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diff --git a/16759-h/16759-h.htm b/16759-h/16759-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..03dceb6 --- /dev/null +++ b/16759-h/16759-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5183 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + color: gray;} + + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes, by Thomas a Kempis</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount +St. Agnes, by Thomas a Kempis, Translated by J. P. Arthur + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes + + +Author: Thomas a Kempis + + + +Release Date: September 26, 2005 [eBook #16759] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHRONICLE OF THE CANONS +REGULAR OF MOUNT ST. AGNES*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>This eBook was produced by Les Bowler from the 1906 Kegan Paul, Trench, +Trübner & Co., Ltd. edition.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/title.jpg"> +<img alt="Title Page" src="images/title.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h1>The Chronicles of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes<br /> +written by Thomas À Kempis.<br /> +Translated by J. P. Arthur.</h1> +<h2>M.</h2> +<p>Τι δητα οιομεθα, +ει τω yενοιτο +αυτο το καλον +ιδειν, ειλικρινες +καθαρον, αμικτον, +αλλα μη αναπλεων +σαρκων τε ανθρωπινων +και χρωματων και +αλλης πολλης +φλυαριας θνητης, +αλλ' αυτο το +θειον καλον +δυναιτο μονοειδες +κατιδειν.</p> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> +<p>TRANSLATOR’S NOTE</p> +<p>PREFACE</p> +<p>THE CHRONICLE OF THE CANONS REGULAR OF MOUNT ST AGNES</p> +<p>I. Of the first founders of the Monastery +at Mount St. Agnes, and how Master Gerard Groote first pointed out this +place to them.</p> +<p>II. Of the building of the first House on +Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>III. Concerning the names of the first Brothers +and their labours.</p> +<p>IV. Of the scanty food and raiment of the +Brothers, and how wondrously God did provide for them.</p> +<p>V. Of the consecration of the first +chapel and altar at Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>VI. Of the year and place in which the first +four Brothers were invested.</p> +<p>VII. How the monastery was removed from Westerhof +to Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>VIII. How John Kempen was chosen as the first prior of +Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>IX. How the Burial-ground at Mount St. Agnes +was consecrated.</p> +<p>X. Of the Brothers who were invested +by John of Kempen, the first Prior.</p> +<p>XI. Of the death of Brother Wolfard, Priest +in the Monastery of Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>XII. How Brother William Vorniken was chosen to +be the second Prior in the House of Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>XIII. Of the death of Brother Nicholas Kreyenschot.</p> +<p>XIV. Of the consecration of our Church and of four +Altars in the House of Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>XV. Of the death of the beloved Father John +Ummen, the first Founder of the Monastery of Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>XVI. Of the pestilence that afflicted mankind, +and how some of our Brothers died in this plague.</p> +<p>XVII. Of the death of William, son of Seger, a Priest +in Hasselt.</p> +<p>XVIII. Of the death of our most reverend Lord Frederic, Bishop +of Utrecht.</p> +<p>XIX. Of the death of Brother John Vos of Huesden, +who was the second Prior at Windesem.</p> +<p>XX. How Brother Theodoric of Kleef was chosen +to be the third Prior of the House on the Mount.</p> +<p>XXI. Of the death of Brother Egbert formerly Sub-Prior +at the House on the Mount.</p> +<p>XXII. How our Brothers and other Religious were driven +from the land by reason of the Interdict.</p> +<p>XXIII. Of the return of our Brothers from Frisia to Mount St. +Agnes.</p> +<p>XXIV. Of the death of Brother John of Kempen, the first +Prior of Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>XXV. How Theodoric of Kleef, third Prior of the +House on the Mount laid down his office, and was absolved therefrom.</p> +<p>XXVI. How Brother Henry of Deventer was chosen to be +the fourth Prior of the House of Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>XXVII. How Father Henry, the fourth Prior, resigned his office, +and how Father George was chosen to be the fifth Prior.</p> +<p>XXVIII. Of the ancient Reliquary of St. Agnes, and how it was gotten.</p> +<p>XXIX. Of the death of Brother Henry, son of William, +the fourth Prior of our House.