherhead amonge them to warre vpon lyke aduenture, ether to lyse or to wynne, come who wolde, & procured in y^e meane tyme a confirmacyon of this theyr brotherheade of the B. of Rome, which they gat and obtayned. Than proclamed they theyr order, and all such as were wrytten in to it had a pece of y^e sayle of y^t shippe where vnder they tended the sycke and diseased.

And vnderone they made a statute, y^e whoso wolde ioyne hymselfe to them, shulde weare a whyte lynnen cloth, cast aboute hym, lyke the Egipcyans do, closed aboute the necke, lest it fell from them, & a blacke crosse ther∣on. This brotherheade was called, y^e Dutch order of y^e hospitall of S. Mary at Ierusalē: for they toke none therin, but Dutchmem. As for y^t tytle knyghtes or lordes, y^t they gat longe after. Now as they had cōquered & ta∣ken in Pruse it was graūted them to go fur¦ther, & what lande they toke in, y^t to be theyr possessiō & heretage. Upon this they toke in euery one y^t came to thē, saue those maryed men y^t had chyldren, yf he were maryed, and had no chyldrē, he myght be receaued wely∣nough: For it was ordyned y^t after his death al y^t he had, shuld come to the orders be hofe Maryed men were marked wyth an halfe crosse only, but y^e other with a whole crosse. They refused no kynd, for they toke also we men in to theyr order, yee & prestes. This chyualry & knyghthode agaynst y^e Heythen, & theyr busy cure to y^e diseased was a great shyne of goodnesse: but whā they gat a lytel reste, they made out a procture, w^t a sleght copper crosse, & vnknowē relikes, to gather

in dyuerse places, to the mayntenaunce of theyr order & hospitall. They obtayned also great pardon for them y^t relyued thē w^t theyr goodes, bodyes, ayde & counsell: so that they encreased greatly, foūded euery where hos∣pitals, wherfore euery mā was redy to geue & to mantayne thē. Such also as were slayn in y^e aforesayd battayls, were holdē for mar∣tyrs, whervpō they caused many gētlemen, & souldyours to warre for thē at theyr owne costes, & to conquere landes & people. But what they gat w^t conqueryng & lymytynge, y^t drue they all to theyr owne, payeng theyr ayders w^t thankes, & bought w^t the goodes y^t they gathered both those waies, tributes tol¦les and one pece of lande after another: & as they increased in goodes and possessiōs, so decreassed theyr cure to the poore. At the fyrst they led a strayght lyfe with the chasti¦fynge of theyr bodyes, but specyally w^t ten∣dynge of the sycke. Whan Dutch gentlemē came to vysite them, they coulde scant finde an empty corner to put of theyr harnesse, it was so full of sycke folke, and of the bre∣thren that prayed, whereof some scour∣ged them selues naked wyth roddes, which foolyshnesse at that tyme had a great

shyne of holynesse. With this conuersacyō and shyne of holynesse, as warrynge & beg∣gynge obtayned they in short space. iii. lord∣shippes, namely one in Dutchlande, (that they gat with beggynge) Prusse, and Eyf∣lande or Lyfelande. Marke now the chaun∣gynge and alteracyon: At the begynnynge was the order fre for euery man, and an hos¦pitall of the poore, but now hath the gent∣lery bytten out the poore: the whole & soūde them that were sycke and diseased: the rych the poore, so that it is nomore called the hos¦pitall of the poore, but of the gentlemen, & are called nomore brethren, but lordes and knyghtes of the Dutch order. Moreouer, it is not now fre for euery mā, for euē gent∣lemen themselues must make labour & fren¦des to obtayne it. Thus well remayneth e∣uery foundacyon in this wycked worlde, so that I counsell hym that wyl do good to his neghboure, to do it by his lyfe dayes, and let foundacyon be foundacion. Theyr heade now is called Comither.

