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.

In our lorde god / and moost swete sauiour Iesu my salutacyon.

GOod deuout relygyous doughters ye haue here sende vnto me your rule of saynt Augustyn / and done requyre me / other to amende / and reforme y^e englysshe / or els to trans∣late y^e rule of newe. I haue (after my poore maner) folowed the one parte of your desyre. For to amende your transla∣cyon passed my power and wyt. It semeth vnto me so scabrouse / rughe / or rude / and not after the commune englysshe of this countree. And also the translator dyde lene ouer moche vnto the strayte lettre. Whiche thynge in translacyon / doeth (ma∣ny tymes) rendre the mater very blynde / & moche vnsauerye. By reason wherof / your translator in gyuynge ouer moche dylygence and force vnto the lettre / hath (in some places erred) and not rendred the true sentence of the texte / after y^e mynde of the auctor. I wolde not (therfore) that you shold mer∣uayle / thoughe y^e wordes here in this translacion done varye frome the wordes of your translacion. For in euery speche / one sentence maye be spoken dyuersly / and by dyuers wordes / and yet y^e same selfe sentence remayneth styll in full effecte / as ye shall se here in the fyrste clause / or sentence of the rule. Ante omnia diligatur deus. That is after your translacyon.

[ j.] ¶ Before all be loued god. Now se how this sen∣tence may be varyed / & yet byde y^e same in effecte.

[ ij.] ¶ God before all thynges be euer beloued

[ iij.] God sholde be aboue all thynges beloued

[ iiij.] Let god be euer beloued before all other thynges

[ v.] God must be of duete beloued aboue all thynges

[ vj.] It is conuenyent & necessary to loue god aboue all thȳg{is}

[ vij.] Nothȳg may of right be so beloued as god

[ viij.] what thȳg shold by reasō be more beloued thā god

[ ix.] ye must aboue all thynges loue almyghty god

[ x.] ye sholde as duete loue god before all thynges

[ xj.] I wyll that before all other thynges you loue our lorde god.

[ xij.] Let euer your loue be vnto all myghty god aboue all thynges.

[ xiij.] Your loue must chefly aboue all thȳg{is} be vnto god

[ xiiij.] Lette euer in your herte and mynde god be aboue all thynges preferred.

[ xv.] Let nothynge be equall vnto god in your loue and desyre.

[ xvj.] Let god be euer in your mynde & desyre / aboue all thynges.

[ xvij.] Let your specyall loue be alwaye vnto god alone

[ xviij.] Lette euer the loue of your creatour be aboue ony creature.

[ xix.] Put euer the loue of god before ony other loue.

[ xx.] Loue god best of all thynges.

Thus ye maye se one sētence in englysshe varied xx. wayes / and yet all is one in effecte. That all waye is best in my mynde / that best maye be per∣ceyued & vnderstonde after the vse of the countre. And therfore haue I chosen here a playne style / without ynkehorne termes. If ony suche be here

after the commune vse / yet doeth an other terme folowe / or twayne of more playne englysshe / to de∣clare that goeth before. Saynt Ierome saythe y^t scrypture was wryten without hyghe eloquence in a playne style / bycause it shold y^e rather be kno∣wen / & vnderstonde of all parsones y^t ben bounde vnto y^e lawe of god. So than vnto relygyous par∣sones shold theyr rule / wherunto next vnto y^e sayd lawe of god they ben moost bounde. For that haue they promysed by solen vowe / & receyued therupō y^e sacrament of chrystes holy body / & sacred blode. That rule than sholde well be knowen / well vn∣derstonde / well perceyued / and well incorporate in the mynde / herte / and maners of euery professed parson. And therfore dyd saynt Augustyn conclu∣dynge his rule / gyue solen commaundement vnto all the dyscyples of the same / that ones in y^e weke (at the leest) it sholde be redde amonge them. Yet notwithstondynge haue I herde of som parsones y^t haue bē yeres professed / & neuer knewe theyr ru¦le / ne euer sawe or herde / ony rule redde / but one∣ly dyd folowe y^e custome of y^e place / whiche thynge is moche amysse. & contrarye bothe vnto lernynge and reason. For in good reason / no man sholde pro∣myse that he knoweth not / that is (as they saye) a blynde promyse / and to promyse that a parsone is not able to performe / is a grete foly & shame vn¦to the promyser / our sauyour is wytnes therof in the gospell / shewynge that y^e parsone that wolde begyn to buylde / & hath not wherwith to perfor∣me his enterpryse / shall be mocked and rebuked.* 1.1 And one kynge w^t fewe people / to mete an other