</p> +<p>SO FAR THE CHRONICLE WAS WRITTEN BY THOMAS OF KEMPEN; THE RESIDUE +THEREOF WAS DONE BY ANOTHER.</p> +<p>FROM THE CHRONICLE OF OUR BROTHER THOMAS OF KEMPEN CONCERNING MATTERS +NOT PERTAINING TO OUR HOUSE.</p> +<p>I. Concerning the year in which +that reverend man, Florentius of Wevelichoven, was made Bishop of Utrecht.</p> +<p>II. Of the death of John Ruysbroeck, +first Prior of the Groenendaal.</p> +<p>III. Of the death of the venerable Master +Gerard Groote, a man most devout.</p> +<p>IV. Of the great eulogy passed upon +Gerard by a certain doctor.</p> +<p>V. How, after his death, the +number of the Devout and the Order of Regulars did increase.</p> +<p>VI. Of the consecration of the Church, +and the investiture of the first Brothers in Windesem.</p> +<p>VII. Of the death of John de Gronde, a Priest.</p> +<p>VIII. Of the death of the most Reverend Florentius +of Wevelichoven, Bishop of Utrecht.</p> +<p>IX. How Frederick of Blanckenhem was +chosen to be Bishop.</p> +<p>X. How the monastery at Northorn +was founded.</p> +<p>XI. Of the death of that most devout +Priest Florentius, Vicar of the Church of Deventer.</p> +<p>XII. Of the death of Everard of Eza, a Curate +in Almelo and a great master of physic.</p> +<p>XIII. Of the death of the Priest Amilius that succeeded +Florentius at Deventer.</p> +<p>XIV. Of the first investiture of the Sisters +of our Order in Diepenvene near Deventer.</p> +<p>XV. How the monastery in Budiken was +reformed.</p> +<p>XVI. Of the death of Gerard Kalker, a devout +Priest, and Rector of the House of Clerks.</p> +<p>XVII. Of the death of Henry of Gouda, a devout +Priest, at Zwolle.</p> +<p>XVIII. How the Sisters in Bronope were invested.</p> +<p>XIX. The death of Wermbold the Priest.</p> +<p>XX. Of the death of John Cele, Rector +of the School at Zwolle.</p> +<p>XXI. Concerning John Brinckerinck, a disciple +of Master Gerard.</p> +<p>XXII. Of the death of Gisbert Dow, Rector of the +Sisters at Amsterdam.</p> +<p>XXIII. As to the gaining of Indulgences at the stations +in Rome.</p> +<p>XXIV. The letter of the Cardinal of Bologna.</p> +<p>A LETTER CONCERNING THE FIRST INSTITUTION OF THE MONASTERY AT WINDESEM.</p> +<h2>TRANSLATOR’S NOTE</h2> +<p>The Chronicle of Mount St. Agnes is the only work of Thomas à +Kempis of which no English translation has yet appeared, and even in +its original form the book is not readily accessible to readers, since +the only text is that published by Peter and John Beller of Antwerp +in 1621. The ordinary collections of the works of à Kempis +do not contain the Chronicle, although there is no doubt as to the authenticity +of the book, which is of considerable importance to students of the +movement known as “The New Devotion,” and to those who are +interested in the Brotherhood of the Common Life. The last nine +pages of the Latin text have been added by an anonymous writer, and +carry on the chronicle from the year 1471, in which à Kempis +died, to 1477, but since this portion of the book is included in the +first printed edition, and contains a notice of the author written by +a contemporary member of the community, I have included the addition +in the present translation of the Chronicle.</p> +<p>The Mother House of the Chapter to which the Monastery of Mount St. +Agnes belonged, was the Monastery at Windesheim, of which we have a +full account from the pen of John Buschius, a younger contemporary of +à Kempis. This work is too long to be included in the present +volume, although the Antwerp edition before mentioned puts the two Chronicles +together; Busch’s “Chronicon Windesemense” will therefore +appear separately; but as the account of the foundation of the Mother +House, written by William Voern, or Vorniken, supplements the information +given by à Kempis, a translation of it is annexed to this book. +The writer was Prior of Mount St. Agnes before his promotion to the +same office in the Superior House, and it was under his rule that à +Kempis spent the early years of his priesthood, those years in which +he composed the first part at least of the great work with which his +name is associated. William Vorniken also tells in outline the +story of the conversion of the Low Countries to Christianity by Anglo-Saxon +missionaries, and for all these reasons it has been thought that his +“letter” may be of interest to English readers.