Saynt Hugh.
¶ That saynt Augustyn doth here cōmaūde ye discy∣ples of this rule to put theyr clothynge or aray in one place vnder cōmune officers / two causes (as semeth) done moue hym. One / lest by negligence they shold be lost or hurte wt mothes.* The other lest the vser of the vesture or clothynge sholde therby haue {pro}prete / yf he myght kepe it where he wold / and vse it whan hym lyst: vnto the whiche sentence accordeth ye lettre & text that foloweth. Si autē fieri potest: ad vos nō {per}tineat qd vobis indumentū {pro} tēporū congruentia {pro}feratur: vtrū hoc recipiat vnusquis{que}: qd deposuerat: an aliud qd alter habuerat / dū tamen vnicui{que} {pro}ut cui{que} opus fuerit: nō negetur. That is. And yf it may be that the garment wyll serue / care you no thynge / as belon∣gynge vnto you what garment / accordynge vnto the season of the yere / be profred vnto you / ne whiche gar¦ment ye receyue / wheder it be the same yt for the tyme ye layde away / or an other garment that an other of your felowes had. So that vnto none of you yt is ne∣cessary be denyed. Se now how playnly doth appere in this texte / that to haue stypend or wages / & to pro∣uyde for themselfe syngulerly alone / is agaynst this rule. For how shold those {per}sones prouyde garmentes Page [unnumbered] for themselfe / that may not in the somer haue the ke∣pynge of theyr owne wynter clothynge / ne in ye wyn∣ter of the somer clothynge / but to haue it all at the de∣lyueraūce of the offycers / & that as it cometh / not lo∣kynge for the same he had before / but to take whiche so euer is brought / better or worse / so it may serue the persone. That is sayd / bycause a lytell garment wyll not serue a large body / ne a short shoo a longe fote / nor a narowe hose a grete legge / & so lyke other thynges. That terme si fieri potest / yf it may be / may be taken for the difficultie of the mynde of the persone that can not be content to were the garment that an other had worne / but to haue the same he had before / & so by ly∣cence he may haue the same / not at his owne choyse & wyll / but by assignement.* Notwithstandyng it were more after the perfeccyon of this rule / that ye disciples of the same sholde set so lytell by theyr owne pleasure that wtout grudge they toke what were profred / & to be cōtent wt that garment alone / that wolde serue the body & were nedefull therfore.* The apostle sayth. If we haue fode & clothynge / we ben content therwith / he determyneth not ye quātite / nor qualite therof / yt is to saye / neyther how moche / nor what maner of fode or clothynge we sholde haue / but onely doth he name that is necessary / & yt suffyseth vnto nature. For suche persones as want {per}feccyon / haue alway more appe∣tyte in wyll & desyre than is necessary for nature. For as saynt Ierom sayth. Mannes nature is content wt a lytell / but an euyll custome & therwith wyll & plea∣sure / done adde & multyply more than nature wolde requyre. But who so loued almyghty god perfytly & dyd vtterly forsake the desyres of ye flesshe / sholde cast Page lv awaye many thynges as superfluous / whiche they holde / kepe & vse as necessary. Let vs therfore lerne to loue our lord. And so for his loue / & by ye vertue therof we may study & gyue diligence / bothe to be content wt that is necessary / & also to put & forsake all sup{per}fluyte. So whan vnto no persone is denyed yt is necessary / & agayne no {per}sone do aske ne desyre that is not nedefull Charite may be vsed after her owne propriete / whi∣che is neuer to seke / ne labour for selfe {pro}fyte ne auayle but alway to preferre the cōmune welth. For charite causeth a {per}sone to thynke themselfe abiecte in ye hous of god / an outcast & vnworthy ony thȳge to haue lyke other {per}sones. And therfore who so perfytly hath cha∣rite / wyll somtyme forsake & be content to lacke parte of that were necessary. The lettre. Si autē hinc inter vos cōtentiones & murmurationes oriant{ur} / et conque∣ratur se aliquis deterius accepisse {quam} prius habuerat / et indignūse esse / qui non ita vestiat{ur} sicut alius frater eius vestiebat{ur}: hinc vos probate quātū vobis desit in illo interiore sctō habitu cordis / qui {pro} habitu corporis litigatis. That is. But yf therof / contencyon / stryfe / murmure or grudge done growe & aryse amonge you and one complayne he hath a worse garment than he had before / & that he hath not deserued / nor is worthy to be clothed as his felowe is: therin may ye {pro}ue your selfe & perceyue how moche ye want inwarde of the holy habyte & aray of the herte and soule / that so done stryue for the habyte & clothynge of ye body. Loo now se and perceyue how saynt Augustyne dothe folowe the purpose that before I spake of / that is / that no persone / discyple of this rule / sholde be in surety of ony thynge / not so moche as of the clothes that they Page [unnumbered] before had worne & vsed. And why trowe you? The why & cause is declared in the selfe lettre / moche accor¦dynge vnto ye reuelacyon of our sauyour vnto our ho∣ly moder saynt Birgit in our rule. That is to saye / by¦cause suche stypendes & synguler prouysyons done in a monastery dyuyde / departe & destroye the laudable vnite of religyon / whiche in ye front & begynnynge of this rule / is chefely & moost straytly cōmaūded. And also they done corrupte & brynge to nought ye cōmune equite & iustyce / whiche is to wey & consydre what is nedefull / not what is pleasure / & to vse also ye nedeful / not by selfe iudgemēt / not by selfe appetyte / but onely vnder obedience wt all humilite / to be content with the wyll & appoyntment of ye rule & rulers therof / that is to saye / ye soueraynes. Where stypendes cōtrary done ordeyne for theyr pleasure what they wyll & can de∣uyse / & that causes in habytes so moche difformyte & varyaūce / so that in one quere ye shall se amonge reli∣gyous persones dyuerse colours & fashons / some vio∣let / some darke tawny / & some blacke / some fyne / and some course / some pynched / & some playne / some gar∣ded / & some hēmed / & as they be / so they shewe / all va∣ryaunt / where they sholde (after the rule) in all thyn∣ges be as one persone / & take wtout prouysyon or stu∣dy theyr very necessaryes as they ben delyuered vnto them / neuer notynge what other persones haue / ne what before they had / so they alway haue yt is neces∣sary. Here now holy
