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 holy congregacyon of perfyte persones / dothe not onely florysshe & haue auctorite by y^e honour of re∣ligyon / but also dothe moche more edyfye by y^e goodly beaute of honest and religyous behauyour. Wherof scripture sayth.* 1.1 Flores mei fruct{us} honoris & honesta¦tis. My floures ben the fruytes of honour & honesty. Religyous persones ben of honour / & so ben they takē yf they be good & vertuous. And moost honest & rely∣gyous is it for them / as they dwell togyder / so to go togyder / stande togyder / enclyne togyder.* 1.2 So y^t (after the apostle) all thynge be done honestly / and after due ordre. We may also vnderstande this knotte / this con∣corde

& coniūccyon of religyous persones togyder / spi¦rytually. For the couent & congregacyon of good reli∣gyous persones / is called in scripture terryble & drede¦full / as the front or vawarde of an ordred felde or ba∣tayle.* 1.3 whiche gadred and ordred bothe to go / stande or stoppe all togyder / is the more stronge to withstande theyr enemyes. So lykewyse the cōgregacyon of ho∣ly persones / beynge all of one behauyour / is the more myghty & stronge to w^tstande the deuyll / y^t no thynge hateth more than vnite & cōcorde. But therfore moche is that lettre notable / where is sayd. In all your mo∣uynges / shewe so your behauyour / that no thynge be done / that sholde offende the syght of ony persone / but that may become your {per}feccyon. So sholde religyous persones lyue / that iustly they myght not of ony per∣sone be reproued. For surely it is very vncōuenyent / y^t those persones whiche by theyr ordre ben bounden to gyue vnto other {per}sones example / fourme / & maner of perfeccyon / shold in themselfe lyue inordynately or re∣prouably. For vnto religyous {per}sones dothe moost spe¦cyally appertayn / that our lorde sayth.* 1.4 Estote sancti sicut et ego sanctus sum. Be you perfyte & holy as I am holy & perfyte. Veryly we shold be holy & perfyte that haue receyued y^e holy habyte of religyon / the ha∣byte of perfeccyon / & that haue boūde our selfe vnto y^e dayly seruyce of god / & oftentymes to receyue his ho∣ly sacramentes / & more specially those of vs y^t done al∣so ministre & cōsecrate his blessed body. Vnto whome saynt Paule sayth.* 1.5 Sic nos existimet ho. &c. Let eue¦ry persone (sayth he) suppose vs so / & after suche ma∣ner as we seme to be / y^t is to saye / minystres of Chryst and the dispensers or dyuiders vnto other / of the holy

mysteryes of our lorde. Se / note here that the apostle doth not cōmaūde vs onely to be religyous / but also so to seme religyous / that euery {per}sone may so suppose & trust. For it suffyseth not vnto vs to haue good lyfe & perfeccyon / but also that we haue good name & fame. For good lyfe is vnto vs necessary for our selfe / & good name & fame for other persones / wherfore the same apostle sayth.* 1.6 It behoueth vs to haue good testymo∣ny & wytnes of those thynges y^t ben without vs / that is to saye / of our behauyour & of the people. So ther∣fore must we lyue / that our lyfe accorde w^t our name / that is to saye / religyous / and that in our ••erkes we holde & kepe our {pro}fessyon. So that yf our ordre be per¦fyte / we be also perfyte / and yf we haue a ••••od name we proue the same by y^e wytnes of good werkes. For than done we lyue religyously / whan by reguler disci¦plyne & religyous behauyour we restrayne all vnlaw¦full mocyons / & whan all our membres & outwarde wyttes ben studyously garded / kepte & restrayned frō all occasyons of lyghtnes or dyssolucyon. So that our syght be symple / meke & lowly / and neuer fyxed vpon ony thynge vnlawfully desyred / & our eres & herynge be euer pure / clene & discrete / closed & stopped from all maner of vanite & voyde cōmunycacyon. Our speche be euer sauced w^t salte / that is to saye / adourned & gar¦nysshed w^t wysdom / that we speke not moche / ne ony thynge vayne / nor specyally noyous or synfull / but y^e lytell that we speke / be alway good & {pro}fytable. That also in our herte be clennes / our countenaunce be euer basshefull & maydenly. In our pace & goynge be gra∣uite. In our stacyons & inclynacyons reuerence / & in all our mocyons or mouynges / maturite & warenes /