</p> +<p>It will be seen that the spelling of proper names is both peculiar +and variable, but the principle observed in this translation has been +to adopt the spelling given in the text, except in cases where variation +is evidently the result of a printer’s error, and in those instances +in which the writer <i>translated</i> names, <i>e.g</i>., Hertzogenbosch +appears in the Chronicle as Buscoducis, and Gerard is called sometimes +Groote, Groot, or Groet, and sometimes Magnus.</p> +<p>Further accounts of the lives of some of the Brothers who are mentioned +in this Chronicle may be found in a translation of another work of à +Kempis published last year, and entitled “The founders of the +New Devotion,” Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.; and +the history of the other houses of the Chapter to which the Monastery +of Mount St. Agnes belonged, has been treated exhaustively by Dr. J. +G. R. Acquoy, “Het Klooster te Windesheim.” Utrecht, +1880.</p> +<p>For the English reader the best accounts of the Brotherhood and of +à Kempis himself, are the works of Rev. S. Kettlewell and Sir +F. R. Cruise. The former, however, is quite unreliable as a translator, +and draws untenable deductions from extracts whose purport he has misunderstood; +but the latter is both accurate and interesting, being in fact the leading +English authority on the subject which he has made his own.</p> +<h2>PREFACE.</h2> +<p>The pious desire of certain of our Brothers hath constrained me to +put together a short chronicle concerning the beginning of our House, +and the first foundation of our Monastery on Mount St. Agnes, that the +said chronicle may be a comfort to them that are now alive, and a memorial +for them that come after. Wherefore humbly assenting to their +pious desires, I have gathered together a few things out of many, and +these I have seen with mine own eyes, or have heard from the Elders +of our House, or else have gathered from the writings of others.</p> +<p>Some of the Elders who first dwelt in this House have told us that +or ever there was a monastery builded in this place, and before any +man had yet come hither to serve God, there did often appear to the +shepherds and to them that dwelt near, visions of men in white raiment +who seemed to go in procession round the mount: and the signification +and meaning hereby portended became clear enough afterward as time went +by, when the monastery by God’s grace begun in this place by a +few Brothers and afterward finished with much toil came into being and +a great company of Brothers dwelt therein—for then it was seen +how the Devout Congregation of Canons Regular being clad in white raiment +did serve God with devotion, singing hymns and psalms and celebrating +Mass; also reciting the proper Canonical Hours to His praise every day, +and praying for our benefactors, both living and dead, especially for +them that are buried in this Monastery.</p> +<h2>THE CHRONICLE OF THE CANONS REGULAR OF MOUNT ST. AGNES.</h2> +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> +<p><i>Of the first founders of the Monastery at Mount St. Agnes, and +how Master Gerard Groote first pointed out this place to them</i></p> +<p>The House of Mount St. Agnes, which lieth outside the walls of the +town of Zwolle, and on the eastern side thereof, had its origin and +completion in this way.</p> +<p>The place used to be called in the vulgar tongue Mount Nemel and +lieth not far from Zwolle, but one may traverse the distance in the +space of an hour. Now there were in the State of Zwolle certain +faithful men who had been turned wholly to God by Master Gerard Groote. +These men had builded them an house, in a suburb belonging to the city, +near an ancient Convent of Béguines, and here they served God +humbly and with devotion. Amongst these the chief was John of +Ummen, a man dedicated to God, and greatly beloved by Gerard; and with +him there abode likewise Wychmann Rurinch, Reyner, son of Leo of Renen, +and two or three others that were well disposed. Moreover, a certain +Clerk that dwelt in those parts named Wittecoep, had joined himself +to them and lived among them devoutly. There was also the mother +of John of Ummen, named Regeland, a widow of ripe age, who ministered +to the necessities of these servants of God, giving good heed to the +care of the house as a faithful Martha. Most gladly would she +listen to the Word of God, and, like Mary, was never sated with the +sweetness of the Holy Scriptures that were read.</p> +<p>When any one at meal-time read somewhat incorrectly and stammered +over the words, this venerable woman said to him “Read no more +and do not defile the Word of God lest harm come to holy things and +they that hear be offended in thee. Let another read that hath +better skill thereto, that we may all understand and be edified.”