{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_16759/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_16759","id":"gutenberg_16759","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16759","summary":null,"tags":["Augustinian Canons","Category: History - Medieval/Middle Ages","Category: History - Religious","Category: Religion/Spirituality"],"text":"This eBook was produced by Les Bowler from the 1906 Kegan Paul, Trench,\nTrubner & Co., Ltd. edition.\n\n[Title Page: title.jpg]\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Chronicles of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes\nwritten by Thomas A Kempis.\nTranslated by J. P. Arthur.\n\n\nM.\n\n\n[Dedication in Greek which cannot be reproduced].\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\nTRANSLATOR'S NOTE\n\nPREFACE\n\nTHE CHRONICLE OF THE CANONS REGULAR OF MOUNT ST AGNES\n\nI.      Of the first founders of the Monastery at Mount St. Agnes, and\nhow Master Gerard Groote first pointed out this place to them.\n\nII.     Of the building of the first House on Mount St. Agnes.\n\nIII.    Concerning the names of the first Brothers and their labours.\n\nIV.     Of the scanty food and raiment of the Brothers, and how\nwondrously God did provide for them.\n\nV.      Of the consecration of the first chapel and altar at Mount St.\nAgnes.\n\nVI.     Of the year and place in which the first four Brothers were\ninvested.\n\nVII.    How the monastery was removed from Westerhof to Mount St. Agnes.\n\nVIII.   How John Kempen was chosen as the first prior of Mount St. Agnes.\n\nIX.     How the Burial-ground at Mount St. Agnes was consecrated.\n\nX.      Of the Brothers who were invested by John of Kempen, the first\nPrior.\n\nXI.     Of the death of Brother Wolfard, Priest in the Monastery of Mount\nSt. Agnes.\n\nXII.    How Brother William Vorniken was chosen to be the second Prior in\nthe House of Mount St. Agnes.\n\nXIII.   Of the death of Brother Nicholas Kreyenschot.\n\nXIV.    Of the consecration of our Church and of four Altars in the House\nof Mount St. Agnes.\n\nXV.     Of the death of the beloved Father John Ummen, the first Founder\nof the Monastery of Mount St. Agnes.\n\nXVI.    Of the pestilence that afflicted mankind, and how some of our\nBrothers died in this plague.\n\nXVII.   Of the death of William, son of Seger, a Priest in Hasselt.\n\nXVIII.  Of the death of our most reverend Lord Frederic, Bishop of\nUtrecht.\n\nXIX.    Of the death of Brother John Vos of Huesden, who was the second\nPrior at Windesem.\n\nXX.     How Brother Theodoric of Kleef was chosen to be the third Prior\nof the House on the Mount.\n\nXXI.    Of the death of Brother Egbert formerly Sub-Prior at the House on\nthe Mount.\n\nXXII.   How our Brothers and other Religious were driven from the land by\nreason of the Interdict.\n\nXXIII.  Of the return of our Brothers from Frisia to Mount St. Agnes.\n\nXXIV.   Of the death of Brother John of Kempen, the first Prior of Mount\nSt. Agnes.\n\nXXV.    How Theodoric of Kleef, third Prior of the House on the Mount\nlaid down his office, and was absolved therefrom.\n\nXXVI.   How Brother Henry of Deventer was chosen to be the fourth Prior\nof the House of Mount St. Agnes.\n\nXXVII.  How Father Henry, the fourth Prior, resigned his office, and how\nFather George was chosen to be the fifth Prior.\n\nXXVIII. Of the ancient Reliquary of St. Agnes, and how it was gotten.\n\nXXIX.   Of the death of Brother Henry, son of William, the fourth Prior\nof our House.\n\nSO FAR THE CHRONICLE WAS WRITTEN BY THOMAS OF KEMPEN; THE RESIDUE THEREOF\nWAS DONE BY ANOTHER.\n\nFROM THE CHRONICLE OF OUR BROTHER THOMAS OF KEMPEN CONCERNING MATTERS NOT\nPERTAINING TO OUR HOUSE.\n\nI.       Concerning the year in which that reverend man, Florentius of\nWevelichoven, was made Bishop of Utrecht.\n\nII.      Of the death of John Ruysbroeck, first Prior of the Groenendaal.\n\nIII.     Of the death of the venerable Master Gerard Groote, a man most\ndevout.\n\nIV.      Of the great eulogy passed upon Gerard by a certain doctor.\n\nV.       How, after his death, the number of the Devout and the Order of\nRegulars did increase.\n\nVI.      Of the consecration of the Church, and the investiture of the\nfirst Brothers in Windesem.\n\nVII.     Of the death of John de Gronde, a Priest.\n\nVIII.    Of the death of the most Reverend Florentius of Wevelichoven,\nBishop of Utrecht.\n\nIX.      How Frederick of Blanckenhem was chosen to be Bishop.\n\nX.       How the monastery at Northorn was founded.\n\nXI.      Of the death of that most devout Priest Florentius, Vicar of the\nChurch of Deventer.\n\nXII.     Of the death of Everard of Eza, a Curate in Almelo and a great\nmaster of physic.\n\nXIII.    Of the death of the Priest Amilius that succeeded Florentius at\nDeventer.\n\nXIV.     Of the first investiture of the Sisters of our Order in\nDiepenvene near Deventer.\n\nXV.      How the monastery in Budiken was reformed.\n\nXVI.     Of the death of Gerard Kalker, a devout Priest, and Rector of\nthe House of Clerks.\n\nXVII.    Of the death of Henry of Gouda, a devout Priest, at Zwolle.\n\nXVIII.   How the Sisters in Bronope were invested.\n\nXIX.     The death of Wermbold the Priest.\n\nXX.      Of the death of John Cele, Rector of the School at Zwolle.\n\nXXI.     Concerning John Brinckerinck, a disciple of Master Gerard.\n\nXXII.    Of the death of Gisbert Dow, Rector of the Sisters at Amsterdam.\n\nXXIII.   As to the gaining of Indulgences at the stations in Rome.\n\nXXIV.    The letter of the Cardinal of Bologna.\n\nA LETTER CONCERNING THE FIRST INSTITUTION OF THE MONASTERY AT WINDESEM.\n\n\n\n\nTRANSLATOR'S NOTE\n\n\nThe Chronicle of Mount St. Agnes is the only work of Thomas a Kempis of\nwhich no English translation has yet appeared, and even in its original\nform the book is not readily accessible to readers, since the only text\nis that published by Peter and John Beller of Antwerp in 1621.  The\nordinary collections of the works of a Kempis do not contain the\nChronicle, although there is no doubt as to the authenticity of the book,\nwhich is of considerable importance to students of the movement known as\n\"The New Devotion,\" and to those who are interested in the Brotherhood of\nthe Common Life.  The last nine pages of the Latin text have been added\nby an anonymous writer, and carry on the chronicle from the year 1471, in\nwhich a Kempis died, to 1477, but since this portion of the book is\nincluded in the first printed edition, and contains a notice of the\nauthor written by a contemporary member of the community, I have included\nthe addition in the present translation of the Chronicle.\n\nThe Mother House of the Chapter to which the Monastery of Mount St. Agnes\nbelonged, was the Monastery at Windesheim, of which we have a full\naccount from the pen of John Buschius, a younger contemporary of a\nKempis.  This work is too long to be included in the present volume,\nalthough the Antwerp edition before mentioned puts the two Chronicles\ntogether; Busch's \"Chronicon Windesemense\" will therefore appear\nseparately; but as the account of the foundation of the Mother House,\nwritten by William Voern, or Vorniken, supplements the information given\nby a Kempis, a translation of it is annexed to this book.  The writer was\nPrior of Mount St. Agnes before his promotion to the same office in the\nSuperior House, and it was under his rule that a Kempis spent the early\nyears of his priesthood, those years in which he composed the first part\nat least of the great work with which his name is associated.  William\nVorniken also tells in outline the story of the conversion of the Low\nCountries to Christianity by Anglo-Saxon missionaries, and for all these\nreasons it has been thought that his \"letter\" may be of interest to\nEnglish readers.\n\nIt will be seen that the spelling of proper names is both peculiar and\nvariable, but the principle observed in this translation has been to\nadopt the spelling given in the text, except in cases where variation is\nevidently the result of a printer's error, and in those instances in\nwhich the writer _translated_ names, _e.g_., Hertzogenbosch appears in\nthe Chronicle as Buscoducis, and Gerard is called sometimes Groote,\nGroot, or Groet, and sometimes Magnus.\n\nFurther accounts of the lives of some of the Brothers who are mentioned\nin this Chronicle may be found in a translation of another work of a\nKempis published last year, and entitled \"The founders of the New\nDevotion,\" Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co.; and the history of the\nother houses of the Chapter to which the Monastery of Mount St. Agnes\nbelonged, has been treated exhaustively by Dr. J. G. R. Acquoy, \"Het\nKlooster te Windesheim.\"  Utrecht, 1880.\n\nFor the English reader the best accounts of the Brotherhood and of a\nKempis himself, are the works of Rev. S. Kettlewell and Sir F. R. Cruise.\nThe former, however, is quite unreliable as a translator, and draws\nuntenable deductions from extracts whose purport he has misunderstood;\nbut the latter is both accurate and interesting, being in fact the\nleading English authority on the subject which he has made his own.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nThe pious desire of certain of our Brothers hath constrained me to put\ntogether a short chronicle concerning the beginning of our House, and the\nfirst foundation of our Monastery on Mount St. Agnes, that the said\nchronicle may be a comfort to them that are now alive, and a memorial for\nthem that come after.  Wherefore humbly assenting to their pious desires,\nI have gathered together a few things out of many, and these I have seen\nwith mine own eyes, or have heard from the Elders of our House, or else\nhave gathered from the writings of others.\n\nSome of the Elders who first dwelt in this House have told us that or\never there was a monastery builded in this place, and before any man had\nyet come hither to serve God, there did often appear to the shepherds and\nto them that dwelt near, visions of men in white raiment who seemed to go\nin procession round the mount: and the signification and meaning hereby\nportended became clear enough afterward as time went by, when the\nmonastery by God's grace begun in this place by a few Brothers and\nafterward finished with much toil came into being and a great company of\nBrothers dwelt therein--for then it was seen how the Devout Congregation\nof Canons Regular being clad in white raiment did serve God with\ndevotion, singing hymns and psalms and celebrating Mass; also reciting\nthe proper Canonical Hours to His praise every day, and praying for our\nbenefactors, both living and dead, especially for them that are buried in\nthis Monastery.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CHRONICLE OF THE CANONS REGULAR OF MOUNT ST. AGNES.\n\n\nCHAPTER I\n\n\n_Of the first founders of the Monastery at Mount St. Agnes, and how\nMaster Gerard Groote first pointed out this place to them_\n\nThe House of Mount St. Agnes, which lieth outside the walls of the town\nof Zwolle, and on the eastern side thereof, had its origin and completion\nin this way.\n\nThe place used to be called in the vulgar tongue Mount Nemel and lieth\nnot far from Zwolle, but one may traverse the distance in the space of an\nhour.  Now there were in the State of Zwolle certain faithful men who had\nbeen turned wholly to God by Master Gerard Groote.  These men had builded\nthem an house, in a suburb belonging to the city, near an ancient Convent\nof Beguines, and here they served God humbly and with devotion.  Amongst\nthese the chief was John of Ummen, a man dedicated to God, and greatly\nbeloved by Gerard; and with him there abode likewise Wychmann Rurinch,\nReyner, son of Leo of Renen, and two or three others that were well\ndisposed.  Moreover, a certain Clerk that dwelt in those parts named\nWittecoep, had joined himself to them and lived among them devoutly.\nThere was also the mother of John of Ummen, named Regeland, a widow of\nripe age, who ministered to the necessities of these servants of God,\ngiving good heed to the care of the house as a faithful Martha.  Most\ngladly would she listen to the Word of God, and, like Mary, was never\nsated with the sweetness of the Holy Scriptures that were read.\n\nWhen any one at meal-time read somewhat incorrectly and stammered over\nthe words, this venerable woman said to him \"Read no more and do not\ndefile the Word of God lest harm come to holy things and they that hear\nbe offended in thee.  Let another read that hath better skill thereto,\nthat we may all understand and be edified.\"\n\nAfter no long time this good woman came to the end of her life on the\nThursday in Holy Week after Mass was ended, and she was buried at Zwolle\nby her friends and the Brothers.  From that hour and day, for three whole\ndays, her son John Ummen fasted from every kind of food to promote his\nmother's salvation, and he neither ate nor drank aught until the dawning\nof the day of the Lord's Passover, and yet was he as whole in body and in\nstrength as if he had been well fed every day.\n\nAnd as these servants of God lived in poverty and at the common charge it\ncame to pass that many men that were in the world, considering their holy\nlife, came together to them, being eager to serve God and to leave the\nworld, in the hope of an eternal gain.  Meanwhile it happened that the\nvenerable Master Gerard Groote came to Zwolle about the beginning of\nLent, and of necessity abode there certain days, since he was anxious to\ncomfort his poor children, for it was his desire to refresh with the word\nof consolation those whom he had drawn to leave the world.  So a very\ngreat company of people came together to his preaching, and many devoutly\nsubmitted themselves to his counsel, for sometimes he would preach two\nsermons in one day so as to water the chosen vineyard of the Lord.  And\nif he had determined to preach after the midday meal, he would remain\npraying in the Church or walking in meditation in the churchyard, taking\nno food himself, while he awaited the return of the people.  For this\nreason they that loved his holy discourse were unwilling to stay away too\nlong, but would sit them down in the churchyard or in the Church, and\ntake beforehand places that were convenient and near the pulpit, so that\nat the proper hour they might the more readily hear and understand the\nWord of God.  And when Gerard had done his faithful preaching, each would\nreturn to his own concerns rejoicing with eager heart, and praising God\nfor all the things he had heard.  And they marvelled above measure at the\nhumble bearing of the Master, and were edified thereby, that he, a man of\nso great fame and knowledge, one that had friends great and famous,\nshould go about the streets with so meek an aspect, and showing little\ncare for his attire; for he cared not at all about worldly things, and\nsought only to gain a great usury of souls for God.  He was well\nfavoured, kindly in word, and courteous to all, so that any man whatever,\nwhether a stranger or born in the land, even though poor and unknown,\nmight speak to him and receive from him some discourse upon the things of\nGod.  The good saw this and rejoiced thereat, but the froward gnashed\nwith their teeth and spake evil of Gerard.  A certain man, therefore, one\nof the great ones of the State, came near to him, and rebuked his words\nand deeds, for the man himself took more pleasure at that time in\nworldliness than in the things of God.  \"Why,\" said he, \"dost thou\ndisquiet us, and bring in new customs?  Cease from this preaching, and do\nnot disturb or frighten men.\"  But Gerard made answer with wisdom and\nconstancy: \"I would not willingly suffer you to go to Hell,\" and the man\nsaid again with indignation: \"Let us go thither in peace,\" but the kindly\nand good Master replied: \"I will not do so; if thou wilt not hear, there\nwill be some who will gladly give ear\"--but we must return to our\nhistory.\n\nWhen the most beloved Master was sojourning in Zwolle for the purpose of\npreaching the Word, some of his disciples aforementioned who dwelt\ntogether there came to him secretly and confessed that they desired to\nlive a life further removed from that of the world, for they could not\nbear to mingle with worldlings without suffering hurt to their spiritual\nlife; and they said that they would choose to dwell without the City if\nhe should agree thereto.  They begged him therefore, as loving sons\nspeaking to their father, to condescend to go with them some little space\noutside the City to look for a place convenient wherein to live quietly.\nThen Gerard assented to their pious prayers, and when the next day dawned\nhe prepared for the journey and taking with him the brothers Wychmann,\nReyner, Henry and James Wittecoep, he went with them towards the\nmountains of Nemel to a place that was foreordained of God, and separated\nfrom the multitude; for men were seldom seen to come thither or to pass\nby, and patches of thorns and nettles grew here and there upon the hills\nand valleys.  So as they went forth the wind beat against them, hut\nneither rain nor wind could stay the Master from the straight course, and\nhe went on rejoicing and said pleasantly to his companions: \"I will go\nbefore you and shield you from the wind with my cloak.\"  But as they drew\nnear to the place, they went up to the top of an hill, and having made a\ncircuit round the mountains for some little space, they at last beheld a\nvalley, that was narrow and deep, upon the northern side of the mountain,\nand Gerard's disciples asked him a question, saying: \"See! most beloved\nMaster, how good is this place, and how private; here we may hide for the\nlove of Christ, as of old the holy Eremites did hide in the mountains and\nin caves in the earth.\"  But this they said in simplicity of heart out of\nthe fervent zeal of their devotion, and their desire for a life more\nremote from the world, for they thought there they could be hid, screened\nby the thickets of brushwood.  But the Master being most discreet and\nwise in counsel soon dissuaded them from this purpose, for a place that\nlieth low doth never suit the human complexion, nor would a place so\nnarrow avail in future for many men to dwell in.  So they withdrew their\nfeet prudently therefrom and visited another mountain that was near; and\ntheir wise leader saw that on the south side thereof was a level place\nfit for crops, and he said to them that stood by: \"Place your tabernacle\nat the foot of this mountain--then shall ye be able to make a little\ngarden for your herbs and fruits on the level place toward the south.  If\nthe Lord grant me life I will be here often with you.\"  Having visited\nthis place and walked about it through God's inspiration, they returned\nagain to the City together, leaving the issue of the matter to the\npleasure of the Almighty.  But in the same year the beloved Master\nGerard, that light and lamp of devotion that shone upon his country of\nUtrecht, was taken away from this world to receive the reward of his\nlabours, and he went up from the vale of our lamentations to the mount of\neverlasting bliss.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\n\n_Of the building of the first House on Mount St. Agnes_.\n\nBut after the passing of the Master, who must ever be held in\nremembrance, the new branch of his planting ceased not to bear fruit;\nmoreover the heaven shed dew upon it from above, as Gerard at the end of\nhis life had promised, so that our land yielded increase in her season;\nand the men above named continued to carry into effect the intention\nwhich they had formed in their minds.  The chief mover in this holy work\nwas James Wittecoep, the son of one Thomas Coep, a man who had been a\nmagistrate in the town of Zwolle; and he did all that in him lay to\npromote the foundation of an house on the mountain for the servants of\nGod.  Goswin Tyasen, who afterward became a Canon Regular at Windesheim,\nassisted him in this business, for he, relying upon the goodness of God,\nand having the ear of his fellows, was eagerly desirous to move them to\nchoose this place.  There were others also of like purpose, but these two\nwere the chief men amongst them, and they all relied upon the help of\ntheir friends, but especially upon the co-operation of the mercy of God\nby Whose nod all things are determined.  Therefore they besought the\nheritors of Bercem and Nemel, joint owners of the farm, to grant them a\nportion of the land, and the site where now the Monastery is builded, and\nthe owners thereof did freely grant their request and gave them the land\nfor the Brothers to dwell in.  When they had obtained the power to build\nupon the spot pointed out to them aforetime by Master Gerard, they set in\norder a small house, at the bottom of the mountain, that had been given\nto them by a certain matron, and some labourers assisted them in this\nwork.  This house was builded of logs and earth, but was only roofed in\nabove with common thatch.  But when this poor little habitation, on an\nhumble site on the lower part of the mountain was builded, no man dwelt\nthere, because it lacked household stuff; yet certain of the Brothers\nwhose hearts were set on the completion of the work would visit it, and\nsometimes one or two would sleep upon the straw there, in their clothes,\nbut for their food they either brought somewhat with them or returned to\ntheir friends in the town.\n\nScarce have I known of any place or house that was begun in so great\npoverty, and yet came, in despite of divers hindrances, to so great an\nincrease of prosperity; but Jesus our Saviour Himself began in the\ndeepest poverty, and His lack did make rich Holy Church.  This house\ntherefore, poor at first, unknown and hidden, did deserve in process of\ntime to be more widely increased through the blessing of our Father in\nHeaven, Who doth ever turn His Face toward lowly things, but doth look\nfrom afar upon the lofty.  For as wealthier persons came and brought\ntheir goods into the common stock, the place whose beginning was so poor,\nand its outward appearance so lowly, grew to be a yet fairer vineyard of\nthe Lord of Sabaoth.  For the tillers of the farm and the country folk of\nthe land of Bercem and Nemel, seeing that an house was now builded on the\nmountain and that devout men had come together there to serve God in\nhumility and simplicity, gave and assigned to them and their successors\nthe aforesaid place in honour of Holy Religion, and that prayers might be\noffered for them and their friends; which grant they did also confirm in\nwriting to any others whom God Almighty should see fit to associate with\nthem.  In regard to this holy gift and this pious request made by consent\nof the owners of the place, there was but one deed executed relating to\nthe first and original foundation.  This is attested by the seals of many\nhonest men, and in it is given a short description of the manner of the\nCommon Life and of the wholesome rule so far as this same was applicable\nto the conditions of the Brotherhood in the early days.  These things\nwere done and finished in the year of the Lord 1386 on the Friday before\nPalm Sunday, and a year and a half after the death of the aforesaid\nMaster Gerard.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\n\n_Concerning the names of the first Brothers and their labours_.\n\nThese are the names of those first Brothers, the devout men who began to\nbuild the House of Mount St. Agnes and to dwell there.  First James\nWittecoep, the chief promoter of our House and the earnest keeper thereof\nin all things.  He afterward became a Priest in Zwolle and served the\nAltar in the Hospice there, where he died after making a good confession.\nSecondly, there was John Ummen, son of Assetrin, whose mother was called\nRegeland.  He, though blind and unlettered, was yet the familiar friend\nand devout disciple of Master Gerard, and he became the first Rector of\nthe House, being a good man and a comfortable.  Thirdly, there was\nWychmann Roerinck van Hellender, a pattern of poverty and patience; he,\nputting aside his friends, who were many, became an humble hearer of\nGerard, and was Procurator to this poor little congregation.\n\nOther upright men also were joined to these chief Brothers, being drawn\nto give up the world by the sweet savour of the reputation of this new\nand holy congregation.  Their names are worthy of the fame of a good\nmemorial, for they were shining lights of holy poverty, obedience,\ncontinence, and daily toil.  The first was Reyner, son of Leo of Renen of\nthe diocese of Utrecht, who often made pilgrimages out of his devotion;\nbut afterward became converted by Gerard's preaching and gave up the\nworld.  The second was Reyner the younger, a man without reproach, poor\nand accustomed to toil.  He, too, came from Renen which is in the diocese\nof Munster.  The third was called Gerard the cook, for he at the first\nwas cook to the House, but afterward became the porter, a man fervent in\ndeed, and devout in prayer, who was born at Deventer.  All these knew\nGerard Groote in the flesh, and often heard him preach the Word of God\namong the people.  By these humble, simple-hearted, and devout little\nservants of Christ--these who did verily despise the world--was our House\non mount Nemel begun, which House after that it became a Monastery was\ncalled Mount St. Agnes.  Moreover by little and little several devout\nclerks and lay folk from the neighbouring towns and from far off\ndistricts came to join these men, and they earned their daily bread by\nthe labour of their hands.  For none was allowed to avoid his task, none\nmight go about idly, neither did any dare to talk of worldly matters, but\nall were taught to labour for the common good, and to call often upon God\nin prayer at the appointed hours after the manner of the holy Fathers in\nEgypt: for these, too, did labour with their hands, but during the hours\nof toil they never ceased from prayer.  Likewise they had received this\nrule from Master Gerard, that none ought to be accepted save such as were\nwilling to labour with their hands and take part in the Common Life.\nWherefore the clerks were diligent in writing the books of Holy\nScriptures, and the lay folk busied them with bodily labour and tillage.\nSome also followed the tailor's craft, others wove wool and flax; others\nagain made baskets and mats, or did divers tasks for the good of the\ncommunity at the bidding of their Superior.  Outwardly indeed they led a\nlife of poverty and toil for Christ's sake, but the love of the heavenly\nlife made sweet the present indigence.  If one went forth on any\nbusiness, he would first utter some short word concerning the things of\nGod, or would speak the Name of Jesus, and some other would reply with\n\"Christ\" or \"Mary\" as his devotion impelled him.  For a great while they\nlived together in this companionship, and until the time of the\nfoundation of the Monastery, all alike, both Clerks and Lay folk obeyed\ntheir first Rector, John of Ummen, a zealous man and well skilled in\nspiritual things.  With such diligence did they follow the virtue of\nobedience that none dared even to drive in a nail, or do any little thing\nwithout the knowledge of the Rector or Procurator, for they received\nfraternal correction by way of warning for the least neglect, nor was\nthere given any place for excuse, but every man did humbly acknowledge\nhis fault, and was forward to promise amendment.  But if any were not\nready to obey, or should cling stubbornly to what was good in his own\neyes Father John would chide him more sternly as the manner of the fault\nand the quality of the person did demand.  Sometimes fired with yet\ngreater zeal for discipline and in order to affright the other Brothers\nhe would say to some that were ill content, or slow to take his Orders:\n\"Lo! the door standeth open.  If any will go forth, let him go: I would\nrather have one that is obedient than many that are disobedient.  By the\nfavour of God I may readily find others who will cheerfully do what ye\nrefuse.\"   Thus by the voice of his authority he would curb the\nill-contentment of some.  Also he used to say that unwilling and sluggish\nBrothers were false prophets who thought that naught was profitable save\nwhat was good in their own eyes.\n\nOnce it happened that the elder Reyner was sent out with some other\nBrothers to guard the reeds, lest the cattle that passed by might chew\nand injure them.  But when the time for the midday meal came all the rest\nwent in, and Reyner alone remained on watch in the fields, and afterwards\nhe, too, went in to take his sustenance.  Then he was asked wherefore he\nhad not come in with the others at the appointed hour, and he answered\nthat he had remained outside thinking to do the more good thereby, and\nprevent danger to their stuff.  But Father John replied, \"Would that the\nbeasts had despoiled all our goods so that thou hadst come in with the\nrest as in duty bound.  This would have pleased me better.\"   Then was\nReyner deeply penitent, and groaning he prostrated himself humbly on the\nground asking for pardon, and saying that he would never do the like\nagain.  But yet John was full of comfort and kindness to those that were\ntempted or oppressed with any weighty matter, for he had the gracious\npower of consoling all, whatever might be the cause for which they came\nto him.  Master Gerard himself often sent divers persons to be instructed\nby him in the way of God, saying to them, \"Go to blind John of Ummen,\nthat devout and upright man, and whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.\"  He\nalso bore this witness about John, saying \"That blind man hath better\nsight than all that are in Zwolle,\" meaning that though he lacked natural\nsight, yet was he illumined inwardly by the radiance of truth, and showed\nthe way of eternal salvation to many that resorted to him, and gave them\nthe guidance of the true light.\n\nAmong these early Brothers so great was the zeal of their love that each\nstrove to surpass the other in doing work that was humble; and they were\neager in lowly service one to the other.  So while one was asleep another\nwould rise up earlier than was customary and finish his work; but if any\nwere somewhat slower in going forth to his labour, some other that was\nquicker would take his place, and it was often found that some task was\nfinished though none knew who had done it.  By this means was charity\nshown in deed, and humility of heart was preserved, according to the\nsaying, \"Love to be unknown.\"\n\nAll that dwelt in the House were stirred up by a like devotion to do\nmenial tasks and fulfil humble offices.  Wherefore the clerks and weavers\nwould not avoid the work in the fields, but when called thereto at\nharvest time they would go forth with the rest to gather in the sheaves\nof corn.  Following the rule of obedience, and acting for the common\ngood, they made the hay, or dug the ground, or planted herbs, whenever\nsuch work must needs be done.  So, too, holy David doth praise them that\nfear God, and doth minister sweet words of consolation to them that\nlabour well, saying: \"Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands, well is\nthee and happy shalt thou be.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\n\n_Of the scanty food and raiment of the Brothers, and how wondrously God\ndid provide for them_.\n\nWho can tell how poor was their food while they laboured at their daily\ntoil?  Their victual was coarse, their drink ungenerous, their raiment\nsimple and rude, so that naught did minister to the lusts of the flesh,\nbut the needs of the body were satisfied soberly enough.  They were often\ncompelled to eat food that was of evil savour through lack of better\nvictual; but constant toil and hunger made herbs and pulse to be pleasant\nto the taste.  Fish was given to the community seldom, and eggs more\nrarely still, but yet of their goodwill the Brothers would give these to\nthe sick, or to strangers, if by any means they could get such things.\nWherefore one hath said, \"When the reign of poverty is long, pleasure\ndoth endure but a little space.\"\n\nOn certain days the rule allowed them to eat flesh meats, but if at such\ntimes a larger mess was set before them, yet was it not more daintily\ncooked.  Furthermore, certain amongst them, who while they dwelt in the\nworld had been taught to love a very different fare, were now content\nwith scanty and coarse food, doing great violence to their lusts thereby;\nbut yet they bore all these things patiently after that saying of Christ,\n\"The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by\nforce.\"  Sometimes when supper was ended scarce aught did remain to be\ndivided amongst them on the day following; at other times there was lack\nof utensils or cooking pots, or suitable food would fail; but God the\nMaker of all things, who of old did feed the people in the wilderness,\ndid not desert the Brothers on the Mount.  So it once came about that\nwhen they had consumed almost all their food, Gerard the cook being\nanxious for the morrow, made his lack known to Father John, saying sadly\n\"What shall I set before them to-morrow?\"  But John consoled his sadness\nwith kindly words, and exhorted him to have faith in the Lord, who doth\nnot fail them that hope in Him.  And when that day had drawn on to\nevening, Everard of Eza, Curate of Almelo, came unexpectedly in his\nchariot as if sent by God to comfort the poor.  He was received by the\nBrothers eagerly and reverently, and they brought him in as if the\nHospice was his own, for he loved the House and all that dwelt therein by\nreason of their utter poverty and their simple manner of life, and\nbecause their desire was to hinder none, but to profit all men; moreover\nhe was united to Father John by a special bond of love.  Wherefore, when\nhe had determined to travel to Windesem, or had business at Zwolle, he\ndelighted to come first to the Brothers on the Mount; and being a mighty\nshepherd of souls as well as a most skilful physician, he alighted from\nhis carriage and fed souls that were in want thereof with the fodder of\nthe Holy Word, and likewise cheered the faint of heart by giving them the\nfood they lacked.  He had brought with him fine meal, and flesh, and he\ngave the same to the Brothers for their common use; and they receiving\nthe gifts he offered were all comforted by their better fortune, and gave\nthanks to God and to Everard that of his bounty he had provided for them\nand succoured them in their so great need.  At another time, also, divers\npoor Clerks had been called from Zwolle to help them in some work,\nwherefore certain of the Brothers went down to fish in the brook Vecht,\nwhose course is near to the mountain.  So they let down their nets in the\nname of Jesus, and by the grace of God, who made all waters, there were\ntaken of the fish called bream a number equal to the number of their\nguests.\n\nAt that time Gerard Bronchorst, a Canon of Utrecht, and a great friend to\nthe devout, was in authority at Deventer, and he gave two cows to our\nBrothers on the Mount, but forasmuch as God would prove their patience\nand increase their faith, one of the cows died, though the other one\nremained whole.  And the wondrous goodness of God provided that the one\nshould give so large a yield of milk as to suffice for all the Brothers,\nthough they would have thought that they would scarce get enough from\ntwo.  Then was seen the fulfilment of the word of the prophet Esaias, who\nsaith: \"It shall come to pass in that day that a man shall nourish a\nyoung cow, and for the abundance of the milk he shall eat butter.\"\n\nAt the beginning of their common life the Brothers were despised by\nworldlings, and they bore patiently the derision of them that passed by;\nalso they were called by vile names in scorn, and suffered much evil\nspeaking and many injuries from the envious; but the patience of the good\novercame the malice of the froward, and the freedom of their good\nconscience gave them the greater joy because of the scorn that was cast\nupon them.  For although men that were ill-disposed would insult these\npoor little ones of Christ, and blushed not to speak evil of the\ninnocent, yet many that feared God would praise their holy conversation;\nsuch men assisted them with kindly deeds and help, being moved thereto by\npious reasons.\n\nOne of the community, a Lay Donate and an upright man, was employed in\nfeeding the cattle, and as he was driving an herd of swine in the field\nhe met an ancient crone, who began to abuse him and to hurl unseemly\nwords at him.  And the devout Brother answered her gently, saying, \"Good\ndame, tell me my faults freely, and chide me sternly, for I greatly lack\nsuch chastisement,\" but the woman hearing this was smitten with inward\nremorse, and said in a changed voice: \"What should it profit me to help\nyou to the kingdom of heaven, but myself to hell!\" for she perceived that\nby her chiding the Brother earned fresh merit, but she punishment for her\nfrowardness.\n\nIt came to pass that as two of the Brothers were at work together out of\ndoors, one by mischance did unwittingly hurt the other somewhat, and he\nwho had done the injury prayed the other to pardon him for God's sake.\nBut the Brother who was hurt in body was whole in heart, and said: \"Even\nif thou hadst slain my father I would freely pardon thee,\" and those that\nstood by and heard his saying were edified, and glorified God for the\ngracious words that proceeded from the sufferer's mouth.  May these few\nthings that I have told of the early deeds of our elders be pleasing to\nthe reader.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\n\n_Of the consecration of the first chapel and altar at Mount St. Agnes_.\n\nOn the Vigil of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, and in the year of our\nLord 1395, was consecrated the first chapel on the Mount of St. Agnes the\nVirgin, and the first altar therein was dedicated in honour of that\nsaint, and of the most blessed Mary Magdalene, by Hubert, the Suffragan\nand Vicar-General for Pontifical Acts to our most Reverend Father and\nLord, Frederic, Bishop of Utrecht.\n\nAnd after the rite of Consecration, when the Dedication Festival was at\nhand, being the Sunday after the Nativity of St. John, Reyner, the Curate\nof Zwolle, came and was the first to sing a Solemn Mass in the chapel,\nwherein he offered the sacrifice of perpetual praise to God, for he was\nfriendly disposed to the Brothers, and at unity with them.  So from that\nday forward the Holy Mysteries of our Redemption were celebrated there by\nPriests and Clerks, and on festivals, hymns to the praise of God were\nsung to stir up devotion of heart.\n\nHaving made this holy beginning, the lowly band of Brothers was kindled\nto a still greater love of the worship of God, but in after time, when\nthe new and larger church in the monastery was builded and consecrated,\nthe dedication of this former chapel was transferred to the latter by\nlicence of the Bishop, but as was more seemly, it was dedicated first to\nSt. Mary and afterward to St. Agnes.  