Saynt Hugh.
¶ Saynt Augustyn in an other place dothe descrybe what is stryfte / or to stryue / sayenge. Contencyon / or stryfte is whan the one parte with obstynate mynde or stomacke wyll holde & defende theyr owne opinyon Page lvj and not serche or lene vnto reason or trouth / but rather with many or inordynate wordes done wery & make dull the mynde of the other party. The habyte & aray of the herte / is sanctifyed & sacred by the grace of god by the inhabytacyon & dwellynge of the holy ghoost / whan charite / peace / boūte / mekenes / pacyence / vni∣te / cōcorde / gentyll behauyour / & suche other vertues done dwell in vs. The inwarde ryches & ornamentes of relygyous persones / ben good maners & vertues. But yf they begyn to cōtende & stryue / to murmure & grudge amonge themselfe / they shall soone be voyde of these vertues. For vyce & vertue wyll not dwell to∣gyder. A lytell poyson marreth a grete dele of mete. Religyous {per}sones therfore sholde proue & serche them selfe / & diligently pondre & wey / how moche {per}feccyon they want inwarde in theyr hertes / & also in to how grete losse and domage they renne / that so done stryue for suche transytory thynges. For they lose yt thynge that sholde make them blessed vpon erthe / yt is to saye rest & peace. Moche therfore shold religyous persones beware of stryfte / cōtencyon & debate. For these ben ye werkes of our fraylty & of synne.* And (as the apostle sayth) who so dothe suche werkes / shall neuer haue possessyon in the kyngdome of heuen. And therfore in an other place he warneth vs sayenge.* Do no thynge by cōtencyon / nor by vayne glory / but that eche of you suppose & iudge that his felowe is better than he. All you syngulerly study & do as moche as ye can for the cōmune welth / but not for your owne / thynke you & iudge / yt your felowe hath more nede than you / & that of ryght he sholde haue more than you. For these ben two synguler remedyes to put away stryfe / & to nou∣rysshe Page [unnumbered] concorde / that is to saye / yf ye thynke your selfe inferyours vnto all other. And yf ye wey yt is nedefull vnto other more thā vnto your selfe. For in these tway¦ne / humilite & charite done appere / whiche two ver∣tues done moost destroye cōtencyon / and moost reduce discorde vnto vnite / peace & cōcorde. But bycause this sentence before sayd apperteyneth vnto suche {per}sones as ben {per}fyte / therfore saynt Augustyn doth somwhat ease the mater for them that ben lesse {per}fyte. Addynge this lettre.* Tamen si vestra toleratur infirmitas: vt recipiatis qd posueritis: in vno tamen loco sub cōmu∣nib{us} custodib{us} / habete qd ponitis. Ita sane: vt nullus aliqd sibi operetur: sed oīa opera vestra in vnū fiant: maiori studio et frequentiori alacritate: {quam} si vobis sin∣gulis faceretis {pro}pria. Charitas enī de qua scriptū est {quod} nō querit q̄ sua sunt: sic intelligit{ur}: quia cōmunia pro¦prijs: nō propria cōmunib{us} anteponit. That is to say. Notwtstandynge / yf your infirmite & fraylte be so con¦sydred & suffred of the officers / that ye receyue ye same garmentes / ye layde awaye for the tyme / yet shall ye put all your stuffe in one place / vnder the kepyng of ye cōmune offycers.* So also that none of you do werke ne labour ony thynge for themselfe / but that all your werkynge & labours be done in one vnto the cōmune {pro}fyte. And yt with more study / more cure / with better wyll & diligence / & also with more gladnes of herte & chere / thā yf eche of you wrought & laboured for them selfe. For charite (wherof saynt Paule wryteth) that in the charitable persone / doth not seke ne desyre {pro}pre auayle & profyte / ne yet selfe pleasure (that charite I saye) must thus be vnderstand & taken / that euer the same charite doth put the cōmune profyte before ony Page lvij propre or synguler profyte / & neuer dothe she put ony propre or synguler auaūtage before ye cōmune welth. Here may ye {per}ceyue how one sentence dothe declare & make euermore playne that before is spoken. And all sowneth vtterly agaynst the stypendes & selfe prouy∣syon yt cōmunly is vsed. For by this lettre is no power nor lycence gyuen vnto ony persone / to axe or to chose ony vesture that they before had vsed: but yt is put in the discrecyon of ye officers / & specyally ye soueraynes / that where they cōsydre the infirmite of ony im{per}fyte persone / they may for ye more quietude & rest of mynde delyuer vnto theyr vncertayne vse the same garment that they had before / but euer they must put all in to the cōmune offyce / & from thens receyue all. And yt is after holy