</p> +<p>After no long time this good woman came to the end of her life on +the Thursday in Holy Week after Mass was ended, and she was buried at +Zwolle by her friends and the Brothers. From that hour and day, +for three whole days, her son John Ummen fasted from every kind of food +to promote his mother’s salvation, and he neither ate nor drank +aught until the dawning of the day of the Lord’s Passover, and +yet was he as whole in body and in strength as if he had been well fed +every day.</p> +<p>And as these servants of God lived in poverty and at the common charge +it came to pass that many men that were in the world, considering their +holy life, came together to them, being eager to serve God and to leave +the world, in the hope of an eternal gain. Meanwhile it happened +that the venerable Master Gerard Groote came to Zwolle about the beginning +of Lent, and of necessity abode there certain days, since he was anxious +to comfort his poor children, for it was his desire to refresh with +the word of consolation those whom he had drawn to leave the world. +So a very great company of people came together to his preaching, and +many devoutly submitted themselves to his counsel, for sometimes he +would preach two sermons in one day so as to water the chosen vineyard +of the Lord. And if he had determined to preach after the midday +meal, he would remain praying in the Church or walking in meditation +in the churchyard, taking no food himself, while he awaited the return +of the people. For this reason they that loved his holy discourse +were unwilling to stay away too long, but would sit them down in the +churchyard or in the Church, and take beforehand places that were convenient +and near the pulpit, so that at the proper hour they might the more +readily hear and understand the Word of God. And when Gerard had +done his faithful preaching, each would return to his own concerns rejoicing +with eager heart, and praising God for all the things he had heard. +And they marvelled above measure at the humble bearing of the Master, +and were edified thereby, that he, a man of so great fame and knowledge, +one that had friends great and famous, should go about the streets with +so meek an aspect, and showing little care for his attire; for he cared +not at all about worldly things, and sought only to gain a great usury +of souls for God. He was well favoured, kindly in word, and courteous +to all, so that any man whatever, whether a stranger or born in the +land, even though poor and unknown, might speak to him and receive from +him some discourse upon the things of God. The good saw this and +rejoiced thereat, but the froward gnashed with their teeth and spake +evil of Gerard. A certain man, therefore, one of the great ones +of the State, came near to him, and rebuked his words and deeds, for +the man himself took more pleasure at that time in worldliness than +in the things of God. “Why,” said he, “dost +thou disquiet us, and bring in new customs? Cease from this preaching, +and do not disturb or frighten men.” But Gerard made answer +with wisdom and constancy: “I would not willingly suffer you to +go to Hell,” and the man said again with indignation: “Let +us go thither in peace,” but the kindly and good Master replied: +“I will not do so; if thou wilt not hear, there will be some who +will gladly give ear”—but we must return to our history.</p> +<p>When the most beloved Master was sojourning in Zwolle for the purpose +of preaching the Word, some of his disciples aforementioned who dwelt +together there came to him secretly and confessed that they desired +to live a life further removed from that of the world, for they could +not bear to mingle with worldlings without suffering hurt to their spiritual +life; and they said that they would choose to dwell without the City +if he should agree thereto. They begged him therefore, as loving +sons speaking to their father, to condescend to go with them some little +space outside the City to look for a place convenient wherein to live +quietly. Then Gerard assented to their pious prayers, and when +the next day dawned he prepared for the journey and taking with him +the brothers Wychmann, Reyner, Henry and James Wittecoep, he went with +them towards the mountains of Nemel to a place that was foreordained +of God, and separated from the multitude; for men were seldom seen to +come thither or to pass by, and patches of thorns and nettles grew here +and there upon the hills and valleys. So as