¶ Saynt Hugh.

¶ Suche persones as haue come vnto the company / cōgregacyon & cōmune lyuynge in y^e monastery / must with grete diligēce be ware they haue not eche other in dysdeyne by ony comparyson / as bycause that one in y^t worlde was more ryche than an other / or of gre∣ter byrth / more hygh in offyce / rome or dignite / more wyse / more cūnynge / or better lerned. For the apostle sayth.* Our lord god dyd chose y^e moost lowe persones of poore lynage / & that were moost despysable / & that bycause no frayle persone sholde reioyce & set by them selfe in his syght & presence: nor ony myghty persone reioyce of his power: nor the wyse of theyr wysdom / nor yet y^e ryche of theyr rychesse. For in god is no par∣cialite of persones. For our lord is euer one & the same Page  xiiij in all that duely done prayse his name / and call vpon hym by meke prayer. Well than & conuenyently ben we cōmaūded by the rule / that we sholde not reioyce ne take pryde of y^e dignite of our ryche kynne / but ra∣ther sholde we be glad of the company of our poore fe∣lowes in the congregacyon. For he that in his owne glory was ryche / was for vs made poore & bare / & he dyd vouchesafe to accompany hymselfe / not with the riche / but w^t poore {per}sones. And therfore (to reanswere his kyndnes after our maner as we may) we ben a∣gayne made poore for hym / & that also for our owne profyte.* For vnto y^e poore & meke in spiryte he promy¦sed the kyngdom of heuen. To reioyce than or boste of rychesse aperteyneth vnto y^e vanite of the worlde / but to reioyce & be glad of pouerte / apperteyneth vnto the beatitude & blysse of heuen. There foloweth than in y^e lettre.* Nec extollātur si cōmuni vite aliqⁱd de suis fa∣cultatio{us} cōtulerint: nec de suis diuitijs magis super∣biant quia eas monasterio parciuntur: {quam} si eis in sclo fruerentur. Whiche we thus englysshe. Nor yet let them yf they gaue or brought ony goodes vnto y^e co∣mynty / loke to be preferred / to haue thanke / preemy∣nence / rule / gouernaūce / offyce / rome / or dignite / or y^e more to be cherysshed / or set by therfore: nor yet be proude of theyr rychesse / bycause they gaue them vn∣to the monastery / more than yf they had in the world enioyed & vsed them at theyr owne wyll & pleasure. Many termes haue I there set forth to expresse this one terme extollantur. Whiche neuertheles the other translacyon full well englyssheth / to be enhaūced. yet do we more expresse the thynge. For ofte it happeth y^t suche persones as brynge goodes w^t them / wyll loke Page  [unnumbered] to be preferred in tho thynges y^t we spake of / or other lyke / whiche yf they do / they lose bothe theyr goodes & meryte / for of god shall they haue no thanke / ne yet of theyr company but a lytell. For it must nede than seme that by theyr goodes they rather made prouy∣syon for themselfe / than to vse ony charite vnto god / or vnto theyr poore company.