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.

¶ Happy surely ben those persones y^t haue not pryde hydde in theyr hertes / nor yet shewed outwarde in theyr bodyes / neyther in theyr habyte / clothynge / or araye / nor yet in theyr werkes / nor wordes / counte∣naūce / gesture / nor ony other behauyour. And also yf they walke not amonge grete {per}sones / that is / yf they repute and suppose not themselfe felowes vnto them that ben of noble byrthe & grete power / bycause they gaue theyr goodes vnto the monastery: or yet y^e more wyse and polityke / bycause that in this offyce or that rome / they haue saued moche / and ben very profyta∣ble. And yf also they haue not walked aboue them selfe in thynges meruaylous. That is / yf they haue not had ony appetyte or desyre to seme meruayllous and synguler / eyther in good religyon / holy lyfe / or in other vertues / gyuen of god. For fewe persones ben / that in these thynges ben not somtyme moued. Not∣withstandynge to auoyde all suche temptacyons of pryde / the seruaūtes of god shold euer thynke of them selfe the worste / and suppose themselfe moost lowe & moost vnworthy / and by no meanes shold they exalte theyr owne mȳde / but rather by all mekenes represse

it.* 1.1 So is the coūseyle of y^e wyse man. Quanto maior¦es: humilia te in om̄ibus. The more thou arte in sub∣staūce & reputacion / the more lowe & meke make thou thy selfe. For y^e sentence that foloweth / is moche to be fered & dredde.* 1.2 Alia quippe iniqⁱtas quecū{que}: ī malis operib{us} exercetur / vt fiant. Su{per}bia vo bonis operib{us} insidiatur / vt pereant. That is. Euery other iniquite or synne what so euer it be / is exercysed in euyll wer∣••es to brynge them to passe / to brȳge them to purpose & effecte. But pryde lyeth also in wayte of good wer∣kes / to cause them to perysshe & be lost. Our mynde is before.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eccli. iij.
• * 1.2

  Texte.