The order of S. Ihōs or knyghtes of Rho¦dis hath lyke begynnynge, myddell and ende, wherin also are now only lordes, coū∣ties, & other gentlemē: Unto whō the order

is not shewed before they be entred therin.

xxxviii. The order of Maryes. seruauntes.

ANno. M. ccc. iiii. was one Philippe a very spirituall and deuoute man the founder of the order of the seruaūtes of oure lady. He raysed thys order vnder the rule of S. Austine, wyth euen lyke wordes and fashion, makynge difference of it wyth certayne ordinaunces of the freres of oure lady: whiche order afterwarde was confir∣med by thre B. of Rome, namely: Bene: y^e xi. Boniface the. viii. and Urbane the. vi. & is rekened amonge the beggynge orders. At the last it was wholy sanctifyed and ha∣lowed of Innocencius the. viii. and delyue∣red of the euell wyl that some cloysters dyd owe them. Theyr garmentes are lyke oure ladyes brethren. Thys order begāne vnder Benet the. xi. B. of Rome, & shortly increa∣sed greatly in goodes, persones & cloysters, decreased only in sprete.

xxxix. The order of saynt Ihons, or the Lordes of Rhodis.

ANno. M. ccc. viii. what tyme Ierusalē the cytie was lost, and y^e Templars were destroyed, by reason they were fallen to a great Idolatry, certayne knygh∣tes with a great company of gentlemē and other vale aūt men made a compacte in the name and honoure of S. Ihō Baptist (wher¦fore they were called Iohannites.) These toke vpon them to recouer agayne the loste Ile of Rhodis yf it were geuē them to pos∣sesse it frely, orels wolde lese theyr lyues. This beynge graunted to them they toke theyr iourney the therward, which was pros¦perous vnto thē, so that they recouered it, & droue out the Turkes of it, repayred again the destroyed cytie of Rhodis, and mended theyr nauye: so that not only they kepte the Ile for farther assaultes of the Heythen, but also ayded greatly the Christē that were in Cipres & other Iles aboute them. For the which ayde and succurre, the goodes of the Templars in the east were geuen them by the B. of Rome and other Christē princes. And euen so was the Ile Rhodis with all y^e lorshippe therof geuen vnto this order of S. Ihons. Afterward of theyr owne deuocyon & good mynde desyred they y^e rule of S. Au∣styne,

wherby they beynge endued of the B. of Rome wyth many priuileges & fraunchi∣ses, optayned many good dedes. The Sol∣dane or Turkysh Emperoure hath so longe warred vpon this Ile, tyll at the last Anno M. ccccc. xxii. he hath taken it in Neuerthe∣lesse he hath ofter had euel fortune before it then good. It is sayd that ther was a castell in this Ile, called S. Peter, wherin y^e Chri∣sten dyd oft flye the power of the Turkes, wherin are exceadynge curste dogges that knewe Christen men by smellyng and were louynge to thē: but agaynst y^e turkes wolde they fal fearsly, bytyng & tearyng thē, so that they haue ben oft hurte of thē. Theyr head is called y^e Graūdmayster. Theyr clothyng is black, & a whyt crosse theron. They wear also a swearde, in tokē of theyr knyghthode.

xl. The order of the souldyers of Iesus Christ.

ANno. M. ccc. xxiii. dyd Ihō y^e. xxii. rayse this new order of Iesus Christ, so that the brethren of this order shulde vse chyualrye agaynste the Saracens in Por∣tingale. The chefe heade of the order is in the cytie Mirinū in the Syluēsish byshop¦ryke,

where theyr principall housynge and castell is. Unto these souldyers by the con∣sent of y^e kynge of Portyngale, be y^e goodes geuē whych y^e Tēplars had in Portingale, where wyth they shulde be sustayned. The heade of the order is the abbot of the by∣shoprycke Alchasia, whiche hath power to admitte and depose such souldyers. Of theyr clothyng haue I no where red. Theyr rule is to warre and to be wylde.

xli. The order of Iniesuates.

