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LEt your habyte or arye: neuer be notable nor euer haue you pleasure in clothynge / but in good maners and relygyous byhauyour. Whan ye go forthe go togyder. And whā ye come whether ye go / byde togyder. In your place / ha∣byte
/ stondynge / & in al your gestures / mouynges sterynges / and byhauyour / shewe you euer your good and godly conuersacyon. So yt ye nothynge do that sholde sclaūder or offende the syght of ony parsone / but rather that sholde become your per∣feccyon sanctite and holynes. And thoughe ye for∣tune to cast your syght or loke vpon ony frayle par¦sone / yet may you not fyx your syght ne loke sted∣fastly vpon ony suche lyght parsones. For whan ye go forth of your monasterye / it is not prohybyte ne forboden you to se or loke vpon frayle parsones. But to haue appetyte or desyre to haue or to mys∣vse them / or yet to be had or be misused of them / is euer synfull. For ye concupyscence and carnall mo∣cyons of frayle parsones / not onely in the pryue affeccyon and inwarde desyre / but also in bothe ye syght and affeccyon hathe mynde appetyte & vn∣lawfull desyre to haue & to be had. And neuer may you saye ye haue clene and chaste myndes / yf you haue wanton syght & vnchaste lokes. For ye lyght eye & vnchaste loke / is the messenger of the lyght mynde & vnchaste herte. And whan so euer suche parsones (althoughe without speche) onely by lo∣kynge eche vpon other / done shewe forthe theyr carnall myndes & vnchaste hertes / & after ye concu¦pyscence and desyre of the flesshe / eche done take pleasure in the carnall fauour of other / although there be none vnclene touchynge of ye body yet (by that lewde consent) doeth that vertue of chastyte flee and auoyde frome theyr soules and maners. And let not those parsones that so done fastē theyr lokes or syght vpon other lyght & frayle parsons /
and that done also loue to haue agayn theyr syght and lokes fyxed vpon them / let not them (I saye) thynke ne suppose they be not sene ne perceyued of other parsones whā they so done. For in dede they ben sene and perceyued / & that of suche parsones as they wene not ne wold trowe fore. But though (in case) it were pryuey & no parsone sawe them / what wolde they thynke or do of hym that loketh frome aboue / almyghty god / frome whose syght nothyng can be hyd. wolde they suppose or thinke he sawe them not bycause he is so pacyent and so doeth suffre them in that yll and mysbyhauyour. which he doeth se in dede and wherof he hath sure and certayne knowlege. Let therfore the holy re∣lygyous parsones feere & drede to dysplease hym. So that therby they haue not wyll ne cōsent / syn∣fully to please or content the other frayle parsons. Let them thynke and suppose that god doeth se / & beholde all thynges / that they therby haue not wyll ne consente vnlawfully to se or beholde those frayle parsones. For in this thynge we haue com∣maundement by holy scrypture to feere and drede god.* 1.1 where is sayd. Abhominatio est domino de∣figens oculum. Our lorde god doeth abhorre that parsone that doeth fyxe or fasten ye syght or lokes. Whan so euer therfore you ben togyder in ye chyr∣che or ony where elles / where suche frayle & lyght parsones ben presēt take you good hede & awayte eche vnto other. And amonge your selfe be you ke∣pers of your owne chastite / and of your relygyous honeste. For our lorde god that dwelleth & bydeth within you wyl by this meanes of your owne de∣meanour
and deseruynge: preserue and kepe you. And yf (by chaunce) ony of you perceyue & spye this wantones of lokes wherof I speke: in ony of your felowes / forthwith warne them therof / that no ferther incōuenyence come or growe of ye same / but that rather that thynge that so began: maye be shortly corrected and refourmed. But yf at ony tyme after ye sayd warnyng: you do se or perceyue the same parsone do agayne the same thynge / let them that done fynde & perceyue it: shewe it forth and proclame the defaute / that the offender maye be cured corrected and refourmed. Notwithston∣dynge the offence or defaute sholde fyrst be shewed vnto an other parsone or twayne / yt by ye mouthe and informacyon of two or thre parsones: ye same trespasser may be conuyc••ed & proued gylty. And by suche competent correccyon and reformable re∣buke: be also restrayned from his iniquyte & euyl. And for all yt: you shal not thȳke or iudge your selfe euyll / wylly / fraude mȳded / or malycyous:* 1.2 whā you shewe forth suche offences or defautes. For (of a surete) you ben more noyouse & greter enemyes vnto those offenders (sythe ye myght in shewyng theyr defaute correcte & refourme your felowes) than ye be whā (by your sylence) you suffre them to perysshe. For yf (in case) your felowe hadde a woūde or sore in his body / whiche (for feere of cut∣tynge or for drede of payne) he wolde hyde & kepe secrete: were it not a cruelte in you to kepe ye coūsel & contrarye: a grete pyte compassyon and of grete meryte to shewe it forth. How moche more than sholde you shewe the offence and defaute of your
felowe? lest it sholde rote & mater inwarde in his herte. Yet notwithstondynge before the offence or defaute: be shewed vnto ony other parsone or par∣sones: by whome as recordes the sayd trespasser (yf he wolde deney or defende the defaute) sholde be (as is sayd) conuynced & proued gylty / it sholde fyrste be shewed vnto the souerayne. That yf the parsone were neglygente or frowarde and wolde not be warned and refourme by the parsone that fyrst foūde the defaute / than sholde his offence be fyrst shewed vnto the souerayne / yf peraduenture the same trespasser: myght so more secretely be re∣fourmed / and the defaute no ferther to be open ne knowen vnto ony other parsones. But yf the tres∣passer wolde deney the offence: than must ye other recordes: be brought forthe / and that before ye hole congregacyon / that the same trespasser may (not onely of one recorde be accused) but also of twayne or thre: be conuycted and founde gylty. Whiche thynge so proued: let the same trespasser (haue for his amendement / and refourmacyon) correccyon and punyshment / accordynge vnto the iudgment of the presydent or souerayne vnto the dyspensacy¦on and appoyntement of whome: the same iudge∣mente doeth appertayne / whiche correccyon and punyshment: yf the sayd trespasser wolde not take ne suffre: but vtterly deney and forsake it / let hym than (althoughe he wolde not departe) be vtterly cast out & put awaye from your companye. For (I tell you) that is not cruelly: but rather mercyfully done. Lest he (by that pestelencyous contagyon & euyll exāple) sholde infecte / lose / & destroye / many
other persones. And this ordre and processe that I haue here spoken of the garde and kepynge of the syght that it be not carnally fixed vpon ony frayle or lyght parsone: I wyl also in all other lyke offen¦ces that shall be foūde perceyued forboden iudged conuycte and proued gylty: be delygently & feyth∣fully obserued and kepte with the loue euer of the parsones and hate of the vyces syn̄es or offences.* 1.3
{pro}uer. xv.
¶ v. q. v. non vos iudicetis
lxxxvi. dist. odio.