After this, when nearly three years\nhad gone by, the desire of the Brothers to build a monastery burned\nfiercely within them, and the elder amongst them especially, with their\nRector, were eager to do this work and carry it forward with all speed,\nfor certain urgent reasons did compel them.  They saw that without\nmonastic discipline the way of life in the House could not continue to be\nordered duly, and therefore they determined that the habit of an holy\norder must be their refuge, for they were instant to make prudent\nprovision for themselves and those that should come after, and to stop\nthe mouths of them that spoke evil, because such men did strive with the\ncunning of this world to disturb the lowly and simple lives of the\nBrothers.  Moreover, though they were still poor and had not things\nsuitable to their need--either proper buildings or service books--yet did\nthey try to begin the work, trusting in the mercy of God and heartened by\nthe help of good men.  And one spake of them and marvelled that men so\npoor should wish to build a monastery and to take religious vows, though\nthey had no hope of increase, but Father John of Ummen, ever a lover of\npoverty, answered him, saying: \"I have always heard from holy men that\npoverty is good, being both the cause of all good and the means of\nincreasing the same.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\n\n_Of the year and place in which the first four Brothers were invested_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1398, on the 18th day of January, being the Feast\nof St. Prisca, Virgin and Martyr, our Right Reverend Lord Frederic of\nBlanckenhem, the renowned Bishop of Utrecht, issued his license to the\ndevout priests, Egbert van Lingen, and Wolfard, the son of Matthias, and\nto the other Clerks and Lay Brothers that dwelt on Mount St. Agnes, in\nNemel, near Zwolle, for it was his desire to increase the glory of God,\nand to promote the cause of Holy Religion.  By the full authority vested\nin him he gave them leave to build a monastery for the Order of Canons\nRegular in any fit and proper place in his diocese, so that they might\nworthily and devoutly serve as the soldiers of Almighty God in the\nRegular Order, following the rule of the blessed Augustine.  So having\nobtained this licence in their favour, they chose a place in the freehold\nland that is called Westerhof, in the district of Gherner and the parish\nof Dalvessen, the curate of which parish, who was an honourable man named\nFrederic Denter, giving his assent to their purpose.  They determined to\nset their monastery here because they had found no other site that was\nfitting, although they sought anxiously elsewhere a place of habitation.\nAt this time the men of Zwolle would not suffer a monastery to be builded\nupon the Mount at Nemel, though this was done in after days by the favour\nof God, but Egbert Mulart had given them this land at Westerhof.  He was\na most upright man, and one in authority, being of gentle lineage in\nHasselt, and he was a trusty friend and a special patron of the devout.\nHere then they builded for their first need a small chapel, which they\nlet consecrate in honour of Mary, the most Blessed Mother of God, and\nalso other buildings of moderate size, and they reverently called the\nplace \"The Garden of the Blessed Mary,\" in honour of Christ's gentle\nMother.  When these things were done, the day drew nigh on which the\nBrothers of this House should be invested there.  Now on the day of the\nLord's Annunciation, which is the solemn Feast of the Blessed Mary ever\nVirgin, Mother Church doth celebrate throughout all the world the first\nact of our Redemption.  So that when that holy day had dawned with fair\nsunshine there came the Reverend Lord Hubert, Bishop of Yppuse, and\nSuffragan to our Lord Bishop of Utrecht, for he had been summoned thither\nupon that day.  And when the waxen tapers and crosses and the other\nornaments were ready, he there consecrated the burial ground, and the\nthree altars, and then at the High Altar, which he had dedicated, he sung\nMass with solemn music.\n\nAfterward, in his reverend presence, and in the face of a large company\nof other religious, both Clerks and Lay, Brothers who had come together\nfrom every quarter to keep this Festival, the first four Brothers of our\nHouse were invested by that reverend and devout man, John Wale, Prior of\nthe Regulars in the state of Zwolle, for he had been summoned for this\nvery purpose.  This number four did mystically signify the number of the\nfour Evangelists, and the names of these Brothers, which are worthy to be\ncherished by them that come after, are here set down.  The first was\nBrother Egbert of Lingen, who had been chosen for the priesthood by the\nBrothers on the Mount three years before this time.\n\nThe second was Brother Wolfard, son of Matthias of Medenblike, a priest\nof great age.\n\nThe third was John Ummen, a Clerk who came from Campen, a kinsman of John\nof Ummen, our first founder.  The fourth was Dirk of Kleef, a Clerk who\ncame from that state.  These four made their profession on the same day,\nand when the Divine Mysteries had been celebrated, and their bodies had\nbeen refreshed, they spent the day in spiritual rejoicing and brotherly\nlove.  Brother Egbert was the Senior in standing and took the place of\nRector of the House until a new Rector appointed by the Chapter should\ncome; then he gave place to Brother Wolfard and stood humbly behind him.\nThe Clerks who were not yet invested with the habit of the Order were\nthese:--Wichbold, son of John of Deventer, Henry Huetinc of Deventer,\nJohn of Kempen, of the diocese of Cologne, Hermann of Kempen, of the same\ndiocese.\n\nAfter Easter, when a general Chapter was held by the Fathers at Windesem,\nthese were received into the Order, and their names were set down and\nwritten as members of the Fellowship of Houses belonging to us: the\nFathers also provided them a suitable Rector, and after a little space\nthat religious and devout Brother, Egbert Lingen, was sent to them.  He\nhad been a member of the Monastery of St. Saviour, at Emsten, and for\nabout a year, that is, until the coming of the new Prior, he ruled over\nthe House, as will be shown hereafter.  Throughout the summer of this\nsame year the Pestilence was heavy at Deventer, Zwolle, Campen, and the\nneighbouring towns and districts, so that it often happened that twenty\nor thirty men were buried in one day in the divers parishes of these\ntowns.\n\nAbout this time and on the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist,\ndied Reyner, Curate of Zwolle, and two priests that were his chaplains.\nHe was a good man and pitiful to the poor, and ever cherished a special\ndevotion to St. John the Baptist.  At this time also died many devout\npersons, both men and women.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\n\n_How the monastery was removed from Westerhof to Mount St. Agnes_.\n\nIn the same year of the Lord 1398, on the 26th day of the month of\nAugust, two days before the Festival of our Holy Father Augustine, did\nthat most kindly Lord Frederic, by the grace of God, Bishop of Utrecht,\nissue a further licence.  He did ever most faithfully promote the\ninterests of our House, and was our special patron, and he had compassion\nupon the Brothers who were invested a short time before at Westerhof, in\nthat they were ill-content with the place, and ill-provided for there, by\nreason of divers hindrances and impediments that were not agreeable to\nthe religious life.  The Bishop therefore, hearing of these hindrances\nand the true causes thereof, gave them licence to transfer themselves and\nall their goods from the aforesaid place to Mount St. Agnes, so soon as\nmight be convenient, and to retain the same rights and privileges as he\nhad before conferred upon them.  Thus for the second time they obtained\nhis full and gracious consent to their desires, and Conrad Hengel, then\nVice-Curate of Zwolle, likewise assented to their pious wishes.\n\nTherefore on the eve of the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross they\nreturned to the place that they had long possessed and where the greater\nnumber of their friends still continued to dwell, with blind John of\nUmmen; they left, however, some few Lay Brothers at Westerhof to arrange\ntheir affairs.\n\nMoreover the Bishop of Utrecht had given them a licence for the\nconsecration of a burial-ground for the use of the monastery that they\nshould found on Mount St. Agnes.  But when Hubert, the Bishop Suffragan,\ncame for this purpose and entered into Zwolle, he was not allowed to\ncontinue his journey to the Mount until the Magistrates had first spoken\nwith the Lord Bishop of Utrecht, for they thought to dissuade him from\nhis opinion.  From this cause the consecration of the burial-ground was\ndelayed for the space of a year, until the return of the Bishop of\nUtrecht, for the said Bishop during the year had gone to the Curia at\nRome, and he ordered that the cause of both parties should be put off and\nawait his coming and presence on his return.  But when he had come back\nfrom Rome and entered his own country in safety, certain of our Brothers\ncame to him and asked him once more to give permission for the\nconsecration of the burial-ground, and he, yielding to the importunity of\nhis friends, did freely grant their petition.  So he issued his commands\nagain and ordered the consecration of this place, for he loved it and\npaid no heed to the complaints of the adversaries, since he preferred the\nhonour of God and the progress of religion rather than the unjust words\nof worldlings, who, as is well-known, do often oppose the desires of good\nfolk.  From that time forward he showed special love to the House on the\nMount, and extended to it yet fuller patronage, so that one day when he\nwas riding round the mountain on his way to Zwolle, he asked one of his\ncompanions, saying: \"What is this place, and what manner of men dwell\nhere?\" and his Vicar answered him: \"Beloved Lord, dost thou not yet know\nthat place?  This is thy monastery, this is Mount St. Agnes, and the\nBrothers of the Mount dwell there.\"  And the Bishop made answer: \"It is\nwell--may God preserve them.\"\n\nIt came to pass in this same year, 1398, in the month of September, when\nthe Plague was still amongst us that a well-disposed Lay Brother named\nJohn, son of Faber, who was smitten with the pestilence, came from Zwolle\nto the mountain, and sought hospitality in the name of God.  And being\nreceived in charity, his disease grew heavy upon him, and he died on the\nFeast Day of St. Maurice the Martyr.  But after his death certain of the\nClerks and Lay folk, being infected with the Plague, were taken from this\nlife after a little while, but several others grew whole of their\nsickness, for the Lord had mercy upon them.\n\nLastly, on the day after the Feast of St. Francis the Confessor died\nJohn, son of Nicolas of Campen, a Lay Brother of great age, who had been\nthe gardener.\n\nOn the day of the translation of our holy Father, Augustine Gerard Bou\nleft this bodily life.  He was a man of great strength, who had been a\nfarmer, and his native land was Holland.\n\nOn the Feast of St. Calixtus, Pope and Martyr, died Hermann Restikey, a\nClerk of the diocese of Cologne; he was born in the town of Kempen, and\nwas well learned and skilled in singing and in binding books.  When he\ndrew near to death he asked that a taper might be lighted quickly and\ngiven into his hands, and holding this above his breast he began to say\ndevoutly and often to repeat: \"Mary, Mother of Grace, Mother of Mercy, do\nthou protect us from the enemy and receive us in the hour of death,\" and\nhaving said this, he breathed forth his soul.\n\nOn the day after the Feast of the Eleven Thousand Holy Virgins, John of\nKempen fell asleep in the Lord; he was a devout Clerk of the diocese of\nCologne who had just been received into the Religious Order, but he died\nor ever he could take the habit, for death was beforehand with him.  He\nwas kinsman to the aforesaid Hermann, whom he had persuaded to withdraw\nfrom the life of the world when he was Sublector in the town of Campen.\nThese greatly loved one another in life and death, they came from one\ncity and province, they were of one heart in their good purpose, and\nalike steadfast therein.  This John, who continued a longer space in the\nservice of God, was a man of great kindliness and sobriety, and was well\nskilled in the work of husbandry.  For at harvest time when all must\nlabour more than usual he was diligent in helping therein.  And sometimes\nat night he would gather in the crops of the poor, and often wearied\nhimself by this work of piety; but in this year the weather was very\nrainy, and the crops were in such danger that he gathered in those that\ngrew in the watery places, and binding them into sheaves carried them on\nhis own shoulders out of reach of the waters.\n\nOn the Feast Day of the Saints Crispin and Crispian died Wichbold, son of\nJohn of Deventer, a man of good lineage.  For a long time he lived a\ndevout life in Zwolle, but afterward finished his days yet more devoutly\non the Mount.  Being an eager lover of the Scriptures he edified many by\nhis holy discourse.  On the Feast Day of St. Martin the Confessor, Henry\nof Deventer fell asleep in Christ; he was a Clerk and the companion and\nfellow citizen of Wichbold, and likewise a very humble and gentle man.\nOne day he was plastering the inner walls of the cells in the dormitory\nof the Brotherhood with soft mortar in company with another Clerk.  But\nit happened that as the mortar was somewhat violently dashed on to the\nwall some did come through the cracks of the battens into Henry's face\n(for he was standing on the other side of the wall) and befouled him\ngreatly.  But he who had done the deed, looking to see who had been\nbespattered by the mortar, and seeing the Brother who was so greatly\nloved with his face befouled, implored his pardon in dolorous wise.  But\nHenry was rather merry than vexed, and answered: \"There is no hurt done,\nbe not disturbed.  I care not for it.\"  So gentle was he that none ever\nsaw him angered or heard him complain.\n\nThe day after the Feast of Brixius, Confessor and Bishop, died Hermann of\nLaer, a man of great age who came from Campen.\n\nOn the Vigil of St. Thomas the Apostle, died Gerlac ten Water, a Clerk of\nthe town of Kampen.  He had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and\nwas still in the flower of his youth, but in this same year he left the\nworld and his parents and entered the monastery with joy, and he made a\ngood end to his life when came the time appointed for him to die.  These\nwere buried in the Chapel of St. Agnes, which afterward became the\nChapter House, because there was no other consecrated ground in the which\nthey could be buried.  But as the space was very narrow, some were buried\nin a neighbouring spot, because it was hoped that a burial-ground would\nsoon be consecrated there.\n\nBut in the year 1407, in the time of William Vorniken, the second Prior,\nand after the consecration of the new chapel, the bones of some of these\nBrothers were taken up and buried again in the other burial-ground on the\nwestern side of the chapel, where now several Lay Brothers who knew them\nlie buried also.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast day of St. Martin, the Bishop, Brother\nEgbert Linghen, the first Rector, invested two converts; their names\nbeing Brother John, son of James of Hasselt, and Brother John Eme of\nZwolle.\n\nIn the year 1399, on the Feast of St. Gregory the Pope, Brother Godefried\nof Kempen, who was born in the diocese of Cologne, was invested by the\nfirst Rector.  He was a skilful writer and singer, and he wrote one\nmissal for the High Altar, and three Antiphonaries, and likewise\nilluminated several books.  Also he painted and adorned the altars of the\nchurch most beautifully with the figures of saints.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\n\n_How John Kempen was chosen as the first Prior of Mount St. Agnes_.\n\nIn the year 1399, after Easter, John of Kempen, one of the community at\nWindesem, was chosen to be Prior of the House of Mount St. Agnes.\n\nBy the help of God, he, the first Prior, did govern the affairs of the\nHouse, with the many poor inmates, zealously and devoutly for nine years.\nAlso he added to the possessions of the monastery in laudable wise,\nproviding buildings and books and other things needful.  He it was that\nordered the building of the chief part of the church walls, and he made\nready much timber for the finishing of the roof.  He began to plant an\norchard on the south side of the cloister, and he set forest trees round\nit on every side.  This is that very garden that Gerard Groote, long\nbefore, pointed out to the Brothers that they should grow their herbs\ntherein.  For a long time wheat was grown, but a great while after herbs\nwere planted.\n\nIn the days of the Prior, mountains and hills were made low, and hollow\nvalleys were filled up: then was fulfilled to the letter that which is\nwritten in Esaias, a text oft spoken of by the Brothers in the midst of\ntheir toil: \"Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill\nshall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough\nways plain\" . . .\n\nIt is no easy task to tell with what toil and sweat this mountainous\nplace was turned into a level plane, and this sandy soil made abundantly\nfruitful.  Very heavy and long was the labour of preparing a site for the\nburial-ground and church, for here the slope was steeper than in other\nplaces, and extended over the whole face of the ground.  Yet by little\nand little and by labour done at divers times this hill was taken away\nand the matter thereof thrown outside the boundary wall into a deep\nvalley toward the north: so that to the wonder of many scarce a trace of\nthe said hill could be seen.  And the Brothers who worked by turns there\nwould say to one another: \"True is the word of the Lord which He spake:\n'If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed ye shall say to this\nmountain, be thou removed from hence hither and it shall be done!'  But\nsince faith without works is dead, we do firmly believe that if we put\nour hand to this work in the name of the Lord, we shall quickly remove\nthis mountain.\"  So it was done, not to this mountain only but also to\nothers that stood round about the monastery when the boundaries thereof\nbegan to be enlarged and to be surrounded by a wall of stone.  Besides\nthis Prior John set up the following needful buildings: namely, a\nRefectory for the Brothers and another for the Lay Folk, a kitchen and\ncellar, and cells for guests, also a sacristy for Divine service between\nthe choir and the Chapter House.  And he himself was the first among them\nthat laboured, and would carry the hod of mortar, and dig with the spade\nand throw the earth into the cart.  When he had leisure he was instant in\nreading holy books, and often worked at writing or illuminating.  He\ncaused several books to be written for the choir and the library, and\nbecause they were poor he appointed certain Brothers to write for sale,\nas was the custom from old time.  This many of the Brothers were zealous\nto do, but others set themselves manfully to the tasks without.\n\nIn the year 1399, Indulgences were granted to the people of Zwolle by the\nApostolic See, and Pope Boniface the Ninth granted these to be gained by\nall that were truly penitent at the Church of St. Michael on the Feast of\nthe Finding of the Holy Cross, and on the Feast of St. Michael.\n\nIn this same year, I, Thomas of Kempen, a scholar at Deventer and a\nnative of the diocese of Cologne, came to Zwolle to gain indulgences.\nThen I went on, glad at heart, to Mount St. Agnes, and was instant to be\nallowed there to abide, and I was received with mercy.  Afterward, on the\nday before the Feast of St. Barbara the Virgin, came William, son of\nHenry of Amsterdam, who also, at that time, lived at Deventer with the\ndevout Clerks.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\n\n_How the Burial-ground at Mount St. Agnes was consecrated_.\n\nIn the same year, 1399, after the Feast of St. Remigius, the Prior and\nBrothers of our House took counsel and aid from their friends, and busied\nthemselves about the consecration of the burial-ground, which ceremony\nhad been delayed for a long while because of the hindrances above named.\nBut when they knew that our Lord of Utrecht had returned from the Curia\nat Rome they came to him in Wollenhoven, where he then lived, and readily\nobtained their petition through the mediation of their most trusty\nfriends, the noble Sweder of Rechteren and the priest Henry de Ligno.\n\nSo that Bishop Frederic, our most kindly lord, delayed not to send to his\nSuffragan bidding him to come with all speed and consecrate the burial-\nground on the Mount, and the Suffragan also when he had read the letter\nof his Superior was found eager to perform this pious act; and he came\nwithout delay with the messengers who had been sent to him, and on the\nday after the Feast of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, and at about the hour\nof Vespers, he consecrated the burial-ground that lieth within the\ncloister of the monastery, the Prior, Brothers, Clerks, and servants of\nour House being present at the ceremony.  When the rite had been\nperformed duly, a gentle rain fell and watered the consecrated ground\nwith the dew of heaven, and all that dwelt thereabout rejoiced with great\njoy, for that the place had been consecrated by the Bishop, and that the\nmouths of the adversaries who strove to hinder the foundation and\nprogress of the monastery were evidently stopped.\n\nSo when the rite of consecration had been performed by the authority of\nthe Bishop, he went himself on another day to Windesem and there\nconsecrated the new choir and the four altars.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\n\n_Of the Brothers who were invested by John of Kempen, the first Prior_.\n\nIn the days of this venerable man our first Prior and Father, seven\nClerks and three Converts were invested, and the day and year of their\ninvestiture are written below.  Likewise he received the profession of\nBrother Godefried of Kempen who was then about twenty years of age.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1401, on the day after the Dispersion of the\nApostles, was invested Brother John Drick of the city of Steenwyck in the\ndiocese of Utrecht.  He was before a priest, and Vicar of Steenwyck, and\nafter less than a year of probation he made his profession by licence of\nthe Prior of the Superior House, on the birthday of St. John the Apostle;\nand he afterward was chosen Procurator.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast day of St. Brixius, Bishop and Confessor,\nwas invested William, son of Henry (who was called William Coman) of\nAmsterdam in the State of Holland.  He was now twenty-three years of age\nand had lived with the devout Brothers at Deventer, but Florentius\nRadewin, before his death, sent him to Mount St. Agnes.\n\nIn the same year, on the day before the Feast of St. Catherine the\nVirgin, was invested Brother Frederic, a Convert who was born in\nGroninghen in the State of Frisia, and lived for a long while on Mount\nSt. Agnes with the first founders of the monastery.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1402, on the Vigil of the Nativity of Christ, was\ninvested Brother Gerard, son of Tydeman, who was born in Wesep, a town in\nHolland: he wrote divers works for the use of the monastery and for sale.\nIn the year of the Lord 1403, on the day of St. Pontianus the Martyr, was\ninvested Conrad, a Convert; he was a tailor and was born in the Countship\nof Marck.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1405, on the Festival of the Four Crowned\nMartyrs, Brother Alardus, a priest, and John Benevolt of Groninghen were\nalike invested: Alardus was forty-six years old and a Frisian by nation;\nhe had been Curate at Pilsum, which was his native place, and was a good\nand devout man.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1406, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, which fell\nin that year on the day before the Feast of St. Barnabas, two brothers\nthat were Clerks, and one that was a Convert, were invested.  These were\nThomas Hemerken of the city of Kempen in the diocese of Cologne, and own\nbrother to John of Kempen the first Prior.  The father of these was\ncalled John and their mother Gertrude.  The other Clerk was called\nOetbert Wilde of Zwolle, whose father's name was Henry and his mother's\nMargaret.  The Convert was Arnold Droem of Utrecht who brought great\nwealth to the monastery and was in charge of the Refectory.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\n\n_Of the death of Brother Wolfard, Priest in the Monastery of Mount St.\nAgnes_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1401, on the Feast of the Holy Martyrs John and\nPaul, Brother Wolfard, son of Matthias, died in the monastery pertaining\nto our order, which is called the House of the Blessed Virgin in the\nWood, and lieth near Northorn.  He came from Medenblic, a town in\nHolland, and was one of the four first Brothers of our House.  He was a\nman of great stature and grave deportment, eloquent in discourse, and his\nhoary head was comely to look upon.  He took part in the labours of the\nyounger Brothers, and would perform lowly tasks, such as washing the\ntrenchers, digging the ground, carrying stones, or collecting wood.  It\nwas his wont to come early into the choir, to be alert in watching,\nenduring in fasting, careful in celebrating the Mass, and devout in\nprayer.  Once he was asked by a Religious what he had eaten during\nAdvent, and whether he had had eggs from time to time; and he made\nanswer: \"Blessed be God, throughout Advent I have seldom taken eggs or\nfish, but I have eaten pulse only and have kept the fast in great\ncontentment.\"\n\nSo when by the ordinance of God the end of his life was at hand, and the\ntime when his good deeds should receive a better crown, he made a most\nedifying end after the manner and order following:\n\nAt that time and in this year there was a notable pestilence in our House\nof the Blessed Virgin in the Wood, whereof the Prior and many Brothers\ndied, and the one priest who survived, Brother John of Groninghen, a\nweakly and feeble man, was left desolate save for the presence of one\nnovice, Brother Honestus.  But our Brother Wolfard, hearing of the death\nof these Brothers, and of the grief of them that were left desolate, was\ngreatly moved with compassion for this House.  One day, therefore, when\ngirt for labour, he said in a tone of pity to me, as I stood by him, \"Who\ncould deserve to have his portion with these good Brothers of Northorn,\nand to earn an end like theirs?\"  For he had known divers of these\nBrothers, and the place where they dwelt, and he loved their holy\ncompany.  And as he was telling me many good things concerning them,\nBrother Arnold, a Convert from Northorn, entered in at the gate of our\nmonastery to ask for one of our priests and when Brother Wolfard saw him\ncoming he ran joyfully towards him and embraced him.  But hearing the\ncause of his coming, he said that he himself was ready to go with him if\nit were pleasing to the Prior, and his obedience should permit.  And\nArnold, seeing his readiness to come, rejoiced thereat, and said: \"Most\nbeloved Brother, how good would it be that thou shouldest do so.\"  Then\nthe Brothers were called together and considered who should be sent to\nsuccour those Brothers in their strait, and they determined upon Brother\nWolfard, who was of fitting character and age, and he, being moved by\ncharity, assented to their resolution.  On the next day at sunrise, he\nset forth to Northorn with Brother Arnold, being ready to lay down his\nlife for the Brothers after the example of Christ, that he might save it\neverlastingly.  So he said farewell to the Brothers of Mount St. Agnes,\nwho wept at his departure, and left the monastery never to return\nthither; but he knew not how soon he should be removed to a Higher Mount.\nIn thus leaving the place and the Brothers he overcame his natural man\nand fulfilled the law of charity, following, in his death, the example of\nChrist.  Therefore he entered into the Monastery of Mary, Mother of\nChrist, which is in the Wood, and within a few days he there made an end\nof his life, and was buried by the Brothers of the House aforesaid.  Our\nBrother Egbert hath told me that long ago Gerard Groote had said to our\nbrother: \"Wolfard, thou shalt know two conversions,\" for in the days of\nMaster Gerard, Wolfard had begun to be well disposed to the religious\nlife, but afterward he was turned away to the world: yet after many\nyears, by the grace of God, it came about that he was again pricked to\nthe heart, and, leaving his pastoral charge, he changed his worldly life,\nand was among the first of the Brothers to take the religious habit, and\nhe thus ended his life with a happy death struggle.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\n\n_How Brother William Forniken was chosen to be the second Prior in the\nHouse of Mount St. Agnes_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1408, on the Vigil of Ascension Day, Brother\nWilliam Vorniken, from the Monastery at Windesem, was chosen to be Prior\nof Mount St. Agnes.  He was the second Prior of our House, which he ruled\nfor seventeen years, being a lover of poverty and discipline.  After that\nhe was taken away from us he was promoted to the Superior House at\nWindesem, and became Father General of all our Order.  He it was who\nlooked to the roofing of the church, the making of new stalls in the\nchoir, and the provision of fair vestments to be worn by priests and\nservers on festivals.  Also he enlarged the borders of the monastery, and\nsurrounded the whole with a wall of stone; he built a new dwelling for\nthe husbandmen and placed a byre for cattle near the gate, likewise in\nthe year of his departure he began to make a mill and to build a brewery.\nIn several places he planted trees of divers kinds, of which some were\nfruit trees; and he made smooth the slopes of the mountain, which for the\nmost part still remained steep, and this he did by carrying away the\nsandy soil.\n\nHe ordered the altars to be beautified with pictures, and good store of\nbooks to be written for the choir and the library.  Yet in the midst of\nall these things poverty and simplicity were dear to him, and with his\nown hand he illuminated many books.  He took divers Lay Brothers to dwell\nwith him, for he saw with the eye of charity that they would earn the\nreward of eternal life by faithfully cleaving to their holy labours, and\nliving the common life under obedience.  Some of these he received as\nDonates, others he invested with the habit of Converts.\n\nDuring the years that he was Prior he invested fourteen Clerks, whose\nnames, with the days of their investiture, are written hereafter.\n\nIn the year 1408, on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, was invested\nBrother Nicholas Creyenschot, a native of the town of Kampen, a youth in\nyears but upright in character.\n\nIn the year 1410, on the Feast of All Saints, two Brothers were invested\ntogether, namely, Wermbold, a priest of Kampen and kinsman to John of\nUmmen, and Gerard Ae of Utrecht.\n\nIn the year 1411, on the Vigil of the Nativity, three Brothers were\ninvested together, namely, John the son of Gerard, John Bowman, and\nGerard son of Wolter, a Convert; all these came from Zwolle.  In the year\n1413, on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin, was invested\nBrother John of Lent, a town one mile from Zwolle.  In the year 1418, on\nthe Vigil of the Nativity, three Brothers were invested together, namely,\nRudolph of Oetmersen in Twenthe, Otto Lyman of Goch in Geldria, and Henry\nthe son of James of Zwolle.\n\nIn the year 1421, on the Vigil of the Nativity, two Brothers were\ninvested: namely, Henry, son of William, of Deventer, and Deric Veneman\nof Zwolle.\n\nIn the year 1423, on Easter Eve, two Converts were invested, namely,\nGerard ten Mollen of Zwolle, and Gerard Hombolt of Utrecht.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1424, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the\nBlessed Virgin Mary, these three Brothers were invested: John Lap of the\ntown of Neerden in Holland, Christian Anversteghe of Campen, and Helmic\nBraem of Herderwijck in the State of Geldria.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\n\n_Of the death of Brother Nicholas Kreyenschot_.\n\nIn the year 1410, on the Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle, Nicholas\nKreyenschot died just after sunset.  He was a youth of good disposition,\nand sprang from a notable family of the town of Kampen.  He was about\ntwenty-three years of age, for God dealt pitifully with him so that his\nshort span of life fulfilled the task of many years, and he escaped\nlonger struggles in this present life; for eight months and ten days\nafter his profession he left dwelling in this present world and departed\nto the other.  The virtue of obedience shone brightly in him, as was\nseemly in a good youth.  Who should say, \"Brother, come hither,\" and\nNicholas would not come straightway, or \"Begone,\" and he did not\nstraightway depart?  Moreover, a good return came to the monastery\nthrough his means.  It happened in a time that he upset and broke a jar,\nand so grieved was he at this mischance and loss, that he wept bitterly.\nOnce also he made ready a sharp rod, and came to the sub-Prior, saying:\n\"I entreat thee, Father, for God's sake, to inflict a sharp discipline\nupon me, for I do often transgress, nor do I make any progress.\"  He was\nburied in the eastern part of the cloister near the wall of the church\nand beneath the steps of our dormitory.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\n\n_Of the consecration of our Church and of four Altars in the House of\nMount St. Agnes_.\n\nIn the year 1412, on the 8th day of the month of April, being the Friday\nafter Easter, our church was consecrated, being dedicated in honour of\nSt. Agnes the Virgin and Martyr of Christ.  The rite was performed by\nMatthias of Biduane, the Suffragan of our Lord and Reverend Father in\nChrist, Frederic de Blanckenhem, Bishop of Utrecht.  Many religious\npersons and priests were present thereat, namely, the Prior of Windesem,\nthe Prior of Belheem, Conrad Hengel and John of Haarlem, who were priests\nat Zwolle.  Many other honourable persons also, both men and women, young\nand old, men of the town and men of the country, came together to this\ndedication.  There was great joy in the hearts of all, and a general\nlicense to enter the monastery was given to strangers, as our statutes\nallow to be done on that day only.  So when the consecration had been\nsolemnly performed, the Bishop came forward in his mitre to consecrate\nthe four altars.  First he dedicated the High Altar in the Choir in\nhonour of the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Mother of God, St. Agnes the\nVirgin, and the Apostles of Christ, and he sang Mass in solemn wise for\nthe dedication of the church and altar.\n\nThen going out of the Choir into the northern aisle of the church, he\ndedicated the Altar in the greater chapel in honour of the Holy Cross and\nthe Blessed Martyrs, and afterwards the Altar which is in the midst of\nthe church on the left of the Choir in honour of the Blessed Mary ever\nVirgin, and of St. Augustine the Bishop, who is Father of our Order.\n\nLastly, he dedicated the Altar on the south side of the Choir in honour\nof the most Blessed Mary Magdalene, St. Catherine, St. Cecilia, and the\nEleven Thousand Virgins.\n\nThis done, masses were celebrated at the several altars, and the Host of\nSalvation was offered up in all reverence to God.  But after midday, the\nBrothers being gathered together, he consecrated the burial-ground for\nthe interment of the dead outside the church and on the western and\nsouthern side thereof.\n\nOn that day he granted Indulgences for forty days to them that were there\npresent, and a like grace to all the benefactors of the church and all\nthat visited the altars, as was set forth clearly in the Bishop's letter\nconcerning the consecration of the church.  In this same church there\nstill stand the two altars that were consecrated in Westerhof at the\nfirst foundation of the House in that place; for these, by consent of the\nBishop of Utrecht, were transferred to this church after the return of\nthe Brothers from Westerhof.  One of these was consecrated in honour of\nSt. John the Baptist and the Blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul;\nthis doth stand on the south side of the church.  The other was dedicated\nin honour of St. James and St. John the Apostles.\n\nThe Sunday after the Feast of the Blessed Gallus the Abbot (which is in\nthe month of October), was appointed to be kept in every year as the\nanniversary of the dedication of this church and the several altars\ntherein; and on this day also is kept the Dedication Festival of the\nHouse of the Blessed Virgin in Windesem and of the Convent of Nuns at\nDiepenveen, to the glory and honour of the most Blessed Trinity.\n\nIn the same year, when their General Chapter was held at Windesem, the\nvenerable Fathers of the Canons Regular in Brabant came thereto, and were\naccepted and united to our Fraternity, together with the Houses belonging\nto them.\n\nIn this year from the Feast of Pentecost onward the Canonical Hours were\nsung in our church after the monastic manner.\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nOf the death of the beloved Father John Ummen, the first Founder of the\nMonastery of Mount St. Agnes.\n\nIn the year 1420, in the evening of the 1st day of September, the Feast\nof St. AEgidius the Abbot, died that holy and faithful servant of Christ,\nJohn Reghelant, formerly a most beloved disciple of Gerard Groote, whose\ndiscourses he used to hear.  He was born of honest parents, and for\nseveral years was educated in Zwolle; but while he was yet a youth he was\ndiseased in the eyes, and God allowed him to fall into darkness, and he\ncontinued blind to the end of his life; but yet the less he could see the\nouter world, the more brightly did the grace of God illumine him\ninwardly.  His mother, whose name was Regheland, was devoted to God, and\noften went on long journeys to visit the shrines of Saints in company\nwith her blind son, whom she would lead by the hand, taking him with her\nto hear sermons in church, and leading him onward to every good thing.