The rule of saynt Augustyne, bothe in latyn and englysshe, with two exposicyons. And also the same rule agayn onely in englysshe without latyn or exposicyon The tra[n]slatour doth aduyse [and] cou[n]seyll all the disciples of this rule to bere alway one of these bokes upo[n] them syth they ben so portatyue, [and] may be had for so small a pryce.

Saynt Hugh.

¶ Saynt Augustyn in an other place dothe descrybe what is stryfte / or to stryue / sayenge. Contencyon / or stryfte is whan the one parte with obstynate mynde or stomacke wyll holde & defende theyr owne opinyon

and not serche or lene vnto reason or trouth / but rather with many or inordynate wordes done wery & make dull the mynde of the other party. The habyte & aray of the herte / is sanctifyed & sacred by the grace of god by the inhabytacyon & dwellynge of the holy ghoost / whan charite / peace / boūte / mekenes / pacyence / vni∣te / cōcorde / gentyll behauyour / & suche other vertues done dwell in vs. The inwarde ryches & ornamentes of relygyous persones / ben good maners & vertues. But yf they begyn to cōtende & stryue / to murmure & grudge amonge themselfe / they shall soone be voyde of these vertues. For vyce & vertue wyll not dwell to∣gyder. A lytell poyson marreth a grete dele of mete. Religyous {per}sones therfore sholde proue & serche them selfe / & diligently pondre & wey / how moche {per}feccyon they want inwarde in theyr hertes / & also in to how grete losse and domage they renne / that so done stryue for suche transytory thynges. For they lose y^t thynge that sholde make them blessed vpon erthe / y^t is to saye rest & peace. Moche therfore shold religyous persones beware of stryfte / cōtencyon & debate. For these ben y^e werkes of our fraylty & of synne. And (as the apostle sayth) who so dothe suche werkes / shall neuer haue possessyon in the kyngdome of heuen. And therfore in an other place he warneth vs sayenge. Do no thynge by cōtencyon / nor by vayne glory / but that eche of you suppose & iudge that his felowe is better than he. All you syngulerly study & do as moche as ye can for the cōmune welth / but not for your owne / thynke you & iudge / y^t your felowe hath more nede than you / & that of ryght he sholde haue more than you. For these ben two synguler remedyes to put away stryfe / & to nou∣rysshe

concorde / that is to saye / yf ye thynke your selfe inferyours vnto all other. And yf ye wey y^t is nedefull vnto other more thā vnto your selfe. For in these tway¦ne / humilite & charite done appere / whiche two ver∣tues done moost destroye cōtencyon / and moost reduce discorde vnto vnite / peace & cōcorde. But bycause this sentence before sayd apperteyneth vnto suche {per}sones as ben {per}fyte / therfore saynt Augustyn doth somwhat ease the mater for them that ben lesse {per}fyte. Addynge this lettre. Tamen si vestra toleratur infirmitas: vt recipiatis qd posueritis: in vno tamen loco sub cōmu∣nib{us} custodib{us} / habete qd ponitis. Ita sane: vt nullus aliqd sibi operetur: sed oīa opera vestra in vnū fiant: maiori studio et frequentiori alacritate: {quam} si vobis sin∣gulis faceretis {pro}pria. Charitas enī de qua scriptū est {quod} nō querit q̄ sua sunt: sic intelligit{ur}: quia cōmunia pro¦prijs: nō propria cōmunib{us} anteponit. That is to say. Notw^tstandynge / yf your infirmite & fraylte be so con¦sydred & suffred of the officers / that ye receyue y^e same garmentes / ye layde awaye for the tyme / yet shall ye put all your stuffe in one place / vnder the kepyng of y^e cōmune offycers. So also that none of you do werke ne labour ony thynge for themselfe / but that all your werkynge & labours be done in one vnto the cōmune {pro}fyte. And y^t with more study / more cure / with better wyll & diligence / & also with more gladnes of herte & chere / thā yf eche of you wrought & laboured for them selfe. For charite (wherof saynt Paule wryteth) that in the charitable persone / doth not seke ne desyre {pro}pre auayle & profyte / ne yet selfe pleasure (that charite I saye) must thus be vnderstand & taken / that euer the same charite doth put the cōmune profyte before ony

propre or synguler profyte / & neuer dothe she put ony propre or synguler auaūtage before y^e cōmune welth. Here may ye {per}ceyue how one sentence dothe declare & make euermore playne that before is spoken. And all sowneth vtterly agaynst the stypendes & selfe prouy∣syon y^t cōmunly is vsed. For by this lettre is no power nor lycence gyuen vnto ony persone / to axe or to chose ony vesture that they before had vsed: but y^t is put in the discrecyon of y^e officers / & specyally y^e soueraynes / that where they cōsydre the infirmite of ony im{per}fyte persone / they may for y^e more quietude & rest of mynde delyuer vnto theyr vncertayne vse the same garment that they had before / but euer they must put all in to the cōmune offyce / & from thens receyue all. And y^t is after holy

Notes

• Gala. v.
• Phil. ij.
• •…•…l. in origīali •…•…ta sane / vt •…•…ulla sibi ali∣•…•…uid operet{ur}: •…•…ue vnde in∣•…•…uat{ur}: siue vbi aceat: siue vn¦•…•…e cin••at: vel •…•…periatur: v•• aput cōtegat ed oīa. &c. Ex Iohanne •…•…assiano libro iii. de īstitut. •…•…enficiantiū. •…•…a. xiiii.
• In the origi∣••all of saynt Augustyn is ••hus wryten. So also that none of you do werke / la∣••our / ne ma∣ke ony thyn∣ge for thēsel∣fe eyther clo∣thyng or bed¦dynge to lye vpon or to co¦uer thē with: or ony gyr∣delles / or su∣che other: but that all. &c.