they went forth the +wind beat against them, hut neither rain nor wind could stay the Master +from the straight course, and he went on rejoicing and said pleasantly +to his companions: “I will go before you and shield you from the +wind with my cloak.” But as they drew near to the place, +they went up to the top of an hill, and having made a circuit round +the mountains for some little space, they at last beheld a valley, that +was narrow and deep, upon the northern side of the mountain, and Gerard’s +disciples asked him a question, saying: “See! most beloved Master, +how good is this place, and how private; here we may hide for the love +of Christ, as of old the holy Eremites did hide in the mountains and +in caves in the earth.” But this they said in simplicity +of heart out of the fervent zeal of their devotion, and their desire +for a life more remote from the world, for they thought there they could +be hid, screened by the thickets of brushwood. But the Master +being most discreet and wise in counsel soon dissuaded them from this +purpose, for a place that lieth low doth never suit the human complexion, +nor would a place so narrow avail in future for many men to dwell in. +So they withdrew their feet prudently therefrom and visited another +mountain that was near; and their wise leader saw that on the south +side thereof was a level place fit for crops, and he said to them that +stood by: “Place your tabernacle at the foot of this mountain—then +shall ye be able to make a little garden for your herbs and fruits on +the level place toward the south. If the Lord grant me life I +will be here often with you.” Having visited this place +and walked about it through God’s inspiration, they returned again +to the City together, leaving the issue of the matter to the pleasure +of the Almighty. But in the same year the beloved Master Gerard, +that light and lamp of devotion that shone upon his country of Utrecht, +was taken away from this world to receive the reward of his labours, +and he went up from the vale of our lamentations to the mount of everlasting +bliss.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER II.</h3> +<p><i>Of the building of the first House on Mount St. Agnes</i>.</p> +<p>But after the passing of the Master, who must ever be held in remembrance, +the new branch of his planting ceased not to bear fruit; moreover the +heaven shed dew upon it from above, as Gerard at the end of his life +had promised, so that our land yielded increase in her season; and the +men above named continued to carry into effect the intention which they +had formed in their minds. The chief mover in this holy work was +James Wittecoep, the son of one Thomas Coep, a man who had been a magistrate +in the town of Zwolle; and he did all that in him lay to promote the +foundation of an house on the mountain for the servants of God. +Goswin Tyasen, who afterward became a Canon Regular at Windesheim, assisted +him in this business, for he, relying upon the goodness of God, and +having the ear of his fellows, was eagerly desirous to move them to +choose this place. There were others also of like purpose, but +these two were the chief men amongst them, and they all relied upon +the help of their friends, but especially upon the co-operation of the +mercy of God by Whose nod all things are determined. Therefore +they besought the heritors of Bercem and Nemel, joint owners of the +farm, to grant them a portion of the land, and the site where now the +Monastery is builded, and the owners thereof did freely grant their +request and gave them the land for the Brothers to dwell in. When +they had obtained the power to build upon the spot pointed out to them +aforetime by Master Gerard, they set in order a small house, at the +bottom of the mountain, that had been given to them by a certain matron, +and some labourers assisted them in this work. This house was +builded of logs and earth, but was only roofed in above with common +thatch. But when this poor little habitation, on an humble site +on the lower part of the mountain was builded, no man dwelt there, because +it lacked household stuff; yet certain of the Brothers whose hearts +were set on the completion of the work would visit it, and sometimes +one or two would sleep upon the straw there, in their clothes, but for +their food they either brought somewhat with them or returned to their +friends in the town.