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.

¶ Let the officers so behaue themselfe vnto theyr fe∣lowes / y^t neyther they offende in grudgynge of theyr offyce / ne yet cause theyr felowes to grudge agaynst them for lacke of gentyll wordes / or charytable be∣hauyour. For murmure and grudge is a grete offence anenst almighty god. Saynt Gregory sayth. No per¦sone that doth murmure or grudge / shal euer receyue the kyngdome of heuen. And who so euer haue ones receyued y^e kyngdome of heuen / shall neuer after mur¦mure ne grudge.* 1.1 Salomon sayth. Precordia fatui / quasi rota carri. &c. The stomacke of y^e frowarde fole is lyke vnto y^e whele of a carte that bereth a grete lode of hey / & euer murmureth & whyneth or wheketh as he goth. So done suche persones in religyon that ben carnall & nere vnto them selfe. For all though they do theyr duty / yet euer they grudge agaynst somwhat / & ben neuer content.* 1.2 The apostle coūseyled his discy∣ples they sholde not grudge as y^e childer of Israel dyd that were slayne by serpentes. And why by serpentes were they slayne? bycause that murmure & grudge is a venymous serpēt. And who so euer done murmure & grudge / haue the venym of the deuyll vnder y^e rotes

of theyr tongues. For the holy apostle saynt Iames sayth.* 1.3 Lingua inquietū malū / plena veneno morti∣fero. A grudgynge tongue (sayth he) is an vnrestfull myschefe / full of deedly venym. Let all religyous per∣sones therfore beware of all murmure & grudgynge that they perysshe not by y^e deedly venym or poyson of the deuyll. The lettre. Codices / certa singulis dieb{us} petant hora: extra horā qui petierit / nō accipiat. That is. Let bokes be axed euery daye at a certayne houre. For who so besyde the due houre dothe ony axe / shall none receyue. All though saȳt Augustyn dyd ordeyne the offycers to serue the couent w^t all dilygence & cha∣rite (For y^t is w^tout grudge) Yet wold he y^t all sholde be done w^t good reason & due maner. He begynneth fyrst with the offyce of the library & bokes / whiche y^t tyme were of grete pryce / & therfore very scarce & rare. Yet wolde he y^t of those bokes y^t were to be had / none shold be denyed / so they were axed at the tyme appoynted / as is in dyuers libraryes in bothe the vniuersytees / & also in London / y^t from .viij. of the clocke vnto .x. or .xj. or other lyke tymes / the libraryes be at lyberty open / but in other tymes not so.* 1.4 Note here y^t saȳt Augustyn dyd not begyn w^t the backe / ne yet with y^e bely / that is to saye / neyther w^t clothynge ne fode moost necessary for y^e body / but he began w^t bokes / wherin is cōteyned the fode & clothyng of the soule. And this clause of the rule condempneth the soueraynes & superyours that done kepe from y^e yongers suche bokes as myght pro¦fyte theyr soules / specyally theyr owne rules & consti∣tucyons / whervnto they do {pro}fesse & bynde themselfe: and yet shall they neuer se them / here them / ne knowe them of many yeres after theyr professyon / and some

neuer / alas what iustice / what reason is therin? none at all. But here

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eccli. xxxviij
• * 1.2

  ij. Co. x.
• * 1.3

  Iaco. iij.
• * 1.4

  Nota.