\n\nSo when the venerable Master, Gerard Groote, was preaching in Zwolle, and\nthrough God's inspiration was bringing compunction to many, the Lord did\nopen the heart of this His servant also, and did inflame him, wherefore\nhe began to love Gerard much, and often sought to be instructed by the\ndoctrine of so great a man.  For this cause he left wandering about the\nworld and sought to serve God in quietness, also he exhorted all that\ncame to him to despise earthly desires, and take hold on that new life in\nChrist which Gerard taught by his holy manner of living.\n\nTherefore he took to him certain men that were well disposed, and with\nthem he began to live the Common Life in Zwolle, but afterward they took\nup their abode upon Mount Nemel (which is now called Mount St. Agnes),\nbecause they wished to dwell outside the tumult of the world.  Here they\ngathered a larger company, the which he governed for many years with\nfaithful devotion, assisted by divers helpers, until the monastery was\nfounded, for he did not fear the many hindrances that met him.  But at\nlength when the monastery was builded, and a Prior instituted in the\ncanonical manner, John, being filled with brotherly love, and led by a\nyet fuller zeal for souls, took with him certain laymen of ripe age and\nbegan to form a new congregation in honour of the Holy Trinity, in the\nfield of St. John, near Vollenhoe, which congregation, by the favour of\nGod, he did enlarge greatly.  And when in the process of time the number\nof the Brothers was multiplied, he and many others took the habit of the\nTertiaries, and he continued to his life's end to be the humble servant\nof the Brothers and their first Rector.  He was one of the first and\noriginal disciples of Gerard Groote, and had many spiritual discourses\nwith him, for it was from Gerard that he learned the way of an holy life,\nand he submitted himself and his little ones fully to Gerard's counsel\nand discretion.  Being prevented in due season by God's grace, Father\nJohn was devout, and is worthy of remembrance, for that going on day by\nday he reached forward continually to the things that are before, being a\nnotable lover of poverty, one that kept lowliness and loved sobriety.  He\nwas the very beauty of purity, a pattern of simplicity, a strong upholder\nof discipline, an enemy of sin, a light of virtue, an ensample of\ndevotion, strong in faith, long suffering in hope, prodigal in charity,\nand one that did convert many from the vanity of the world.  A few things\nconcerning him are written in the beginning of this book.\n\nSo being wearied by his many years, when the day of his release from\ncaptivity was nigh, and he was dwelling in the house of the Sisters at\nAlmelo, he fell sick; and having fulfilled seventy years of life, he fell\nasleep in the Lord and was buried in the chapel of the Sisterhood there.\nAfter his happy departure, John of Resa, a devout priest, was chosen as\nthe second minister of the House of St. John, and he sought and obtained\nfor that House certain privileges that were needful, and also the\nconsecration of the burial-ground, which things were granted by the\nVenerable Frederic, Lord Bishop of Utrecht.  After him Christian, a\nnative of Zeeland, and one that had made his profession, was chosen as\npriest to that House, and was the third to administer and rule the same.\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nOf the pestilence that afflicted mankind, and how some of our Brothers\ndied in this plague.\n\nIn the year 1421 there was a notable pestilence in Deventer, Zwolle,\nKampen, and the neighbouring towns, and during the three months of summer\nmuch people of the land were slain thereby.  In the same year, after the\nFeast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the Cross was preached\nagainst the heretics of Prague, who stirred up a grievous persecution\nagainst Holy Church, the clergy, and the Christian people; and led away\nmany faithful persons by threatenings and deceits: likewise they\ndestroyed monasteries and churches, and put many persons to a cruel\ndeath.  In the same year in the month of September the disease laid hold\non certain of our household, for the pestilence did mightily increase,\nand on the Octave of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, after High Mass, a\nLay Brother named Nicholas died.  He was born in Drenthe, and had been\nour miller, a man of good reputation and life, and well beloved by all\nthat were in the House.\n\nOn the Feast of St. Lambert, Bishop and Martyr, and about the hour of\nVespers, died our Brother Oetbert Wilde, a fervent and devout priest.  The\nBrothers were with him when he died, and they offered up prayers after\nthe accustomed manner.  He was in the thirty-eighth year of his age, and\nthe fifteenth after his profession: he came from Zwolle, where he was\nborn of very honest parents, and he loved our patroness St. Agnes the\nVirgin with a special devotion.  In the beginning he suffered many\nweaknesses and temptations, but afterward, by the help of God, he was\nchanged into another man, mightily uplifted from pusillanimity of spirit,\nand endowed with much grace of devotion.  He died happily after a good\nstruggle, and on the next day his body was buried next to Brother\nNicholas Kreyenschot on the eastern side of the cloister, and Mass and\nprayers were said for him.\n\nOn the Feast of St. Michael, after Vespers had been said, Nicholas, son\nof Peter, departed this life.  He was a Donate of our House, and a\ncarpenter, being a man of great stature and mighty strength, and he had\nlived for more than twenty years in the House of Mount St. Agnes.  He\ncame from Monekedam in Holland, and having lived with us from the very\nbeginning of the monastery, he left a good memorial of his skill and\nindustry in his craft in the building of the church, and the new stalls\nfor the Brothers in the choir.  His body was laid in the burial-ground of\nthe Laics, toward the south part and near the path.\n\nOn the day of St. Jerome the Priest, at about the time when the midday\nmeal was ended, died Riquin of Urdinghen, a Donate of our House who\nattended the sick.  He departed after a brief agony, while Litanies were\nsung round his death-bed: his native place was in the diocese of Cologne,\nand during the twenty-five years that he lived in the House on the Mount\nhe never visited his friends, nor saw his native land once he had\ndeparted from her.  He loved the Blessed Virgin with singleness of heart,\nand on the seventh day of the week he abstained from one portion of\npottage out of devotion to her.  In these three desires he was heard of\nthe Lord before his death, namely, to die on an high day, and amid the\nBrothers--for he greatly loved them--and to have a short death struggle;\nwhich things were so brought to pass by our good Lord even as he had\ndesired them out of his good and simple heart.\n\nOn the Feast Day of St. Luke the Evangelist, at about the fifth hour of\nthe morning, died Adam of Herderwijck, a Donate of our House, who had\nsojourned in this place for twenty years.  He submitted himself to divers\ntoils and discommodities by his devotion and faithfulness to the business\nof the House; he was pitiful to the poor, kindly to the afflicted, and in\nthis time of stress he ministered with care and diligence to the Brothers\nthat were sick.  His body was laid in the burying ground of the Laics\nnear the other Donates, and after his burial the pestilence was stayed,\nfor God had pity on us, and some that had been smitten by this stroke\ngrew whole of their disease.\n\nIn this year, after the Feast of All Saints, Brother Gerard Ae, once an\ninmate of the House on the Mount, died in Frisia in the Convent of the\nNuns at Berghen.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of St. Lucia the Virgin, Peter\nValkenburrigh the Priest departed this life.  He had lived an humble life\nfor a long while with the Brothers in the Field of St. John near\nVollenhoe, and he desired to be buried upon Mount St. Agnes, where he had\ndwelt in former days, with the first Brothers of the House; for they of\nthe Field of St. John had not as yet a consecrated burying ground; so he\nwas laid to rest on the eastern side of ours next to Winald the Priest,\nwho was once chaplain to our Lord Frederic, Bishop of Utrecht, and a\nfriend to the Brothers on the Mount.\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nOf the death of William, son of Seger, a Priest in Hasselt.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1422, on the Vigil of Ascension Day, which was\nthe day following the Feast of St. Potentiana, died that devout priest,\nWilliam, son of Seger, the Confessor of the Sisters of the Third Order at\nHasselt.  He was born in Zwolle, and was buried, as he had long desired,\non the eastern side of the precinct before the Prior's Cell.  There were\npresent at his burial these venerable men, namely, Father Wessel, first\nSuperior of Kleerwater, near Hattem, Father John Haerlem, Confessor of\nthe Sisters at Zwolle, Father Gerard Trecht, and Father Stephen Mulart,\nwho were priests in Hasselt.  Also many other honourable men, and friends\nof the said William, came together to his burial from the aforesaid\ntowns, and the Prior of the House recited the burial office with faithful\ndevotion in presence of the Brothers.\n\nAfter his death Father Gerard Trecht was called by the Fathers of our\nOrder to rule over the aforesaid Sisters in the room of the departed\nBrother.\n\nIn the same year, during the days of Pentecost, peace was established\nbetween the men of Utrecht and Holland, and those of Geldria, for during\na whole year they had been at grievous enmity, and many deeds of rapine,\nmurder, and arson had been wrought in evil wise on both sides.\n\nIn the month of September, on the day before the Feast of S. S. Cosmas\nand Damianus, Brother John Pric, a priest and inmate of the House of\nMount St. Agnes, died in Thabor in Frisia.  He was born in the town of\nSteenwyck, and had been Vicar of the Church of St. Clement in that place,\nbut after several years, at the request of the Prior at Thabor, he dwelt\nfor a time with the Brothers of that House, and in the same year many\ndied in the pestilence, amongst whom he also fell asleep in the Lord, and\nwas buried with the other Brothers in that place on the eastern side of\nthe cloister.  This was his motto for the novices: \"He that doth not\naccustom himself to exercises of humility at the beginning of his\nconversion, and doth not break down his own will, shall seldom become a\ngood Religious.\"\n\nIn the month of October, on the day of the translation of St. Augustine\nthe Bishop, there died at Zwolle that honourable dame, Mary, the widow of\nHenry de Haerst, our neighbour.  She was truly pious and pitiful towards\nthe needy, and often came humbly to Mount St. Agnes to hear the Holy\nOffices.  Moreover, she abstained from all wordly adornments in her\nvesture, and she left a good bequest to our Brotherhood on the Mount,\nwhere also she doth lie buried in the church in the same tomb with\nBartold her son.\n\nIn the year 1423 there was such mighty cold and frost that endured from\nEpiphany even to the Feast of St. Peter's Chair at Antioch, that the\nhardness of the frost brought great masses of ice across the waters.\nWherefore at the beginning of March, when the snow and ice melted\nsuddenly in the heat of the sun, a great flood of waters followed, and\nthe dykes were burst by the rushing thereof, so that much of the corn\nland was overflowed, and the seeds perished.\n\nIn the summer of the same year the boundary wall round our monastery was\nfinished even from the south to the western side, and a new gate was\nmade.\n\nIn this same year, on Easter Eve, two Converts were invested, namely,\nBrother Gerard ten Mollen, and Brother Gerard Hombolt, as is recorded\nabove.\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\nOf the death of our most reverend Lord Frederic, Bishop of Utrecht.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1423, on the Feast Day of S.  Dionysius, Bishop\nand Martyr, which is the ninth day of October, that most reverend and\nrenowned Lord Frederic of Blankenhem, the illustrious Bishop of Utrecht,\nwent away out of the light of this world, being about eighty years of\nage.\n\nHe ruled the diocese of Utrecht strenuously and in honourable wise during\nthirty years, for the grace of God Almighty succoured him: his power was\nincreased by many victories, and he gave the Church peace, his country\nsafety, and his people tranquillity before his death.  This is he that\nwas a potentate of renown, a pillar of the priesthood, a guiding star to\nClerks, a father to the Religious, a friend to all devout persons, a\ndefender of the orphan, an avenger upon the unjust.\n\nThis is he that was the glory of rulers, the delight of subjects, that\nupheld dignity among the aged, and uprightness amongst the young, he was\na pinnacle of learning, the ornament of the wise; he gave weapons to the\nwarriors and a shield to them that strove: he inspired terror in his\nfoes, and courage in his people; he was an ornament to the nobles, an\nhonour to princes, a glory to the great ones of the land.  Who could tell\nhis praises in worthy wise, for in his days all was well ordered in the\nland of Utrecht!  Prelates were honest, and priests pious in the worship\nof God; the religious were devout, the virgins were chaste, the people\nwere fervent in the faith, judges were firm, and wealth grew abundantly\nin the cities.  In these days also, schools for learning flourished,\nespecially at Deventer and Zwolle, and a vast multitude of learners came\ntogether from divers states and regions, both near and afar off.  And\nbecause the Bishop feared God, honoured Holy Church, and loved and\ndefended all that served the Lord, therefore the Majesty on High\nprotected him from the enemies that were round about, making rebellious\nnations subject to him, especially those Frisians who had invaded his\nterritories.  Moreover, God did make his days illustrious by many\nmarvellous deeds, so that an age of gold seemed to have been granted to\nhis land of Utrecht.  But this did appear more evidently after the\nBishop's death, when a schism--exceeding lawless and long enduring--arose\nand increased among Clerks and people alike.  And this the reverend\nBishop feared should come about, for he was a prudent man and a learned;\nmoreover, he knew the manners of the cities and the seditious ways of\nsome of the nobles whose insolence he had been able to restrain and\nsubdue with difficulty, and the exercise of great valour.  \"After my\ndeath,\" said he, \"they will know that they have had a good lord, for they\nall wish to be masters, and to have none set over them, wherefore it\nshall be ill with them.\"  And he prophesied truly, for the whole land of\nUtrecht suffered grievous loss for her sedition, and shall long mourn the\nsame, as will be shown briefly in the proper place.\n\nSo this illustrious ruler died in his castle that is called Horst, not\nfar from Utrecht, and his body was brought by a seemly train of followers\nto the church at Utrecht where his predecessors were buried, and there in\ncompany with the other bishops in an honoured tomb upon the right side of\nthe choir he doth rest in peace.\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\nOf the death of Brother John Vos of Huesden, who was the second Prior at\nWindesem.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1424, on the Saturday following the Feast of St.\nAndrew, being the second of December, the venerable Father John Huesden,\nwho was the second Prior of Windesem, died in the sixty-first year of his\nage.  He had been a disciple of Master Gerard Groote and Father\nFlorentius, Vicar of Deventer, and on the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, in\nthe year following the investiture of the first Brothers, he himself was\ninvested there together with Henry Balveren.  A short time after Brother\nWerner, the first Prior, was absolved from his office, this John Huesden\nwas chosen the second Prior of the House, being then in the twenty-eighth\nyear of his age.  By the help of God he continued as Prior for thirty-\nthree years and ruled the House in a laudable manner: also he was of much\nprofit to the whole Order, being a most comfortable and kindly Father to\nall the devout Brothers and Sisters that were in the whole Diocese, for\nhe was charitably disposed to all alike.  He ordered the writing of many\nbooks for the monastery, being a fervent lover of the holy writings, and\nwas specially devoted to our Father Saint Augustine, a store of whose\nbooks he collected diligently.  He was also at Constance in the days of\nthe General Council, whither he went in company with John Wale, the\nvenerable Prior of Zwolle, and the cardinals and other prelates received\nthem both kindly and with reverence.\n\nNow it came to pass a few days before his death, and within the Octave of\nSt. Martin the Bishop, that two Brothers came from Mount St. Agnes to\nWindesem to commune with the Prior.  And one of them had a dream after\nthis wise, which vision did foretell the Prior's death; for he saw the\nspirits gathered together in Heaven and hastening as if to the death-bed\nof some one, and straightway he heard a bell toll as if for the passing\nof a dying man, and the sound hereof aroused him, and he awoke.  So\nrising from his bed and desiring to go to see what had happened, he\nperceived no man, for it was before the fifth hour in the morning, and\nthe Brothers were yet asleep.  So, returning to himself, he kept silence,\nand the thought came to him that our Father the Prior should soon depart\nhence.  Yet he told naught of this vision to any that were in the House,\nbut to a certain Clerk that was coming from Brabant and journeying in his\ncompany he said privately: \"Tell Hermann Scutken, who sojourneth at\nThenen, to come quickly if he would speak with our Father at Windesem,\nfor if the vision that one hath seen this night is true, I wot that he\nshall not long abide here.\"  So when fifteen days were passed this\nReverend Father died on the day aforesaid after High Mass, and before the\nmidday meal the Mass of the dead was sung for him, and his body was\nburied in the choir before the step of the sanctuary.\n\nOn the Vigil of the Epiphany after the death of this venerable Father,\nBrother Gerard Naeldwijc, the Procurator of the House, was chosen to be\nPrior; but he was greatly grieved thereat, and after a long while he\nconsented, though against his will.  Being lowly and gentle he might not\nbear the honour and burden of this place, and he sought earnestly with\nmany prayers to be relieved from the care of so great a charge, and when\nthe next General Chapter was held he sought to be absolved from his\noffice of Prior, which petition was granted to him.  So after he had been\nabsolved, and when the Fathers were still gathered together, Brother\nWilliam Vorniken, the Prior of Mount St. Agnes, was chosen by the same\nGeneral Chapter to be Prior of the Superior House.  And when he knew of\nhis election he too was stricken with dismay, for he was afraid of the\nburden, which is indeed a thing to fear.  So he wept abundantly, saying\nagain and again that he was unworthy, and striving mightily against this\nthing in every manner, yet was he obliged to obey and to take upon\nhimself for Christ's sake the yoke of so great a burden, being compelled\nthereto by his obedience and the determination of the more part.\nTherefore, at length, he consented, and after weeping bitterly he was\nconfirmed and inducted into the office, and all that were in the House\ngave thanks to God and were glad; but the House of Mount St. Agnes was\nsaddened above measure and wept when her faithful Pastor was taken from\nher, for she knew none like to him.\n\nCHAPTER XX.\n\nHow Brother Theodoric of Kleef was chosen to be the third Prior of the\nHouse on the Mount.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1425, the House of Mount St. Agnes bereft of her\nPastor (who had been chosen for and translated to the Superior House) was\ninstant to provide for herself another suitable ruler in accordance with\nthe canons.  Wherefore the Brothers were gathered together, and on the\nSaturday after Pentecost the Mass of the Holy Spirit was celebrated after\nthe monastic manner, and all the members of the Chapter came together to\nthe Chapter House.  When the opinion of each had been heard, Brother\nTheodoric of Kleef, our Sub-Prior, was chosen, and those venerable\nFathers, the Prior of Windesem and the Prior of the House of the Blessed\nVirgin, near Northorn, took part in this election, and confirmed the same\nas an holy act by the authority committed to them.\n\nBrother Theodoric was one of the elder Brothers of this same House, and\nhad been among those that were first invested: he had a long training in\nthe good life, and he wrote summer and winter Homilies together with\ncertain other books.\n\nAfter his election as Father and third Prior of our House, many evils\nbefel in the diocese of Utrecht, which same did mightily afflict our\nHouse and all the devout in the land.  This was by reason of a schism\nbetween Sueder of Culenborgh, who was confirmed as Bishop of the diocese,\nand the noble Rodolph of Diepholt, and the long continued strife between\nthese two did disturb many Clerks and citizens of the land.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin\nMary, and after Compline, died our Brother Conrad, a Convert.  He was the\ntailor, and was born in Scyrebeke in the Countship of Marck, and had\nlived at Deventer under Florentius, which devout Father sent him to Mount\nSt. Agnes when he had learned the tailor's art.  He lived devoutly and\nhumbly with us for many years, making, cleaning, and mending the raiment\nof the Brothers, but toward the end of his life it was his chief delight\nto think that he had often cleansed their clothing, for he hoped by his\nlabours in this regard to have cleansed also the stains of his own sins.\nHe was a man right pure and modest, and one that loved poverty and\nsimplicity, and he ardently longed to be released and to be with Christ\nJesus and Mary, whom he often called upon by name at the last: moreover,\nit was given him to die a peaceful and an holy death on this day of Her\nFestival, and his body was laid in the burying ground within the cloister\nof the monastery, hard by the northern gate, toward the wall of the\neastern building.  In the same year Sueder of Culenborgh was confirmed\nBishop of Utrecht by the authority of the Apostolic See, and he was\naccepted by the people of Utrecht, and of certain other towns, but by the\nStates of Overyssel he was not received.  Wherefore these States were\nplaced under an Interdict, and a great controversy arose among Clerks and\npeople, for some observed the Interdict, but the chief ones of the States\nwith those that clove to them, clamoured against it.\n\nAlas! Holy God! on the day before the Feast of St. Lambert we ceased from\nour singing by reason of the Interdict that was published against us!  For\nthis cause the nobles of the land and many of the vulgar had indignation\nagainst us and other Religious, and we suffered many insults, and at last\nwe were driven to go forth from our country and our monasteries in order\nto observe the Interdict.\n\nIn the same year, on the holy day of Christ's Nativity, were invested two\nClerks that had been Probationers a long while, and also one Convert\nnamed James Cluit of Kampen who had studied for some time at Deventer\nunder John of Julich, the famous and devout Rector.  The Clerks were\nBrother Gerard Smullinc of Kleef, who had attended the school at Zwolle\nunder Master John Cele, the excellent Rector with whom he dwelt for some\nspace as a fellow commoner: and Brother James Ae, a Convert from Utrecht,\nand kinsman to Brother William Vorniken who was once our Prior.\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\n\nOf the death of Brother Egbert formerly Sub-Prior at the House on the\nMount.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1427, on the day after the Feast of St. AEgidius\nthe Abbot, and after the third hour of the night, Brother Egbert of\nLinghen died at Diepenveen in the House of the Sisters of our Order.  He\nwas Rector and Confessor of that House, and was buried in the church\nthere, outside the choir and between the two chancels, the Prior of\nWindesem being present at his burial.\n\nThis Brother was born in the town of Ummen and baptised in the church of\nSt. Bridget: but when his parents removed to Zwolle, he being a youth of\ngood disposition began to attend the school under Master John Cele, and\nearnestly to profit thereby.  And when he heard the honourable reputation\nof the House on the Mount he came thither eagerly: now the elder John\nUmmen then ruled over it, and his wholesome exhortations touched Egbert\nto his good, so being now sufficiently advanced in learning he left his\nparents, and in humility and devotion joined himself to these\nBrothers--the poor little ones of Christ.  Afterward he was promoted to\nthe Priesthood in this same House, and since the grace of devotion grew\nin him, in a short time he, with two others, took the Religious habit.\nThese three were the first to take it, and Egbert the first amongst them.\nAlso he was for a time Sub-Prior of our House on the Mount, being a man\nof good heart, eloquent in word, diligent in writing, a comforter of them\nthat sorrowed, quick to forgive injuries, and one that did rejoice with\nall his heart at the progress of others.  He adorned many of the chant\nbooks in the choir with beautiful illuminations, and also divers books\nfor our library, and sometimes those that were written for sale.  He\nloved our House on Mount St. Agnes above all places that are on the\nearth, and he laboured right faithfully for the building thereof.\nMoreover, when his parents were dead, he, their only son, received all\ntheir goods as their lawful heir; and these were given for the common use\nof the Brothers who had heretofore lived in great lack.  Wherefore year\nby year memorial is made of him and his parents in the monastery for\nthese benefits, as is justly due.\n\nCHAPTER XXII.\n\nHow our Brothers and other Religious were driven from the land by reason\nof the Interdict.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1429, the strife between them that followed\nSueder and them that clave to Rodolph--who had been chosen to be\nBishop--still continued, and heavy threats were made against the Regulars\nin that they obeyed the letter of the Apostolic See and the commandments\nof Sueder, Bishop of Utrecht.  And since they would not consent to the\nappeal of Rodolph, nor maintain his cause, they were driven either to\nbegin again to sing the services of the church or to depart from the\ncountry, they and all their company.\n\nThen did the Priors take counsel with their congregations, and they chose\nrather to give place to the people that were enraged against them, and to\nbe exiles for justice' sake than to consent to such commandments to the\nscandal of all the devout, for these had already gone away from a great\npart of the country, leaving their own houses and their native land.\n\nTherefore, when this grievous choice was made known before the Fathers\nand Brothers of our House, there was but one opinion amongst all, namely,\nthat they must prepare to sojourn in a strange land and so keep obedience\nto the Apostolic See, but that they should leave in the monastery certain\nof their household that were Lay Brothers, Converts and Donates, who\nmight keep the House.  Thus were the Brothers driven forth, and they\ndeparted publicly before sunset on the Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle.\nMoreover the Brothers of Windesem with their household went forth toward\nNorthorn, and they of Bethlehem in Zwolle went over the Yssel to the\ndistrict of Geldria.  But the Brothers of Mount St. Agnes abode at\nHasselt for the first night, and on the next day they took ship for\nFrisia meaning to go to their Brothers at Lunenkerc, to help and comfort\nthat House which they had begun to reform.  And by the help of God, while\nmany of our Brothers sojourned there, the House soon came to be well\nordered.  There were together in the hired ship in which they crossed\nover twenty-four of our household, both Clerks and Lay Brothers, and\nthese abode three years in Lunenkerc for the name of Christ and the\nChurch of God; and the exile from their own land, which they took\npatiently, bore notable fruit.\n\nThese are the names of our Brothers and the others of our household, both\nClerks and Laics, who were driven from the land of Utrecht and from our\nmonastery for their obedience in the matter of the Interdict which they\nobserved for more than a year by command of the Apostolic See.\n\nFirst our venerable Father the Prior, who was called Brother Theodoric of\nKleef; the second was Brother Thomas of Kempen, the Sub-Prior; the third,\nBrother John Ummen, who was stricken in years and weak; the fourth,\nBrother Gerard Wesep; the fifth, Brother John Benevolt; the sixth,\nBrother Wernbold Staelwijc; the seventh, Brother John Bouman; the eighth,\nBrother Henry Cremer; the ninth, Brother Henry of Deventer; the tenth,\nBrother Dirk Veneman; the eleventh, Brother Helmic; the twelfth, Brother\nChristian; the thirteenth, Brother James Cluyt; the fourteenth, Brother\nGerard Smullinc; the fifteenth, Brother Cesarius, a Novice; the\nsixteenth, Brother Goswin, son of Pistor, a Novice.\n\nLikewise there were two Converts, namely, Brother Arnold Droem and\nBrother James Ae; three Clerks that had not yet received the Religious\nhabit, namely, Hermann Craen, Gosswin ten Velde, and Arnold ten Brincke;\ntwo Donates named Gerard Hombolt and Laurence, and also John Koyte, a\nguest and familiar friend of our House.  All of these were received for\nthe first night as the guests of the Sisters at Hasselt, who showed great\ncharity and humanity towards us, and they lamented and wept bitterly that\nwe were driven out with violence.  But since all the Brothers could not\nfind room nor beds wherein to sleep, these Sisters had compassion upon us\nand brought us their own bedding wherewith they prepared a place for us\nto sleep in the stable on the hay and straw, and here we all slept\ncommodiously enough.  Many of the citizens in Hasselt also had compassion\nupon us and wept, but certain envious folk that thought ill of us mocked\nour Brothers and spake lightly of them, but of these divers did afterward\nrepent.  On the second day, when morning came, we hired a small ship and\ncame by way of the sea to Frisia, the land we sought, having taken\nsustenance by the way; but we used both sails and oars and gat us across\nnot without great hazard for the wind was contrary.  Thus we went thither\nfor the name of Christ and to keep obedience to the Holy Roman Church,\nthe which we all desired to obey, and we committed ourselves to God Who\nshowed forth His mercy toward us, and snatching us from the peril of the\nsea brought us safely to our Brothers in Lunenkerc.\n\nIn the year 1430, on the 19th day of December, being the day before the\nVigil of St. Thomas the Apostle, died our beloved Brother John, a priest\nwho was born at Kampen.  He was third among the first four who received\ninvestiture, and he died after midday and was buried on the right side of\nBrother Oetbert.  He wrote in excellent wise the Chants in the books that\nare for use in the choir, for he was a good singer, and a man of modest\ncharacter, and showed himself to be able and skilled in divers kinds of\nwork at harvest time and in the building of the House.  When we were\ndriven forth he went with the Brothers to Frisia, though he was weak, for\nhe chose rather to share their exile than to abide alone with a few Lay\nBrothers to keep the House.  But afterward he was sent back before the\nrest, for his sickness compelled us to do this: so having fulfilled\nthirty-one years in the Religious Life, he fell asleep in the Lord.\n\nIn the year 1431, on the Feast of St. Stephen, Pope and Martyr, Brother\nGoswin Becker died in Lunenkerc.  He was in the beginning of the third\nyear after his profession, but was not yet in Holy Orders, and he was\nburied in the cloister of the monastery there.  He was the son of one\nJohn Limborgh, otherwise Becker, and was born at Zwolle.\n\nCHAPTER XXIII.\n\nOf the return of our Brothers from Frisia to Mount St. Agnes.\n\nIn the year of our Lord 1422 (1432), license was granted to members of\nthe Religious Orders, and to devout Priests and Canons, to return to\ntheir own places and monasteries which they had left in order to observe\nthe Interdict of our Lord the Pope, but some few were excepted as being\nsuspected of taking part in the sedition.  Now the Bishop of Matiskon had\nbeen sent as Legate of the Apostolic See to make terms of peace, and to\nremove the Interdict that had been pronounced to maintain the cause of\nSueder as against the noble Rodolph, who had been chosen to be Bishop.\nMany Prelates and Religious Brothers were gathered together to meet the\naforesaid Legate in the town of Viana, and the Fathers of our Religious\nOrder and Devotion, the Priors of Windesem and of Mount St. Agnes\ntogether with many others--devout Priests, who had been obedient to the\nInterdict--entered into Utrecht rejoicing, after holding friendly\nconverse with the Legate.  Then the Brothers returned each to his own\nHouse bearing with them sheaves of peace, the reward for their long exile\nwhich they had endured outside the diocese, and so by little and little\nthey returned to their own monasteries eagerly and with devotion; for\nsome of the Brothers of our House returned on the eve of the Feast of the\nAssumption of the Blessed Mary, and some about the Feast of St. Michael,\nwhile a few were left in Frisia to minister to the needs and preserve the\ndiscipline of the House at Lunenkerc.\n\nThrough all things blessed be God who alone doeth great marvels!\n\nCHAPTER XXIV.\n\nOf the death of Brother John of Kempen, the first Prior of Mount St.\nAgnes.\n\nIn the same year, on the fourth day of November, at midnight, died\nBrother John of Kempen, the first Rector and Confessor of the Sisters at\nArnheim, being in the sixty-seventh year of his age.  He had been Rector\nor Prior in divers places and Houses that were newly founded, namely, at\nthe Fount of the Blessed Virgin, near Arnheim, where he was the first\nRector when that House was founded, and here he invested divers Brothers:\nafterward he was chosen to be Prior of Mount St. Agnes and ruled the\nHouse for nine years: then he was sent to Bommel, and he began the House\nthere with a few Brothers.  After this he was chosen to be Prior of the\nHouse of the Blessed Mary, near Haerlem, in Holland, over which he ruled\nfor seven years.  At another time he was deputed to be the first Rector\nof the Sisters at Bronope, near Kampen, and at last he ended his life\nhappily in a good old age and in obedience in Bethany, which is by\ninterpretation \"the House of Obedience,\" and he was buried within the\ncloister after Vespers.  I was with him and I closed his eyes, for I had\nbeen sent by the Visitors to bear him company, and I abode with him for a\nyear and two months.  After Easter, in this same year, the House of\nBethany was incorporated into the General Chapter.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1433, during Lent, three Clerks were invested,\nnamely, Brother Hermann Craen of Kampen, Brother John Zuermont of\nUtrecht, and Brother Peter Herbort of Utrecht.  In the same year died\nSueder of Culenborgh, Bishop of Utrecht, and after his death Pope\nEugenius confirmed Rodolph Diepholt, who had been chosen before, to be\nBishop of the diocese.\n\nIn the year 1434, on the Feast of the Conception of the Glorious Virgin\nMary, was invested Brother Bero, a Clerk, of Amsterdam.\n\nIn the same year, on July 28th, died Margaret Wilden, a matron of great\nage and mother of our Brother Oetbert.  She was buried in the broad\npassage at her son's head, and on the northern side of the cloister.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1436, on the Octave of the Feast of St. Stephen,\nProto-Martyr, Brother John, the first Convert of our House, died in\nBeverwijc, near Haerlem.  He was a faithful man and prudent in business,\nwherefore he was sent abroad with Brother Hugo of the same House, and\nbound by his obedience he accepted the mission.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of St. Juliana the Virgin, after Lauds,\ndied John Benevolt, a Priest of our House, who was born in Groninghen, a\nman of great simplicity and innocence; he was buried on the eastern side\nof the cloister, on the right of Brother John Ummen.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, in the\nfirst hour after midday, died Brother Alardus, a Priest of Pilsum and a\nFrisian by nation.  He was well stricken in age, being above seventy-six\nyears old, and had lived the Religious Life for thirty years.  He was a\nman of great gentleness, and in the celebration of the Mass careful and\ndevout.  He was ever among the first to go into the choir and the Common\nRefectory of the Brotherhood until his last sickness.  It had been his\ndesire to die on this Feast because he had often celebrated it at the\nAltar of the Holy Cross, and according to his prayer so it was done unto\nhim.  He often said to me, \"The best dish that is set before me in the\nRefectory is the Holy Reading, the which I gladly hear: wherefore I do\nnot absent myself willingly lest I should miss the fruit of that Holy\nReading during the meal.  I delight also in the presence of the Brothers,\nin that I see the whole congregation there present taking their food\nunder strict discipline.\"  At length he was weighed down with years, and\nthough he could not walk alone, he came leaning upon a staff to the\nentrance of the choir to hear the Brothers singing; then he took holy\nwater, and bowed the knee toward the High Altar.  On the days when he\ncelebrated he often received a special consolation from God Himself.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1438, on the day after the Feast of St. Gregory\nthe Pope, died Brother Rodolph, a Priest from Oetmeshem, who had been\nPrior of the House of St. Martin the Bishop, in Lunenkerc, in Frisia,\nnear Herlinghen.  He had been sick a long while with dropsy, and on the\nday aforesaid he breathed forth his soul between the ninth and tenth\nhours in the morning, and he was buried on the right of Brother Alardus.\nIn the same year, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Mary\never Virgin, six Clerks were invested, namely, Brother Henry Becker of\nZwolle, Brother John Zandwijc of Rhenen, Brother Ewic, also of Rhenen,\nBrother Telmann Gravensande of Holland, Brother George of Antwerp, and\nBrother Arnold, son of Conrad, of Nussia.  