A Ryght Profytable Treatyse Compendiously Drawen Out Of Many and Dyvers Wrytynges Of Holy Men | Page 9

lorde [that] ben poore in spyryte &c. ? The more noble [that] ye ben & come of worshypfull lynage [the] more ye shal meke your self / & euer be gladde of poore & vyle habyte or clothynge / beware of obstentacyon & pryde or to desyre to be better arayed than an other syster is. And remembre [that] ye shall be professed & wedde elyke to one spouse Ihesu cryste in one wyl & vowe / whiche loue none suche syngularyte / pompe & vayne glorye. For in his court shall not a kynges doughter haue prerogatyf afore an other in lower degree borne. Goostly lyf requyreth no dignyte temporall / though all ye be neuer so meke / yet your spouse was & is moche more meker. See in your mynde how [that] sa[yn]t Peter was a poore fyssher / and Bartylmew a noble man of byrth. Netheles Peter was preferred & made prynce of Bartylmew & of all the worlde. Beware of grutchynge [that] whiche gretly dyspleaseth god. Commende neuer your self of ony goodes gyuen or to be gyuen of you or by yours to [the] monasterye or els where / but euer lerne & vse you to take [the] crosse & to folowe your spouse in pena?ce / & do that ye come for / kepynge obedyence / pacyence / mekenesse / sylence / prayer / fastynge / & suche other as your relygyon wyll gyue you Instruccyon. And in ony wyse shewe mekenesse in your langage / countena?ce & all other behauyour / & in especyall to your heed & souerayne / the whiche representeth cryste your spouse / & that in all obedyence / drede / loue / & reuerence. Neuer disputynge of theyr wyll or of other that be your souerayns / but thynke [that] all is ryghtfull [that] they do / presume not to correcte theyr Iugementes. For as by example yf eche man sholde haue the guydynge of a shyppe [that] they be within / it sholde neuer prospere ne come to the hauen [that] it desyred. And as ye be professed deed to the worlde so be ye deed in other mennes dedes. ? Also remêbre that ye must forsake your owne wyll & offre it vp & gyue it to god & to them that shall be your souerayne & heed for euer more. Enforce eche one of you that shall come to religyon to passe an other in obedyence / for than doubtles ye shall please god A true obedyencer that hath vtterly forsaken his owne wyll / knowe not ony thynge harde to do [that] is c?maunded of theyr souerayne ne ony thynge vnryghtfull. ? Beware of ydelnes the whiche is moder of all synne & vnclennesse / so that by your offyce that ye be called to / or by prayer / redynge / wrytynge / sewynge / or other handewerkes doynge / ye may make your bodyes dayly wery & crucyfyed. And therby make your spyrytes the more quycke and apte to the seruyce of our lorde in confusyon of your enemye and encreace of glorye. ? Beware to be Inquysytyf / or to muse on hyghe maters and subtyll. And leue them to worldely people / and to clerkes / for otymes the letter may hurte you Thynke euer [that] ye had leuer dye than ones to passe the clausures or bo?des of your monasterye. Yf ye haue a faythfull & a Iuste frende / to whom ye may open [the] secretes of your herte / than ye haue a grete tresour / for oftymes one shall be deceyued & seldome can iuge the trouth in his owne maters so well as other. Knowe your owne synnes & wayle them & medle [with] none other. Beware euer of detraccion & flee it as it were a venemous serpent / [that] the speker therof be your contena?ce & departynge from them may be ashamed / & therwith lothe for euer so to speke or do. Moreouer yf ye wyll see your spouse Ihesu cryst in your mynde by contemplac?n euer kepe your sylence. For saynt Ierom sawe many in Egypt amonge holy faders that .vij. yeres togyder spake not owne worde / but only to god & to his saynt. Yf the caas be so [that] ye must speke / lete it be in all peas & charyte & [with] fewe wordes. Remembrynge [that] your spouse loueth no voyde claterynge / but wolde be [with] you alone in all quyetnesse in your soules. Wherfore be ye aferde to dysplease hym or to dryue hym out from you [with] stryues or debate / sclaundres / othes / and suche other / ? Saynt Iames co?selleth eche man to refrayne his tonge / sayenge that lyf