1 þe witeð ou from þe worlde ouer alle oðre religiuse. clene
2 and vnwemmed. þus þe apostle seint iame descriueð religiun
3 and ordre. nouþer hwit ne blac ne nemneð he in his ordre. ase
4 moni þet isihð þene gnet and swoluweð þe vli3e. þet is. makeð
5 muchel strencðe; þeras \is/ lutel. powel þe ereste ancre. antonie.
6 and arsenie. makarie. and te oþre. neren heo religiuse and of seint
7 iames ordre? also seinte sare and seinte sincletice and monie
8 oþre swuche. weopmen and wummen mid hore greate mat-
9 ten. and hore herde heren. neren heo of gode ordre? and hweðer
10 hwite oþer blake. alse unwise askeð ou þe4 weneth þet ordre
11 sitte i þe kurtel oþer i þe kuuele. god hit wot noþeleas heo
12 weren wel beoð\e./ nout tah onont cloþes; auh ase godes spu-
13 se singeð bi hire suluen. nigra sum sed formosa. ich am blac
14 and tauh hwit heo seið. vnseaulich wiðvten; and schene wið=
15 innen. o þisse wise onswerieð to þeo þet askeð ou; of ower
16 ordre. and hweðer hwite oþer blake; siggeð þet 3e beoð boðe.
17 þuruh ðe grace of god. and of seint iames ordre þet he wrot latere. Inma-
18 culatum se custodire. ab. oc. seculo. þet is. þet ich er seide. vrom the word-
19 de witen him clene and vnwemmed. herinne is religiun and nout
20 i þe wide hod. ne i ðe blake ne i ðe hwite ne i ðe gre3e kuue-
21 le ðer also monie beoð igedered togederes. þereuore
22 mid onrednesse me schal makien strencðe of onnesse
23 of cloþes. and of oðerhwat of vttre þinges. þet te onnesse with=
24 vten bitocnie þe onnesse of o luue and of o wil. þet heo alle habbeð
25 imene wiðinnen hore abit. þet is on; þet euch haueð swuch ase oðer. and
26 also of oðerhwat a3eines þet heo habbeð alle togederes o luue
27 and o wil euch alswuch alse oþer. loke þet heo ne li3en. ðus hit
28 is i kuuent. auh hwarse wummon liueð oðer mon bi him
29 one. eremite oðer ancre; of ðincges wiðvten hwarof scan-
30 dle ne kume; nis nout muche strencðe. hercneð nu mi-
31 chee godes prophete. Indicabo tibi homo quid scit bonum et quid deus