In the same year there was a\ngreat famine in divers parts of the land, and in a short space a mighty\npestilence followed; also in that year, on the Vigil of the Nativity of\nChrist, and after High Mass, died John Eme, a Convert, who was cellarer\nto our House.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1439, on the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, and\nearly in the morning, before the fourth hour, died Wermbold Stolwic of\nKampen, who was a Priest before he began the Religious Life.  He was\noften sick of a fever, and being weakened thereby he fell asleep in the\nLord, having made a good confession, and was buried after Vespers.  He\nwrote the music in some of the Chant books in the choir.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary,\nthere was an earthquake in divers places, and in the summer following a\ngreat pestilence in divers parts, and many devout Brothers and Sisters\ndeparted from this present world.\n\nIn the year 1440 the great building on the western side of the monastery\nwas set up, to receive guests and the Lay folk of our household, and the\nroof thereof was finished in stone on the day before the Feast of our\nHoly Father Augustine.  At this work many of our Brothers laboured long\nand bravely, while others attended to the choir.\n\nIn the same year four brothers died in the pestilence, namely, Brother\nArnold Droem, a Convert, Goswin Witte, a Clerk and Oblate, Dirk\nMastebroick, a Donate, Hermann Sutor, a Novice.  Likewise many of our\nneighbours in Haerst and Bercmede died of this plague, and by their own\ndesire were buried in our monastery.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1441, on the Feast of St. Petronilla the Virgin,\ndied our beloved Brother Christian of Kampen, the Infirmarius, for he was\nsmitten with the plague.  He was very attentive to the sick and plague\nstricken, to whom he ministered faithfully to the death.  On the same\nday, when noon was hardly past, died John Clotinc, a Lay Brother and\nOblate.  He was a man very devout, and a pattern for his long service in\nthe brewery and the mill, and for his frequent prayers.  These died on\nthe same day and at the same hour after High Mass when Sext was done, and\nafter Vespers, when the Vigils had been sung, they were buried in peace.\nAfter their death, by the mercy of God, the plague in the cloister was\nstayed.\n\nIn the same year and month, but before the aforesaid Brothers, and on the\nday before the Feast of St. Pancras, died the elder Wermbold, a Donate,\nwho was born in Hasselt.\n\nIn the year 1442, on the fourth day of March, which was the third Sunday\nin Lent, the venerable man, John of Korke, Bishop Suffragan to our Lord\nof Utrecht, consecrated the burial-ground upon the eastern side of the\nchurch, together with the cloister thereof, likewise the passage before\nthe Brothers' Refectory, and that on the western side that goeth from\nbefore the cells of the Converts to the entrance of the church.  Also on\nthe northern side the ground to bury strangers in, with the whole circuit\nthereof, but the part in the midst of it had been consecrated aforetime\nwith our church.  Moreover, the Bishop granted indulgences for forty days\nto them that walked devoutly round the burial-ground.  Besides these, he\nconsecrated the precious and fair Image of the Blessed Virgin with the\nChild Jesus, that standeth above the altar which is dedicated in honour\nof Her and of St. Augustine (this is that altar which is set in the midst\nof the church before the choir), and he granted forty days' indulgence to\nthem that should recite five Aves devoutly and on bended knees before the\nsaid image.  Likewise, he consecrated another small image of the Blessed\nVirgin, that is placed before the gate of our monastery, and he granted\nforty days' indulgence to them that should recite three Aves there\ndevoutly and on bended knees.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1443, on the day of St. Prisca, Virgin and\nMartyr, and after midday, died our beloved Brother, John Bouman, a\nPriest, who was once our Procurator.  He had been sick for a long while\nwith a quartan fever, whereby his body was wasted, and he finished his\nlife with a happy agony.  He was born in Zwolle, and for many years\nendured labours and divers infirmities, and this saying of Christ was\noften in his mouth: \"In your patience ye shall possess your souls.\"  When\nI visited him at the end he said to me, \"How gladly I would every day go\nwith the Brothers into the choir if I were strong enough God knoweth!\"  He\nwas full of faith and compassion, and he gladly read and heard of the\nPassion of our Lord Jesus Christ; he had, moreover, a special devotion to\nthe Blessed Mary Magdalene, for he was born on Her Feast Day, wherefore\nhe often said the Mass for Her Feast, or humbly asked another to say it\nfor him.  About a month before his death a certain Brother had this\nvision after Matins: it seemed to him that the Brothers were singing the\nVigil in the choir, and that a corpse was there.  And after the Vigil the\ndoor of the choir was opened, and certain Lay Brothers of our household\ncame into the choir and stood round the corpse; amongst these were seen\ntwo Lay Brothers who were already dead that came to the burial, namely,\nBrother John Eme and Hermann, son of Wolter (now they had died four years\nbefore this time).  These, with the rest of the household, went forth as\nif to follow the corpse going through the gate upon the south side of the\nchoir, and they went in procession to that part of the precinct where our\nBrothers, who are Priests, are wont to be buried--and straightway the\nvision disappeared.  Then that Brother held his peace and began to think\nwithin himself: \"It may be that some one of our Brothers shall soon\ndepart out of this world, and we shall sing the solemn Vigils of the dead\nfor him.\"  And so it came to pass, for when the month was ended, Brother\nJohn Bouman died, and the things seen in the vision were fulfilled in due\norder on his behalf, and he was buried near Brother Christian.  He lived\nin the Order of Regulars for thirty-one years and twenty-six days, and he\nhad friends in Zwolle that were good men and great: moreover, notable\nincrease of goods came to our monastery from him and from his parents.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1444, on the Feast of All Saints, was invested\nHenry Ruhorst, a Clerk, who was born at Kampen.\n\nIn the same year, on the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin\nMary, the Regulars of Haerlem, by the will of all, took upon them the\nrule of the cloister.\n\nAfter the Feast of St. Bartholomew, three of our Brothers who were\nPriests, were sent to found the new House of Roermund.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1445, on the day before the Feast of St. Bernard\nthe Abbot, our beloved Brother Caesarius Coninc died.  He was a native of\nUtrecht, and Prior of Lunenkerc, but he had made his profession at Mount\nSt. Agnes.  He went on the concerns of his House to Antwerp, where he\nfell sick, and having been in a fever for nearly eight days he fell\nasleep in the Lord, and was buried there in the Convent of the Sisters of\nour Order.  He held the office of Prior for eight years, and he departed\nfrom this world in the forty-sixth year of his age, and many goods came\nfor the use of the monastery from his parents.\n\nIn the same year, during Advent and after, a flood of waters overwhelmed\nmany lands and drowned the crops in Betua that pertains to Geldria and\nHertzogenbusch.\n\nIn the year 1446, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin\nMary, two Clerks were invested, namely, Brother James Spaen, from\nGeldria, and Brother Henry, son of Paul of Mechlin in Brabant; the former\nof these attended the school at Deventer, and had a brother who was a\nReligious at Northorn: the latter attended the school at Zwolle.\n\nIn the same year, on Palm Sunday in the month of April, there was a great\ntempest, snow, hail, and the breath of the storm, and thunder was heard\ntherewith.  In the night of that day the dyke between Wilsen and Kampen\nwas broken down, and the cattle and beasts of burden at Mastebroic were\ndrowned.  In Zutphen the tower of the church was set afire by lightning,\nand the roof was cleft above, and certain persons were wounded, and some\nwere slain by this sudden mischance--in other parts also divers houses\nwere destroyed by fire.  In Zwolle, after Mass, a mighty terror fell upon\nthem that were in the church, and the shutters were shaken from the\nchurch windows by a lightning stroke.  In the same year, on the day\nfollowing the Feast of St. Odulphus, and at the seventh hour when\nCompline was done, died Brother Frederic, son of John, a Convert from\nGroninghen.  He was an aged man of about eighty years, and one of the\nelders amongst them that first dwelt in this place.  In many things he\nwas profitable to the Brothers, for he shaved their heads and blooded\nthem and dressed their wounds, and did other faithful service to the sick\nand the plague stricken; at length, wearied with age and having a good\nfoundation of holy deeds, he fell asleep in the Lord.  He came to Mount\nSt. Agnes to serve the Lord in the sixth year after the death of Master\nGerard Groote, with the first Brothers that dwelt here, and with those\nvery poor Lay folk, the disciples of Gerard, of whom I have written\nabove.  He lived therefore in this place for sixty-six years, reckoning\nthe years of his conversion from the beginning thereof to the year of his\ndeath inclusively, and Brother John Kempen, the first Prior of this\nHouse, invested him as a Convert on the Feast of St. Katharine the\nVirgin, in the year of the Lord 1401, he being the third of the Converts\nthen invested.\n\nIn the same year, on the Octave of the Holy Trinity, and on the night of\nthe Feast of the Saints Gervase and Protasius, died Brother Arnold, son\nof Conrad of Nussia, being twenty-six years of age.  He had been in the\npriesthood for one year, and for nearly fifteen days had been sick of a\ntertian fever, but God had pity on him that in a brief space he fulfilled\nmany years, and by the swiftness of his course escaped the hazardous\ndefilements of the world; now he had finished eight years in the\nReligious Life.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1447, on the day before the Feast of St. Agnes\nthe Virgin, two Clerks were invested, namely, Everard ter Huet of Zwolle\nand James Spenghe of Utrecht.\n\nIn the same year the Clerks at Alberghen, near Oldenzale, received the\nhabit of Holy Religion in the Order of Canons Regular of St. Augustine,\nand they were invested on the day of the Finding of the Holy Cross.\n\nCHAPTER XXV.\n\nHow Theodoric of Kleef, third Prior of the House on the Mount laid down\nhis office, and was absolved therefrom.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1447, that venerable Father, Theodoric of Kleef,\nthird Prior of our House of Mount St. Agnes the Virgin, coming home from\nthe General Chapter, called the Brothers together, and humbly sought to\nspeak with them so that when the Visitors of the House came he might be\nabsolved from his office of Prior.  For twenty-three years he had ruled\nthe House with fatherly care, and he was weary with many labours.  He\nwould have made this petition a year before, but that the urgency of\ndivers concerns of the House had hindered him from so doing, and he\npleaded the weakness of his age and that his senses were clouded.  Hearing\nthese things the elder Brothers spake with the members of the Chapter,\nand thinking to show mercy toward their beloved Father who had long\nserved them to the best of his power, they gave a kindly hearing and\nassent to his petition.  Wherefore the three eldest amongst them, on\nbehalf of the other Brothers and at their request, came to the Visitors,\nfor they were sitting in a private room to hear the opinion of each one\nof the Brothers, and on bended knees with their hands clasped they\nbesought them instantly, and with all their hearts, to grant absolution\nto this Father for that he was infirm and aged; this they said was the\ntime to show him pity, and this was what he desired as he had told to\ncertain of them privately.\n\nThe Visitors therefore heard the opinions of all, and finding that the\nmore part of them that were gathered together demanded this thing of set\npurpose, did piously admonish the Prior that he might yield to the\npetition of the Brothers and resign his office out of consideration for\nhis own weakness of body.  The good Father hearing this prostrated\nhimself humbly before the Chapter, and returning thanks to the Brothers\nsaid that he was ready to resign into the hands of the Prior of the\nSuperior House the burden of that office which he had long borne.\n\nBut since the duty of holding visitations at certain other houses had\nbeen laid upon them, the Priors of Windesem and Zwolle besought our\nBrothers that such visitations might be held by the known and former\nPrior as the Chapter had ordained, and when these were done, then at a\nconvenient season the desire of the Brothers concerning the absolution of\nthe Prior should be fulfilled.\n\nSo when the matter of the visitation was finished, the Priors of\nAmsterdam and of Hoern returned, and coming to our monastery did a second\ntime examine the opinion of the Brothers in private, and they found that\nthe more part were still of one heart, and constant to their opinion that\nthe Prior should be absolved, though some few of the younger Brothers\ndissented from the rest.\n\nHearing this the Visitors, by the authority to them committed, absolved\nthe Prior on the day after the Dispersion of the Apostles, thinking\nthereby to provide for the peace and usefulness of the House.  Then in\naccordance with the statutes of the Chapter they bade the Brothers to\nkeep fast for three days for the election of a new Prior; then they\nreturned toward Holland to their houses, since their own needs compelled\nthem so to do, but they besought the venerable Prior of Windesem to deign\nto be present in person at the election when the Brothers should choose\ntheir Prior.  And this was done, the grace of God providing for us, so\nthat the petition of the brothers, which they had made long since, came\nto a good issue in the election of a new Prior, for which election they\ndid invoke the Holy Ghost and poured out prayers to God instantly both in\npublic and in private.\n\nCHAPTER XXVI.\n\nHow Brother Henry of Deventer was chosen to be the fourth Prior of the\nHouse of Mount St. Agnes.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1448, on the 20th day of June (July), when the\nthree days' fast was ended, the Brothers came together to sing the Mass\nof the Holy Spirit on the day before the Feast of St. Praxedes the\nVirgin; but the Mass of the Blessed Virgin had been said in private\nbecause it was the Sabbath.  Then after the end of Mass, and when Sext\nwas done, the Brothers went forth from the choir to the Chapter House to\nchoose a new Prior; and the venerable Prior of Windesem, with the Prior\nof Zwolle, was there present with them, for he had been called and\nbesought to hear the election.  So, having held a short conference with\nthe Brothers, and the manner of election being read, the Prior of\nWindesem exhorted the members of the Chapter to choose a fit person to be\nPrior following the commandments of God and Canon Law.  There were here\npresent twenty-one Brothers that were electors, and two who were far away\nhad written letters wherein they expressed their will.  So the Brothers\nthat were electors went away a little space outside the doors of the\nChapter House, and the two Priors aforesaid came and stood by the altar\nin the Chapter House, the door thereof being open, and with them were the\nthree elder Brothers.  There they stood to hear the votes of each man\nseparately, for they could be seen by all, but none could hear what was\nsaid.  Then the votes of each being heard and counted, our Sub-Prior,\nBrother Henry, son of William of Deventer, was chosen and nominated to be\nPrior, having the votes of the more part recorded for him on the paper,\nnamely sixteen.  Some there were beside that did not choose him, but of\nthese three Brothers did not vote at this time, and two chose the\nProcurator, James Cluyt.  Then one of the elder Brothers, on behalf of\nhimself and of the more part, besought the Prior of the Superior House to\nconfirm the election, who straightway appointed the next day to be the\nlast for any to oppose.  And when none made opposition to the manner of\nthe election, nor said aught against the Brother who was chosen, the\nPrior elect was called to consent to his election which had been made\naccording to the canons, so that it might be duly confirmed.  And he\nstraightway prostrated himself in the midst of the Brothers protesting\nthat he was not sufficient, and he humbly besought to be relieved of this\nburden, but when he could not gain his purpose, and dared not obstinately\nto resist, he gave consent in an humble voice, being overcome by the\ninsistence of the Brothers and compelled by his obedience to his\nsuperior: and he submitted himself to the ordinance of God for the sake\nof observing brotherly love and the needful discipline of the cloister.\nSo when he had been confirmed by the Prior of Windesem he was led in to\nthe choir in the presence of all the Brothers, and placed in his stall,\nand prayers were offered up.  After which done all the members of the\nChapter straightway went into the House, and following the accustomed\nmanner all the professed Brothers took the vow of obedience to their\nFather, the new Prior, and after them the Converts, and lastly the\nDonates did the like.  When this was done they spent the day with joy and\ngiving of thanks, and at last their Fathers, the Priors of the other\nhouses who had taken part in all that was done, said farewell to them,\nand the Brothers left the garden and returned to their cells.  When the\nbell rang for Vespers they came together to the choir, and sang the\nVespers of St. Mary Magdalene with cheerful voices.  After three days the\nBrothers were called together to the Chapter House, and the Prior\nproposed that in accordance with the statutes they should choose another\nSub-Prior, so on the Feast of St. James the Apostle, before the hour for\nVespers, Brother Thomas of Kempen was nominated and elected after a brief\nscrutiny.  He was one of the elders, being sixty-seven years of age, and\nin past times had been appointed to this office, and albeit he knew\nhimself to be insufficient and would have made excuse, yet he did submit\nhim humbly to the assembled Brothers, for his obedience bade him so to\ndo; neither did he refuse to undergo toil on their behalf for the love of\nChrist Jesus, but earnestly besought the prayers of his comrades and\nBrothers, for he trusted rather in the grace of God than in himself.\n\nIn the same year, during the summer season, the crops were grievously\nravaged in divers places by the mice, which ate the corn while it was\nstill growing up and when it was in the blade.  Our Lay Brothers,\ntherefore, dug ditches and put in the ground jars filled with water, and\nsuch was the craft with which they did this that a vast number of the\nmice were drowned in these jars, and they slew in divers places many\nthousands.  These creatures had caused great loss to us and our\nneighbours by ravaging the wheat, the barley, the oats, and the peas, and\nalso the green crops in the fields that were for the fodder of the\ncattle.\n\nAbout the beginning of the month of September there was a notable\ntempest, and a great flood of waters broke in upon us (for the sea had\nburst his banks), and this did overflow our pasture land and destroyed\nthe grass and the fodder.  By this same tempest many ships that had\nadventured themselves upon the sea were overwhelmed with all their crews.\n\nBut herein again the good and merciful God did provide for us, for our\nfishers took great store of fish by reason of this flood, and these did\nsuffice the Brothers and their guests for food during many days.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1449, on the Feast of St. Bernard the Abbot, we\nreceived the precious relics of certain Saints and Martyrs who were\ncompanions of Gereon, Duke and Martyr, and of others that were companions\nof the Eleven Thousand Holy Virgins of Cologne.  These did the venerable\nAbbot of St. Panthalion send to us from the many relics that are in that\nmonastery.\n\nLikewise Egbert Tyveren, a Donate of our House, brought back to us from\nCologne, as true relics, certain small fragments that were given to us by\nthe Carthusians, and by the Regular Brothers of our own order in the\nHouse of Corpus Domini.  The Prior and the Brothers of our House being\ngathered together in the choir before High Mass brought these relics into\nthe church, carrying the Standard of the Cross and lighted tapers in\ntheir hands, and afterward the Prior placed them on the different altars,\nhaving enclosed them in reliquaries in seemly wise in honour of the\nSaints.\n\nIn the same year, on December the 16th, our Brother Godefried of Kempen\ndied in Brabant in the House of the Sisters of the Regular Order that is\ncalled the Cloister of the Blessed Virgin, near Zevenborren.  This\nconvent was afterward destroyed utterly by fire in the year 14--, and the\nSisters were removed to Brussels with great honour by the Duchess of\nBurgundy.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1450 many faithful servants of Christ went to\nRome to gain Indulgences, which our Lord, Pope Nicholas V, by advice of\nthe Cardinals, and moved himself by piety and mercy, had granted by a\nBull in the previous year.  Then did many Christian folk that sojourned\non this holy pilgrimage return whole, but many died by the way, and many\nin the city of Rome.\n\nIn the same year, in Holland, Utrecht, Amersfoort, Zwolle, Kampen,\nDeventer, Zutphen and many other towns and hamlets, a bubonic plague\nraged, and many devout persons and religious, as also many worldlings,\ndeparted from this present life.  In the same year the winter time was\nvery mild, with but little snow and thin ice, but the wind was cold.  In\nLent, and at the beginning of March, our fishers took great abundance of\nthe fish called smelts, wherewith, during the Fast, our Brothers were\nfed, and also many poor beggars at our gates.\n\nIn the same year the men of Zwolle builded a great and lofty bridge of\nstrong wooden timbers across the River Vecht, not far from our monastery,\nto serve the necessities of their own folk and the convenience of men\nthat would come thither; the cost thereof was six hundred Rhenish\nflorins.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of St. John before the Latin Gate, Brother\nGerard of Deventer, whose surname was Bredenort, was invested.\n\nIn the same year, on the twenty-ninth day of August, died James Oem,\nRector of the Sisters at Bronope, near Kampen, who for nine years had\nexercised a kindly rule over that House.  After his death the Prior of\nWindesem appointed Brother Dirk of Kleef to be Rector and Confessor of\nthis House.  He had been formerly Prior of Mount St. Agnes, and was the\neldest of the Brothers of that monastery.\n\nIn the year 1451, on the Octave of Easter, which was the day before the\nFeast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, died Dirk Poderen, a servant of\nour House, a poor man and an aged, being about eighty years old: he had\nlived with us for twenty years.\n\nIn the same year, on the Vigil of the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle,\nand at the ninth hour, when Compline had been said, died Brother Gerard,\nson of Wolter, a Convert who was sixty-eight years of age lacking two\nmonths, and had lived the Religious Life for nearly forty years.  The\nPrior and the Brothers were present with him at his death: he was\nfaithful and earnest in good deeds and words, and he was buried on the\nwestern side of the passage with the other Converts.\n\nIn the same year a new mill was builded, and finished with much labour\nand cost, for the greater convenience of our House.\n\nIn the same year the House of the Regulars in Cologne which is called\n\"Corpus Christi,\" and standeth in the parish of St. Christopher the\nMartyr, was received into our Chapter.  At this time, namely, after the\nFeast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin, our Brother, Henry Cremer,\nwas sent to act as Sub-Prior of this House, and Brother Gerard of Kleef\nwent with him to be the Rector.\n\nIn the same year there was a grievous pestilence in Cologne, and as is\nreported by many, twenty-five thousand persons are reckoned to have died\nthereof.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1451, our most Reverend Lord Nicholas de Chusa,\nCardinal with the title of St. Peter in Chains, who was Legate for the\nland of Germany, came to the diocese of Utrecht, after that he had\nvisited the upper parts of Saxony and the cities and townships of\nWestphalia.  He came likewise to Windesem, where he was received with\nhonour by the Brothers, and held a conference with them, and by the\nauthority of the Apostolic See he granted Indulgences on the occasion of\nthe Jubilee to all that were subject to our General Chapter.  When he was\nasked whether one might go to Rome to gain Indulgences without special\nlicense, he replied: \"Our Lord the Pope himself hath said, 'Better is\nobedience than Indulgences.'\"\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1452, a great and grievous loss befel the city of\nAmsterdam, a famed and populous city in Holland, for a fire broke forth\non the Feast Day of Urban, Pope and Martyr, and the wrath of God went\nforth in particular against the congregations of religious persons, both\nmen and women; so great was the fire that the more part of the city\nshould seem to have been destroyed, and scarce a third part thereof was\nsaved.  Fourteen monasteries are known to have burned almost to the\nground, and verily great misery was caused thereby in the sight of all\nmen, such as had not been heard of from very ancient times until that\nday.  Many virgins that had taken the veil, putting aside their maiden\nmodesty, wandered about the city lamenting and begging for hospitality,\nwhereby the hearts of many were moved to tears.  Everything was buried,\nfrom the great Church of St. Nicholas to the ancient Convent of the Nuns\nof our Order inclusively, and in the other direction from the Church of\nthe Blessed Virgin Mary to our monastery exclusively, for God in His\nmercy spared that House that it was unhurt.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of the Commemoration of St. Paul the\nApostle, and after Vespers, our beloved Brother Henry Cremer died at\nWindesem; on the day following, being the Octave of St. John the Baptist,\nhis body was brought to our House, wherein, through the mercy of God, he\nhad lived for nearly thirty-three years in the Religious habit; this was\ndone that at his life's end he might not lie in a strange land afar from\nour House, but might be buried according as he desired amongst our\nBrothers.  He was faithful in his labour, in the writing of books, and in\nhis attendance in the choir; and being zealous for discipline he kept a\nwatch over his mouth and loved his cell.  Formerly he had been Prior in\nRickenberrich in Saxony for nearly eleven years, and afterward for a few\nyears abode in Diepenveen with two others his companions, but he was\ninstant in his petition to return to the Brotherhood, and obtained his\ndesire; after this he was sent to Cologne, but returning thence he died\nat Windesem and was buried in our House.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1453, a strange pestilence fell upon the men of\ncertain towns and the villages adjacent thereto.  This plague befel after\nthe Feast of St. John the Baptist, and was notable by reason of the\nbenumbing of the throat and the pain it caused in the breast and side.  At\nthis time many of our Brothers and the Lay folk of our Household who were\nlabouring hard in the fields--for it was harvest--were smitten so\ngrievously by the benumbing of their throats that they could scarce speak\nor eat.  There was a north wind that was very cold at night, but by day\nturbulent and dry, and many were chilled thereby and fell sick.  As a\nremedy against this, some clothed themselves in stouter garments and\nabstained from cold food and drink, and these grew well by reason of\ntheir abstinence and care to keep themselves from too great cold, for God\nhad pity on them; but some that neglected these matters died after three\ndays, or even two, being weakened by the numbness.\n\nWhen this disease first broke forth, our Brother Gerard ter Mollen, a\nConvert, fell sick and received the Unction after Compline on the day of\nthe Translation of St. Martin the Bishop: in the night following, before\nthe hour for Matins, his sickness grew heavy on him and he died.  He was\na faithful labourer, ever ready to toil for the common weal, and he was\nin the sixtieth year of his age, having fulfilled thirty years and three\nmonths in the Religious Life: he was buried in the western path at the\nhead of Gerard, son of Wolter.\n\nIn the same year, in the month of July, and on the Feast of the\nTranslation of Benedict the Abbot, died Dirk, son of Arnold, a young man\nwho was a Laic and Fellow Commoner, that came from Bericmede: he had\nreceived the Sacrament of the Holy Unction, and died after High Mass had\nbegun.\n\nIn the same month, on the day following the Feast of St. Margaret the\nVirgin, when Compline was done, and the Ave Maria had been said, died\nHenry Diest, a Donate of our House: he was nearly forty-eight years of\nage and had fulfilled thirty years in this House.\n\nIn the same month, on the day following the Feast of Alexius the\nConfessor, Dirk Struve, a Laic and Fellow Commoner, died after Compline,\nhaving received the Holy Rite of Extreme Unction.  He had lived long in\nthe House, and on the day following when the first Mass had been said he\nwas laid in the burying ground of the Lay Brothers.\n\nAfter him, and on the night before the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene,\nbefore Matins, died Everard Ens of Campen, a good and faithful Laic and\nFellow Commoner, who had lived with us for fifteen years.\n\nIn the same year, in the month of August, on the night before the Feast\nof St. Dominic the Confessor, and before Matins, died our most beloved\nBrother Theodoric of Kleef.  He was the third Prior of our House, and an\nold man and full of days, for he was seventy-six years old, and had\nfulfilled fifty-five years in the Religious Life.  When the first\nBrothers were invested here, he was the fourth to receive the Habit, and\nfrom the very beginning of the monastery, before any of the Brothers had\nreceived investiture, he with the Clerks and Lay folk in this place had\nbegun to serve the Lord in much poverty and toil.  Moreover, it had\nalways been his desire that by the favour of the Lord he might end his\nlife in this same House with the Brothers, and be buried amongst them,\nand so it came about, for he was laid in the eastern passage by the side\nof our Brother, Henry Cremer, whom he had drawn to the Religious Life,\nand whom he had loved with all his heart.  Thus it came about that as\nthey had loved one another in life, so in death and in the grave they\nwere not divided.\n\nIn the same year and month, on the day following the Feast of Sixtus,\nPope and Martyr, and when noon was past, died Dirk, son of Wychmann of\nArnheim, who had lived here for two years.\n\nIn the same year, in the month of August, on the Feast of St. Lawrence\nthe Martyr, and in the morning after Prime, died Matthias, son of William\nof Overcamp, a Donate of our House, who had been overseer of husbandry\nfor a great while.  He often suffered pain from the stone, and at length\nfalling sick with a disease in the throat, and being bowed with age, he\nfell on sleep in holy peace in the seventy-second year of his age, having\nendured many labours; for when the monastery was founded he came hither\nwith his father, William, a tailor, of great age, and being then but ten\nyears old, he began that good course which was brought to this happy\nissue.  He was laid in the burying-ground of the Lay folk before the\nentrance to the broad cloister.  At this time of pestilence in our House\nit befel that a certain Brother, while sitting in his cell, heard a sound\nat the door thereof as of one knocking twice, but when he arose to open\nthe door he could not see or find any man there.  And marvelling at the\nmatter he thought that perhaps some one might be like to die, and on the\nnext day the bell was tolled for the death of Dirk Struve, a Laic of our\nhousehold.  So also before the death of Brother Theodoric of Kleef, once\nthe Prior of our House, the like thing happened two days before he fell\nsick.\n\nIn the year 1454, on the morning of the fourteenth day of March and after\nPrime, died Brother Gerard Hombolt, a Convert, in the fifty-fifth year of\nhis age.  He had fulfilled thirty years in the Religious Life, and for a\ngreat while was cellarer of the House, in which office he was faithful\nand zealous for the common good, so far as our poverty in temporal wealth\nand the number of persons to be served did allow.  He was buried in the\nwestern passage before the door of the church with the other Converts.\n\nIn the same year, on the sixteenth day of May, the venerable Father John\nLap died in the House of Elisabethdal, near Roremund, of which he was\nPrior, but he had made his profession as a Brother of our House of Mount\nSt. Agnes.  He was in the fifty-fifth year of his age, and being a lover\nof discipline and of the Religious Life had fulfilled thirty years and\nnearly two months therein.\n\nIn the same year, on the day before the Feast of the Exaltation of the\nHoly Cross, and about the second hour after noon, died Dionysius\nValkenborch, a Donate of our House, being seventy-three years of age.  He\nhad lived an humble and holy life with us for a great while, near to\nfifty-five years; at first his tasks were to feed the swine and milk the\ncows, but when he grew old he was made the gatekeeper, with another to\nhelp him, and ending his temporal life in a good old age he left a fair\nensample to all.\n\nIn the same year, in the month of August, on the day following the Feast\nof the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there was a heavy rain both\nin the uplands and the lowlands, and much corn and seed perished thereby,\nand we suffered great loss in our farm by the overflowing of many waters.\nIn the same year, on the Feast of Gallus the Confessor, and at about the\nninth hour, when Compline was ended, died Brother John Zandwijc of Renen,\na Priest of our House, being thirty-eight years old.  He had suffered\nlong from the stone, and was patient and gentle, and he had fulfilled\nsixteen years and near seven months in the Religious Life.  On the day\nbefore the Feast of St. Luke, when Mass was ended, he was buried by the\nside of Theodoric of Kleef in the eastern passage of the cloister; here\nhe rests in peace, freed from the many toils and perils of this life, for\nhis desire was to be released and to be with Christ.\n\nIn the year 1455, on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, two Clerks\nwere invested, namely, Brother Henry, son of Bruno, and Theodoric, son of\nArnold Wanninck; both came from Deventer, and had honourable parents and\nfriends, and in the year following they made their profession together\nupon the same day.\n\nIn the same year, on the Octave of the Feast of the Apostles Peter and\nPaul, when Matins was ended, died our venerable Father, William\nVoerniken, the fourth Prior of Windesem.  He was buried in the choir by\nthe side of the venerable Prior John Huesden, for these two greatly loved\none another, wherefore after death they shared one tomb in the church.  He\nwas eighty-two years of age, and had been the second Prior of the House\non Mount St. Agnes.\n\nIn the same year, on the 22nd of April, when Prime was done, died John\nMastebroick, a Laic and servant of our House, who was faithful in labour\nand devout in prayer.  He was about seventy years old, and had lived with\nus for nearly forty-five years, and he departed to the Lord in holy\npeace, desiring an eternal reward for his many labours.  He was laid with\nthe servants in the burial-ground of the Lay folk and Donates of our\nHouse.\n\nIn the same year, on the 9th of October, the day before the Feast of\nMarcus, Pope and Confessor, when Compline was done, died Gerard, son of\nHermann, a Laic and servant of our House; he was a stonemason and a\nfaithful worker so far as his powers did allow, but he was often sick\nwith the complaint of the stone, from the tortures whereof he died,\nthough he bore the same with much patience; and he left all the goods he\nhad as a bequest to the monastery.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1455, on the 17th day of November, within the\nOctave of the Feast of St. Martin the Bishop, four altars in our church\nwere consecrated by Iodocus, who was Bishop Suffragan, Doctor in Sacred\nTheology, and belonged to the order of Preachers.  He had received a\ngeneral commission from the General Chapter of Utrecht, and he\nconsecrated the several altars after this wise.  First the altar which is\non the north of the church, and in the upper part thereof, in honour of\nSt. Michael the Archangel and all the holy Angels: secondly, the altar\nwhich standeth upon the same side, but in the lower part of the church,\nin honour of the holy Confessors, Gregory, Ambrose, Jerome, Bernard,\nFrancis, and Lebuin.  Thirdly, the altar which is in the midst of the\nchurch, in honour of the holy Confessors, Martin the Bishop, Willibrord\nthe Bishop, Nicholas the Bishop, and Antony the Confessor.  Fourthly, the\naltar which standeth on the south side, toward the end of the church, in\nhonour of the Saints Anne, Elizabeth, Monica, mother of our holy Father\nAugustine, and all holy widows.\n\nLikewise he consecrated the Holy Cross that is over the door of the\nchoir, and certain images of Saints, namely, of St. Augustine the Bishop\nand St. Agnes the Virgin: also two small figures, the first of St. Mary\nMagdalene, the second of St. Agnes in the Coffer; also the image that is\nover the altar of the Holy Cross that showeth the blessed Virgin Mary\nholding the Crucified Lord, Who lieth on her breast: also the images of\nSt. James the Apostle, St. Katherine the Virgin, and St. Barbara, Virgin\nand Martyr.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1456, on the Feast of St. Antony the Confessor,\nBrother Gerard, son of Dirk, who came from a place near Zwolle, was\ninvested as a Convert.  He was a man well stricken in age, and had lived\nwith us in honest wise for thirty years, being a good husbandman; before\nhis investiture he had been an humble Donate, for we had many of that\ndegree amongst us.