</p> +<p>Scarce have I known of any place or house that was begun in so great +poverty, and yet came, in despite of divers hindrances, to so great +an increase of prosperity; but Jesus our Saviour Himself began in the +deepest poverty, and His lack did make rich Holy Church. This +house therefore, poor at first, unknown and hidden, did deserve in process +of time to be more widely increased through the blessing of our Father +in Heaven, Who doth ever turn His Face toward lowly things, but doth +look from afar upon the lofty. For as wealthier persons came and +brought their goods into the common stock, the place whose beginning +was so poor, and its outward appearance so lowly, grew to be a yet fairer +vineyard of the Lord of Sabaoth. For the tillers of the farm and +the country folk of the land of Bercem and Nemel, seeing that an house +was now builded on the mountain and that devout men had come together +there to serve God in humility and simplicity, gave and assigned to +them and their successors the aforesaid place in honour of Holy Religion, +and that prayers might be offered for them and their friends; which +grant they did also confirm in writing to any others whom God Almighty +should see fit to associate with them. In regard to this holy +gift and this pious request made by consent of the owners of the place, +there was but one deed executed relating to the first and original foundation. +This is attested by the seals of many honest men, and in it is given +a short description of the manner of the Common Life and of the wholesome +rule so far as this same was applicable to the conditions of the Brotherhood +in the early days. These things were done and finished in the +year of the Lord 1386 on the Friday before Palm Sunday, and a year and +a half after the death of the aforesaid Master Gerard.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER III.</h3> +<p><i>Concerning the names of the first Brothers and their labours</i>.</p> +<p>These are the names of those first Brothers, the devout men who began +to build the House of Mount St. Agnes and to dwell there. First +James Wittecoep, the chief promoter of our House and the earnest keeper +thereof in all things. He afterward became a Priest in Zwolle +and served the Altar in the Hospice there, where he died after making +a good confession. Secondly, there was John Ummen, son of Assetrin, +whose mother was called Regeland. He, though blind and unlettered, +was yet the familiar friend and devout disciple of Master Gerard, and +he became the first Rector of the House, being a good man and a comfortable. +Thirdly, there was Wychmann Roerinck van Hellender, a pattern of poverty +and patience; he, putting aside his friends, who were many, became an +humble hearer of Gerard, and was Procurator to this poor little congregation.</p> +<p>Other upright men also were joined to these chief Brothers, being +drawn to give up the world by the sweet savour of the reputation of +this new and holy congregation. Their names are worthy of the +fame of a good memorial, for they were shining lights of holy poverty, +obedience, continence, and daily toil. The first was Reyner, son +of Leo of Renen of the diocese of Utrecht, who often made pilgrimages +out of his devotion; but afterward became converted by Gerard’s +preaching and gave up the world. The second was Reyner the younger, +a man without reproach, poor and accustomed to toil. He, too, +came from Renen which is in the diocese of Münster. The third +was called Gerard the cook, for he at the first was cook to the House, +but afterward became the porter, a man fervent in deed, and devout in +prayer, who was born at Deventer. All these knew Gerard Groote +in the flesh, and often heard him preach the Word of God among the people. +By these humble, simple-hearted, and devout little servants of Christ—these +who did verily despise the world—was our House on mount Nemel +begun, which House after that it became a Monastery was called Mount +St. Agnes. Moreover by little and little several devout clerks +and lay folk from the neighbouring towns and from far off districts +came to join these men, and they earned their daily bread by the labour +of their hands. For none was allowed to avoid his task, none might +go about idly, neither did any dare to talk of worldly matters, but +all were taught to labour for the common good, and to call often upon +God in prayer at the appointed hours after the manner of the holy Fathers +in Egypt: for these, too, did labour with their hands, but during the +hours of toil they never ceased from prayer. Likewise they had +received this rule from Master Gerard, that none ought to be accepted +save such as were willing to labour with their hands and take part in +the