THe yeare after Christes byrth. M. ccc lxv. dyd thys order begynne vnder Urbane the. v. B. of Rome, in the cy¦tie of Hetruria called Sena. The founders of it beganne in houses, in worldly rayment after the maner of spirituall men, seruynge God in the sweate of theyr browes & theyr handycrafte, in greate loue & charite one w^t an other. As now the foresayd B. of Rome called thē to hym, he had a great pleasure in theyr lyuynge, & gaue them a whyte cote to theyr orders habite, & a scornful cole to wear thervpō, & ordyned thē to a patrō or defēder a v{er}tuous & holy mā (but y^e B. of Ro. frende) i steade of a prouest or abbot. The same (ac∣cordynge

as he was cōmaunded) gaue thē a graye garmēt to weare vpon y^e whyte cote, & to go vnshod. They were endued w^t many pardons and priueleges, so that they greatly increased in few dayes in many cyties of I¦taly, beynge well accepted and counted for true ensamples & folowers of the Apostles. Theyr dayly seruice is a certayne taxe of Pai nosters. They haue no orders, yet are ther many learned men amonge them in I∣taly now a dayes. The begynnynge of the order was good, seyng that they serued god wyllyngly and frely wythout ony rule: but after that the Antichrist of Rome had made an order for them also, than was the fredom of theyr sprete bounde to a rule & clothynge & than had thys order also done before God. For Christ wyll be alone, he wyll nother be bounde hymselfe, nor hys true disciples no∣ther, yee where he is truely receaued, there maketh he all fre: but y^e Antichrist of Rome wyll set hys seate also in mens consciences, wherfore Christe and hys worde be fayne to geue place to hys wycked tyranny.

xlii. The Scopetines or S. Saluators order.

THe yeare after Christes byrth. M. ccc. lxvii. dyd thys order be gynne by certayne spirituall fathers of saynt Austins order in the partyes of Sene in I∣taly: The which Gregory y^e xi. B. of Rome dyd approbate, endue with priueleges, and asscribed them amonge the chanōs regular or quere prestes. And for a memoriall of theyr fyrst foundacion and spirituall estate, they weare a white garment wyth a whyte scapulary vpon a whyte rochet. They lyue of theyr rentes, and reuenues. They preach not, yet heare they confessions. He∣therto haue they ben in estimacion & great∣ly set by.

xliii. The order of S. Brigitte or Bryde.

ANno. M. ccc. lxx. shuld Basilius haue ben founder and instituter of thys or¦der in Grekelande, so that both men and wemen shulde lyue together spiritually vnder one rule. But because some ouerth∣warte men laughed thys spiritually to skorn the order was discharged, & afterwarde ray∣sed agayne be Brigitte, & institute that they myght well haue theyr habitacion both

vnder one roofe, but mē & wemen separated ech frō other, so y^t the one myght not come to y^e other, saue only whā nede requyred to minister the sacramētes. The church shuld be cōmune to both, neuerthelesse y^e systers shulde be closed aboue in a closet, & the bre∣thren to be beneth, waytyng vpō the diuine seruice: & y^t these shulde tende the altare, & they the quere. The Abbesse shulde haue the primacy on S. Brydes behalfe, & y^e bre∣thren to be vnder her: so y^t she shuld prouyde both man & womā meate, drynke & clothyng Amōge the brethrē shulde one be called Pri¦or, warden or Cōfessoure, and be aboue y^e o∣ther. The wemen shulde be cōsecreated and brought in by the byshop. Theyr clothing is a graye cote w^t a graye cloke therō, & a reed crosse in a whyte cyrkle. They may weare no lynnen, after the tenoure of theyr rule.

Theyr rule is S. Austins, w^t it that S. Bryde put therto, which God (yf it be at the leest waye true) dyd declare vnto her and confir∣med by the B. of Rome. In Sweden and Germany are theyr cloysters for the moost parte. These brethren heare confessions and preache at hyghe feastes. They haue also laye brethren, as in many places

nto. Because of foren occupyeng hath euery cloyster hys certayne brethren & systers.

xliiii. The whyte spretes or Beghart order.

