To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
¶ The resydue is the lettre / with our poore notes. The lettre.* 1.1 Donet igitur deus: vt obseruetis hec oīa tan{quam} spiritualis pulcritudinis amatores / & bono odo∣re Christi de bona cōuersatione fragrantes: non sicut
serui sub lege: sed sicut liberi sub gratia constituti. That is. Almyghty god therfore graūt / that all you may obserue and kepe all these cōmaundementes and iniunccyons / as louers of spirytuall beauty / and by good and holy cōuersacyon smellynge of the good and moost pleasaunt odour & smell of Chryst / not as bonde seruauntes vnder the lawe / but as louynge chyldre vnder the lyberty of grace. Whan saynt Augustyne had ended all the preceptes and cōmaundementes of his rule / and ordred also bothe the soueraynes & sub∣iectes therunto. He now here dothe shewe vnto what ende / and for what cause / or wherfore the dyscyples of this rule sholde perfourme and kepe the same / that is to say / for the loue of god / and vnto the edyfycacyon of the neyghbour / for that is the loue of ye neyghbour. In the begynnynge he shewed how we ben bounde to loue god and our neyghbour. And here he wylleth that for those two causes we sholde vndertake these labours / and kepe these preceptes. And that the discy¦ples of this rule may kepe ye same / he doth fyrst praye sayenge. Our lorde god graunt. For lawes and ordy∣naunce made / and not kepte / ben all voyde. And than dothe he adde the cause (as we sayd) vnto the mery∣tes of the kepers.* 1.2 Sayenge / as the louers of spiry∣tuall beauty. Spirytuall beauty is our lorde and his heuenly Ioye. Than who so kepeth ye rule as louers of spirytuall beauty / done kepe it for the loue of god. And than foloweth / and as smellynge / that is / as su∣che persones that done smell by holy conseruacyon of the odour and smell of Chryst. The odour and smell of Chryst / is his lyfe and behauyour. To smell than of Chryst / is to folowe his example of lyuynge / and
that is the edifycacyon & very loue of the neyghbour. These lawes & statutes than / must (after the mynde of saynt Augustyne) be kepte for the loue of god / and (as we sayd) vnto the edifycacyon of the neyghbour. And not as bonde caytyues done kepe the lawes of theyr lordes / ne yet as the chyldre of Israel kepte the olde lawe for fere and drede of payne / but as louynge chyldre done kepe the cōmaundementes of theyr py∣teous and kynde parentes / hauynge theyr fauour & grace. So must ye discyples of this rule take all theyr labours for loue / bycause they stande vnder a double lawe of grace / that is to say / the cōmune lawe of chry¦styanite / and also the lawe of perfeccyon / and moost hygh meryte / the lawe of holy relygyon. The lettre. Vt autem vos in libello hoc / tan{quam} in speculo possitis inspicere / ne per obliuionem aliquid negligatur:* 1.3 se∣mel in septimana vobis legatur. That is. And for by∣cause you in this lytell boke may se and beholde your selfe / as in a myrrour or glasse / let the same boke ones in the weke (lest ony thynge passe you by negligence) be redde amonge you. Lawes can not be kept / except they be knowen / and therfore ben the prelates & pre∣chers bounden to shewe vnto the people the lawe of god / that they may knowe it and kepe it. Soo wyll saynt Augustyn this rule be redde / and so knowen & kepte. And yet that thynge that is well knowen / may soone be forgoten / and so negligently ouerpassed / ex∣cepte it be well renewed and grounded in the memo∣ry. And therfore he wylleth it be redde euery weke ones / whiche commaundement is full euyll kepte in many places / & in some places no parte therof kepte. For neyther is it redde ones in the weke / ne yet ones
in the yere: ne in some place ony tyme / they neuer herde tell of ony rule / but as other lyued there before they folowe without rule. For they ben clene out of rule. Kepe you the rule I praye you / and let it be redde ones a weke at the leest. And I thynke it may be mo∣che profytable for you to rede this boke euery quarter ones / or thre tymes a yere at the leest in your fratour. For saynt Augustyne dothe assymule this rule vnto a myrrour or glasse / wherin euery persone may se to re∣fourme and redresse / yf ony thynge be amysse.* 1.4 It is an olde sayenge / ofte rekenynge holdeth longe felaw∣shyp. Than do you reken and make account with our lorde / whan ye loke vpon your owne werkes / & that is to loke in this glasse / where ye may soone se & per∣ceyue wheder ye haue done your duty or no / and than what ye shall do / the lettre sheweth. Vbi autem vos inueneritis ea que scripta sunt facientes: agite domi∣no gratias / bonorū omnium largitori: vbi autem sibi quicun{que} vestrum / vidit aliquid deesse: doleat de pre∣terito / caueat de futuro / orans: vt sibi debitum dimit∣tatur / et in tentationem non inducatur. Amen. That is. And where ye fynde and perceyue ye haue perfour¦med & fulfylled all that in this rule ben wryten / gyue you vnto our lorde / the gyuer & rewarder of all good∣nes due thankes therfore and prayse. And where ony of you done fynde and perceyue they lacke or wante ony poynt of the same / let them be sory for that is pas∣sed / and be ware of that is to come / besechynge our lorde theyr defaute may be forgyuen / and they neuer be brought vnto the consent of synne. Amen. ¶ By re∣dynge this rule / ye may (as in a myrrour or glasse) se and beholde your selfe. And yf ye fynde no thynge a∣mysse
/ but all ye suppose well / ascrybe neuer that in ony wyse vnto your selfe / but vnto our lorde / & thanke his goodnes / and knowlege it came of his specyall grace. And yf ye perceyue ye haue not done your duty be dyscontent with your selfe / and thynke veryly ye wyll ordre your selfe to amende. Than beseche our lord of mercy for all your offences and negligence / and that ye neuer wylfully and by delyberacyon fall vn∣to the consent of synne. This rekenynge oftentymes made / shall not onely delyuer you from synne / but al∣so obteyne you many synguler graces / and specyall loue of our lorde god and moost swete sauyour Iesu / who euer preserue you all in the dayly encreace of the same by the profyte of religyon. Amen.
〈…〉〈…〉. l. hec oīa •…•…um dile∣•…•…tione.
In ye or•…•…¦gynall〈…〉〈…〉 with lo•…•… as the•…•…¦uers of•…•…¦rytual•…•…¦auty. &•…•…
〈…〉〈…〉. l. negli∣•…•…atis.
Nota.