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.

¶ The offence or defaute that is preuy / shold fyrst be shewed vnto the offender / and yf he so be refourmed / there rest / yf not / to be shewed in secrete maner vnto y^e

souerayne / that the souerayne may warne & coūseyle the offender / & so (yf he be refourmed) the defaute no ferther to be open. If yet y^e offender wyll not so be re∣couered / than sholde wayte be layde by moo {per}sones / & so y^e defaute be openly {pro}claymed in generall maner / & yf than the offender wolde cōfesse & humble hymselfe to be y^e more fauoured / but yf he wolde deny or excuse hymselfe / than sholde the wytnes be brought forth / & the persone more greuously punysshed. So foloweth in the lettre. Si autē negauerit: tūc adhibēdi sūt alij:* 1.1 etiā corā om̄ibus: vt possit nō ab vno teste argui: sed a duobus vel tribus cōuinci / cōuictus vero: secūdū arbi triū prepositi vel presbiteri (ad cuius dispensationem {per}tinet arbitriū) debet emendatoriā subire vindictam.* 1.2 That is. But yf y^e trespacer wyll deny the offence pro¦claymed / than let the other recordes be called forth / & that before all the hole congregacion / that so the same offender may / not onely of one recorde be accused / but also of twayne or thre be cōuycted & foūde gylty. And than so {pro}ued / let hym (for his reformacyon & amend∣ment) haue due correccyon & be punysshed / after the iudgement of y^e presydent or souerayne / vnto y^e dispen¦sacyon & assignement of whome the same iudgement doth apperteyne & belonge. Here doth saȳt Augustyn for the vttermest remedy of {per}sones vnreformable / or∣deyn correccyon / & that in two maners / the one by pu¦nysshement of y^e body / the other by expulsyon / as shall folowe.* 1.3 Ye may note in this foresayd lettre / y^t no gre∣uous defaute sholde be {pro}claymed in open iudgement without wytnes / thre or twayne at the leest. For els the accuser may be put vnto the same punysshement that the persone accused shold haue / yf he were foūde

and proued gylty. In small offences / is otherwyse as we sayd before. Now here

Notes

• * 1.1

  a. l. tūc ne gāti adhi bēdist{er} &c
• * 1.2

  a. l. susti∣nere vin∣dictam.
• * 1.3

  Nota.