ANno. M. ccc. xcix. or as some saye. lxxxix. rose the Beghartes in Italy after a straunge rysyng of the people so that euery man wythyn the Alpes or mountaynes of Italy clothed hymselfe in a whyte lynnen garmente, hauyng a cole lyke a freres abyte, and cōmynge downe euen to the toes: amonge whom were many noble men and women, princes, prestes, mōkes & all kynde of spirituall men, which also clo∣thed them of thys fashion. These all wente procession wyse, euer two and two together vnto the nexte cytie, and cryed with a mery noyse for peace and mercy. They sange and praysed God. Noman wēt aboute to begyle ony mā by craftynes at thys tyme, no straū¦ger was oppressed, all hatred ceassed, and al¦enuy turned to peace: Thys cōtinued y^e spa¦ce of. iii. monethes. Amōge these were ther. iii. M. of y^e citie Luca, they wente to Florēce, y^e men went before euer two & two, theyr wy¦nes folowed them lykewyse in the precessiō

wyth theyr faces couered. The crosse that wente before thē is yet at Luca, and is kept in great reuerence, to the which is a pylgri∣mage, and ymages of gold, syluer and waxe are offred vnto it. The occasiō of thys was a prest whiche was so passynge in visage, wordes & behaueour, that of many he was taken for a saynte. Bonifact the. ix. B. of Rome caused hym to be taken at Uiterbiū∣to brynge hym vp to hym, to burne hym lyke an heretike, and to caste hys ashes in the ayer: & thus vanyshed thys swarme agayne alone by processe of tyme.

lxv. The order of whyte monkes of mount olyuete.

ANno. M. cccc. vi. in the tyme of the scis¦ma or diuision betwene Benet y^e. xiii. and Gregory the xii. byshops of Rome beganne thys order aboute Sena in Italy, by certayne cytesens of the same. For many cytesins fearynge God, as they saw thys dis¦corde and diuision betwene these. ii. popesor B. of Rome, and other vnhappynesse in the worlde, gat a great grudge and myspleasure at it, drue together wyth one accorde, and a lytell frō the cytie vpon a hyll called olyue

hyll, or mount olyuete, here beganne they to discharge them selues of worldly care, and to serue God lyke contemplatife heremites By the ensample of thys were many noble and gentlemen with other steared and in∣flamed to ioyne themselfes to them, & lyued in heauenly contemplacion. Now whan theyr good noyse came to the B. of Romes eares, and theyr feruent contemplacion in godly thynges, he caused certayne of y^e chefe of them to come to hym, to equire of theyr lyfe, and conuersacion: wherin he had an ex¦ceadynge greate pleasure, & confirmed thē wyth many priuileges. Theyr clothynge is all whyte. Theyr rule is S. Benets, wyth some addicions to it.

xlvi. S. Georges order.

ANno. M. cccc. vii. rose also a new regu¦lar order of S. George of Alga, by Ue¦nice, that was begonne by the spiritu¦all man y^e Patriarke Laurence Iustiniane of an increable straytnesse of lyfe. Thys gatheringe dyd Gregory the. xii. stablysh vn¦der S. Peters rule & y^e first order, w^t certayn ordinaūces ioyned therto. Eugenius y^e. iiii & many other notable byshops and cardinals

were of thys order.

xlvii. S. Peters order or y^e Apostles order.