Common Life. Wherefore the clerks were diligent in writing +the books of Holy Scriptures, and the lay folk busied them with bodily +labour and tillage. Some also followed the tailor’s craft, +others wove wool and flax; others again made baskets and mats, or did +divers tasks for the good of the community at the bidding of their Superior. +Outwardly indeed they led a life of poverty and toil for Christ’s +sake, but the love of the heavenly life made sweet the present indigence. +If one went forth on any business, he would first utter some short word +concerning the things of God, or would speak the Name of Jesus, and +some other would reply with “Christ” or “Mary” +as his devotion impelled him. For a great while they lived together +in this companionship, and until the time of the foundation of the Monastery, +all alike, both Clerks and Lay folk obeyed their first Rector, John +of Ummen, a zealous man and well skilled in spiritual things. +With such diligence did they follow the virtue of obedience that none +dared even to drive in a nail, or do any little thing without the knowledge +of the Rector or Procurator, for they received fraternal correction +by way of warning for the least neglect, nor was there given any place +for excuse, but every man did humbly acknowledge his fault, and was +forward to promise amendment. But if any were not ready to obey, +or should cling stubbornly to what was good in his own eyes Father John +would chide him more sternly as the manner of the fault and the quality +of the person did demand. Sometimes fired with yet greater zeal +for discipline and in order to affright the other Brothers he would +say to some that were ill content, or slow to take his Orders: “Lo! +the door standeth open. If any will go forth, let him go: I would +rather have one that is obedient than many that are disobedient. +By the favour of God I may readily find others who will cheerfully do +what ye refuse.” Thus by the voice of his authority +he would curb the ill-contentment of some. Also he used to say +that unwilling and sluggish Brothers were false prophets who thought +that naught was profitable save what was good in their own eyes.</p> +<p>Once it happened that the elder Reyner was sent out with some other +Brothers to guard the reeds, lest the cattle that passed by might chew +and injure them. But when the time for the midday meal came all +the rest went in, and Reyner alone remained on watch in the fields, +and afterwards he, too, went in to take his sustenance. Then he +was asked wherefore he had not come in with the others at the appointed +hour, and he answered that he had remained outside thinking to do the +more good thereby, and prevent danger to their stuff. But Father +John replied, “Would that the beasts had despoiled all our goods +so that thou hadst come in with the rest as in duty bound. This +would have pleased me better.” Then was Reyner deeply +penitent, and groaning he prostrated himself humbly on the ground asking +for pardon, and saying that he would never do the like again. +But yet John was full of comfort and kindness to those that were tempted +or oppressed with any weighty matter, for he had the gracious power +of consoling all, whatever might be the cause for which they came to +him. Master Gerard himself often sent divers persons to be instructed +by him in the way of God, saying to them, “Go to blind John of +Ummen, that devout and upright man, and whatsoever he saith unto you, +do it.” He also bore this witness about John, saying “That +blind man hath better sight than all that are in Zwolle,” meaning +that though he lacked natural sight, yet was he illumined inwardly by +the radiance of truth, and showed the way of eternal salvation to many +that resorted to him, and gave them the guidance of the true light.</p> +<p>Among these early Brothers so great was the zeal of their love that +each strove to surpass the other in doing work that was humble; and +they were eager in lowly service one to the other. So while one +was asleep another would rise up earlier than was customary and finish +his work; but if any were somewhat slower in going forth to his labour, +some other that was quicker would take his place, and it was often found +that some task was finished though none knew who had done it. +By this means was charity shown in deed, and humility of heart was preserved, +according to the saying, “Love to be unknown.”