The four brethren, of whom I have spoken above, when they came to London, betook themselves to the Friars Preachers, by whom they were kindly received, and with whom they remained for two weeks, eating and drinking what was set before them, like intimate friends. Afterwards they hired a house in the village of Cornhill, where they constructed cells, stuffing the interstices between the cells with grass. They remained until the following summer in their early simplicity, without a chantry, because they had yet no privilege to erect altars and celebrate divine service in their house. Just before the Feast of All Saints, and before Brother Agnellus had come to London, Brother Richard of Ingworth and Brother Richard of Devon came to Oxford, and there also were most kindly received by the Preaching Brothers, in whose refectory they ate, and in whose dormitory they slept, for eight days. Afterwards they hired for themselves a house in the parish of S. Ebba, and there remained without a chantry until the following summer. There the Blessed Jesus sowed a grain of mustard-seed, which afterwards became the greatest among herbs. From that place Brother Richard of Ingworth and Brother Richard of Devon set out to Northampton, where they took up their abode in the hospital. And afterwards they hired for themselves a house in the parish of S. Egidius, where the first warden was Brother Peter of Spain, who wore an iron corselet next his body and furnished many other examples of perfection. The first warden of Oxford was Brother William Ashby, hitherto a novice; he was now given the dress of the Order. The first warden of Cambridge was Brother Thomas of Spain; of Lincoln, Brother Henry Misericorde, a layman. The lord John Travers first received the brethren at Cornhill, and gave them a house; a certain layman from Lombardy was appointed warden, who first taught letters by night in the church of the Blessed Peter at Cornhill, and afterwards became Vicar of England, while Brother Agnellus went to the general chapter. In the vicarate he had as his associate Brother Richard of Ingworth; in the end, being unable to endure such heights of prosperity, and being weakened by so many honours, he became insane, and apostatised from the Order. It is worthy of note that in the second year of the administration of Brother Peter, fifth Minister of England, that is to say, in the thirty-second year after the arrival of the brethren in England, the number of brethren living in the province of England, in forty-nine places, amounted to MCCXLII.
THE RULE OF SAINT FRANCIS (1224).
Source.—Monumenta Franciscana, vol. ii., pp. 65 et seqq. (Rolls Series.)
(The following extracts are from an English translation of the fifteenth century. The Rule itself was confirmed by Honorius III. in 1224.)
In the name of God: here begynneth the rewle and the lif of the bretherne minoris, the first chapiter.
The rewle and lif of the bretherne mynorys is this, to obserue and kepe the holy gospelle of our Lord Jhesu Christ in lyving in obedience, without propre,[11] and in chastite. Brother Fraunces promyseth obedience and reuerence to the lord Honory, Pope, and to his successours laufully enteryng, and to the churche of Rome; and alle other bretherne be bownde to obey vnto brother Fraunces and to his successours.
II. Of them that wille resceive this lyf, and in what maner they may be resceyved:
Yf any that will resceive this lyf comme to oure bretherne, let them send them to ther mynysters provinciallis, vnto whom only, and to none other, licence ys grauntyd to resceyve bretherne. The mynysters dilygently shall examyn them of the Crystene feithe, and of the sacrementis of the churche. The mynysters dilygently shall examyne, and yf they stedfastly beleve in them, and will truly and feithfully graunt and confesse them, and to the ende of ther lyf stedfastly kepe them: and yf they have no wifys: ... let them say too them the wordis of the holy gospelle, that ys to say that they go and selle all ther goodis, and indever them self to distrybute them to poor people, the whiche if they may not doo yt suffisethe ther good wille. And the bretherne shalbe wel ware that they medle not nor enbesy them self with ther temporalle goodis or procuryng therof, that they may frely do ther with what so euer God putteth or enspireth in ther myndis. Nevertheles, if cownselle be desired and askyd of them therin, the mynisteris haue licence to send them vnto somme persones dredyng God, by whose counselle ther goodis may be distrybuted and givenne to poor people. Then, after this, they shall graunt to them the clothyng of probation, that ys to say ij cootis withoute a hode, a corde, a femoralle, a schapelet downe too the girdle. But yf yt be thowghte expedient too the seide mynisters godly otherwise to be done or dispensyd at summe tyme, the yere of probation fynyshed and endid, they may resceyve them to obedience and profession. And in nowise yt may be lawfulle to them to forsake this religion, after and accordynge to the commaundement of the Pope, for, after the saying of the holy gospelle, no manne puttynge his hand too the plowghe and lokyng backwardis ys apte to[12] the kyngdome of hevyne. And they whiche arre professid and haue promysed obedience shalle haue oone cote with a hoode, and a nother withoute a hoode that wille have yt, and suche as haue nede or as ar constreynyd by necessyte may were shoone. And alle the bretherne must be clothid with symple and vyle clothinge. And they may pece them and amende them with pecis of sak clothe, or with other pecis, with the blissyng of God. Whom I warn and exhorte that they dispise nor juge those men whiche they se clothid with delicate and softe clothyng, or with colowred and costly aray, use delicius metis and drynkis, but moche more rather eche of them shoulde juge and despise hymself.
III. How the bretherne shold behave them self when they goo by the weye:
... I cownsell also warne and exhorte my bretherne in oure Lorde Jhesu Criste that they bralle nat, nor strive in ther wordis or communication, nor that they juge norre deme[13] none other men; but that thei be meke, peasible, softe, gentille and curteis, and lowly, honestly spekynge and answerynge to euery manne as vntoo them accordith and belongith. And they shalnot ride, but yf they be constrayned by evident necessitee or ellis by sekeness. In to what house or place someuer they enter they shalle saye firste, "pece be vnto this howse." And, accordynge too the holy gospelle, they may ete of all maner of mettis whiche be sette before them.