\n\nIn the same year, on the day following the Feast of St. James the\nApostle, died John Smyt, a Laic and servant of our House.  He was drowned\nin a deep pool that had been filled by the rain, and with him perished\nfour very good horses that were drawing a cart to fetch fodder.  At that\ntime the weather was very rainy, so that many crops were destroyed\nthereby.  The Brothers therefore brought back this servant of God to the\nHouse, and after Compline laid him in the burial-ground of the Laics.\nMoreover, they celebrated Mass for him, and offered up prayers that he\nmight receive the reward of his labours.  By God's providence, he and the\nother Laics of our House had received Communion, as was the custom, on\nSt. James's day: and he himself had lived with us for one year, being\nskilful and diligent in the smith's craft.\n\nIn all things blessed be God, Who scourgeth us, and also healeth our\nstripes, for though we lost above an hundred florins by the drowning of\nthe horses, yet did the good Lord save us and our country from the army\nof the Duke of Burgundy, who was laying siege to Deventer; for after the\nFeast of St. Matthew peace and concord were restored between the Duke and\nthe cities and people of this land.\n\nIn the same year of the Lord 1456, on the Feast day of St. Lucia, Virgin\nand Martyr, and in the morning when High Mass for her festival was\nalready begun, died that fervent lover of discipline, Brother William\nComan.  He was born in Amsterdam, in Holland, and for a great while had\nlived an humble life amongst our Brothers, and he was seventy-eight years\nand four months old.  On the Feast of St. Brixius, Bishop and Confessor,\nhe had fulfilled, by the help of God, fifty-five years in the Religious\nLife, for this was the anniversary of his investiture, and on this day he\ncelebrated Mass for the last time, for he was sick from that day forward\nuntil the Feast day of St. Lucia, whereon he ended his life with a happy\nagony; and he was buried in the eastern passage by the side of our\nBrother John Zantwijc.\n\nThis William Coman left many a good ensample of patience, poverty, and\nabstinence, for the imitation of them that come after; and in the days of\nthe venerable Prior, William Vorniken (who was the second to hold that\noffice in our House) he was Procurator, and afterwards Sub-Prior.  Then\nfor three years he was Prior of the House at Amersfoort, after which he\nwas Rector of the Sisters at Bronope near Kampen for fourteen years; but\nat last, as age had come upon him, and his hearing failed by little and\nlittle, he returned to our House and Brotherhood, where he died in holy\npeace, and he was buried amongst the Brothers after the accustomed\nmanner.\n\nIn the same year died Gerard Smullinc, the first Rector and Prior of the\nHouse at Ruremund, who, after that he was absolved from his office, went\nto gain Indulgences at the Shrine of St. James at Compostella, in which\nplace he was buried.\n\nThe anniversary of his death and that of his parents is kept on the day\nfollowing the Feast of St. Elizabeth, because we know not surely the day\nthereof.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1457, on the day of St. Benedict the Abbot, and\nat eleven o'clock at night, Theodoric Herxen, a venerable Father of pious\nmemory, and a priest of seemly life, died at Zwolle, being seventy-six\nyears old.  He was the second Rector of the House of Clerks in Zwolle,\nand ruled it for forty-seven years; also he was Confessor to many devout\nBrothers and Sisters, and his whole life, from the time that he was of\nfull age, was spent in discipline of character and in virtue.\n\nCHAPTER XXVII.\n\nHow Father Henry, the fourth Prior, resigned his office, and how Father\nGeorge was chosen to be the fifth Prior.\n\nIn the year 1458, on the day following the Feast of St. Matthias the\nApostle, Brother Henry, son of William, the fourth Prior of the House,\nresigned his office.  Now he had lain sick for a great while and was weak\nfrom fever; wherefore, prostrate upon his bed in the presence of all the\nBrothers, he besought them with many tears and exhorted them to agree to\nchoose another Prior in his room, according to the lawful statutes of the\nOrder.\n\nHearing this all the Brothers were grieved, and for three days they\nfasted after the accustomed manner, praying for guidance in the coming\nelection, which was held on the Thursday after the third Sunday in Lent,\nfor which day the Introit is \"Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord.\"  So\nwhen the Mass of the Holy Spirit had been said and the hours were done,\nthe election was held in the choir in the presence of all the Brothers;\nand that venerable Father the Prior of Windesem was also present with\nthem to hear the opinion of each one; likewise Brother John Naeldwijc and\nBrother James of Cologne, Prior of the House of the Blessed Virgin at\nBelheem in Zwolle.\n\nWhen the opinion of each had been heard, George, who was a Brother of our\nHouse, but at this time Prior of Briel, was chosen by the greater number\nof votes.  Some indeed chose Bero, Prior of Beverwijc, but all consented\nhumbly and peaceably to the judgment of the greater number; so by common\nconsent Brother George was elected, being a Father most beloved, and\nhimself a lover of the rule.\n\nIn the same year four Brothers were invested, three of them on the day\nfollowing the Feast of St. George the Martyr, and the names of these were\nHenry Hierde of Herderwijc in Geldria, Hermann Borken of Westphalia in\nthe diocese of Munster, and Theodoric of Zwolle.  The fourth, namely,\nJohn Orsoy of Kleef, was invested soon after, on the Feast of the\nbirthday of our Father St. Augustine.\n\nIn the same year there was a notable pestilence in Deventer, Zwolle, and\nKampen, the which had raged in Utrecht and the neighbouring places in the\nprevious year.  Verily this scourge of God was pious and pitiful towards\nChristian folk, as hindering them from dwelling long in this world so as\nto love it rather than the kingdom of Heaven.  At this time many devout\nSisters in Deventer and Zwolle departed to Christ.\n\nOn the day following the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed and\nGlorious Virgin Mary died our beloved Brother Henry Ruhorst, the\nSub-Prior of our House, being forty years old, and he was buried in the\neastern cloister by the side of our Brother William Coman.\n\nIn the same year and month, on the Feast of St. Jerome and after midday,\ndied Hermann, son of John, a Laic who was Sub-Infirmarius, being twenty-\nsix years old.  He was a poor man, who was born in a place near Wessel in\nthe district of Kleef; and being received by us, he showed himself ready\nto do whatever was laid upon him.\n\nIn the same year, in the month of October, and at noon on the Feast day\nof St. Dionysius the Bishop, Brother Gerard Wessep died in Zwolle.  He\nhad been sent to the Monastery of Belheem, and of his obedience and\nbrotherly love he went thither after the death of many of the Brothers of\nthe House; for of these ten had died, as well as certain Laics that were\nof the household.  After the hour of Vespers he was borne to a carriage\nand brought therein to our House, as he had desired, and he was buried\nwith the Brothers in the eastern cloister, by the side of the Sub-Prior.\nAt the time of his death he had fulfilled almost fifty-six years in the\nOrder, being in the seventy-seventh year of his age.  He wrote many books\nin the Latin and Teutonic tongues for the choir, the library, and for\nsale; and he was forward to perform many labours for the common good.\nAbove all he was very faithful and ready in tending the sick and dying\ntill the moment of their departure; for he feared not then to tend and\nstand by diseased and plague stricken folk, serving them for the sake of\nGod and brotherly love.  So the Lord willed to reward him also, with the\nBrothers that were dead in Belheem; wherefore, when he had spent fifteen\ndays in Zwolle, he fell sick of the plague, and God took him from the\ntoil and trouble of this present life and gave him eternal peace and\nrest, which things--as oft he told me with clasped hands--he had long\ndesired.\n\nIn the same year, on the day following the Feast of St. Martin the\nBishop, at the hour of Vespers, died our beloved Brother James Cluit, a\ndevout Priest and first Rector of Udem, being sixty-three years old, and\nhe was buried before the High Altar.  His memory shall continue to be\npraised and blessed, for he was beloved of God, an ensample to us all,\nand his own stern judge.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1459, on the Feast of the Epiphany and at about\nthe fifth hour in the morning before Prime, died Everard of Wetteren, the\ncook, a devout Donate, who was eighty years of age and over.  He had\ndwelt formerly in Deventer with Lambert Gale, a tailor, and in the days\nof Florentius, who sent him to Windesem, he was first tailor of the\nHouse; but the Brothers at Windesem sent him on to Mount St. Agnes before\nthe members of that community were invested with the Religious habit, and\nthere he helped to sew and make the garments in which those first four\nBrothers were habited, whose investiture in the year 1398 is described\nabove.  After some while spent in this office he was sent to serve in the\nkitchen as assistant, and he afterwards became chief cook, in which post\nhe served all the Brothers faithfully for above thirty years.  At length,\nwearied with years, he was relieved from his labours and slept in peace,\nbeing an old man and full of many days.\n\nIn the same year, within the Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin\nMary and on the Feast day of the holy martyrs Protus and Hyacinthus, at\nnoon died Gerard Hombolt of Utrecht, a Donate of our House, who was fifty-\nnine years old.  He was very zealous, faithful, and devout in the service\nof God, particularly in the things which pertain to the glory and honour\nof the Blessed Virgin Mary; moreover, he procured a most fair image of\nher, and a corona of polished brass holding many candles, and certain\nother ornaments that are set above the altar of the Blessed Virgin.  These\nthings he did out of his great devotion, and with a pious intention of\nadorning our church in honour of the Blessed Virgin and St. Agnes.\n\nFirst he was Hospitarius and afterward Refectorarius to the Brothers, and\nall things that were committed to his charge he kept honestly and in\ncleanly fashion, seeing to the provision of all needful vessels, napkins,\nand towels.  On a time when many guests had come to the House he bade the\ncook provide all things necessary for them; but the cook, being troubled\nat this unaccustomed number, was heavy at heart, for he feared lest he\nmight not be able to satisfy all as he fain would do, but Gerard Hombolt,\nputting his trust in the Lord, said, \"Make the sign of the Holy Cross\nover the pots and the cooked food and God shall give His blessing and a\nsufficiency.\"  So the cook did as Gerard had said, and blessed the\nprovision again and again in faith, and behold the good Lord, seeing\ntheir faith, gave them an increase so that all had enough; and when the\nmeal was done there was abundance left over, insomuch that the fragments\nthat remained sufficed for a full meal at supper.\n\nIn his youth, and before he entered the monastery, Gerard, out of his\ngreat devotion, visited the Holy Land--Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the\nother places hallowed by our Saviour; and he was disposed, if it should\nbe allowed him, to visit them once again before his death.  But the good\nLord changed his love for the earthly Jerusalem to love for the Jerusalem\nwhich is in Heaven, into which he entered (as I hope) through the\nintercession of the Blessed and Glorious Virgin; for on all the Vigils\nbefore Her feasts it was his wont to fast, eating nought save bread nor\ndrinking aught save beer; and it was within the Octave of the Feast of\nHer Nativity that he departed in holy peace out of this present world to\nthe realms of Heaven, having made a good confession, being contrite, and\nhaving received the Unction.  Much wealth also came to our House through\nhis means, and he died in the fifty-ninth year of his age, having lived\nwith us for thirty-five years.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1460, after the Feast of the Purification of the\nBlessed Virgin Mary, there was a mighty frost.  The bitter cold began on\nthe Feast day of St. Scholastica the Virgin (which was the first Sunday\nin Lent), and endured until the middle of the fast, so that men and\nhorses heavily laden could walk everywhere upon the frozen waters in\nsafety, and carry their goods across the same.  Likewise in many places\nthere was lack of fodder and straw wherewith to feed the beasts, for the\nground was dry and frost bound, wherefore men could not get them fresh\ngrass to feed the cattle.  For this cause some poor men brake up the\nroofs of their houses and gave of the thatch to the beasts: and this lack\nof grass endured until the first of May.\n\nIn the same year, in the month of April, and on the second Sunday after\nEaster, which was the day before the Feast of Vitalis the Martyr, Brother\nGerard Cortbeen was invested: he was a Priest, and a native of\nHerderwijc, a good man, honest, faithful, and thirty-two years of age.\n\nIn the same year our church was adorned in seemly wise, the roof thereof\nand all the flat spaces of the inner walls being painted in fair colours\nto the glory of God and in honour of St. Agnes the Patron Saint of the\nchurch.  Amid the bright colours were written these three names Jesus,\nMary, Agnes, which of holy purpose were painted in large and black\nletters, and they stand forth clearly to be read by the eyes of all that\nenter the church.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of the Dispersion of the Apostles, between\nthe hours of Tierce and High Mass, died Deric, son of William, a\ncarpenter and servant of our household who was a Fellow Commoner.  He was\nborn in Zwolle and was now thirty years of age, having lived a good,\nhumble, and peaceable life in this House for nearly eleven years.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1461, on the morning of the Feast of St.\nEmerentiana the Virgin, and before the hour of Prime, died Herder Stael,\na very honest man, and a fellow citizen with us at Zwolle, being seventy-\nfour years old.  He was a special and faithful friend to our House for\nmany years.  As was his wife also particularly in the troubled times of\nBishop Rudolph, when our Brothers were constrained to leave the monastery\nand to go to the House belonging to our Order in Lunenkerc.  At that time\nthis good man bought our crops as they stood in the fields near the\nmonastery, and out of an honest purpose bade his servants to reap and\nharvest the same.  Afterward he sent the fruits of the ground, and the\nprovender that had been gathered, to our Brothers in Lunenkerc by little\nand little, for they had been sent thither as it were to a place of\nexile.  This same Herder Stael lived with us for nearly a year before his\ndeath, being moved so to do by a deep desire, and having a holy and firm\npurpose to serve God.  He died as aforesaid in holy peace and in an\nhonoured old age, and his body was laid in the broad cloister; his\nfriends from Zwolle being present at his burial.\n\nCHAPTER XXVIII.\n\nOf the ancient Reliquary of St. Agnes, and how it was gotten.\n\nIn the same year 1461, George, the venerable Father of our House, asked\nand obtained from the Canons of the great church at Utrecht the ancient\nReliquary of the most holy Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, and the beloved\nPatron of our House, but her relics were not therein contained.  It was\nin her honour that our church was consecrated in the year of the Lord\n1412, and on the Friday in Easter week, as is set forth more fully above\nin the chapter entitled \"Of the Consecration of our Church.\"\n\nTwo of our Brothers that were ordained to be Priests, namely, Brother\nHenry, son of Bruno, and Brother Theodoric Wanninck, brought back this\nholy Reliquary with them, journeying from Utrecht by way of Holland, and\nacross the sea, not without danger and fear, for the sea was turbulent.\nYet through the help of God, and the merits of St. Agnes the Virgin, they\nwere protected from these perils and reached an haven of safety.  A few\ndays afterward, on the eve of the Feast of St. Scholastica the Virgin,\nthey brought the Reliquary to Mount St. Agnes, and our Brothers, with all\nthe Laics of our household, hearing this, did rejoice exceedingly.\n\nThe Reliquary was borne into the church with all devotion and reverence\nand placed in the sanctuary of the choir near the High Altar and beneath\nthe arch in the northern wall.  The bones of the Saint had rested for\nnearly three hundred and fifty years in this Reliquary, which was an\nhumble one, being of wood and covered with plates of brass and gilded\nwork.  But at last a new and most fair coffer of silver adorned with gold\nwas made for her by the Canons of the great Church of St. Martin at\nUtrecht.\n\nLikewise one should note that it was in the year of the Lord 1413, in the\ntime of Frederick of Blanckenhem, the Reverend Bishop of Utrecht, that\nthe relics of this most Blessed Saint Agnes the Virgin were removed with\nall reverence from the ancient wooden Reliquary into this new one of\nsilver fairly gilt.  This was done on the second of December, being the\nday following the Feast of AEgidius the Abbot, by that Reverend man\nHermann Lochorst, Dean of the great Church of St. Martin the Bishop.  He\nit was, chiefly, who had procured that the holy relics of the Saint\nshould be removed in this manner; and a great while afterward George, our\nvenerable Father and Prior, earnestly begged for the ancient Reliquary,\nwhich our House had long desired, and by the insistence of his friends he\nobtained the same from the Chapter and Canons of the church.  These\nthings were done in the year 1461, as is written above.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1462, on the night of the Feast of St. Juliana,\nVirgin and Martyr, died our beloved Brother John, son of Hessel of\nZuermont, who came from Utrecht.  He was a timid man, and ready for any\nlowly task; moreover, his will was always good to serve the monastery to\nthe best of his power.  Yet through the weakness of his nature and pains\nin his head, he often stayed outside the choir, but by his work without\nhe redeemed the time which he could not spend in devotion within the\nchurch.\n\nA few days before his death he said to certain of the Brothers that he\nshould die shortly, and indeed the end came somewhat suddenly to him, for\non the day before the Feast of Juliana the Virgin he was well and\ncheerful, but in the night following some weakness, whereof we knew not,\ncame upon him, and he was found dead before the bed in his cell; being\nclad in his under garment he lay prostrate upon the floor with his feet\nstretched out and his arms close to his side, looking as though he were\ncommending himself to God and to the Holy Angels: for no man was with him\nat the last to give him comfort, since none knew of his agony, but after\nsupper-time, because they saw that he was not present, certain Brothers\nsought him in the cell where he slept, and they found that he was gone\naway from this world, and had fled to Christ as we do piously hope and\nbelieve.  He came of very good and honest parents in Utrecht, and had\nmany friends and kinsmen that were living the Religious Life.  And so at\nlength, after many labours and much pain of heart and body, he was taken\naway from the miseries of this present life, in the fifty-fourth year of\nhis age, having spent twenty-nine years in the Religious Life.  After the\noffice of the Mass had been said duly, and the Psalms and Vigils had been\nrecited, he was buried in the eastern side of the cloister, on the right\nof Brother Gerard Wesep.\n\nIn the same year, after the Epiphany, there was a most bitter frost,\nwhich lasted throughout Lent and longer, and the great drought was\nhurtful to the pasture lands whereon the beasts were fed.\n\nCHAPTER XXIX.\n\nOf the death of Brother Henry, son of William, the fourth Prior of our\nHouse.\n\nIn the same year, and upon the 10th day of March, being the second day\nbefore the Feast of St. Gregory the Pope, died our most beloved Brother\nof pious memory, Henry, son of William, who was a native of Deventer.  He\ndeparted at the fifth hour after midday, when the Vigils of the dead had\nbeen sung; and our beloved Father George and all the Brothers were\npresent with him, praying during his happy death struggle, and many Laics\nof our household were there also.\n\nHe had been the fourth Prior of our House, and having sought instantly to\nbe absolved from his office because of his oft infirmities, he lived\nthereafter for four years amongst the Brothers, being humble, gentle,\nexemplary, devout, and reverent to all.  To none was he burdensome, but\nto all men kindly, comfortable, pitiful, helpful, cheerful, modest,\npeaceable, and silent.  Amid elders and prelates he was lowly and\ncourteous, towards the young and weakly he was sweet and amiable.  Because\nof his good and modest manners, his uprightness, fidelity, and the honest\nbearing which he showed (as a Religious ought to do) whether walking or\nstanding, speaking or keeping silence, he long held the office of\nProcurator for the House; for he was chosen for that post in the first\nplace, and afterward was made Sub-Prior.  But at last, by God's\nordinance, he was promoted to be the fourth Prior of our community, in\nwhich office he was confirmed in all peace and charity.  For ten years he\ncontinued to be Prior, ruling those that were under him by the goodness\nand modesty of his character rather than by rough speech; he was instant\nin his zeal for reading, for prayer, and holy meditations whensoever such\nexercises were possible.  Well might one write and say of him many of\nthose things that the blessed Bernard doth write concerning Humbert, the\nservant of God, who was the devout Sub-Prior in St. Bernard's House.  Him\ndid Henry strive to imitate, for he too was devout, beloved of God and\nman, and a servant of Christ.  He died in the sixty-first year of his\nage, having entered upon the forty-second year of his Religious Life, and\nhe was buried on the right side of Brother John Zuermont.\n\nIn the same year, on the day before the Feast of St. Ambrose the\nBishop--this day being the Saturday before Passion Sunday--and at the\nfifth hour of the morning before Prime, died Dirk ten Water, an\nhonourable citizen and magistrate of Zwolle, who had been received as a\nFellow Commoner, for he greatly favoured the devout.\n\nHe abode in our House as a guest for six weeks, being sickly the while,\nbut it was his intention to serve God and to remain with us: also he was\na notable benefactor to the House in his lifetime and at his death; and\nhe died in peace in the sixty-eighth year of his age, being fortified by\nthe sacraments of the church.  He was buried in the tomb of his mother,\nSwane ten Water, beneath a sarcophagus of stone that standeth in our\nchurch before the Altar of Holy Cross.\n\nIn the same year, on the last day of August, and within the Octave of the\nFeast of St. Augustine, before Matins, died the humble and devout Laic,\nJohn Bobert, being forty years old.  He came from the diocese of Treves,\nand formerly was our shepherd, but afterward he became porter to the\nmonastery, and he was very faithful and pitiful to the poor.  Having\nfulfilled twelve years in this House, he fell asleep in peace, and was\nlaid in the burial-ground of the Lay folk.\n\nIn the same year, during Advent, on the Octave of the Feast of St. Andrew\nthe Apostle, and before Prime, died an aged man named Gerard Poelman.  He\nwas a Donate of our House, and was born in Zwolle, but he lived with us\nfor sixty-two years, having come to us in the days when we were still\nvery poor, and lacked goods, buildings, books, and holy vestments.  His\nparents often succoured us and did us much kindness, for they were\nsomewhat wealthy, and they gave or lent us money to buy provision,\nbecause they loved their sons who dwelt with us, namely, Henry, and this\nGerard that was the younger brother.  These two had one sister, whose\nname was Adelaide, a devout virgin, who for many years ruled over the\nHouse of the Beguines at Nyerstadt, where at length she died amid the\nnuns, and she was buried by the Brothers of the Regular Order in\nBethlehem.\n\nAt first this Gerard was the tailor of our monastery, as was also his\nbrother Henry, but afterwards he faithfully discharged the duty of\nfisherman, but when weakness compelled him to abandon this task, he\nbecame the gardener, and was skilful in growing vegetables and herbs of\ndivers kinds.  At last, wearied with years and overborne with toil, he\nfell asleep in a good old age, for he was eighty-one years old, and in\nreturn for his labours received a crown of life at the hands of the King\nof Glory.  He was laid in the burial-ground of the Laics and servants of\nthe House, on the western side of our church, and the venerable, devout,\nand holy Father George performed the rites.\n\nIn the year 1463, on the day before the Feast of Quirinus the Martyr,\nthat is on March 29th, and at about the eighth hour when Compline was\ndone, died John, son of James, a faithful Laic of our House and a good\nhusbandman; he was an Oblate and Resignate, and was born in Dalssen;\nmoreover, he proved himself to be useful and skilled in his work among\nour husbandmen.  He was well beloved, and lived in this monastery for\ntwenty-eight years, but having fulfilled forty-six years of life, he\ndeparted in holy peace, and was buried near Gerard Poelman, in the burial-\nground of the Laics, on the Wednesday before Palm Sunday.\n\nIn the same year, on the 15th of May, being the fifth Sunday after\nEaster, and the third day after the Feast of Servatius, three young\nClerks were invested, namely, Peter, son of Simon, of Liege, William, son\nof Peregrinus, of Kampen, and Arnold Wanninck of Deventer, own brother to\nTheodoric Wanninck of our community.  Brother Peter, the first of these,\nwas twenty-three years old; the second, namely, William, was twenty-one;\nand Arnold Wanninck, the younger, was twenty.  At their investiture our\nFather George performed the ceremony and celebrated High Mass of the\nResurrection.\n\nIn the year 1464, on the 15th of May, being the Tuesday after the Feast\nof the Ascension of our Lord, Hubert, son of Nicholas, of Amersfoort, who\nwas thirty-five years old, was invested as a Convert of our House.  For\nsome years he had been town crier, and he was well beloved, being a\ntrusty friend to the devout Brothers and Sisters in their business.  When\nhis wife was dead and his sons had received their portions, he chose to\nleave the world and humbly to serve God in the monastery; so after a\nprobation of nearly three years he was invested solemnly as a Convert.\n\nIn the same year, and on the day following the Feast of St. James the\nApostle, died Andrew, son of Hermann, of Sichele, a faithful and devout\nLaic of our House and an Oblate to God.  He had no possessions of his\nown, nor did he leave behind him any private store, no not one mite.  He\ncame to our monastery on the Feast day of St. Agnes, in the year of the\nLord 1419, being then twenty-one years old; and having fulfilled with us\nin the service of God nearly forty-four years, being then sixty-five\nyears of age, he departed from this world.  His death came about through\na sudden mischance, for having fallen from a horse, he was hurt\ngrievously, and commending himself to God, he fell asleep in holy faith\nand peace.  And he was laid in the burial-ground of the Laics.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast day of St. Matthew, Apostle and\nEvangelist, there fell a great tempest of wind, and many trees were\nbroken and torn from the earth; likewise large ships were sunk in the\nsea, and in many parts, as also at Rome, the pestilence raged so that a\ngreat multitude of men that had thought to live long died thereof.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1465, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the\nBlessed Virgin Mary, a young Clerk named Reyner Koetken was invested.  He\nwas nineteen years of age, and sprung from an honourable stock, having\ngood parents and friends at Zwolle: moreover, he had three sisters who\nwere living the Religious Life as Beguines in the House of Wyron that\nlieth near the city without the northern gate.\n\nIn the same year, in the month of March, and during the Lenten season,\nGod succoured our House by granting us to catch a great number of fishes\nin the river Vecht, which is near the monastery, and these sufficed for\nall that dwelt with us, and likewise for the poor, and for strangers;\nalso many traders came from the regions of Westphalia and Saxony to buy\nthese fish which are called smelts.\n\nIn the same year a new monastery was founded in Zwolle for the Order of\nPreachers.\n\nIn the same year, in the month of July, and on the day before the Feast\nof St. Praxedes the Virgin, died our beloved Brother Henry Lymborgh, a\nPriest, who was born in Zwolle.  He was fifty years old, and he was\nburied in the eastern cloister, by the side of Henry, son of William, our\nfourth Prior.  Often he fell sick with the stone, and at the end, having\nfulfilled twenty-seven years in the Religious Life, he had a slight\nstroke of palsy in the face, and he fell asleep in peace amongst the\nBrothers.  In the same year, in the month of October, and on the day\nfollowing the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel (that is, the night of\nthe Feast of St. Leodegarius, Bishop and Martyr), died John Tyman, a\nnative of Holland.  He was a faithful Laic and an Oblate, and when he\nfinished his course was seventy years of age.\n\nFor forty-five years he lived with us humbly, and in obedience working\nwith the husbandmen, albeit for a long time he had been lame; and after a\nlong trial by sickness he rendered up his soul with patience, and was\nlaid in the western burying-ground with the other Laics.\n\nIn the same year, and on the day before the Feast of the holy Martyrs,\nCrispin and Crispian, one Bernard Irte died at Zwolle, being a citizen of\nthat city, and son of Lambert of Irten, a magistrate of the State.  He\nwas a friend to our House, and during his lifetime often visited our\nchurch, in which out of his devotion to St. Agnes the Virgin he desired\nto be buried, and he was laid with the Converts in the western cloister\nbefore the door of the church.\n\nIn the year 1466, on the night of the Feast day of St. Maurus the Abbot,\nand before Matins, died Wolter Eskens, the father of Gerlac, our\ncellarer; he was an ancient man, being ninety years old, and he had been\nformerly our husbandman on a certain farm pertaining to the monastery at\nWindesem, but he was born in the town of Raelten.  In his old age he left\nhis friends and acquaintance, following his son Gerlac, who was a\nfaithful Oblate, and he lived in our House for nearly eleven years before\nhis death.\n\nLong had he been bowed with age, yet he hastened to the church every\nmorning to hear Mass, leaning upon a staff.  He was very good and patient\nin bearing his bodily weakness, and he fell asleep in the Lord, giving\nthanks.  So after Mass had been said for him, he was buried with the\nLaics and servants of our House, in the burying-place of the Donates.\n\nIn the same year, on the Octave of the Feast of St. Agnes the Virgin,\ndied Christian, a Priest, who was eighty years old.  He was Curate of Ter\nHeyne, and a special friend to our House, and out of his devotion he\nchose to be buried with our Brothers, so he was laid in the eastern\ncloister in the same grave with Hermann Gruter the Priest.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1467, on the third day of the month of March, and\nbefore Compline, died Hysbrand, our tailor, a Resignate and Oblate, who\nwas born in Amsterdam, a town of Holland.  For thirty years he had lived\nwith us, and he was laid in the burying-place of the Laics, being seventy-\ntwo years of age when he died.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast day of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul,\ndied Tidemann Mulart, a native of Hasselt.  He was a Resignate and an\nOblate, who had long discharged many hard tasks as a servant of our\nHouse, for he abode with us for near of forty-four years, and at length\nhe departed in peace, being seventy-two years old, and he was laid in the\nburying-place of the Laics.\n\nIn the same year the Brothers and members of the House at Windesem\nbuilded and enlarged their ancient church to promote the honour of God.\n\nIn the same year, after the Feast of Pentecost, our Father George builded\na new kitchen that was greater and more stoutly wrought than the former,\nfor the old kitchen was roofed with reeds and thatch, and he builded this\nnew one by reason of the peril of fire, and also to rid us of certain ill\nconveniences, and to promote the good of the community.\n\nIn the same year, on the night of the Assumption of the Blessed and\nGlorious Virgin Mary, and after the Te Deum had been sung, died the\ndevout Laic, Nicholas Bodiken, who was an Oblate of our House.  He served\nChrist faithfully, and showed special devotion in singing the praises of\nthe Most Blessed Virgin.\n\nA few days before his death he was seized with grievous pain in the head\nand his other members, but being purged by this sore suffering in the\nbody, he gained an happy issue therefrom, for his end was such as he\nwould have wished, and he met the same with a good will and with complete\nresignation on the day aforesaid, which was the solemn feast of the\nBlessed Virgin.\n\nWhen supper was ended, Nones of the Blessed Virgin were sung, and Vigils\nrecited for him, and then he was laid in the burying-place of the Laics\nand amongst the Oblates and Donates of our House; being in the seventy-\nninth year of his age when he died.  He had lived for a great while with\nus, but the needs of his mother and grandmother constrained him to take\ncare of them, which thing he did, having taken counsel with the Prior of\nour House, but after that they died in Zwolle, he returned to the\nmonastery at Mount St. Agnes.  After this he fulfilled thirty years in\ncomplete subjection to our rule, and on the Feast day aforesaid he fell\nasleep in the Lord, and all that dwelt in this House bore witness to his\ngood report.\n\nOn this same Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, our most\nbeloved Father George took the Ciborium of the Venerable Sacrament from\nthe altar with all reverence, and the whole body of members, going before\nhim in procession round the cloister, sang the Response, \"Felix namque.\"\nAfter they had returned to the choir, they bowed the knee before the\nRevered Sacrament which was placed upon the altar, and sang the Antiphon,\n\"Media Vita,\" with the verse and the Collect proper to times of\npestilence, for at this time the plague had begun both here and in many\nplaces.\n\nIn the same year, by the blessing of God, our orchard bare much fruit,\nbut the fields, though they stood thick with corn, were hurt by the\ncontinued rain that fell at harvest time.  Wherefore frequent prayers to\nGod for fair weather were made at the time of Mass, and the seven psalms\nwere recited in the choir.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, died Arnold of\nNemel, an aged farmer, who was a neighbour and a good friend to our\nHouse.  He was laid in the western cloister before the door of the\nchurch, and in one grave with his son.\n\nIn the same year, after the Feast of All Saints, and after Compline, on\nthe day before the Feast of Leonard the Confessor, died Arnold, son of\nGerard of Werendorp, who was our miller, a faithful Laic and Fellow\nCommoner of our House.  He was a man greatly beloved and profitable to\nthe Laics of our household and all the Brothers, and he died after that\nhe had finished the thirty-third year of his age, having continued with\nus for fourteen years.  He was laid in the burying-place of our Laics by\nthe side of Nicholas Bodiken.\n\nIn the same year, 1467, Albert, son of Hubert of Amersfoort, was invested\non the day of the Conception of the Glorious Virgin Mary, being twenty-\nthree years old, but he had attended the school at Zwolle for four years.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1468, in the month of April, on the day following\nthe Feast of St. Ambrose the Bishop and in the middle of the night,\nbefore Lauds, died Godefried Hyselhan of Kampen, a Laic and Donate of our\nHouse, being eighty-three years of age.  For a great while he was the\nmiller of our monastery, and a man faithful and upright in his\nconversation.  Afterward he became our porter, and showed himself pitiful\nand kindly to the poor; but at length, worn out with years, he died in\npeace, for God had mercy on him: and he was laid in the burying-ground of\nthe Laics.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1469, on the day after the Feast of the Holy\nInnocents--which day is the Feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury, and\nfalleth within the Octave of the Lord's Nativity--died Brother Gerard\nthat was called Cortbeen, whose death befell after supper, and before the\nhour of Vespers.  Before he entered the Religious Life he was a Priest,\nand he was born at Herderwyjc, but for ten years past he had lived the\nReligious Life amongst us in piety and devotion.  Often he endured much\ntoil in time of harvest, and in winter also he would cut wood in the\nmarshland, for he was a strong man and apt for coarse and heavy toil, yet\nhe neglected not the inner things of God.  At the last he was afflicted\nof the Lord with a dropsy in the legs, and after bearing the scourge of\nthis infirmity he departed out of this world to the Lord in the forty-\nsecond year of his age.  So Mass and Vigils for the dead were said for\nhim, and he was buried in the eastern cloister.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1470, on the third day after the Feast of\nServatius the Bishop, two Clerks, and one Laic who was a Convert, were\ninvested.  This was on a week day, so as to avoid the concourse of men,\nand the gathering together of a crowd of friends from the world.\n\nOf these Clerks the first was Otto Graes of Deventer, who was twenty-two\nyears old and had two brothers living the Religious Life as Priests in\nthe Regular Order: of these one was at Windesem, the other in the House\nof Bethlehem at Zwolle.  The second of the Clerks was Rudolph, son of\nGerard, a native of Amersfoort, who was twenty-one years old, and had\nsojourned for a while at Zwolle before he entered the monastery.  