kynge in batayle y^t hathe a grete hoste / is a grete foly. To entre relygyon / is an enterpryse of grete buyldynge and Ieorpedouse batayell. For all is here spirituall apperteynynge vnto the soule / and therfore shold all parsones that wolde professe ony rule / knowe well what they take vpon thē. They sholde fyrst se / or here the rule / and ordynaunce of the professyon and haue it wel expowned / & decla∣red vnto them. And than shold they by experience and excercyse of y^e same / proue them selfe whether they haue strengthe / and ben able bothe in soule & body / to performe & kepe the same and to do theyr hole duete therin. For I dare well assure you that euery good deuout & vertuouse parson is not apte ne mete to be a good relygyous parsone. For euery good man is not apte or mete to be a good synger or reder / ne euery good woman to be a good sylke∣woman / or a good semster. For many parsones y^t fayne wolde be religyous / can neuer haue lernyn-therunto / some other ben not able to bere & folowe y^e labours of relygion. They must therfore knowe fyrste y^e rule / than proue & assay them selfe therin / & yet thyrdely sholde they loke wel amonge what company they were professed. For it must nede be true y^t the holy ghost spake by y^e prophete saynge. With innocent parsones thou shalte be good and innocent / with mysdoers a mysdoer. They sholde therfore entre relygyon where (as ferre as they may haue knowlege) the rule is kepte. Notwit∣stondynge some couentes and parsones professed ben lothe / & (as I haue knowen) done make grete daūger to shewe theyr rule / wherof I haue moche

meruayled / syth after naturall lernynge & reason / euery thynge y^t is good / the more it be knowen & the more commune it be / the better it is. And som thynges y^t ben very good knowen / ben not good excepte they be knowen / & cōmune. As holy scrip¦ture y^e rules of relygyō all maner of holy doctryne & lernynge. Wherfore our lorde and sauyour Iesu commaunded that his rule sholde be knowen and comune / saynge vnto his holy apostles.* 1.2 Ite pre∣dicate euāgeliū omni creature. Go ye forthe (sayd he) and preche the gospell my rule vnto euery ma∣ner of creature / that is to meane vnto all parsons good and badde.* 1.3 The priuate counsell of worldly kȳges may be kepte secrete / but euery lawe shold be openly knowen / heretykes / traytours / theues & mysdoers / done kepe theyr maters secrete. But trouthe seketh no corners / for (as the cōmune pro∣uerbe sayth) trouthe neuer shamed his mayster. Why than ben they so lo••h to shewe theyr rule / su∣rely bycause they do not kepe it / and therfore ben they loth and afrayed to be knowen as they be / y^t is to saye / heretykes / sysmatykes and very tray∣tours vnto the ordinances of theyr rule & professy∣on / as the commune heretykes and sysmatykes ben vnto y^e lawes and ordynances of holy chyrche and theyr professyon of cristianite. Our sauyour sayth. Qui male agit: odit lucem. &c.* 1.4 Who that doeth amysse doeth hate lyght / y^e mysdoers wolde not theyr werkes sholde be knowen / bycause they wolde not be reproued for them. The cause than why many ben so daungerous to shewe theyr rule is that they kepe it not / or rather (that I more do

fete & drede) they wolde not y^e rule shold be kepte / but rather theyr vnlawful costomes / for I knowe by experyēce of suche parsons / as done kepe theyr rules & ordynāces / as the reuerēde fathers freres obseruantes / charterhouses. This pore place and som other places / they ben not loth to shewe theyr rule / but rather wolde they be glad theyr rule we∣re vnto all parsones commenly knowen in moost clere & open maner / for the edyfycacyon of all chry∣styans.* 1.5 So is y^e counsell of our sauyour. Luceat lux vestra coram hominibus. Let your good wer∣kes (sayth he) be example and lyght vnto all par∣sones. I pray you therfore. In visteribus Iesu christi. That is to saye / for the tender loue & moost pyteous kyndnes of our moost swete sauyour Ie∣su chryst / that you appoynte / determyne / & ordre your selfe / with all herte / study / & mynde / to kepe your rule. And than care not who se your rule / wo rede your rule / who knowe your rule. Rede it your selfe / knowe it your selfe / preche it / teche it / & opēly shewe it. Be nothyng afrayd ne daūgerous therof so ye fyrst kepe it and werke it. For vnto that ende haue we taken this poore laboure of translacyon. And also for y^e more knowlege & declaraciō therof / we haue put therunto our mȳde & ioyned therun∣to y^e fruytefull exposycyon of y^e grete clarke & holy saynt called Hugh de sācto victore a reuerende fa∣ther & an abbot of the same relygion & rule. which ye shal haue as shortly as we may brynge it vnto ende. In the meane tyme & euer / I beseche you of your deuout prayers. And thus Iesu our mooste swete lorde & louynge mayster {pre}serue you al

amē.

The wretche of syon your bedemā. Ry. whytford

Notes

• * 1.1

  luc. xiiij.
• * 1.2

  mar. vlt.
• * 1.3

  thob̄. xij.
• * 1.4

  Ioh̄. iij.
• * 1.5

  math̄. v.