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WE ben lothe to put the reders vn¦to labour / in tournyng agayne to haue redely the remēbraunce of our {pro}ces / & therfore we done the oftener set it forth where we dyd assimule & lyken the lyfe of {per}fection vnto a holsome wyne cōteined in a Tonne or Pype
whiche cōmunely is made of bordes / & those bordes boūde with hopes / & the same hopes fastened with smale wykers / so that if ye wikers breake our louce: the hopes sterte of / & all goth to waste: So (say we) is it by the lyfe of {per}fection / cōteyned ī religion / & re∣ligion: by the vowes / the vowes: by the rules / the rules: by the ceremonies / wherof nowe haue we in∣treated for the fyrste parte / whiche ceremonies (as we sayd) ben sygnified by the wykers. Nowe must folowe in this seconde parte of the hopes of our ves¦sell / wherby we done meane & vnderstāde: the rules of euery religion / wherof (after the order of our en∣terpryse & instituciō) we shulde nowe here intreate. But bycause we done wryte prīcipally vnto the dis¦ciples of our rule whiche is the rule of saynt Augu∣styne / whiche rule (after our poore wyll & vnderstā∣dynge) we haue translated out of Latine into Eng∣lysshe settyng forth the texte fyrst ī Latine & after in Englysshe. And somewhat wryten & shewed our poore mynde vpō ye same in declaracion of ye letter. And also we haue ioyned there vnto (of our owne trāslaciō also) ye {pro}fitable exposiciō of ye great clerke a reuerent father of the same rule & a holy sait caled Hughe de sācto Victore: For this cause (I say) we haue here nowe in this seconde parte: very lytell to do / natwithhstādyng yet shal I somewhat shewe of my poore mynde vnder ye fourme of coūsaile / which is this. I thynke it very {pro}fitable & moche expediēt for al such {per}sones as by ye grace & electiō of our lord ben moued or stered ī soule or minde vnto religion: that fyrste (after ye due examinaciō & {pro}fe of theyr ca∣lynge) they appoint thē selfe vpon some certeyn au∣tētyke religiō. And yet keping thē selfe fre & at liber¦ty of any vowe or {pro}mise: they make diligēt meanes
to se and knowe the rule of the same religion and to haue sufficient vnderstādyng therof other by study or by informacion. For (as we haue written in our prologe vpon the said rule) I haue knowen diuerse {per}sones both men & women of diuerse monasteries: that were professed yeres byfore they knewe or yet herde tell of any rule / but only the terme in generall saynt Augustynes rule / or saint Benettes rule / and yet ouer yt some {per}sones coulde nat tell of what rule they were nor whether they kepte any autētike rule or nat / they thought & supposed sufficiēt for them yt they were {pro}fessed as the company was where they were / & to lyue after ye custome of the place / whiche custome (in very dede) was ferre frō any rule / & yet had they in theyr {pro}fession {pro}mised to obserue & kepe a certeyne rule / & there vpon receyued ye holy sacra∣ment. The fyrst poynt thā for suche {per}sones as wold (after due maner) be good and godly religious per¦sones: is to knowe & vnderstande ye rule byfore they labour in any place for the religion. And for ye cause we toke ye poore laboure to translate ye rule of saynt Augustyne & to set forthe declaraciō there vpō in ye Englysshe tonge / yt no {per}sones wyllynge to be of ye rule: shulde iustly make excuse by ignoraūce and de¦faulte of knowlege of ye same. And so in lyke maner of ye other rules / & of ye cōstituciōs of ye order / which knowen well & by due vnderstandynge {per}ceyued: I wolde aduyse ye {per}sones to {pro}ue thē selfe in the f••me / whether they be able in bodely strengthe & diete / to cōtinue the laboures of ye religiō / & whether in ler∣nyng: as syngyng / reding / & other abilit{is}: they may {per}forme ye duet{is} of ye same. For (as aftē we haue said) euery good & v{er}tuous {per}son: is nat mete to be a good religious
persone / profe therfore is good before the habite be receyued. For after the {per}sone be admitted: a yere of profe is by the lawe appoynted. For whan the pro∣fession is perfourmed and solempnized / than is nat due tyme to study for the knowelege of the duete / but rather with care / diligence / and good awayte / to perfourme and kepe the promyse. A wyse man sayth. Antea {quam} incipias: consulto,* 1.1 et post{quam} consulueris mature: opus est facto. Before thou begynne any sad matter: it is good and cōuenient to haue good coū∣sayle. And after that thou depely & throughly haste counsayled and taken good aduisement / thā maiste thou boldely go forthe with thy purpose / and per∣fourme the same. And yet let no deuoute religious persone: thynke it ynoughe to perfourme and bare∣ly to kepe the letter of the rule / but rather with all due reuerence / deuocion / and feruent desyre of herte to attayne vnto the presice and moste hyghe perfec∣tion of the same. And (for the loue of our lorde) let no professed persones make excuse of any article or poynte of theyr rule / by any foreuse or custome of theyr place contrarie vnto the same. For (douteles) that excuse shall nothynge serue: before the presence of our lorde god / I euer excepte dispensacion / wher with we wyll nat meddell. Nowe let this one Cha∣pitre / with our sayd laboures vpon the sayd rule of saynt Augustine / content you for this seconde parte of our example of the houppes of our vessell / where by ye rules of religiō ben signified wher rules were ordeyned by the holy fathers: for the more sure hol∣dynge and precise kepynge the vowes / whiche ben signified by ye bordes of the Pype: or vessell / where of nowe shall folowe by order.
Salustius.