The\nthird was Henry Kalker, a Novice and Convert, who came from the region of\nKleef, and was thirty-seven years of age: he lived with us before his\ninvestiture, dwelling amongst the Laics, and he was a good tailor, but\nsometimes he served in the kitchen, and sometimes ministered to the sick:\nafter a while, by reason of his uprightness, he was invested as a\nConvert.\n\nIn the same year, on the day following the Feast of the holy Martyr\nMaurice and his companions, and after Matins had begun, died our Brother\nPeter Herbort, a Deacon who was sixty-five years old.  He was of weak\nframe, and by nature very frail, so that he was unable to observe many of\nthe statutes, yet he often received discipline in the Chapter for his\nfaults: also he washed the heads of the Brothers when they were shaven,\nand rejoiced to serve the others as reader in the Refectory.  At length,\nhaving fulfilled forty-three years in the habit of the Regular Order, the\ntime came for him to go forth; so being contrite of heart, having made\nhis confession and received the Communion and the Unction, he fell asleep\nin the Lord in good confidence and faith amid the prayers of the\nBrothers.  For our Father George, with many of the Brothers, was present\nwith him, but the rest remained in the choir to sing Matins and Lauds.\nAfter supper Vigils were sung for him and for our other benefactors, and\nhe was buried in the eastern cloister by the side of our Brother Gerard\nCortbeen.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1471, that is to say, on the Feast day of Antony\nthe Confessor, and in the morning after High Mass, died that devout Laic,\nGerlac, son of John, who was born hard by Zwolle, that is to say, at\nDese.  He was seventy-two years old, and for the last fifty-three years\nand more had lived with us in great humility, simplicity, and patience.\nHe bore many toils and privations, and amongst the other virtues that he\nshowed, he was especially notable for the virtue of silence, so that\nthrough all the day he spoke but very little, and even during the hours\nof toil he gave an example of silence to others.\n\nA short while before his death he was smitten with apoplexy, and became\npartly delirious and he was laid in our burying-ground with the rest of\nthe Laics.\n\n\n\n\nSO FAR THE CHRONICLE WAS WRITTEN BY THOMAS OF KEMPEN; THE RESIDUE THEREOF\nWAS DONE BY ANOTHER.\n\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of St. James the Less, and after Compline,\ndied our most beloved Brother Thomas Hemerken, who was born in the city\nof Kempen, in the diocese of Cologne.  He was in the ninety-second year\nof his age, and this was the sixty-third year after his investiture;\nlikewise he had been a Priest for above fifty-seven years.\n\nIn the days of his youth he was an hearer of Florentius at Deventer, by\nwhom also he was sent, when twenty years old, to his own brother, who at\nthat time was Prior of Mount St. Agnes.  From this same brother he\nreceived his investiture after six years of probation, and from the early\ndays of the monastery he endured great poverty and many labours and\ntemptations.\n\nMoreover, he wrote that complete copy of the Bible which we use, and also\nmany other books for the use of the House, and for sale.  Likewise he\ncomposed divers little books for the edification of the young, which\nbooks were plain and simple in style, but mighty in the matter thereof\nand in their effectual operation.\n\nThe thought of the Lord's passion filled his heart with love, and he was\nwondrous comfortable to the troubled and the tempted; but as age grew\nupon him he was vexed with a dropsy in the legs, and so fell asleep in\nthe Lord and was buried in the eastern cloister by the side of Brother\nPeter Herbort.  In the same year, on the Feast day of St. Lambert, and\nafter Prime, Brother Hermann Craen the Vestiarius died of the plague,\nbeing sixty-four years old.  In the beginning he was Sacristan, but\nafterward, and for above fifteen years, Vestiarius.  Then for thirteen\nyears he held the office of Procurator, but being set aside from that\noffice, he was for the second time appointed to be Vestiarius, in which\nvocation he gained much praise for that he provided sufficiently for\nevery man so far as the means of the House did allow.  After that he was\nset aside from his office of Procurator he bore himself patiently: and he\nhad lived the Religious Life with us for thirty-eight years and a half:\nbut in the day aforesaid, when Vigils had been sung for him, he was\nburied after supper-time in the eastern passage.\n\nIn the same year, on the day before the Feast of St. Francis, and after\nMatins, Wichman Spuelre died of the plague.  He was a young Laic about\ntwenty-five years of age who was born at Doesborgh, but for above four\nyears he had lived with us; and being chosen to be Sub-Infirmarius he\nserved the sick with kindliness and in gracious wise, wherefore he\nobtained great praise from all men.  He was laid in the burial-ground of\nthe Laics, but on the day following, namely, on the Feast of St. Francis,\nand just before one o'clock, three Priests and one Lay Brother were\nanointed with the oil of the sick.  In the same year, on the day after\nthe Feast of St. Francis, Brother Henry, son of Paul of Mechlin, who was\na Priest, died of the plague.  He was nearly forty-six years of age, and\nwas Infirmarius, in which same office he had served the Brothers\nfaithfully for fifteen years; but he had lived with us in the Religious\nLife for twenty-four years and a half, and he was buried in the eastern\ncloister beneath the steps, and in the same tomb with Nicholas\nCreyenscot, who died before.\n\nIt is told of this Brother, as an ensample and memorial of him, that on\nthe third day after that he was smitten with the plague, seeing that sure\nsign of death which is vulgarly called the \"Death Spot,\" and while his\nstrength of mind and body were yet whole in him, he asked for the habit\nto be brought wherein, after the custom of the Order, he must be buried;\nand when it was given him he put it on without help from another, and\nwith his own hand sewed up the forepart thereof lest others might\nunwittingly look upon his body.  Then after supper-time was ended, he,\nwith the Infirmarius who was acting for him, read the Litanies and the\nseven penitential psalms for all his negligences; and as an act of\ngratitude for all the benefits that God had bestowed upon him, he added\nthe Te Deum Laudamus.  So at length, about the hour of Vespers, having\nmade a good confession, he rendered up his soul, Father George being\nthere present with him, while the Brothers were singing the verses\nantiphonally in the choir.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of St. Marcus the Pope, when dinner was\nended, Peter, son of Nicholas, a Laic of our household, died of the\nplague.  He was born in Amsterdam, and was about fifty years old, but he\nhad lived with us for twenty-five years and a half, being employed in the\nbrewery.  He was a strong man of great stature, and a pattern to the\nLaics by reason of his close observance of the habit of silence, his\nregularity in reading the Vigils, frequenting the church, and such like\nexercises.  He was laid in the burial-ground of the Laics.\n\nIn the same year, on the day following the Feast of St. Dionysius the\nMartyr, and before the ninth hour in the evening, Brother Peter, son of\nSimon, who was born in Liege, died of the plague; now he had lived with\nus in the Religious Life for nine years and a half.  By nature he was\nvery timid and modest, and at the beginning of his conversion he had\nsuffered many temptations to cowardice, albeit he was afterwards\ndelivered from these by the grace of God.  So he yearned for death with\ngreat desire, longing to be released and to be with Christ, and he was\nlaid in the eastern cloister.\n\nIn the same year, on the day following the Feast of St. Luke the\nEvangelist, and after Matins, Peter, son of John, died of the same\nplague.  He was a Laic and Resignate of about seventy-three years of age,\nwho was born in Utrecht; but he had lived with us for about fifty-four\nyears, and was employed in binding books.  By nature he was very weakly,\nespecially in the head, and he often received discipline for his\nnegligences, being punished therefore: yet he did gladly serve for the\nBrothers at Mass, and at the last, in the time of the plague, he got his\ndeath through ministering to the sick, and died in the presence of Father\nGeorge, and was laid with the other Laics in their burying-ground.\n\nIn the same year, on the day following the Feast of the Eleven Thousand\nVirgins, and in the morning after Prime, died our Brother John Kysendael,\nwho was born at Orsoy in the land of Kleef.  He was almost thirty-four\nyears old, and had lived with us in the Religious Life for fourteen years\nand nearly two months, being much beloved for his holy conversation and\nhis virtuous life.  Moreover, he served the Brothers humbly in his office\nof sacristan for nearly four years, and so that versicle which is sung\nfor confessors was apt and fitting for him \"who was ever pious and\nprudent, lowly and modest, sober and chaste and peaceful so long as this\npresent life endured in his bodily limbs.\"  He was buried in the eastern\ncloister.\n\nTwo hours afterwards, on the same day, and of the same plague, died\nHermann Crom, a Laic and Resignate, who was born in Utrecht, being now\nsixty-four years old, but he had lived with us for nearly thirty-four\nyears; he was of great service to the Brothers, first in the office of\nSub-Infirmarius, and afterward in making ready the Refectory and\nministering to the other needs of those Brothers that were weak and old.\nAt length, as he served the sick, he was smitten with the plague, and was\nlaid in the burying-ground of the Laics.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, and after\nsupper-time, Laurentius died of this same plague.  He was a Laic and\nDonate, and his native place was Alsen, a town near Tyel in the parts of\nGeldria.  He was seventy-three years of age, and had been barber to the\nHouse, having lived with us for near forty-five years.  A great company\nof strangers resorted to him hoping to be cured by his skill as a\nsurgeon, for he had some good knowledge of that art.  He was laid in the\nburying-place of the Laics.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of St. Martin the Bishop, and before the\ntenth hour in the evening, Ludolph the miller died of the plague.  He was\nborn at Delden in Twenthe, and was nearly thirty-seven years old, but he\nhad lived with us for three years and a half.  He fell sick through\ntending the plague-stricken, for he was at this time their faithful\nservant; and having made a good confession, and being filled with a\nfervent love of God, he died and was laid in the burying-ground of the\nLaics.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1472, on the Feast day of St. Ambrose, which fell\non the Sunday after Easter, died Brother Everard ter Huet, a native of\nZwolle, and Prior at Bergum, where for ten years and more he had ruled\nthe Brothers in laudable wise.  Having fulfilled forty-three years of\nlife, twenty-five of which he had passed as a member of our Order, he\ndied at last, being smitten with the plague, and was buried in the church\nof the aforesaid monastery.\n\nIn the same year, on the fourth day after the Feast of St. Ambrose, and\nwhen Prime was done, died our Brother John Lent that was a native of a\nplace near Zwolle, being nearly eighty years old; but he had lived with\nus in the Religious Life for about fifty-nine years.  He was very strict\nin his observance of the rule, and a pattern to the Brothers, but at\nlength, being worn out with the disease called stone, he died, and was\nburied in the eastern cloister.  By his writing he was of much profit to\nthe monastery, for he attained great excellence in this art, wherefore he\nwrote many books for sale, and many for the choir and the libraries,\nwherein he left a notable example for others to imitate.\n\nIn the same year, on the day of St. Potentiana the Virgin (which was the\nTuesday after Pentecost), and when Vespers were done, Johson of Tric died\nof a rupture.  He was a Laic and Resignate, a native of Zwolle, and\nseventy-five years old; but he had lived with us for fifty-one years,\nbeing a pattern to the Laics by the toils that he bore, and his obedience\nto discipline.  By reason of his trustiness he was often set over the\nhusbandmen at Lunenkerc at the time of our exile, and also at home, that\nis, at Mount St. Agnes.  But at the last he died suddenly and without\nmaking confession, for death was beforehand with him; howbeit he received\nthe Unction, and he had made his confession two days before he died, and\nhad received Communion with the others on the Feast of Pentecost.\n\nIn the same year, on the fourth day after the Feast of St. Lucia, died\nGherard, son of Hermann, a Laic of our household, who was born near\nAlbergen in Twenthe.  He was nearly fifty years old, and had lived with\nus for twenty-three years.  His stature was small, but his mind great,\nand he directed our husbandry with all diligence; but at length he fell\ninto a consumption owing to a kick from a horse, and having lingered a\nlong while, he died, and was laid in the burying-ground of the Laics.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1473, on the 28th day of June, two Brothers were\ninvested as Clerks.  The first was Stephen Putselaer, who was born at\nDoesborgh, and had attended the school at Deventer; he was now twenty-two\nyears old.  The second was John, son of Tric, a native of Amsterdam, who\nhad sojourned at the school of Zwolle for nearly four years, and at the\ntime of his investiture he was at the beginning of his eighteenth year.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1474, on the day before the Feast of St. Agatha,\nVirgin and Martyr, and in the morning between the sixth and seventh\nhours, died Brother Otto Lyman, a native of Goch, being nearly seventy-\nsix years old, but he had lived with us for fifty-five years and a little\nmore.  He was very zealous for discipline, and most strict in observing\nthe rule of silence; also it was his custom to attend all the services in\nthe church, each in its season, so much so that although weakened by old\nage and an apoplexy, he did not forgo this custom to the very end of his\nlife.  Besides this he carefully observed a voluntary poverty both in the\nmatter of his clothing and with regard to the furniture of his cell.\nDuring his life he wrote many books for the library; but at length his\ninfirmities grew upon him, and he fell asleep in the Lord in the presence\nof the venerable Prior and the Brothers, and was buried in the eastern\ncloister.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1474, on the day of St. Urban, Bishop and Martyr,\nbrother Martin, son of Nicholas, was invested.  He was nineteen years of\nage and was born at Amsterdam, but he had attended the school of Brussels\nfor three years.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1474, on the second day after the Feast of the\nConception of the Virgin Mary, and after Matins, died Brother Theodoric\nVeneman, who was born near Zwolle, being now seventy-two years old; but\nhe had lived a laudable life with us for fifty-two years, lacking two\nmonths.  He was of ripe character and a pattern Brother; moreover, he was\nzealous in observing the rule of silence and quietness, but at length he\nfell sick and slept in the Lord, and the venerable Prior George and the\nBrothers were with him at his death.  He was buried in the eastern\ncloister.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1474, on the day of St. Agapitus the Martyr, died\nGoswin ter Beeck, a Laic of our household, who was born in Zwolle, being\n-- years old, but he had lived with us for about fifty-three years; his\nlife was a very pattern, and well ordered, both in word and deed; he had\nbeen our miller for more than forty years, and was very faithful to the\nHouse.  In that he greatly feared that death should come suddenly, he\nmade his confession to the venerable Prior after due preparation, and a\nshort time afterwards he met that death which he had feared, for God\nordained it so.\n\nIn the same year died our beloved Brother Gerard, son of Tric, that was a\nConvert.  This befell on the second day after the Feast of St. Lucia,\nVirgin and Martyr, and after Matins.  He was eighty-two years old, and\nfor many years had been a Donate, but having lived honestly amongst us\nfor more than thirty years he was invested as a Convert, for so it seemed\ngood to the Prior and the whole Brotherhood.  He was most strict in\nobserving discipline, weighty in word and character, austere toward\nhimself, and a lover of poverty.  Moreover, he directed our husbandry,\nand that of two other Houses of our Order, to wit, the Houses at Anyhen\nand at Lunenkerc, also that of the monastery belonging to the Order of\nSt. Benedict which is called the House of Kleerwater, near Hattem; for\nout of charity to the Brothers of that House the venerable Prior lent\nGerard to them.  So having lived with us for nearly fifty-four years in\nthis honest and devout wise, he fell asleep in the Lord and was buried in\nthe western passage which is called \"The Strangers' Passage,\" together\nwith the other Converts.\n\nIn the year 1475, on the fourth day after the Feast of Maurice and his\ncompanions, and about the fifth hour in the morning, died William Brant,\na Laic of our household, but a Clerk in regard to learning.  He was born\nat Kampen, and was now nearly seventy-five years old; but he had lived\nwith us for nearly sixty years.  Although he was notable for knowledge,\nyet he desired to continue humbly, modestly, and in quietness unto his\nlife's end in the condition of a Laic, and specially to avoid the sin of\ndetraction.  Beside his unceasing labours in other matters, he awakened\nthe Brothers for Prime during forty years.\n\nIn the year 1473, on the third day after the Feast of St. Matthias the\nApostle, and in the morning, died Encbert of Tyveren, a Donate and Fellow\nCommoner of our House, being eighty-three years old.  Amongst other\nvirtuous habits, he had one that is specially worthy to be remembered,\nnamely, that if any did him a wrong, he would easily and without\nhesitation grant full forgiveness for the same, whenever the offender\nshowed any sign of charity toward him.  Being fired, moreover, with\ncharity and love for God and his neighbour, and with a zeal for souls\nthat ceased not night or day, he strove for their good whenever he had\nopportunity; and of this many can bear witness, both men and women, for\nwhom he obtained places fit for them wherein they might serve God.\n\nIn the same year and week, namely, on the fifth day after the Feast of\nSt. Matthias, John Bodien (?) died at Deventer.  He was a Laic of our\nhousehold, and being oppressed by infirmity he went to Deventer to take\ncounsel of a physician, and there died in his brother's house; and since\nhe was born of a good stock, his body was brought back to us with honour\nby his friends, and laid in the burying-ground of the Lay folk.  For a\nfew years after his conversion he served in the kitchen, and coming to\nhis life's end he fulfilled the toils of many years in a short space.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1477, on the Octave of the Feast of the\nvisitation of the Blessed Mary, and after Nones, that is at about the\neighth hour, died Gerlac, son of Wolter.  He was a devout man and very\ntrusty; a Laic and Resignate that was born at Ralt, and he was nearly\nseventy-one years old.  On the day before his death, and after Compline,\nhe took his supper in the kitchen according to his custom (for he was\ncellarer) and by a mysterious visitation of God he suddenly was deprived\nof all sense and strength.  He lost the power of speech, and he lay until\nnext day struck down with apoplexy without speaking or eating, and died\nafter Nones at the hour aforesaid.  He had lived with us for nearly forty\nyears, during twenty-three of which he had fulfilled the duties of the\naforesaid office with faithfulness and care, being almost always in his\ncell and ready to carry out the wishes of the Brothers.  He was laid with\nthe other Laics in that burying-ground of ours that pertains to them of\nthat condition.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast of St. AEgidius, and after Compline, that\nis to say about the middle of the seventh hour, died that devout Laic,\nAlbert, son of Florentius.  He was a Resignate and about seventy-three\nyears old, but he had lived with us for nearly forty-five years, and for\na long while served the Brothers patiently in the kitchen.  But\nafterwards he was very serviceable to the sick, and to the Infirmarius,\nby catching and bringing them fresh fish.  He was laid with the others in\nthe burying-ground of the Laics.\n\n\n\n\nFROM THE CHRONICLE OF OUR BROTHER THOMAS OF KEMPEN CONCERNING MATTERS NOT\nPERTAINING TO OUR HOUSE.\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\n\n_Concerning the year in which that reverend man, Florentius of\nWevelichoven, was made Bishop of Utrecht_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1479, Florentius of Wevelichoven, aforetime\nBishop of Munster, was enthroned as Bishop of the Church of Utrecht on\nthe Festival of St. Willibrord, first Bishop of that See.\n\nHe was a prudent man of honest life, ripe age, and a lover of religion,\nand under his rule, which was during the reign of our Lord Pope Urban VI,\nGerard Groote flourished, that venerable master who was truly great by\nreason of his life, his learning, and the words of his preaching.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\n\n_Of the death of John Ruesbroeck, first Prior of the Groenendaal_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1381, and on the second day of December, being\nthe Octave of St. Katherine, Virgin and Martyr, the venerable and most\ndevout Master John Ruesbroeck died in the district of Brabant.  He was\nthe first Prior of the Monastery of the Groenendaal near Brussels, which\nMonastery pertains to the Order of Canons Regular; he was then in the\neighty-eighth year of his age, and he was buried before the north end of\nthe High Altar in the choir.  He took the Religious habit in the\naforesaid place amongst the first who were there invested, being then\nsixty years of age; and, by the help of God, he fulfilled the office of\nthe Priesthood for sixty-four years.  His holy and glorious doctrine was\npublished far and wide over the land of Germany, and giveth light\nthereto.  This was he whom Master Gerard Groote visited, together with\nJohn, a scholar from Zwolle, for he thought that his writings were worthy\nto be compared with those of the greatest doctors.  Moreover, he had put\nforth many books that were most devout, touching matters of the higher\nunderstanding, which books, of his wisdom, he wrote in the Teutonic\ntongue; and he poured forth in liberal abundance that grace of heavenly\nsweetness which he had received from God, for the use of his neighbour\nand them that should come after in the Church.  There are eleven books\nwhich he composed either before or after his entrance into the Religious\nLife; and less the tale should be incomplete, the book of his letters\ndoth make that number up to twelve.\n\nThere was in the same monastery, under this venerable Master, a Convert\nwhose name was John, a man very devout, who did humbly devote himself to\nhis life's end to serving in the kitchen, and he was illumined with\nspecial grace for divine contemplation.  He compiled a great and notable\nbook, filled with high and heavenly doctrine, in the which he doth\ncommend his most beloved father, John Ruesbroeck, in most excellent wise.\n\nIn the same monastery also were certain other most devout Fathers and\nReligious Brothers, eminent for their life and wisdom, as their holy\nworks that have come down to us do testify.\n\nConcerning the life and writings of John Ruesbroeck and Brother John\nCocus, more is told in a little book that hath been put forth of late,\nand that is entitled \"Of the Origin of the Monastery of the Groenendaal.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\n\n_Of the death of the venerable Master Gerard Groote, a man most devout_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1384, on the Feast day of the blessed Bernard the\nAbbot, and at the fifth hour, after Vespers, Gerard, surnamed Groote,\ndied at Deventer, in the time of the pestilence; he was a venerable man\nand beloved of God, and the forty-fourth year of his age was nearly done.\n\nHis body was borne to the Parish Church of the most Blessed Virgin,\nMother of God, and therein was laid with due honour not far from the\nsanctuary.  His father's name was Werner Groote, and he was a Schepen and\nmagistrate of the same city; his mother was called Heylwige, and both her\nhusband and she were of high place and mighty in honour and riches,\njudged after the measure of worldly dignity; but Gerard, by God's\ninspiration, put aside the burden of riches and despised the pomps of the\nworld on the which he had relied carelessly for a long while, and for the\nsake of an humble Christ took upon him a garb of humility.  Suddenly he\nwas changed into another man, so that all wondered, and he became a rule\nof life to Clerks and Lay folk alike.  Hereafter, by the pattern of his\ngood conversation and the exhortation of his holy preaching, he withdrew\nmany persons from the vanities of the world and laid upon them the gentle\nyoke of Christ.  Likewise he resigned all his ecclesiastical benefices,\nbut he kept some small portion of his father's goods to provide for his\nown necessities.  Much he gave to the Religious, and his dwelling-house\nand homestead lie bequeathed for ever to the poor Sisters, or Beguines,\nwhom he had gathered together in that same place.  Of his humility he\ntook upon him the rank of a deacon so that he might be able to preach,\nbut he would not take priestly orders because of the awe in which he held\nthe same.\n\nOn a time he went toward Zwolle in company with Peter, Curate of the\nChurch of Deventer, and his companion questioned him with friendly\nboldness, saying: \"Beloved Master, why wilt thou not be made Priest,\nsince thou art well lettered and fitted to rule others?\"  But Gerard made\nanswer: \"I would not be Curate of Zwolle, no, not for a single night, for\nmy cap full of golden florins.\"  And Peter being astonished said: \"What\nthen shall we feeble and wretched folk do, for our knowledge and our life\nare less worthy than thine?\"  And this word of Master Gerard had so great\nweight that this same Peter did afterward renounce his pastoral charge\nand did maintain himself upon a single benefice, and that one to which no\ncure was attached.  Gerard, moreover, wrote profitable treatises, and\nmany letters to divers persons, and from these writings one may see\nreadily enough how great a zeal for souls was in him, and how deep an\nunderstanding of the Scriptures.  He translated two books of John\nRuesbroeck from the Teutonic into the Latin tongue, and these are\nentitled: \"Ecce Sponsus\" and \"De gradibus amoris.\"  Likewise he\ntranslated \"The Hours of the Blessed Virgin,\" and certain of the Hours\nfrom the Latin into the Teutonic tongue, so that simple and unlearned\nLaics might have in their mother tongue matter wherewith to occupy\nthemselves in prayer on holy days; and also that the faithful, reciting\nthese Hours, or hearing them recited by other devout persons, might the\nmore readily keep themselves from many vanities and from idle talking,\nand so, being assisted by these holy readings, might make progress in the\nlove of God and in singing the divine praises.  Once a certain man who\nwas united to him in the bonds of friendship, asked him, saying: \"Most\nbeloved Master, of what use are all these books which you carry on so\ngreat journeys?\"  And Gerard answered: \"For good living a few books are\nenough; but we must have all these for the instruction of others and to\ndefend the truth, so that if any might not believe me yet they may assent\nto the authority of the saints.\"  Many other good things also Master\nGerard did in his life, as certain worthy records of him tell us, so that\nfrom the small band of his disciples there grew at length a great company\nof devout persons.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\n\n_Of the great eulogy passed upon Gerard by a certain doctor_.\n\nMaster Gerard of holy memory, he who was called \"The Great,\" has passed\nhappily to the Lord.  Truly he was \"The Great,\" for in his knowledge of\nall the liberal sciences, both natural and moral, of civil law, canon\nlaw, and of theology, he was second to no one in the world, and all these\nbranches of learning were united in him.\n\nHe was a man of such saintliness and gave so good an example in his\nmortification of the flesh, his refusal of temporal advantages, his\ncontempt for the world, his brotherly love for all, his zeal for the\nsalvation of souls, his effectual preaching, his reprobation and hatred\nof wickedness, his withstanding of heretics, his enforcement of the canon\nlaw against those that broke the vow of chastity, his conversion to the\nspiritual life of divers men and women who had formerly lived according\nto the world, and his loyalty to our Lord Urban the Sixth--in all those\nthings I say he gave so good an example, that many thousands of men\ntestify to the belief that is in them that he was not less great in these\nvirtues than he was in the aforesaid sciences.  Master William of\nSalvarvilla, Cantor at Paris, Archdeacon of Brabant in the Church of\nLiege, an eminent doctor in theology, compiled the above eulogy from that\nwhich he heard from the lips of men worthy of credit, and from his own\nknowledge of Master Gerard, and he believed beyond all doubt that it was\ntrue.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\n\n_How, after his death, the number of the Devout and the Order of Regulars\ndid increase_.\n\nAfter the death of the venerable Master Gerard Groote, the devotion of\nfaithful persons in Deventer, Zwolle, Kampen and the neighbouring towns\nbegan to grow mightily in the Lord, so that in a short time there arose\nmany congregations of men and women that served God, dwelling together in\ncommon and in chastity of life after the manner of the primitive Church\nand that laudable custom of the holy Fathers that was introduced by the\nApostles.\n\nSome of these who could ill abide the concourse of people in the cities,\nsought habitations that did befit them far from the places where men do\ncongregate, and having builded them poor little houses, determined to\nlead a hidden life therein after the example of the ancient Fathers; but\nin process of time, as their numbers and their goods increased, they took\nupon them the habit of holy religion, for God so ordered it, and\nconverted their houses into Monasteries of the Order of Canons Regular,\nthinking thereby to be the more profitable.  This same memorable Master,\ninspired with a spirit of prophecy, foretold this thing, namely, that the\nnumber of the devout should increase mightily, for to a certain Priest,\nwho was his friend, and afterward became a Canon Regular at Zwolle (from\nwhom also I heard the saying), he said: \"Behold, beloved, this good thing\nwhich by God's help hath been here begun, shall be increased yet more,\nand this little spark shall kindle many fires throughout all Holland and\nGeldria.\"\n\nThanks be to God that as we have heard, so have we seen with our own eyes\nthe fulfilment of this prophecy, and that not only in the regions round\nabout, but also in the parts afar off and in the upper provinces.  He had\nit likewise in mind to found, with the help of certain friends, a\nmonastery for Regulars who should take the habit which he had seen in\nBrabant in the house of John Ruesbroeck, but this purpose he committed to\nthe followers whom he had made firm in the faith of Christ, that they\nshould fulfil it, for death was beforehand with him, and this was,\nindeed, fulfilled effectually by these same disciples in after days.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\n\n_Of the consecration of the Church, and the investiture of the first\nBrothers in Windesem_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1387, on the day before the Feast of St. Luke the\nEvangelist, the first Church of the Monastery in Windesem was consecrated\nin Honour of the glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God.\n\nThis place received the name Windesem from the village that lieth near to\nit, and it is one mile from Zwolle, toward the south; near the eastern\nside thereof is the River Yssel; also some space away is Hattem, the\nstrongest fortress in Geldria.\n\nOn this same day six Brothers made their profession and were invested\nwith the habit of the Order of Canons Regular, who observe the rule of\nAugustine, the glorious Bishop and Father of our Order.  The names of\nthese are as followeth:\n\nBrother Henry of Huxaria, a Priest.\n\nBrother Werner of Lochem, in Geldria, the first Prior of the house there.\n\nBrother John of Kempen, in the diocese of Cologne, who was afterward\nPrior at Mount St. Agnes.\n\nBrother Henry Wilde of Hertzogenbosch, in Brabant.\n\nBrother Berthold ten Hove, a native of Holland, who conveyed to us his\npatrimony and the place where the monastery standeth.\n\nBrother Henry Wilsem of Kampen, a man of great probity, who was formerly\na great one in the world.  He was eloquent in discourse, humble and\nearnest in the service of God.\n\nWith these and others that loved holy religion, this new foundation of\nthe Order of Canons Regular in the diocese of Utrecht had its beginning\nafter the happy death of Master Gerard Groote, and under the rule of\nFlorentius, Bishop of Utrecht, it increased by little and little, but in\nprocess of time it began to grow yet more fruitfully in divers places.\nAll the men above named, save only one, had been disciples of Master\nGerard, by whom they, with many other Clerks, were drawn to the amending\nof their lives, being imbued with his wholesome exhortation.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\n\n_Of the death of John de Gronde, a Priest_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1392, on the 17th day of May, being the day\nfollowing the Feast of St. John before the Latin Gate, and at the fourth\nhour in the morning, John de Gronde died at Deventer, in the house of\nFlorentius.  He was a devout Priest and a mighty Preacher of the Word,\nand it was in the fortieth year of his age.  The town of Octmesheim, in\nthe district of Twent, and the diocese of Cologne, was his native place,\nand he was a man adorned with modesty and eloquence, and the venerable\nMaster Gerard let summon him from Amsterdam in Holland to hear the\nconfessions of the devout, likewise Gerard committed to him the\ngovernance of the Sisters of his House.  For awhile he abode with the\nfirst Brothers in the ancient House of Florentius, and rose up with the\nothers in the morning to recite the Hours; and when the time for rising\ncame, he awoke straightway and went forthwith to arouse the other\nBrothers, knocking and saying: \"Arise, watch and pray, that ye enter not\ninto temptation.\"  Of this thing Master Gerard maketh mention in the\nletter which he wrote to the priests at Amsterdam, what time he besought\nthat John should be sent to him, for this alacrity did especially please\nhim.\n\nAs his death drew on, Father Florentius, who earned the love of all the\ndevout, stood by him to comfort and console him; to whom John spake,\nsaying: \"Lo! the adversary doth strive to disquiet me, and would confound\nme at the last.\"  But Florentius answered: \"Fear not but trust in the\nLord, and keep silence as to those things that are cast up against thee.\"\nThen John, as one truly obedient, said: \"In the name of the Lord,\" and\nthese were the last words that he spake before his death.  He was buried\nin the Church of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, by the side of Master\nGerard and in the same tomb, for it was in this church that he had oft\nproclaimed aloud the Word of God.  Likewise from time to time he would\npreach at Zwolle and hold colloquy with the Brothers on the mount, urging\nthem to hold with constant mind to the course they had begun.  So these\ntwo on earth are covered by one stone, and one Stone, that is an\nheavenly, did make them firm in the true faith; as they loved one another\nin life, so in death their bodies are not divided.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\n\n_Of the death of the most Reverend Florentius of Wevelichoven, Bishop of\nUtrecht_.\n\nIn the year of the lord 1393, on the Feast day of St. Ambrose the Bishop\n(which in that year was Good Friday), while the Holy Office of the Lord's\nPassion was being said in the church, our most Reverend Lord Florentius\nof Wevelichoven, Bishop of Utrecht, departed from the light of the world.\nHe died in the city of Hardenberch, having ruled his diocese for twelve\nyears and five months in laudable and glorious wise, and his body was\ntaken to the Church of the Blessed Martin at Utrecht, and was buried with\nhonour in the choir beneath the steps of the sanctuary.  Here a taper is\nkept lighted as a memorial of his good reputation, for verily he was a\nlover of the true light, and a defender of his country.  In discipline he\nwas very strict; and spent naught needlessly or to any unprofitable end,\nbut all that was justly owed he paid honestly, repaying loans, restoring\nbuildings that were decayed, setting up new ones, fortifying towns and\ncastles.  He loved the things of God and prudently disposed of worldly\nmatters; by his servants he was beloved, to the poor he was pitiful; he\ncherished all devout persons, and was accepted of Clerks and people.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\n\n_How Frederick of Blanckenhem was chosen to be Bishop_.\n\nIn the same year, the noble and famous Lord Frederick of Blanckenhem,\nformerly Bishop of Strasburg, was chosen to the See of Utrecht and\nconfirmed by the authority of the Apostolic See.  He was one of lofty\nmind, famous for knowledge and prudence, and by the help of God he ruled\nthe diocese for many years with great glory, and guarded his country by\nhis victorious might.  Beneath his rule the Order of Canons Regular and\nthe devout multitude of Brothers and Sisters spread far and wide, and\nrejoiced in their prosperity in all regions that lay beneath his\njurisdiction.\n\nIn this year also three monasteries were founded in Holland, near\nAmsterdam.  One belonging to the Carthusian Order, one to the Canons\nRegular, and one to the nuns of that same order: this last lieth within\nthe city and near the ditch.