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.

¶ They that in y^e worlde had goodes / let them glad∣ly be content they be cōmune. So dyd the chrystyans in y^e begȳnynge of Chrystes chirche / for it semed vnto them reasonable / y^t syth they had grace of our lorde in cōmune / theyr worldly goodes & substaūce sholde also be cōmune / & whyle they had one spiryte of god / they shold haue one cōmune purse & one expēses. And that terme gladly / was well put in y^t place. For almyghty god loueth a glad gyuer / a free & wyllynge herte.* 1.1 we shold therfore gladly gyue worldly goodes / to wynne therby celestyal & heuenly tresour. For y^e kyngdom of heuen is worth no more thā ye haue to gyue therfore No thynge than is better chepe to be bought / ne ony thynge so dere & precyous whā it is had. Two thyn∣ges than we must leue & forsake for our lorde / that is to say / y^e possessyon of worldly goodes / & y^e wyll / appe¦tyte or desyre to haue ony suche possessyō. wherof our sauyour sayd in y^e gospel.* 1.2 who so forsaketh not al y^t he hath in possessyon / may not be my discyple. And this apperteyneth vnto worldly substaunce. In an other place he sayd also.* 1.3 Who so wyll come after me / & fo∣lowe my lyf / let hym deny and forsake hymselfe. And this apperteyneth vnto the wyll. For it suffyseth not to leue the outwarde goodes & worldy substaūce / ex∣cepte we also leue all cōcupyscence / appetyte / and de∣syre therof. And therfore saynt Augustyne sayd fer∣ther in the rule whan he had enioyned that all theyr

substaūce worldly sholde be cōmune.* 1.4 And suche perso∣nes (sayth he) as in y^e worlde had none suche substaūce let not them seke ne desyre in the monastery / that they had not / ne were of power to haue without in y^e world. So is the lettre. Qui autē non habebāt: non ea que∣rant in monasterio: que nec foris habere potuerunt. Wherin ye may perceyue / that not onely saynt Augu∣styne doth depryue his discyples / and take from them all propriete / but also he techeth them to be content w^t that they fynde / without ferther sekynge of curiosite. For (doubtles) many y^t haue ben full poorely brought vp / whan they come to plenty / wyll be more curyous than the other of greter byrthe. How be it after

Notes

• * 1.1

  ij. Co. ix.
• * 1.2

  Mat. xix.
• * 1.3

  Lac. ix.
• * 1.4

  The text.