that we neuer forgete our selfe. Our habyte & aray be euer religyous / so that {per}feccyon & holynes may euer therin clerely be seen / & good honesty playnly appere. And very true mekenes be kept & preserued. And that (as is sayd) in all our gestures & mocyons no thynge be done that sholde offende the syght of ony {per}sone / but that may become our perfeccyon. There foloweth in the lettre. Oculi vestri et si iaciuntur in aliquā femi∣narū: in nulla figantur: ne{que} enim quādo {pro}ceditis: fe∣minas videre {pro}hibemini: sed appetere vel ab ipsis ap¦peti velle: criminosum est. That is. And all though ye cast your eye or loke vpon ony frayle or lyght persone / yet fyxe not your syght / ne loke stedfastly vpon ony su¦che. For whan ye go forth / it is not {pro}hybyte ne forbo∣den you to se or loke vpon frayle persones / but to haue appetyte carnally to haue or mysvse them / or yet to be had or mysvsed of them / is euer synfull. This rule was fyrst wryten vnto women / & after by longe vse supposed & applyed vnto y^e male sexe / vnto men / and therfore in the latyn lettre is sayd. Heminas videre. To se or loke vpon women.* 1.7 But bycause y^t now bothe men & women haue receyued & done professe the same rule / we in y^t place to be (as we sayd) indifferent vnto bothe y^e sexes / done trāslate that terme women frayle persones / & that we do bycause that in holy scripture by that terme woman / is vnderstande & sygnyfyed y^e fraylty rather of ony lyght {per}sone / than y^e sexe or kynde of y^e woman. Here in this lettre saynt Augustyn more playnly toucheth suche behauyour as is moost peryl¦lous vnto chastite / & moost comynly doth noy y^e same / that is to saye / a wanton eye / a lyght coūtenaūce / the redy messengers of synne / & sore assaylers of chastite.

For by the syght / as wynde by y^e wyndowe / doth the mocyon & temptacyon of carnalite & lightnes entre in to the mynde & herte / & therfore doth saynt Augystyn declare the ieoperdy of the syght specyally to be fyxed by affeccyon.* 1.8 And here ye shal note & well perceyue by these wordes of the texte. Whan ye go forth / that all the discyples of this rule sholde be as enclosed / y^e men from the syght of all women / & the women from the syght of all men / but whan they go forth. So y^t wo∣men sholde neuer come in to the monastery of men / ne euer men come within the monastery of the women. Necessite is euer excepted / as labourers that done re∣pare y^e housynge / or do suche other necessary labours / and therfore may men or women entre your clausure. But that women shold come amonge ony relygyous men of this rule / I can not se / nor men amonge wo∣men / but (as is sayd) for very and vnfeyned necessite reason wyll ye so graūt of the selfe lettre & wordes of the rule.* 1.9 Whan ye go forth (sayth the rule) ye be not prohybyte ne forboden to loke. &c. Ergo whan ye go not forth / ye ben forboden to se / or to be seen. For yf ye myght lawfully company w^t suche persones at home / why sholde saynt Augustyn saye / whan ye go forth. It were su{per}fluous & more vayne / than shold become saynt Augustyn to speke. Now I se what some per∣sones wyll saye here vnto. Oh syr ye be now to harde to su{per}sticyous & to precyse / that were harde / that we myght neuer go forth w^tout very nede. For than doth our religyous persones erre all & do amysse. For often tymes they go forth for recreacyon and disporte. Nay frende not all / ne ony that done kepe y^e rule. For after in the syxth chapytre the lettre expresseth necessite / or

nede / sayenge. Ye shall not go vnto the bayne / ne ony where els where nede shall be. &c. So y^t the rule wyll (without doubte) ye go forth onely for nede / & I saye very and vnfeyned nede. For nede fayned / is no nede. Well syr saye you / I praye you than / syth nede alone must cōpell vs to go forth / shewe vs what nede y^t is? The lettre of y^e rule dothe shewe the nede w^t grete and large lyberty / in the place before sayd / where is sayd. The discyples of this rule shall not go vnto the bayne nor ony where els where nede requireth.* 1.10 There may ye perceyue that bodyly nede is at the lest required / & that I saye with lyberty. Syth there is not named extreme or strayte nede / as in our rule here at Syon / & in dyuerse other religyons in englonde. Than yf bo∣dyly nede do excuse you to go forth / moche more dothe ghostly nede of the soule discharge your conscyence / & the same nede must ye vnderstande of all suche perso∣nes as shold come amonge you / or w^tin your clausure. For els (as we sayd) y^t precepte for your goynge forth sholde be voyde / yf ye myght receyue them in to your clausure. Now pardon me to saye trouth as the very lettre sowneth / & neuer excuse you by suche {per}sones of your professyon as done contrary. For they do not ob∣serue the rule / nor theyr transgressyon and synne shall euer defende you from payne. For ye promyse the rule by your professyon / & that surely must ye paye / or els bere y^e payne vntollerable & vnberable. Now mea cul¦pa / that I haue so longe hāged vpon this poynt / & all is bycause I knowe so many y^t herein done amysse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  eccl. xxiiij
• * 1.2

  j. Co. xiiij
• * 1.3

  Cant. vj.
• * 1.4

  Leuit. xx
• * 1.5

  1. Co. iiij.
• * 1.6

  j. Tim̄. ii
• * 1.7

  Vide Au∣gustin̄. in epla. cix.
• * 1.8

  Nota. Texte.
• * 1.9

  Texte.
• * 1.10

  Capi. vj.