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\n\n_How the monastery at Northorn was founded_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1394, about the time of the Feast of the\nPurification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Clerks belonging to the\nhousehold and congregation of that venerable Priest, Master Everard of\nAlmelo, a Bachelor in Physic or Medicine, began to prepare a place for a\nmonastery; for of their own free will and by his council they had\ndetermined to build an house in Vrensueghen upon an hereditament that is\ncalled Enoldint.  So having obtained license from that Reverend Lord Otto\nten Hoye, Bishop of Munster, and having the consent of the Dean,\nArchdeacon, and Chapter, which was given on the 1st day of May, a small\nOratory was consecrated in this same place during the Advent following\nand on the Feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle.  This Oratory stood where\nnow the church is builded, and there on this same day four Priests of the\nhousehold of Everard were invested with the habit of the Order of Canons\nRegular; they were admitted by Wenomar, Bishop of Sebale, a member of the\nthird Order, and Vicar-General for Pontifical Acts to Otto, the Reverend\nBishop of Munster: now the names of the Brothers by him admitted are\nthese:\n\nThe first was Henry Kyndeshof of Deventer, and there were also Herpe of\nLippe, Hermann Plectenberrich, and John of Julich.  Of these Hermann\nPlectenberrich was chosen to be the first Prior, and the four abode by\nthemselves under the authority of the Bishop of Munster, because their\nfounders would not have them subject to any other, but in the year of the\nLord 1400 they were placed under the authority of the Chapter-General of\nWindesem, which is in the diocese of Utrecht, and lieth near Zwolle, as\nit were one mile distant.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\n\n_Of the death of that most devout Priest Florentius, Vicar of the Church\nof Deventer_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1400, on the day before the Feast of the\nAnnunciation of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, and when it was now late,\nand the Ave Maria had rung, there died in his own House at Deventer the\nPriest Florentius Radewin.  He was a man of holy life and the beloved\nFather of all the devout, an humble Vicar of the Church at Deventer, a\nMaster of the University of Prague, and he was now in the fiftieth year\nof his age.  He was born at Leerdam that is subject to the Count of\nArkel, but when he heard of the fame of Master Gerard, he left his native\nland and became his devout follower and disciple, and in a short space he\nwas a Father to many devout persons, and the first founder of the\ncongregation of Clerks in Deventer.\n\nHis garb was simple and gray in colour, his bearing was composed, his\nbodily presence full of grace, and his aspect lovable.  His hair was\nblack, but his beard somewhat gray; his face was thin and had but little\ncolour, his forehead was bald and his gait and bearing were full of\ndignity.\n\nOnce he came on a visitation to Mount St. Agnes, and the Brothers were\nglad at his coming, and the elder amongst them asked him to deliver some\ndiscourse, so he spoke a few words to them on humility and charity, and\nat the end he added: \"See now, ye may be sickened of these words that ye\nhave heard from me,\" for he did not think that he could say aught worthy\nto be heard.  Nevertheless he was mighty to comfort the devout, and it\nwas a pleasant thing to see him and hear his words.  Also the words\nwherein he confessed that he was not skilled to speak were received as\nvery edifying, and some of the Religious wrote what he said on their\ntablets and in their books.\n\nThis most holy man of God flourished in the days of that venerable Lord\nFlorentius of Wevelichoven and the illustrious Frederick of Blanckenhem,\nthe two famous Bishops of Utrecht.\n\nWhen his death was announced to them of the city, the Canons and Clerks\ncame together to attend the burying of so great a man, and a vast\nmultitude of people followed as far as to the Church of St. Lebuin,\nwherein he was buried before the altar he had served, which is dedicated\nin honour of St. Paul.  His life that was adorned with virtue is more\nfully set forth in the DIALOGUS NOVITIORUM.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\n\n_Of the death of Everard of Eza, a Curate in Almelo and a great master of\nPhysic_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1404, on the first day of the month of April,\ndied that reverend man Everard of Eza, the Curate of Almelo and a great\nmaster in physic.  He often gave the benefits of his healing art without\nprice to many that were sick, but especially to the poor.  Likewise he\nfounded and in a special way provided for the Monastery of the Blessed\nVirgin in the Wood near Northorn, in the Countship of Benthem, and he\nprocured that some of the Clerks who lived with him should be invested\nthere.  Amongst physicians he had a great reputation; of the nobles he\nwas honoured, by worldlings he was feared, by the religious he was\nbeloved, and for a long while his fame was good in the land.  Moreover,\nhe had been a close friend to Florentius, the Vicar of the Church at\nDeventer, and rejoiced to visit him; and he often succoured him in his\ninfirmities and expended anxious care upon him; likewise he said of\nFlorentius that it was a thing above human nature that a man so weak\nshould live so long, unless it were that God preserved him.\n\nBut let it not be a marvel to any how it came about that these two\nreverend Fathers and Masters were thus of one heart in the service of\nGod, for He who brought together the Blessed Peter and Paul to preach in\nRome did also unite Florentius and Everard in Deventer, to be as it were\ntwo bright lights in the world, to dwell together as Brothers like minded\nin the House and there to comfort themselves and others.\n\nBut the conversion of this reverend Master Everard came about after this\nmanner, and was brought by the co-operation of God to an wholesome\neffect.  When the venerable Master Gerard, of whom mention is made above,\nwas preaching the Word of God to the people outside the walls of\nDeventer, Everard hastened to come to his preaching, for he had heard\nGerard's fame and was puffed up with the wisdom of this world; so he came\nnot of brotherly love, but out of a curious mind, desiring to know\nwhether the Master's teaching was consonant with his fame, for he did not\nhunger for uprightness but rather would catch him in his talk.  Yet he\nstood not openly among the common and simple folk, but behind a pillar,\nas one that hideth; and behold Almighty God Who knoweth the heart,\nneither can any hide from His face, did fill the quiver of the preacher\nwith sharp arrows wherewith in secret he pierced through the heart of\nthis curious hearer, who, being pricked thereby, laid aside all the\nnaughtiness of his former vanity, and became a devout disciple of the\npreacher.  For when the preaching was done, he came near to the man of\nGod, and made known how the Lord had dealt with him by means of the\npreaching, and how this had befallen him as if the preacher had traversed\nall the hidden places of his heart and seen all the secrets thereof.  So\nMaster Gerard received him and confirmed his charity toward him, and at\nlength Everard became his companion and helper in preaching; but not long\nafter his conversion Master Gerard departed to the Lord.  After his\ndeparture the old enemy stirred up no small enmity against the devout\ndisciples, but God was present with them, giving to them patience and\nconstancy.  Now many of the devout were ignorant of Master Everard's\nconversion, but he wished to join himself to the disciples of Christ that\ndwelt in Deventer in the House of Florentius; the Brothers, however, when\nthey saw him were afraid, and began to flee from before his face as lambs\nfrom before the wolf, and they gat them into the hidden places of their\ncells; yea, and Florentius himself was fearful, for he knew not what\nEverard might mean, who aforetime had been harsh enough and had opposed\nthe devout Brothers.\n\nEverard therefore said to Florentius: \"Wherefore do these Brothers flee\naway?\" and he answered: \"They know not with what mind thou art come,\" but\nEverard said, \"I am come to amend my life,\" and when he was still held in\nsuspicion of Florentius, he said after due thought and protesting his\ninnocency: \"If ye will not believe my words, at least believe mine acts--I\npray you give me a cell for a season, and prove me therein of what spirit\nI am.\"  Therefore they took him and assigned to him a cell where he lived\nlong and was wholly converted; for as once he had gained great knowledge\nof medicine, so now he received no small light in the law of the Lord and\nin the holy Scriptures.\n\nAfter this he accepted the dispensation of God towards him, namely, to be\nstill and attend to his heavenly calling, and also following herein the\nexample of Florentius, to gather together into his own house at Almelo\ncertain Clerks and Lay folk, with whom he lived for many years under due\ndiscipline.  Moreover, lest they who were so gathered together should be\nscattered abroad after his death, he began to think of a fit place where\nthey might serve God together, and by His help he found such a place as\nhe desired for the founding of a monastery, and here those Brothers whom\nhe had formerly invested in an humble manner were placed.  To them he\ndistributed gifts out of his own substance, namely, gold and silver,\nbooks and other things for their use, for building and for needful\nexpenses.  As regardeth the foundation of this monastery see above, under\nthe year of the Lord 1394.  He was buried in his own church at Almelo,\nwhere he had governed his people for many years, and he left a good\nmemorial among the devout whom he cherished and loved as a father.  On a\ntime when I attended the school at Deventer, I fell sick, and with such\ncare did he tend me that by the mercy of God a like sickness fell not\nupon me for many years after.\n\nIn the same year, on the Feast day of St. Gregory the Pope, the building\nof our church was begun by brother John of Kempen, the first Prior.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\n\n_Of the death of the Priest Amilius that succeeded Florentius at\nDeventer_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1404, on the day before the Feast of St. Barnabas\nthe Apostle, Amilius the Priest died at Deventer; he was a mighty zealot\nfor souls, kindly in feeding the poor, austere to himself, compassionate\nto the sick, comfortable to the troubled, and he was about thirty-two\nyears of age.\n\nHe came from the parts of Geldria near Tyele, and coming to Deventer he\nattended school there for a while, but when he was amongst the foremost\nof the students he left the school and clave to Florentius, for it was\nhis desire to serve God.  Afterward Florentius procured his promotion to\nthe priesthood, and before his death placed him over the whole\ncongregation, likewise he did commit to his charge the governance of the\nHouse as being his beloved disciple.  This burden that was laid upon him\nAmilius undertook with much sorrow, and though he was not minded to\ndisobey the command of so great a Father, yet with weeping eyes,\nlamentation and sighing, he professed himself unworthy of this\npreferment; likewise in his secret prayer he mourned bitterly, for he\ndesired rather to have the tasks of the kitchen laid upon him than to be\npreferred to the honoured post of governing men.  For in the kitchen he\never rejoiced in his servitude, being safer therein, and having a good\nconscience; but in the other office a thousand dangers met him, bringing\nno small care with them.  Yet God did not long delay to answer the\nprayers and sighs of his humble servant, for his burden on earth endured\nbut a short while, and having fulfilled four years and near to three\nmonths in the care of governance, the Lord rewarded his faithful labours\nwith eternal rest.  His body was laid in the burying-ground of St. Lebuin\nthe Confessor, near that of Lubbert, a Priest of his own House.  There\nalso was John of Viana buried, and there Reyner Haerlem the acolyth and\nmany other devout Brothers and Clerks of the House of Florentius rest in\npeace.  After the death of Amilius, John Haerlem succeeded as ruler of\nthe House, but he was afterwards chosen to govern the sisters at Zwolle,\nand Godefred of Wesel filled his place, for the Fathers in their prudence\ndid so ordain it.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\n\n_Of the first investiture of the Sisters of our Order in Diepenvene near\nDeventer_\n\nIn the year 1408, on the Feast of St. Agnes the Virgin, the Sisters of\nthe Order of Canons Regular in Diepenvene near Deventer were first\ninvested.  This investiture was done by Brother John Huesden, the\nvenerable Prior of Windesem; and there were present also the Prior of the\nHouse of the Fount of the Blessed Virgin near Arnheim, Brother John of\nKempen, Prior of Mount St. Agnes, and many other devout persons, both men\nand women, who came together eagerly to be present on so notable a day.\nSo then there was great joy for the heavenly marriage of many devout\nmatrons and virgins; but the sound of much weeping ascended to heaven\nalso.  The number of them who took on them the habit and the order that\nfolloweth the rule of the Blessed Augustine the Bishop was forty-three,\nand of these three first made their profession the same day, but the\nothers remained Novices for a year.  Many of these Sisters were gathered\nand brought from Deventer from the house of Master Gerard Groote, after\nthat the numbers there began to be increased, and John Brincerinck\ngoverned and guided them for a great while.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\n\n_How the monastery in Budiken was reformed_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1409, William van den Berg, Bishop elect of\nPaderborn, began to reform the monastery at Budiken, transferring it from\nthe rule of Canons Secular to that of Canons Regular; and he published on\nthis occasion the licence for their transference, at the end of which are\nthe words following: \"To the honoured John Wael, Prior of the Monastery\nat Zwolle, that is in the diocese of Utrecht, we do by these presents\ngrant, concede, and allow the privileges hereafter following, namely,\nthat he may attach to the Church and Monastery at Budiken a suitable\ncongregation of men devoted to God, when opportunity doth offer, and that\nthey be under the Order of Canons Regular, conforming to the rule\nobserved in the Monastery at Zwolle so far as the rule there obtaining\ndoth permit.  We are led to grant this licence for this special reason,\nnamely, that St. Meynulsus, the founder of this monastery, is believed to\nhave belonged to the Order aforenamed; let the said John Wael therefore\nset over this same congregation a Prior or Superior as may seem expedient\nto him.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\n\n_Of the death of Gerard Kalker, a devout Priest, and Rector of the House\nof Clerks_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1409, on the Vigil of the Nativity of Christ,\nGerard Kalker died at Zwolle.  He was a devout Priest and Rector of the\nHouse of Clerks in the said town, and his age was thirty-six years.  The\ntown named Kalker in the district of Kleef was his native place, but when\nhe was attending the school at Zwolle he joined himself to the devout\nBrothers, and himself became one of their congregation.  Afterward he was\nchosen to dwell in the new House that had been built for a congregation\nof Clerks by Meynold of Windesem, a rich citizen of Zwolle, and after a\nwhile was instituted as Rector of the same House, being held worthy of\nthat office by his Elders.  He was one of great stature and innocency of\nlife.  In word kindly, in counsel wise, in bearing composed; to the poor\ncompassionate, to strangers courteous, and the citizens loved him;\nmoreover, he burned fervently with divine love to gain the souls of many.\nHe was a zealous follower of Florentius, whom he esteemed with all his\nheart and loved as his dearest Father; likewise he left behind him many\ndevout Brothers whom he had built up to the highest virtues.  He was\nburied in our monastery at Windesem, and Theodoric Herxen, his disciple,\nsucceeded him as Rector.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\n\n_Of the death of Henry of Gouda, a devout Priest, at Zwolle_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1410, on the day of St. Gregory the Pope, Henry\nof Gouda died at Zwolle.  He was a devout Priest and Confessor to the\nSisters in that place, having been of old one of the disciples of\nFlorentius, and he was born in Holland near Schoonhoven.  Being learned\nin the Scriptures he was a mighty preacher, and one that did truly\ndespise the world and its riches; he feared not to reprove the vices of\nsinners, and in his frequent preaching he strove for the salvation of his\nneighbours; moreover, he kept a strict watch over his own conscience, and\nguarded his good reputation and humility of life.  On a time, as he was\npassing through the street in a city that is far away, some boys whom he\nknew not seized him from behind by his cloak, and mocked him with jests\nbecause it was his wont to go clad in very simple attire, and a long sad-\ncoloured cloak, for he seemed to take no thought of any outward thing,\nnor to desire honour.  So being thus entreated and disturbed he looked\nback and said to himself: \"Here ought we to dwell, for at Zwolle they say\nunto us, 'Sir, sir,' yet what merit do we gain thereby?\"\n\nLikewise he came sometimes to Mount St. Agnes, and sought to speak with\nthe Brothers in their cells, and as he was holding converse with a\ncertain one of them, he said, amongst many other good things, \"Very good\nis the life that ye pass here, and the more safe is the road that ye\ntraverse in that ye abide in the cloister afar from the multitude of men.\nI, who almost every day do traffick with worldlings, what can I learn\nthereby save the acts of worldly men?  I am a man untaught, neither have\nI knowledge of the life of contemplation, nor do I seek to take hold on\nlofty matters--but sometimes I can preach in simple words to untaught and\ncommon folk--yet henceforth I purpose to amend myself with more\ndiligence, and by God's favour to apply myself to things of greater\nmoment.\"  When he said this, that Brother was greatly edified at the\nhumble words that proceeded from his mouth.  It is said also in his\npreaching he uttered this notable saying: \"Why should I say more?  Words\ndo beget a multitude of words--and acts beget their kind.  The fruit of\nthe Word is its fulfilment in deed.\"\n\nHe was buried in the church at Windesem, where also certain other devout\nBrothers and Priests do sleep, and after him John Haerlem was preferred\nto rule over the Sisters in Zwolle, since the well-being of the House so\ndetermined it; he was one that was sufficiently skilled in sacred\nlearning, and he had lived long and devoutedly in Deventer, and moreover\nhad ruled the House of Florentius for several years.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\n\n_How the Sisters in Bronope were invested_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1411, on the day of the Conception of the Blessed\nVirgin Mary, the Sisters of the Order of Canons Regular in Bronope were\nfirst invested.  This House lieth outside the town of Campen, which town\nis near the bank of the Yssel where that river runneth down to the sea.\nThis investiture, with indelible and perpetual vows to live the life of\nthe cloister, was conferred by the Reverend Fathers and the Priors of our\nOrder, namely, John Vos of Huesden, Prior of Windesem, and William\nVorniken of Utrecht, Prior of Mount St. Agnes near Zwolle.  To these the\ncare and visitation of the House, and likewise of the house at Diepenvene\nthat lieth without Deventer, were afterward committed by the General\nChapter.  But the number of these Sisters who were first invested in this\nplace was fourteen, of whom ten became nuns, and four Converts; and of\nthe ten nuns four did make their profession on the same day; the other\nsix, and the four Converts remained for a year as Novices.\n\nIn the year of the lord 1412, a General Chapter was holden and the houses\nof the nuns at Diepenvene and Bronope were incorporated as members of the\nsaid Chapter.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\n\n_The death of Wermbold the Priest_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1413, on the Vigil of Pentecost, being the night\nof the Festival of Barnabas the Apostle, and at the eleventh hour, died\nWermbold, a devout Priest of laudable life who was Confessor to the\nSisters of the third Order in the House of St. Caecilia.  He came from\nHolland, from a place near Gouda, and for long had stood as a burning and\nshining light in the city of Utrecht, enkindling many by the word of his\npreaching and drawing them to the path of right living by his good\nexample and his wholesome counsel; for he was a zealous lover of the holy\nScriptures, and an eloquent preacher to the people, one well beloved for\nhis eminent continency of life, and honoured by great folk.  He procured\nthat divers books of sacred theology should be written, and translated\ndivers sayings of the Saints into the Teutonic tongue so as to profit the\nfaithful Lay folk who were earnestly desirous to hear the Word of God.  At\nlength, when his pious labours in the service of God had been fulfilled\nwith many trials, the good Lord of His great kindness favoured Wermbold\nwith a most sweet consolation in a vision that was revealed to him.  His\nbody was taken for reverent burial to the choir of the Church of St.\nCaecilia, and the last words he spake as life departed were: \"For Thou\nLord only hast set me in hope.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XX.\n\n\n_Of the death of John Cele, Rector of the School at Zwolle_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1417, on the ninth day of May, which in that year\nwas the fourth Sunday after Easter, the reverend Master John Cele died at\nZwolle in the diocese of Utrecht.\n\nHe had ruled the scholars there strictly, being an excellent instructor\nof youth, a zealous lover of the divine Name, and one that closely\nattended the choral and other offices of the Church and taught others so.\nThis most faithful man, eminent for his honest life, ruled the school for\nmany years, and with discernment taught many of his pupils to love holy\nreligion and the following after God.  What Order that is illustrious for\nits life or reputation hath not had monks that were his pupils?  Although\nabove others the Canons Regular, the Cruciferi, and the Cistercians have\ngained many adherents to the Order from among his students, and of these\nsome, being endued with the grace of virtue, have become fathers of\nmonasteries and rectors of churches.  For the pupils who were under his\nrule learned from their good Master to despise for Christ's sake the\nglory of this world that vanisheth away, and that in the whirlpool of\nthis mortal life nothing is better and holier than to spurn the\nenticements of the world and to fight for the Lord of Heaven.  In his\ndays it was a lovely thing to enter the town of Zwolle and to see the\nchosen multitude of scholars that did attend the school.  Who could tell\nin worthy wise with what fatherly care he strove to instruct all in\nlearning and character, and to the leading of an upright life, and the\nholding of a good repute?  For this purpose he often set before them and\nquoted the authority of the holy Scripture, and strongly encouraged them\nto copy sentences from the writings of the Saints.  Furthermore, he gave\nthem regular instruction in singing, taught them to attend the church\nassiduously, to honour Priests, to love religion, to hold converse with\ndevout and learned men, to pray yet more often, and gladly to take their\npart in singing the praises of God.  He himself was there present with\ncheerful countenance, directing the whole choir in their harmonious\nmelody; and likewise on feast days he often played on the organ,\nrejoicing greatly in this task, and being herein a true imitator of\nDavid, that holy king who played upon the harp and danced before the ark\nof God, singing His praises.  In process of time the fame of John Cele's\ngoodness went forth to the utmost parts of Germany, and his sayings and\nopinions reached to the ends of the earth, borne thither on the lips of\nhis pupils.  The men of Brabant with the Flemings, they of Holland with\nthe Frisians, they of Westphalia with the Saxons came in crowds to study\nunder him, and having borne themselves studiously in the school, returned\nwith their learning to their native places, men of Treves and Cologne,\nLiege and Utrecht, Kleef and Geldria were found here; and youths that\nwere apt for learning gathered together from other villages and castles\nand made great progress in knowledge.  The richer paid their own expenses\nout of their sufficiency, the poor gathered in bands to beg, giving\nthanks to the hands that helped them.  These did the Master instruct\ngladly and without price when besought so to do for God's sake, for he\nwas a true father of the needy, and he exhorted them to strive to turn\ntheir studies to God's service; but wandering and froward fellows he\nwould not admit nor endure, but either by correction changed them to a\nbetter mind or drove them forth from his presence, lest the naughtiness\nof such presumptuous persons might work ill to them that were well\ndisposed to obey, and disturb the peace of the studious flock and their\nRector.  So he was a rod of fear to the idle, but a staff of protection\nand safety to them that were well disposed to learn.  Many of his\nhearers, when they had laid fitting foundation of knowledge, flew higher\nto loftier studies, and those who bore them diligently were promoted to\nthe degree of Masters in a short while, and certain of these applying\nthemselves to yet fuller knowledge were found worthy to be counted in the\nnumber of the Doctors.\n\nThe great city of Paris doth know, holy Cologne and Erfurt do confess,\nand the Curia at Rome is not ignorant of this, namely, the number of\nlearned men whom the school of Zwolle sent forth while Master John Cele\nruled her with all diligence, which thing he continued for a great while,\neven until his hair grew white, for they say that this venerable Master\ngoverned the scholars here for more than forty years.\n\nThis is his great glory, that so vast a multitude of his scholars speak\nwell of him, so many illustrious Clerks praise him, so devout a company\nof monks still remember his name.\n\nAll things were well at Zwolle beneath his rule; they of the world were\nnot at enmity with the scholars, the devout might serve God freely where\nthey would, the Religious were under good supervision, and Priests of\nhonest life were accepted of the citizens.\n\nThey who governed the people feared God and were endowed with wisdom and\nriches; moreover, amongst them were many learned magistrates who had been\nof old disciples of John, and as was fitting, they ever held him in love\nand reverence.  He had collected many books for his own use, both of\nphilosophy and divinity, and he directed that after his death these\nshould be distributed for pious uses; for some he left as a pious\nbequest, and for the good of his own soul, to churches, some to\nmonasteries, and some to the poor.  So this is that revered and justly\npraised Master John Cele, a native of the town of Zwolle, a man well\ntaught, learned, not puffed up by knowledge, sober, chaste, humble, and\ndevout.\n\nOnce he had gone to the country of Brabant with the venerable Master\nGerard Groote to see face to face that man most dear to God, John\nRuesbroeck, one that was illustrious for his life and doctrine, for he\nhad known him from afar, since his fame was noised abroad, and this\njourney he made out of love for his devout and holy life.  John\nRuesbroeck received them both in fatherly wise, and after a few days they\nreturned to their own habitation, greatly refreshed by the words of his\nmouth and by his living example.  This is more fully set forth in the\nbook of the life of that memorable Father.  From this time forth the\nflame of brotherly love burned yet more vehemently in the heart of each,\nand, indeed, John Cele did wondrously love Gerard from the very beginning\nof his preaching, ever holding him dear, and a man of one heart with him\nin Christ, one that did treat well of the Word of God before the people,\nshowed a pattern of life in his own conduct, and was very fervent in his\nzeal for souls.  For this reason Master John bore the reproach of men and\nmuch evil speaking from the froward, who never fail so to entreat them\nthat do well; and this befell him because he encouraged and praised the\nacts of the Master and the glorious words of his preaching, yet was he\nnot overcome by the snarls of envious folk, nor ceased greatly to extol\nGerard, but before the magistrates and the people he spake freely on\nbehalf of the Religious.  To him did Gerard address certain friendly\nletters, and John, who loved the Master's words with all his heart, did\ncollect the whole number of his epistles, because of his delight in\nreading them.  Likewise he did often mention the venerable Master by name\nto his scholars, as one whom he knew well, and in his own pleasant voice\ndid recount his deeds for an example to them.  This is the end of the\nlife of John, that faithful servant of Christ Jesus, to whom may God\ngrant to enjoy the glory of heaven with all the saints.  His body was\nburied at Windesem, in the ancient cloister, near the door of the church.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\n\n\n_Concerning John Brinckerinck, a disciple of Master Gerard_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1419, on the 26th of March, that is to say, on\nthe day following the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, John\nBrinckerinck died at Deventer.  He was a man beloved of God, a devout\nPriest and Rector, and Confessor to the Beguines in the House of Master\nGerard Groote.  He was born of good parents in the city of Zutphen, in\nGeldria, and in the years of his youth he began the devout life through\nthe preaching of Master Gerard, for in a short while he became a disciple\nof the Master and was adorned with special grace; moreover, he heard many\ngood things from him, and received from his mouth words of heavenly\nwisdom, for he oft held converse with him in the House, and yet more\noften without when they journeyed.\n\nAfter Gerard's happy death, John was ordained to the priesthood, and when\nJohn de Gronde, the first Confessor of the Sisters at Deventer died, he\nruled the said Sisterhood which Gerard had founded, being set up as the\nsecond Rector thereof, in which office he was a zealous minister, and he\ngoverned the Sisters in most excellent wise for many years, for God\nhelped him.  Sometimes he preached the Word of God in church to the\npeople, and he drew many to the service of God as handmaids of Christ;\nand when the congregation of Sisters had begun to grow in merit and to\nincrease daily in number, he began to build a monastery for the Nuns of\nthe Order of Regulars outside the city of Deventer towards the north, a\nwork done with great and daily labour, and he ruled the same most\nstrictly with all diligence.\n\nThrough his example and his counsels, which promoted the salvation of\nmany, a great number of other Houses for Nuns were begun in divers parts,\nof which some were under the discipline of the Canons Regular, while\nothers professed the rule of the third Order and were incorporated\ntherein.\n\nHis body was taken to his own monastery at Diepenvene, and there buried\nin the choir before the High Altar, and after his death John Hoef was\npreferred to be Rector of the Sisters in Deventer, but the care of the\nNuns was committed to the Prior of Windesem.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXII.\n\n\n_Of the death of Gisbert Dou, Rector of the Sisters at Amsterdam_.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1420, on the day before the Feast of the Nativity\nof the glorious Virgin Mary, Gisbert Dou died in Holland.  He was a\nPriest of reverend life and Rector and Confessor to many Sisters in\nAmsterdam, and he did also promote and found two monasteries for the\nCanons Regular.  This man of God, from the beginning of his conversion,\nwas very familiar with Gerard Groote, and his close friend, for he knew\nhis inmost thoughts better than did any other mortal man, both the good\nthoughts and the bad alike, and whatever Gerard did in his life, for he\nwas his Confessor and his most faithful confidant in those things which\npertain to the examination of the conscience.  He held with him,\ntherefore, most devout colloquies, frequently conferring with him as to\nthe condition of the Brothers or Sisters, and the things needful to\npreserve the devotion which had begun in many places.  But through the\nbounty of God he lived safely for many years to comfort the good, and he\noften preached the Word of God publicly in the church to the people.  He\nwas kindly and liberal in hospitality to all who came to him, a faithful\nhelper of the poor, a sweet comforter to the sad, a staunch friend to the\nReligious.  The mighty looked favourably upon him, the simple folk and\nthe community loved him, and learned men and prelates heard him\nreverently; and so having fulfilled seventy-five years of life, he died\nin a good old age amongst the Fathers of his House, and was buried in the\nConvent of the Sisters of our Order.\n\nIn the year of the Lord 1450, Peter de Mera, Chamberlain to our Lord\nEugenius IV, obtained a letter granting Indulgence to our House, namely,\nto the Prior, the Brothers, the Converts, the Donates, and the Oblates in\nthe House on Mount St. Agnes; and the purport of his letter was as\nfolloweth:\n\n\"Most blessed Father and most holy Lord, This petition is made to further\nthe salvation of the souls of your devout servants Theodoric the Prior,\nthe Canons or Brothers, and the other members of the community who dwell\nin the Monastery on Mount St. Agnes, near Zwolle, following the rule of\nthe Order of Canons Regular, which monastery is in the diocese of\nUtrecht: likewise on behalf of the servants of this same House, and of\nother Priors, Canons, Brothers, members of the community, and servants,\nwho shall dwell from time to time in the aforesaid monastery; wherefore\nthat in future they may be ordered in more wholesome wise we beseech your\nholiness to deign of your grace to grant them Indulgence to the effect\nfollowing, namely, that as long as they continue in the verity of the\nfaith, the unity of the Holy Roman Church, in obedience and in devotion\nto your holiness and your successors, the Chief Pontiffs of the Holy\nRoman Church, who shall be canonically elected, so long a suitable\nConfessor chosen by them shall have power under the authority of the\nApostolic See to grant to them when in articulo mortis full remission of\nall sin which they may have confessed with contrition of heart.  Provided\nalways that they presume not to do any unlawful thing through their\nreliance upon this Indulgence, and provided also that so soon as they are\nnotified of this Indulgence they keep fast on every Friday for one whole\nyear, or do some other act of piety: but if they have neglected to fast\nor been unable to do so, or if it hath been their custom heretofore so to\nfast on every Friday, then they shall be bound to perform some other\nspecial act of grace in accordance with the directions of the aforesaid\nConfessor.\n\n\"The privilege desired in this petition is granted to all professed\nBrothers, Converts, and Oblates, under perpetual vows, so long as they\nlive in the observance of the rule.\n\n\"Given in the presence of our Lord the Pope,\n\n                                    \"C. ARMINIENSIS.\n\n\"It is asked also that the aforesaid licence hold good without letters\nApostolic to confirm the same.\n\n                           \"Granted.  C. ARMINIENSIS.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIII.\n\n\n_As to the gaining of Indulgences at the stations in Rome_.\n\nTo the venerable and devout Priors at Windesem and Mount St. Agnes near\nZwolle, and to the Priests and Fathers unfeignedly beloved in Christ\nJesus, these, from Brother Everard Swane of the House of the Blessed\nVirgin in the Wood near Northorn, your unprofitable servant, good\nFathers.  Venerable Fathers, most beloved in Christ Jesus, my love is\never ready to serve you, and I was desired by divers persons, yea, and\nbesought, as I understood, by some of your Brothers also, to write to the\nCuria to enquire as to the virtue and extent of the Indulgences granted\nat certain stations in Rome by our most Holy Father Pope Eugenius IV, the\ngranting of which Indulgences was promoted by my Lord the Cardinal as ye\ndo know.  I was required to ask the virtue of such, and how they might be\nobtained; this thing, therefore, I did long since, and I have received a\nreply to this effect, namely: \"That no man may know fully the virtue and\nextent of these Indulgences, because from the time of St. Peter onward,\nIndulgences beyond number have been given and granted by divers\nPontiffs.\"\n\nI have spoken likewise on this matter with certain persons that are about\nthe Court, and to put the matter shortly, these also are unable to give\nany certain decision in the matter, but, arguing it amongst themselves,\nsome said that the remission of all sins may be obtained at any station;\nothers held and said that all Indulgences granted throughout the whole\ncity may be obtained at any one of the stations.  Which is the truer\nargument I dare not to say, beloved Fathers, but this I know full well of\nmine own knowledge and experience, that Cardinals, Prelates, and others,\nboth men and women, throughout the whole city, are wont to be zealous in\nvisiting each several station; neither is it the usage there to make any\nreference to the virtue or extent of the Indulgences, even inwardly, but\nevery man doth commit this matter to God Who alone doth know the tale of\nthe same, and we too ought to follow this custom.  But as concerning the\ngaining of the same, of which I have made mention above, the Chamberlain\nof my Lord Bologna, who returned to this country a short while ago for\ndivers purposes, hath told me thereof by word of mouth, and he saith that\nhe himself was present when the Indulgences were granted.  Every man that\nhath made his confession and is contrite, and hath fulfilled the\nconditions laid down in the letter wherein the Indulgence was\ngranted--that is, living in common and in the observance of the rule--may\ngain the same in the church of his own monastery.  