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.

¶ Sapyence saythe.* 1.1 The more thou arte in reputa∣cyon / the more sholdest thou meke thy selfe. And in an other place.* 1.2 The people haue made the theyr heed & souerayne / be thou no thynge proude therof / but be amonge them as one of them.* 1.3 And our lord in the gos∣pell. Who so dothe humble and make lowe themselfe shall be exalted. And who so wyll exalte and enhaūce themselfe / shall be brought downe full lowe. For the more lowe a {per}sone be in his owne opynyon / the more hygh is he before god. Now foloweth what condy∣cyons the soueraynes sholde haue. The lettre. Cir∣ca omnes / seipsum bonorum operum: prebeat exem∣plum. That is. Let the soueraynes vnto the edifyca∣cyon of all persones / make them selfe example of all good werkes. The example of the souerayne / is the best lesson vnto the subiectes.* 1.4 Our sauyour hymselfe (saythe saynt Luke) I began fyrste to werke and do well / and after to teche and preche. The good hous∣bonde saythe vnto his seruaūtes: come and let vs go vnto the felde. And the euyll housbonde saythe vnto his seruauntes: go you vnto the felde / and he is ser∣ued therafter.* 1.5 ¶ There was a persone axed a good housbonde / what thynge wolde make an horse fatte & fayre. And he answered / sayenge. The eye or syght of his mayster. ¶ An other axed what wolde make a fatte muckhepe / or a good dunghyll. And he sayd. The steppe of the good housbonde. The soueraynes of this rule ben bounde to go before / and fyrst kepynge the rule themselfe / bydde theyr subiectes and cōmaun¦de them to folowe. But this marreth all relygyon / whan the soueraynes bydde them go / and they wyll

not go forth them selfe before. Whan they bydde the subiectes do this / do that / and they no thynge wyl do them selfe. They wyll take more lyberty than they wyll gyue. Our sauyoure complayned vpon them / sayenge.* 1.6 They wyll put vnto y^e people greuous char∣ges / but they wyll not put to a fynger / they wyll not do the leest labour / to shewe the example in theyr de∣des. They sholde (sayth the lettre) make them selfe example of all good werkes.* 1.7 And that: circa omnes. that is / for the charge / and vnto the cure and edifyca∣cyon of all the subiectes. By that (me semeth) that the souerayne sholde folowe the maner of saynt Paule / that sayd of hymselfe.* 1.8 Factus sum iudeis / tan{quam} iu∣deus. hijs qui sub lege sunt / quasi sub lege essem. hijs qui sine lege erant. &c. I ordred my selfe (sayth he) vn¦to y^e iewes as a iewe / to wynne them vnto them that were bounde vnto the lawe / as though I hadde ben bounde thervnto. And vnto them that were without lawe / as though I had ben lawles. I also ordred my selfe vnto feble persones / as a feble persone. And short¦ly to cōclude / I made and ordred my selfe vnto all per∣sones / in all thynges after theyr behauyour & dyspo∣sycyon / to the entent to wynne them vnto Chryst. So sholde all hedes and prelates do vnto theyr subiectes in all pacyence and louynge maner / not folowynge ne fauourynge them in ony synne or mysbehauyour. For that dyd not saynt Paule / but al to wynne them from vyce / or to edyfye them in vertue. Take hede vnto

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eccli. iij.
• * 1.2

  Ecc. xxxi•…•…
• * 1.3

  Luc. xiiij
• * 1.4

  Act. j.
• * 1.5

  Aristotel. in econo.
• * 1.6

  Mat. xxz.
• * 1.7

  Texte.
• * 1.8

  j. Co. ix.