[27]. Stamin: OF. estamine, an under-garment loosely woven of coarse wool, nearly as uncomfortable as a hair shirt, ‘camiseam de grossiori panno [habeant], si voluerint’ of the Gilbertine Rule, p. *lxxix. ‘Estamiȝ,’ F.
[28]. hetter, garment: ‘vn de voȝ vestures,’ F. OE. pl. hæteru, often in ME. as singular. ‘Vestiti quoque dormiant et cincti, vt semper sint parati,’ Grimlaici Regula Solitariorum, in Holstenii Codex, i. 291. Lay folk did not in those days wear night clothes. leoðeliche, loosely: the ME. adverb corresponding to the OE. adjective liþig, flexible; comp. OWScand. liðugr, free: liðeliche, 72/194 is OE. līþe, soft. The writer here and elsewhere shows himself anxious to mitigate the austerities of his pupils. F has nothing corresponding to swa—under.
[30]. cunne is historically genitive plural: see [132/9 note] and 81/80 note. schriftes, confessor’s: the ‘meistre’ of 60/2: comp. 80/62; ‘bi ure shriftes rede,’ OEH ii. 55/29; ‘mid ðe rade of þine scrifte,’ VV 127/2. In F ‘sanȝ congie de son confessour’ corresponds to ‘wiðute schriftes leaue,’ 62/33.
[31]. ilespiles felles, hedgehogs’ skins: OE. igil, īl, hedgehog + pīl, prickle; the compound is used in ME. for the animal. Comp. ‘⁊ alle [sunnen] weren prikiende so piles on ile | He biþ þicke mid piles,’ Worc. Frag. F 21, 2. In irspiles N 30 r is probably due to OF. heriçun: F has ‘peel diricon.’
[31 N]. ileðered in this MS. only: it must mean, furnished with leather thongs: F has ‘[pl]umbee.’
[32]. holin: OE. holegn, holen, holly.
[33]. binetli, whip with nettles: NED. quotes from Cotgrave, ‘enortier, to benettle.’
[34]. biuoren, in front of the body. ne na keoruunge, practise no cutting or mutilation. ed eanes, at any one time. F ‘a nule foiȝ.’
[35]. luðere, severe, lit. wicked. disceplines: ‘smerte smiten of smale longe ȝerden,’ OEH ii. 207/6. Comp. ‘Disciplina pacis nostre super eum, seið Isaye, þus ure beatunge ueol upon him,’ AR 366/14, 346/24.
[36]. cundeliche: for sicknesses which come in the natural course they must not put faith in or try remedies which are unnatural, such as the nostrums of the herb-woman: see [54/6 note]. The writer in another place, 368, says that recluses are apt to be far too much concerned about bodily health.