And these conditions\nare that he enter the church with the same intention that he would have\nin Rome were he present there on the proper days for visiting the\nstations; that he prostrate himself before the altar which he would have\nchosen there, and pour forth his prayers or certain repetitions of the\nPater Noster as devoutly as he may: that he celebrate Mass: or visit the\nseveral altars saying the Pater Noster or other prayers after the same\nmanner as that which is customary in the aforesaid city.  In short, if\nany man doth as is aforesaid, there is sure hope that he will gain the\nIndulgences just as if he were actually present in Rome, as is set forth\nalso in the said letter.  Therefore, beloved Fathers, ye may, if it\nplease you, tell these things to the Brothers of your House, or to any\nothers ye will that desire to be informed as to the matters set forth\nabove, and in this do as may seem expedient to you.  As for our Lord\nEugenius the Pope, aforementioned, who hath granted and given us\nIndulgences so freely, and my Lord of Bologna who procured the grant, and\nothers who have laboured in what manner soever to this same end, ye will\n(as they do trust) make mention of them in your prayers, especially on\nthe days proper for the stations, committing them to God for the sake of\nJesus the humble.  And may He see fit to keep you, and all that are\ncommitted to your charge, safe in His holy service.\n\nWritten on the day following the Feast of St. Philip and St. James, in\nthe year of the Lord 1443.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIV.\n\n\n_The letter of the Cardinal of Bologna_.\n\nAntony, by the mercy of God, Bishop of Ostia, Cardinal of the Holy Roman\nChurch, and commonly known as the Cardinal of Bologna, to all and each of\nthe Canons Regular, our beloved in Christ, and to all other persons that\nare Converts or Lay Brothers in the House of the Blessed Virgin in the\nWood, and in the Houses elsewhere that belong to the said Order of St.\nAugustine in whatever diocese they may be, and who live in the observance\nof the rule, and to others who shall see these presents, greeting:\n\nIt is a just thing, and one consonant with reason, to bear witness to the\ntruth; wherefore by the tenor of these presents we do notify your whole\nsociety, and bear witness that our most holy Father and Lord Eugenius IV,\nby divine providence Pope, by his Apostolic authority hath granted to\neach and all of you Indulgence and Concession following at my prayer and\ninstance, the same being delivered by word of mouth and needing no\nfurther confirmation by letters Apostolic.  Ye are not bound in any way\nwhatever to avoid any man, even though he be for the time being held\nunder sentence of excommunication, either at the time of the celebration\nof the divine Mysteries or at other seasons (unless indeed there be any\nin your churches that are publicly denounced as excommunicate), nor shall\nsuch intercourse be held to impute guilt to you or to any one of your\ncompany.  Likewise and by similar authority he doth grant to you, that\nthose among you that for the time being do suffer infirmities in the body\nbe not bound to say or recite the Canonical Hours during the time of such\ninfirmity, nor be deemed to be under such compulsion so that they be\nexcused by the counsel of such suitable Confessors as may be chosen from\nyour body.\n\nLikewise that each Prelate of your several churches shall have authority\nwith regard to vows to make pilgrimage across the seas, to the shrine of\nthe Blessed Peter and Paul, or other places of pilgrimage which ought to\nbe paid by you, or any one of you, from time to time, to commute the same\nto other acts of piety.\n\nFurthermore and by the authority aforesaid he doth grant to the followers\nof your devotion this concession:\n\nWhereas Indulgences have been granted by the Apostolic See to faithful\npersons all and sundry who from year to year devoutly visit certain\nchurches in the which \"stations\" are appointed for certain days--and of\nthese churches some are within, and some without the city--and whereas\nthese Indulgences are granted to persons who visit the said churches on\nthe days for which stations for this purpose are appointed;\n\nNow therefore he doth grant that each and all of you, being truly\npenitent and having made confession, may and ought to enjoy the benefits\nof such Indulgences just as if ye had actually and in person visited the\nchurches aforesaid.\n\nAnd this concession shall avail both for the present and time to come for\never, so that it hold good for those of you only who shall continue to\nlive in common, and in your own community (that is under the General\nChapter), and shall persevere in the observance of the said rule.\n\n\n\n\nA LETTER CONCERNING THE FIRST INSTITUTION OF THE MONASTERY AT WINDESEM.\n\n\nHere beginneth the preface to the work following: with the whole\naffection of my heart and mind, and with the service of my voice do I\nexalt God, the Invisible, the Almighty, and His only begotten son our\nLord Jesus Christ.\n\nMy most beloved Brother of old, when I told the tale of the former state\nof this House, of the Fathers and Brothers thereof, and their blessed\ndeeds, and when I related also the origin of this foundation, thou didst\nseem to lend an ear somewhat readily thereto.  Furthermore, thou didst\nmake request that some memorial thereof should be committed to writing\n(for so it seemed good to thee), because they who saw and knew the former\nmembers of the House and the fervour of their lives, are now almost all\ndead; and I am as it were the dregs of the cup, the very last of all; and\nbeing already worn with age, it is like that I shall not be suffered to\nabide long with thee.  For this cause thou dost affirm that it should be\nprofitless and wasteful that by the lapse of time things that might\nperchance serve as an example and tend to the edification of some, should\npass over to forgetfulness.\n\nWherefore I have fulfilled thy petition, though mayhap not thy full\ndesire, since my manner of writing is coarse and ill-kempt; for which\nreason I have made no mention of thy name, nor of my own; and this is of\nset purpose lest if this poor letter fall at any time into the hands of\nanother, he might be offended on the very threshold and so not care to go\nforward any further.\n\nII.  _The history of the origin of the New Devotion_.\n\nNow in the days of old the land of the English did abound in men great\nand holy, by whose saintliness and doctrine (as saith the venerable Bede)\nthat land was watered like the Paradise of the Lord; and so it was that\ncertain rivulets of that water, through the mercy of God, flowed down to\nthis our land to make it fruitful.  For this country was up to that time\ntruly parched and ill-tended, inasmuch as doing service to idols, and\nbeing ensnared in the errors of the heathen, it was held captive of the\ndevil.\n\nIII.  _Of them by whom this land was turned to the Faith of Christ_.\n\nAs for the first and chief of these spiritual rivulets, namely that great\nman and true saint, Willebrord, we know the tale of how he appeared here\nby sure testimony.  For in the time of Pepin, King of the Franks, and his\nson Charles the Great, and when 700 years more or less had elapsed since\nthe birth of the Lord, Willebrord with eleven others did irrigate the\nsaid land with the waters of their holy preaching.  Moreover, with the\nhelp of his companions he did busy himself with breaking up the ground\nwith the ploughshare of discipline, yet not without much difficulty; and\nin a short space the task of spreading the faith did prosper wondrously\nbeneath their hands; for God worked with them, and did confirm their\nwords with signs following.\n\nOf a truth how great a fervour of faith and devotion flourished in this\nour land under their guidance, and for a long while after their days, is\nshown to this day, not only by the testimony of the books which we have\nread, but also by those countless churches and monasteries which, as we\nsee, were builded on every side where the temples of idols had been\noverthrown.\n\nIV.  _A lamentation over the waning of the aforesaid fervour_.\n\nBut, fie upon it, this first fervour and regular observance of discipline\ndid in process of time grow so lukewarm and feeble, that the outward\nframework thereof alone remained, and as for the fruitfulness of the\ntruly spiritual life, the devil might seem to have said in the words of\nEsaias, \"and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of\ndefence.\"\n\nA certain aged man and an honoured priest spake in my hearing of this\ndrouth and failure of devotion, and referring to the time of which I\ntell, he said that in the days of his youth and in these parts of the Low\nCountries, all things pertaining to devotion and charity were so brought\nto nothingness, that if any were touched inwardly by a desire to amend\nhis life, he would scarce find one single man from whom to ask counsel;\nnor scarce one spot where he could put these fledgling desires into a\nplace of safety, unless it were among the Carthusians; for amongst them\nReligious observance and the vigour of spiritual life did flourish at\nthat time, but scarce amongst any others.\n\nV.  _Of the rise of the New Devotion in our land_.\n\nSince, therefore, there was such drouth throughout the whole land (as\nhath been said before) that there seemed to be no trace anywhere of the\nancient devotion, the good Lord looked down from Heaven upon the earth\nwith the eye of His mercy, and made rise a little fount in these failing\ndays and in our land that was desert, pathless, and unwatered; which\nfount grew by little and little to be a river (as is said in the Book of\nEsther), and after a while into much water to irrigate not trees that are\ncorruptible, but souls, which truly are the plants of that garden which\nis of the Spirit and faileth not.\n\nVI.  _Of Master Gherard Groet_.\n\nMaster Gherard Groet was this memorable fount, and not unworthily is he\nthus typified, having been small in his lowly esteem and abnegation of\nhimself, but as his name doth signify, in the sight of God mighty to\noverthrow by the sword of this word of the Lord the foes that rise up\nagainst the salvation of His elect, so that he and his beloved sons might\ngain the inheritance of Israel.  One may say fitly enough of this man\nwhat St. Augustine saith of Paulinus, who from being very rich became for\nGod's sake very poor and yet with full store of holiness.\n\nMoreover, like Anah, he found the hot springs in the desert, namely, the\nsweetness of divine love beyond common measure, together with abundant\nzeal to gain souls, and an hatred of wickedness.\n\nHaving these things before his eyes he spared not while he lived either\ntoil or cost, for he went about preaching everywhere in hunger and\nthirst, in cold and nakedness.\n\nVII.  _Of his death_.\n\nAt length after much strife, and having converted many to Christ, this\nmost blessed Father passed happily to the Lord in the year of the Lord\n1384; and he left the residue of the work, of which he himself had done\nenough, to his little ones, those whom he had gathered under his wings\nthat they might promote the salvation of many and be their pattern, whom\nalso he had nurtured with the milk of his goodness and his sweet-savoured\ndoctrine; for it was his intention that through them should be finished\nthat work which he had ever in mind, and had striven to carry into effect\nso far as he could; namely, to snatch souls from the jaws of the devil\nand restore them to their Maker.  This work his followers in their time\nwere not backward to do, neither have their successors to the present day\nceased to fulfil the same task.\n\nVIII.  _Concerning Florentius and his companions_.\n\nOf these primitive disciples of Master Gherard, the first and chief was\nthat Florentius, son of Radewin, who was wonderful in all holiness and\nhonesty of character, and whose name that House, which was the first of\nall the congregations of Clerks only, doth still retain.  In like manner\none House at Deventer still hath its name from Gherard Groet, because it\nwas the House wherein he dwelt, and afterward this was the first of all\nthe congregations of women.  This Florentius with his companions that\nwere men of light, and whose names and deeds are of record, made no small\ngain of souls for the Lord, especially amongst the scholars that were\nClerks, and by their labours the monasteries of divers orders were\npropped up in no slight degree and reformed also, the Lord working by\ntheir means.\n\nIX.  _How like things were done in other cities_.\n\nFlorentius seeing that this was good, and that indeed no sacrifice could\nbe more acceptable to God than zeal for souls, sent devout and learned\nmen to other cities also to do a like work, especially to places where\nthere were schools largely attended, such as Zwolle, Doesborch,\nHerderwijc and the like; and these men lived a common life like that in\nthe congregation already founded, and gained their livelihood by writing\nbooks.  They studied most of all to draw to Christ such scholars as were\nClerks and when they were so drawn and converted, to send them to the\nseveral monasteries and congregations, there to serve the Lord.  Moreover,\nthe conversion of these and their conversation was a cause and means of\nsalvation to many, as we found out afterward in the case of divers of\nthem.  So much of their calling Clerks to Christ.\n\nX.  _Of the names of the Fathers and Rectors of the first congregation_.\n\nFurthermore, with regard to the Fathers of the former congregations (to\ngo back a little to my former subject), I, in the hearing of Christ\nJesus, without whom nothing can be begun or founded duly, do say as\nfolloweth:\n\n\"Through what act of grace or miracle came it to pass that as Master\nGherard Groet was preaching and sowing the seed everywhere, there were\nadded to him so suddenly and unexpectedly men of such kind and so great,\nfor these were of one mind with him, and every one of them in each city\nand place burned with the zeal with which he also burned to exhort and\nconvert a people that was stiff necked.  Yet with all diligence they set\nthem to the task of gathering together virgins as pearls from the shells\nand most pure lilies from the thorns.  These were in their days true\nbridesmen and friends of the bridegroom, who hear and rejoice because of\nthe bridegroom's voice: who strove with emulation in God's behalf to\npresent the whole body of plighted virgins whom they had gathered\ntogether as one chaste virgin to one husband, even to Christ.\n\nThou dost ask, perhaps, \"Who are they whom thou dost so commend, and what\nare their names?\"  Hear then:\n\nIn Deventer, John Brinckerinc ruled over the virgins that were first\ngathered together there, and from these in after days sprang the House at\nDyepenween, which was under the same Rector.\n\nIn Zutphen was Henry of Huesden; in Doesborch, Tric Gruter; in Zwolle,\nHenry of Gouda; in Kampen, Tric of Gramsberch; in Utrecht, Werembold.  In\nAmersfoort, William son of Henry; in Leyden, Peter of Poel; in Harlem,\nHugo Goltsmit; in Amsterdam, Ghijsbert of Oude; in Horn, Paul of\nMedenblic.  Likewise in Enchusen, Paul of that city; in Pormereynde,\nNicolas of that city; in Almelo, Everard of Eza; likewise in Schutdorp,\nHenry of that city.  These are the holy men whom the Lord chose with love\nunfeigned to carry on and complete His work which Master Gherard Groet\nhad begun in wholesome wise by His inspiration, as hath been set forth\nalready.  Holiness made them priests, learning made them doctors,\ndiligence made them profitable rectors of many congregations, and zeal\nfor the gaining of souls made them notable preachers as hath been found\nin the case of many of them.  O happy day on which that great Gherard was\nborn amongst us, for he was the fount and source whence flowed the waters\nof salvation to our land, so that what before his time had been parched\nbecame a pool, and the thirsty land, springs of water.\n\nXI.  _Of the multiplication of the devout, especially of virgins_.\n\nFrom this time forth the fount that once was small began to grow by means\nof the rivulets aforesaid into abundant waters, that is, monasteries\nwithout number and congregations also which fed them, so that it should\nseem that the saying in Exodus was fulfilled which saith of the sons of\nIsrael how that when Joseph died his seed was multiplied exceedingly and\nfilled the land.  Thus it came to pass that the people, both men and\nwomen, loved a life of virginity, and in chastity emulated the dwellers\nin Heaven.  But above all there was a vast band of women that were\nvirgins who despised the thought of motherhood, and spurned this flowery\nworld with contempt, ever showing by their thoughts, their deeds, and\ntheir bearing, that they desired rather to be united to that Spouse Who\nis in Heaven.  What state is there to-day, what township or city in the\nwhole province of Cologne but rejoiceth to have known the savour and\nscent of these same lilies?  Yet was there diversity in their lots, for\nas Paul doth testify of himself, so too was it with them; some having a\nsavour of life unto life, and some a savour of death unto death.  But in\nthis the matter of their election is most clearly shown, and likewise the\nfact that they were not of the world, because they ever bare the world's\nhatred and persecution, sometimes suffering at the hands of parents and\nkindred, sometimes from rulers and the common folk of the cities and\ntowns, beneath which persecution they bore themselves with all patience\nand humility; yet they suffered most greatly from false teachers and\npreachers who were zealous to assail with mad words, and to persecute a\nmanner of life that they knew not, yet did not they not prevail.\n\nXII.  _How a certain monk of Cologne was put to confusion_.\n\nFor example, one such was preaching in Cologne at the time of the Prague\nheresy, and he said among other matter: \"Ye do go to Prague to contend\nwith heretics whom ye might find readily in your midst--even in St.\nGereon's Street\"--by which he signified the Sisters of the congregation\nwho dwelt in the said street.  But the great ones of the city took the\nword very ill, saying that such a thing was never heard, namely, that\nheretics should dwell in the fair city of Cologne.  But why should I say\nmore?  At length the matter was referred to the bishops and to the\nuniversity, and, save that the monk had somewhat speedily sought refuge\nby flight, it would have conduced to his own detriment that he ever\npreached that word in Cologne.\n\nXIII.  _How the Sisters were examined_.\n\nForthwith Master Henry de Gorinchem was sent to enquire into the charge\nof the false preacher aforesaid (for this Master Henry was held in the\nhighest esteem among theologians at that time), and he did skilfully\nperform the task assigned to him, examining the affairs and condition of\nthose Sisters with all diligence, and when he understood clearly their\nsincerity in the Faith; their obedience in all things to Holy Church; how\nthat they had given up all personal property both in goods and in their\nown will; their chastity and how in all things they did imitate the\nMother of Christ; their patience in watching, fasting, and in seeking to\ngain their whole sustenance by the labour of their hands, he was\nastonished thereat and returning to those who had sent him he spake\nopenly, saying, \"If this life be not that in which every Christian ought\nto follow Christ, then have I never read the Scriptures.\"  And from that\ntime he bore such goodwill toward them, that very often he would help\nthem in their suits, and likewise by his will he distributed notable\ngifts amongst them.\n\nXIV.  _Concerning Master Bernard de Reyda_.\n\nNext in order there was the disciple and successor of this doctor,\nnamely, Master Bernard de Reyda, who may fittingly be reckoned amongst\nthe most illustrious, and he ruled over the Sisters aforesaid until the\npresent day, being also their Confessor and Fellow Commoner.  But whither\nhave we come?  Verily it was our purpose, according to thy petition to\nsay somewhat of the first members of our House at Windesem for thy\ndelectation: but I do confess I have been led further than I thought by\nmy desire to bring forth into the light the names of the Fathers\naforementioned who were well known to me, fearing lest in process of time\nthey should be hidden altogether in the darkness of silence, which thing\nGod forbid.  But in the second place, the savour of these sweet-scented\nlilies that were now spread far and wide amid the monasteries and\ncongregations, did compel me to bear some testimony as to their number\nand their most holy conversation, while the breath of life is yet whole\nin me.  For unworthy though I be, I have conversed with them for these\nmany years past, visiting and holding colloquies with them, and I have\never found them firm in the faith, and in deed effectual; wherefore let\nany man say what he will of them, but I say with Balaam: \"Let me die the\ndeath of the Righteous, and let my last end be like theirs\"--but let us\nreturn to the purpose whence we have wandered.\n\nXV.  _Of the origin of the House at Windesem_.\n\nSo under Florentius and his companions there grew a great company of\ndevout persons, both Clerks and Laics, who either wished to dwell with\nthem or at least relied upon their wholesome admonition and counsel.\n\nAmongst these were two men of no mean rank according to worldly dignity,\nsagacious in mind and sufficiently learned for their degree, namely Henry\nde Wilsen, a citizen of Kampen, and Goswin Tyasen, a citizen of Zwolle.\nThese two, being prudent men and well skilled in worldly matters, were a\nstrong stay to Florentius and his companions, and ever present helpers in\nall the work that the Lord had ordained should be done through them.\n\nBut when they saw how, that after the death of Master Gherard Groet of\nholy memory, the heavens continually dropped honey, and how that from the\nseed which Gherard had planted and the skies bedewed from above, many\ncongregations of men and women began to spring up on every side, they\nrejoiced with exceeding joy; also they began to hold many colloquies\namongst themselves, as to how this good beginning that had its wholesome\norigin from God might continue unshaken for a yet longer space to His\nglory, and the salvation of many souls.\n\nThey found by God's inspiration that this might be done by the means\nfollowing, that is to say, if a monastery of some approved order, but\npreferably of the Canons Regular, should be founded, under whose shadow\nall the devout turtle-doves might have a secure refuge from the swoop of\nthe falcon.  But where might a place be found, and the other things also\nthat were needful for the carrying out of such a work?  For, as saith the\nApostle of the calling of the primitive Church, so amongst these also\nthere were not many rich, not many noble--save them that their virtue did\nmake noble and them that voluntary poverty did make rich before God.\n\nWherefore these Converts prayed to the Lord with all their hearts, that\nHe, without whom no good thing is begun, carried forward, or ended, might\ndeign effectually to show them what might be His good pleasure in this\nbusiness; and they remembered likewise that Master Gherard Groet ever\nkept the same purpose in mind, although he could not carry his desire\ninto effect, for death was beforehand with him.\n\nXVI.  _Concerning Brother Bertold, and the site of this monastery_.\n\nThe Lord therefore, that He might show how He was the cause and the\nbeginner of all these things, stirred up the spirit of a young Clerk\nnamed Bertold ten Hove, who was the owner of broad meadows, and\nparticularly of an estate that is called \"Hof to Windesem\"--where by\nGod's aid we now do dwell--and he, coming to Florentius and his company,\ndid of his own act and free will offer to give himself and all his\npossessions into their hands for the service of God, and he desired\nearnestly that a monastery might be builded in the aforesaid place, if\nthis might be done.\n\nWhen they knew this, all betook them to praising God, reaching up their\nhands toward Heaven; for they held it as a most sure sign that He had\nheard their prayer, and had promised to be, by some means or other, the\npromoter of this cause.  Straightway so many of them as were owners of\nhouses or lands sold them and put the price into Florentius' hands, or at\nleast resigned the same for the use of the monastery that should be\nbuilded.\n\nXVII.  _Of the goodwill and consent of Florentius the Lord Bishop_.\n\nForthwith they began to be instant with the venerable Lord Florentius of\nWevelichoven, who was then Bishop of Utrecht, for his consent to the\nfounding of a monastery, and for the privileges needful for this\nbusiness; and him they found most gracious in all things, for he had a\nspecial love of virtue.\n\nThis was done in the year of the Lord 1386, and by the co-operation of\nGod (good men also reaching forth an hand to help them) the affair so\nprospered that in the year following, that is in 1387, on the day\nfollowing the Feast of St. Gallus the Confessor, an humble church and\nburial-ground and also four altars were consecrated in due order by\nHubert, the venerable Bishop of Yppuse, in honour of the Holy Trinity,\nand the Blessed Virgin and others.\n\nXVIII.  _Of the first Brothers of this monastery_.\n\nBut since it is written, \"Not the people for the place's sake, but the\nplace for the people's sake,\" we must see who were the first to dwell\nhere; since indeed these were the founders and the pattern of all who did\nafterwards come under the Chapter of Windesem.\n\nIn the first place there was Henry of Uxaria, at that time the only\npriest amongst them, and he was appointed Rector by the Bishop, by whose\ncommission the said Henry received the Religious habit from the\nsuffragan.\n\nNext there was Henry de Wilsen and Goswin Tyasen, who were invested as\nClerks, that did devote themselves, for they would not be promoted to\nholy orders by reason of a stain that did unfit them under the rule.  Also\nthere were these following: Brother John of Huesden, Brother Henry Wilde,\nBrother Werner Keencamp, Brother Bertold ten Hove, Brother John Kempis,\nand Brother Henry Balveren.  All these were sons and disciples of\nFlorentius, from whose breast they sucked in abundance the milk of all\ngoodness, which same they poured forth without stint for their posterity\nin after days.\n\nThese men and certain others of the community, whose will was good\nthereto, were marked out by Florentius to build the monastery in the\nplace aforesaid, and to take the habit of Holy Religion therein to the\nGlory of Christ; which task they were forward to fulfil with wisdom and\nall speed; also to the men above named there were added, a short space\nafterward, certain persons of like intention and fervour, namely, John\nOtto of Zoes, Henry Loder, Arnold of Kalkar, Gherard of Naeldwijc, John\nof Broechusen, and others.\n\nXIX.  _The praise of the early Fathers_.\n\nO Windesem, these are they by whom thy first foundations were laid,\nthrough whom was kindled that bright light, namely, the rule of the truly\nRegular life; so that thou who wast then as a grain of mustard seed, the\nleast of all herbs, wast enabled to grow into a great tree, beneath the\nshadow of whose branches fowls of heaven, without number, might take\ntheir pleasant rest.\n\nXX.  _How the Brothers aforesaid were promoted in other monasteries_.\n\nAt last when many houses that sprung from the same stock had been founded\non all sides, both for men and women, there was scarce one of them but\ndesired that a pastor might be provided from amongst the aforesaid\nBrothers of Windesem.\n\nThis we did see with our own eyes and hear in after days, how Brother\nHenry of Uxaria was appointed by the Bishops to be the first Rector of\nthis House, which office he held for but a short time; then we did see\nBrother John of Huesden, a young man in years but hoary in mind, who\nruled this church of ours for above thirty-three years in wholesome wise,\nto the great increase of our goods, both spiritual and temporal, and was\nbeloved of God and man.  When he died Brother Gherard Naeldwijc was\nchosen by all the Brothers to take the place of the departed Prior, yet\nscarce for half a year could he bear the honour and burden of this care\nby reason of his exceeding lowliness, but he renounced the office of\nPrior and cast off the burden thereof in presence of all the Brothers,\nthough this was contrary to the opinion of the whole community, and\nlikewise to that of the Fathers gathered together in the Chapter.\n\nLikewise we have seen how Henry Wilde was chosen to be Prior at Eemsteyn,\nBrother Werner at Horn, Brother John Kempis at Mount St. Agnes, Brother\nArnold Kalkar at the Fount of the Blessed Mary, Brother John Otto at\nAmsterdam, Brother Henry Loder at Northorn, Brother John Broechusen at\nLeerdorp, and so forth.\n\nXXI.  _Of the pattern of virtue left for us by the Fathers_.\n\nAnd now, in the last place, one must see how virtuous were these men, and\nwhat an example they left for us to imitate.  But no one amongst men\nknoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him;\nyet by considering his outward deeds one may guess what lieth hidden\ninwardly in him.\n\nXXII.  _Of their simplicity and poverty_.\n\nOne may know by the humble plan of the former House which they builded\nhow greatly these men loved simplicity and holy poverty.  For the inner\nwalls thereof were small, and the House was covered in with reeds or\nthatch; so at that time what is now the part behind the church was the\nwhole church itself; and the chapel that is now was then the refectory;\nthe brewery was the kitchen, and the old brewery was our mill house and\ninfirmary.  Moreover, the bounds of the monastery were so narrow that the\npresent inner wall on the north of the barn was then the extreme outer\nwall of the House.  So the whole was lowly and small, being arranged to\nreceive but few inmates.\n\nXXIII.  _Of their Victual_.\n\nThey kept a frugal and poor table, not so much of necessity, or through\nlack, as out of love of poverty, and the habit which was implanted in\nthem, which same they had acquired together with the disciples of\nFlorentius.\n\nSo on a time I heard Brother Gherard Naeldwijc say in pleasantry that in\nthose times on fast days they would sometimes divide one fig into four or\nsix portions that so the great quantity of the bread they consumed might\nbe seasoned by those fragments.  On a time also there come to us, I know\nnot whence, half a jar of salted salmon, and as the Brothers were\ndoubting what should be done therewith, Brother Henry de Wilsen, being\never greatly zealous for discipline, persuaded them that by all means it\nought to be sold lest such new and unaccustomed dainties should begin to\nbe brought in.\n\nAt this time they had no flocks of sheep, nor any fishery, nor fishers,\nbut so piously and soberly did they live that Gherard of Bronchorst, a\nCanon of St. Saviour's, who once sojourned for a while with the Brothers\nat Windesem, was wont to say in his own pleasant manner, \"None fare\nsumptuously in Windesem unless it be the swine and the guests.\"  So also\nto drink wine and eat roast fowls were held in Windesem to be matters\nthat should be referred to the Bishop.\n\nXXIV.  _Of their Vesture_.\n\nTheir vesture and their utensils were notable examples of their true\nlowliness and simplicity, so that I remember to have seen those venerable\nelders, Brother Henry of Uxaria and Brother Henry de Wilsen, wearing\ngarments that were altogether worn through by constantly rubbing against\nthe seats as they leaned back, and these were botched about the elbows\nwith great patches of rough cloth.  But if men of their quality wore such\nvesture what wonder if the younger men in those days were not more\nfreakish than they in the matter of clothing?\n\nIndeed, I lie if I have not seen some of our household that were Laics\nwearing sad-coloured garments made of bark fibre, in providing which and\nlike garments also Brother Henry Balveren, the Vestiarius, showed great\nzeal, as did the tailor, Brother Herbert, a Convert who was formerly a\ndisciple of Gherard Groet.\n\nThey had likewise certain hair shirts which were lent from time to time\nto divers of the younger Brothers for the taming of their vices and\nconcupiscence, and one of these was as rough as those hair cloths with\nwhich the brewers' cauldrons are wont to be dried.\n\nXXV.  _How they avoided all occasion of scandal_.\n\nOne may see how greatly they preferred their own good report and the\nedification of all men before all worldly good, by this tale; namely,\nthat on a time two young men of Deventer came to Windesem, of whom one\nwas called Goswin Comhaer (a man who was afterward a great example), but\nthe other was Conrad Mom.  These earnestly sought to be received here,\nbut the members of the House made answer saying that in this region there\nwould be too much talk if this were done, and if they remained in this\nplace, for their parents dwelt hard by: let them rather go to Eemsteyn.\nAnd receiving this reply the men took it ill enough, so that I heard one\nof them exclaim in a sad voice: \"May God pity us in that we cannot obtain\nor know any place of rest for this cause, namely, that we are rich.\"  And\nthey went obediently to Eemsteyn.\n\nXXVI.  _Of their Charity_.\n\nThese men also were wondrous charitably disposed toward all that did\nlack, especially toward new Houses of our own order that were begun in\npoverty.  These they desired to help to an extent even beyond their\npower, by transferring to them both goods and men, as is manifest not\nonly in the matter of the two youths aforementioned, but also in the case\nof divers others that were rich and desired to dwell with them.  These\nthey did often direct to other monasteries to relieve their needs, for\nthey sought not what might be profitable to themselves, but rather what\nshould be so to others.  Thus they sent Arnold Droem to Mount St. Agnes,\nStephen Wael to the Valley of Peace, and Brother Nicholas Bochorst to\nNazareth, and so forth.\n\nIn like manner it was agreed by the community with regard to Brother John\nten Water that he should be sent to the Fount of the Blessed Mary where\nthere seemed to be notable scarcity; yet by his lowliness and his great\nimportunity that he should by no means be parted from the Brothers, he\ndid overcome this resolution.\n\nBut the well spring of their goodness ceased not with these, rather it\ndid flow forth and reach all men, especially poor Clerks and members of\nthe Houses of the New Devotion.  What man did ever return from them empty-\nhanded? for if the petitioner were rich, he brought back counsel, if he\nwere poor he received help.\n\nXXVII.  _Concerning Gherard of Renen_.\n\nThere was in those days, that is, amongst the first Fathers, a man of\ngreat age, who was by no means the least of his own folk, and his name\nwas Gherard of Renen.  He would sojourn for long spaces of time with the\nBrothers at Windesem, for he was bound to them by an exceeding love: and\nbeing on a time in the House at Utrecht wherein I dwelt, and in the\npresence of a certain honourable matron who was his kinswoman, he began\nto speak of the aforesaid Brothers, their manner of life and their\nvirtues, and I myself was there present also.  So then this woman was\nsuddenly kindled to so great fervour by the things that she had heard\nthat she suddenly burst forth with these words: \"Ah, if I were a man, and\nmine own master, no one should hinder me from going to such a community.\"\nAnd I verily believe that until this man told his tale I myself had never\nheard mention of Windesem.\n\nXXVIII.  _Of the privileges obtained for the binding together of the\nChapters_.\n\nAfter a short while it came to pass that three daughters were born to the\nHouse at Windesem, namely Eemsteyn, the House of the Blessed Virgin, and\nthe House of the New Light near Horn.  And when in this manner the number\nof the monasteries had grown to four, by the advice of Florentius and the\nother Fathers aforenamed, they sent to the Curia at Rome in the time of\nBoniface the Pope, who granted them leave to gather together a General\nChapter together with authority and fitting privileges and so forth; for\nup to this time they had agreed to remain directly under the rule of the\nBishop.  Gherard of Bronchorst, who hath been named above, did take upon\nhim this mission with all devotion, but Reyner Minnenbode, the founder of\nthe monastery at Eemsteyn paid, as it is said, all the expenses thereof\nin most liberal wise.\n\nXXIX.  _Of their manner of holding the Chapter_.\n\nBut when the Fathers and Brothers of these four Houses held a Chapter in\ntheir humble fashion, the Fathers of the congregations whose names are\ngiven above would come together, or at least some of them, and sit them\ndown to deal with matters concerning not the acquiring of worldly wealth,\nbut the conversion of souls and the maintenance of the common good.  And\nat that time all were as it were one fold and one flock, and in very deed\none body in Christ.\n\nXXX.  _The Conclusion_.\n\nWhat sayest thou to these things now, Brother most beloved, remembering\nthat thou wast a wild olive, and meet for eternal fire, and seeing that\nthou art now grafted, in despite of nature, on this fair and fruitful\nolive tree, and art become a partaker in its fatness?  Canst thou do\naught save proclaim with the whole inward love of thine heart, \"Great is\nthy mercy to me, O Lord, and Thou hast snatched my soul from the\nnethermost Hell\"?  For it is written of Catho that he would praise his\ngods mightily--he being but an heathen--and extol his own good fortune,\nin that it had been permitted to him to be born in that land, and at that\ntime when he could see Rome and her Empire flourishing in the height of\ntheir prosperity; and if this is true, Brother most beloved, what return\nwilt thou make to the Lord thy God for that it was given thee to be born\nand to live in this time of His Most abundant Goodness, and in a land\nwhich He, the Lord, hath blessed?  Hadst thou lived in the days of thy\nfathers, before our land was illumined by the light of Grace of which so\nmuch hath been said already, what else could have befallen but that thou\nshouldest have done even as they did?  From which it doth follow that\nthou also wouldest have gone even whither they went, there to abide for\never.\n\nO happy days in which were born the leaders and chiefs of this new army\nof ours, I mean Gherard Groet and Florentius, and their son's sons also,\nand they that are born from them continually! and so it shall continue to\nthe end of time.  Amen.  May the Mother of Grace grant thee to follow\ntheir footsteps and to hold fast their doctrine.\n\n* * * * *\n\nHere endeth the letter concerning the first institutors of the monastery\nat Windesem, which letter was written by the venerable Father William\nVoern.","title":"The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":55411}