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.

¶ We sholde haue no thȳge {pro}pre / ne ony thȳge name or call myne or thyne but synne / of all other thynges

we must saye ours / as our cote / our bedde / our boke / our hande / our body / our wyll / & so of all other thyn∣ges / excepte (as I sayd) synne / & excepte our carnall parentes & kynne / as my fader / my moder / syster / bro¦der / vncle / cosyn. &c. of the whiche thynges we may saye myne & thyne / as my synne / my fader. &c. Here now may ye {per}ceyue / how grete differēce is bytwene carnall frendes & spirytuall frendes. For the carnall frendes done diuyde & departe in to propriete / all that before was cōmune. For all thynges were fyrst com∣mune. And the spirituall frendes done put in cōmune that before was diuyde / for before euery persone w^t∣out y^e monastery had theyr owne parte. The carnall persones done seke / care & study for theyr owne singu¦ler profyte / but the spirytuall persones seke not theyr owne profyte ne pleasure / but the cōmune profyte / & what may please our sauyour Iesu. This spirytuall kynrede & frendshyp therfore doth more auayle & pro∣fyte than y^e carnall. For y^e carnall frendshyp euer feyn∣teth / fayleth & decayeth. And the spirytuall groweth euer & encreaseth. The carnall hath no thynge but di∣uisyon & vncertaynte / & y^e spirytuall hath vnite & sure certaynte. The carnal frenshyp passeth w^t the worlde and y^e spirytual remayneth & bydeth for euer. For the spirytuall relygyous persones done here lyue & byde togyder in one hous & one couent / that hereafter they may dwell togyder in y^e kyngdome of heuen. We ben (sayth y^e apostle) for this tyme present y^e childer of god but yet it appereth not what we shall be. We knowe well (sayth he) y^t whan our sauyour shal come vnto y^e last iudgement / we shall be lyke vnto hym. For than shall we se hym as he is. And saynt Paule sayth / we

haue here no cyte / no dwellȳg place / but we done seke & labour to haue y^e euerlastȳge home. Therfore sholde religyous {per}sones haue here no thynge propre / but all cōmune. Men in this world done make partyes / and done gader substaūce / some golde & syluer / some hous & lande / some corne & catell / some a grete name / grete power & possessyons / grete glory / laude & prayse / one geteth one thynge / an other an other thynge / dyuerse {per}sones dyuersly after theyr appetyte. But y^e porcyon and parte / the londe & lyuelode of them y^t ben true reli¦gyous {per}sones / is god hȳselfe our sauyour Chryst Ie¦su. Yf we than wyll haue this parte / yf we wyl haue our lorde god for our londe / our lyuelode / our enhery∣taūce / we must rendre our selfe suche {per}sones in al con¦d••cyons as may be able & worthy to haue suche posses¦syon / & also to be had of hym in possessyon. Yf than we wyll for our enherytaūce haue our lorde in possessyon we must haue no thȳge but god / no thynge w^tout hȳ. For he suffyseth & is ynough for vs. What {per}sone is so couetous y^t can not be cōtent w^t god? And yf we seke & desyre ony thynge els / as golde / syluer / possessyons & rychesse / god wyl disdeyne to be a parte amōge suche partes / for god wyl haue no party felowes / nor yet be a porcyon amonge other partes / he wyl haue all / & be had alone. I wyl not (sayth saynt Ierom) haue myn enherytaūce / as a parte amōge other worldly {per}sones but as y^e preestes & leuytes of y^e olde lawe. I am con∣tent to lyue vpon y^e tythes & offrȳges of y^e aulter / & to serue our lorde god. yf I haue (sayth he) fode and clo∣thynge / I w••ll be therw^t content / & all naked / poore & bare w••ll I folowe the bare & naked crosse of Chryst. For blyssed ben those {per}sones (sayth y^e gospell) that ben poore in spiryte that ben poore for y^e holy ghost / & for y^e

loue of god / for the kyngdome of heuen is theyr ryght enheritaūce. And bycause y^t as longe as we be in this bodyly lyf / we must nedes haue y^t is necessary for the same / there folowes in y^e text. At distribuat vnicui{que} vestrū a {pre}posito vr̄o / vict{us} & tegumentū. &c. That is. Also your mete / drȳke & clothynge / & all other necessa∣ryes / shall be distributed / diuided or assigned vnto eue¦ryche of you by your souerayn. Before we shewed you how saynt Augustyn excludynge all propriete / dothe ordre all y^e disciples of this rule to lyue all hooly in cō∣mune / whiche here he declareth. For yf we may haue no {pro}priete of those thȳges necessary / w^tout whiche we can not lyue in this worlde / moche more it foloweth y^t no thynge we may haue {pro}pre w^tout whiche we may lyue. But here appereth that we may not take mete / drynke / clothes / ne ony other necessaryes at our wyl / but by y^e apoyntment of our souerayn. So is y^e lettre. Your mete drynke / clothynge / & all other necessaryes shall be delyuered / diuyded / assigned or appoynted vn¦to eueryche of you by your heed and souerayne.

Notes

• j. Io. iij.
• Heb. xiij
• Ierony.
• Math. v.
• The tex•…•… xij. q. j. n•…•… dicatis.