THe yeare of oure Lorde. M. cccc. ix. dyd the order that was iustitute first of the Apostles, & afterwarde of S. Austine by the towne Hippo in Aphrica wō¦derously increase, and decaye agayne. Af∣terwarde in the. xxii. yeare of Henry the. iiii y^e Emperoure of Rome, (accordynge as ma¦ny cronicles do specifye) was it set vp and raysed agayn by Iuo the byshop of Burgo∣ny. Thys order, (namely to lyue after y^e per¦fection of the gospell) is oft decayed and ray¦sed agayne. Anno. M. ccc. xlii. in the tyme of Benet the. xii. B. of Rome shuld thys order haue ben raysed, cōfirmed, & brought agayn to hys olde flore. Some cal it the regular or the obseruaunt order of S. Austine. Thys order (yf it be els of the Apostles iustituciō) was fyrst raysed to God w^tout ony rule or cōpulsion of theyr harte, beyng bound to no thynge, cleued to nothynge els but to God, possessynge al thinges as though they had & possessed them not, & lyued w^tout ony diffe∣rēce of meates & clothyng, beynge fre frō all pmyse saue only baptyme: but after y^t s. Au¦stine closed it in a rule, & the B. of Ro. haue

patched many constitucyons and cōmaun∣dementes to it, disanullynge the preceptes of God, as namely: wyth choyse & differēce of meates, clothynges, dayes, promyses, per¦sons, places, tymes and with excludynge of mariage as an vnclenly thinge, is the order become the deuels order, and he abbot of it. The Apostles order ought to be commune vnto all Christen men, for they taught them alwaye in generall, and made no difference of Christen men. All Christians haue one commune doctrine, law, baptyme, lorde, gos¦pell and Christ, but they haue so longe bot∣ched and cobled to it, tyl it is become the de¦uels. It is so often chaunged, (the whiche I can not now all shewe,) vntyll at the laste they be clene dispensed from Christ, and his gospel, to a Iewysh spiritualty, and an order of theyr owne inuencyon.

xlviii. The order of the heremites of S. Ierome.

ANno. M. cccc. xii. is ther rysen an here meticall order of S. Ierō by Lupus of Hispalū a prouīcial of the order, whost rule is drawen out of the wrytynges of S. Ieroine: the which rule beynge sent to Mar¦tine the. v. B. of Rome to confirme, pleased

hym very wel. So that these monkes, which afore had lyued after S. Austins rule, dyd now take S. Ierome for a gyde and master. They haue graye clokes, and saye seruyce after the Romane vse. We haue spoken of them afore also.

xlix. Camaldulensis order.

ANno. ix. L. and. l. dyd this order begyn in the parties of Hetruria by one Ro¦muldus an abbot of Rauenna. This wyldernesse belonged to one Maduldus by name, which gaue it to Romuldus the holy man for a dwellynge place, after whom the holy man caused it to be surnamed for a per¦petuall memory. He ordined his monkes to we are a whyte cole, to whom many gentle∣men and other forsakynge the worlde dyd ioyne thēselues. Amonge all other was one Petrus Urceolus duke of Uenice come to theyr company, which after his death decla¦red the holynesse of the order wyth many tokens and myracles. Whyle Romuldus ly¦ued he dyd augmēt the order wonderously, so that in some places. iii. or. iiii. cloysters were buylt atonce, which increassed exce∣dyngly in ryches, connynge, and persons.

Theyr rule is vnknowen to me. Theyr cloke and all from toppe to toe is whyte. I doute in theyr opinion and mynde, and also in theyr virginite and behaueoure. For cro¦nicles do prayse many thynges that are to be dispraysed, & agayne disprayse, y^t is prayse worthy, wherof parcialite is sōtyme y^e cause

¶ Lo good reader such thinges fynde I pray¦sed thorow out with vaine prayse, as I wold rather blame yf I were requyred to be iud∣ge: Wherfore counte many thynges to be spokē Ironice (that is not earnestly & of a cō¦trary me anynge) and than shalte thou y^e bet¦ter perceaue the trueth, and not my good-meanynge or iudgement wrytten agaynste the B. of Romes heretykes, orders and Po¦pysh sayntes. Yf I prayse that which is not prayse worthy, I do iniury to it that is good and laudable. Yf I saye y^e stewes or brothel∣house is good and to be admytted, because of auoydynge farther inconuenience, I do iniury to Gods worde that extremely for∣byddeth it, and preferre my good meanynge aboue Gods worde. Conferre only the. xvi. chap. of Ezechiel with these brothelhouses for the better vnderstandynge of thys.