</p> +<p>All that dwelt in the House were stirred up by a like devotion to +do menial tasks and fulfil humble offices. Wherefore the clerks +and weavers would not avoid the work in the fields, but when called +thereto at harvest time they would go forth with the rest to gather +in the sheaves of corn. Following the rule of obedience, and acting +for the common good, they made the hay, or dug the ground, or planted +herbs, whenever such work must needs be done. So, too, holy David +doth praise them that fear God, and doth minister sweet words of consolation +to them that labour well, saying: “Thou shalt eat the labour of +thy hands, well is thee and happy shalt thou be.”</p> +<h3>CHAPTER IV.</h3> +<p><i>Of the scanty food and raiment of the Brothers, and how wondrously +God did provide for them</i>.</p> +<p>Who can tell how poor was their food while they laboured at their +daily toil? Their victual was coarse, their drink ungenerous, +their raiment simple and rude, so that naught did minister to the lusts +of the flesh, but the needs of the body were satisfied soberly enough. +They were often compelled to eat food that was of evil savour through +lack of better victual; but constant toil and hunger made herbs and +pulse to be pleasant to the taste. Fish was given to the community +seldom, and eggs more rarely still, but yet of their goodwill the Brothers +would give these to the sick, or to strangers, if by any means they +could get such things. Wherefore one hath said, “When the +reign of poverty is long, pleasure doth endure but a little space.”</p> +<p>On certain days the rule allowed them to eat flesh meats, but if +at such times a larger mess was set before them, yet was it not more +daintily cooked. Furthermore, certain amongst them, who while +they dwelt in the world had been taught to love a very different fare, +were now content with scanty and coarse food, doing great violence to +their lusts thereby; but yet they bore all these things patiently after +that saying of Christ, “The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, +and the violent take it by force.” Sometimes when supper +was ended scarce aught did remain to be divided amongst them on the +day following; at other times there was lack of utensils or cooking +pots, or suitable food would fail; but God the Maker of all things, +who of old did feed the people in the wilderness, did not desert the +Brothers on the Mount. So it once came about that when they had +consumed almost all their food, Gerard the cook being anxious for the +morrow, made his lack known to Father John, saying sadly “What +shall I set before them to-morrow?” But John consoled his +sadness with kindly words, and exhorted him to have faith in the Lord, +who doth not fail them that hope in Him. And when that day had +drawn on to evening, Everard of Eza, Curate of Almelo, came unexpectedly +in his chariot as if sent by God to comfort the poor. He was received +by the Brothers eagerly and reverently, and they brought him in as if +the Hospice was his own, for he loved the House and all that dwelt therein +by reason of their utter poverty and their simple manner of life, and +because their desire was to hinder none, but to profit all men; moreover +he was united to Father John by a special bond of love. Wherefore, +when he had determined to travel to Windesem, or had business at Zwolle, +he delighted to come first to the Brothers on the Mount; and being a +mighty shepherd of souls as well as a most skilful physician, he alighted +from his carriage and fed souls that were in want thereof with the fodder +of the Holy Word, and likewise cheered the faint of heart by giving +them the food they lacked. He had brought with him fine meal, +and flesh, and he gave the same to the Brothers for their common use; +and they receiving the gifts he offered were all comforted by their +better fortune, and gave thanks to God and to Everard that of his bounty +he had provided for them and succoured them in their so great need. +At another time, also, divers poor Clerks had been called from Zwolle +to help them in some work, wherefore certain of the Brothers went down +to fish in the brook Vecht, whose course is near to the mountain. +So they let down their nets in the name of Jesus, and by the grace of +God, who made all waters, there were taken of the fish called bream +a number equal to the number of their guests.</p> +<p>At that time Gerard Bronchorst, a Canon of Utrecht, and a great friend +to the devout, was in authority at Deventer, and he gave two cows to +our Brothers on the Mount, but forasmuch as God would prove their patience +and increase their faith, one of the cows died, though the other one +remained whole. And the wondrous goodness of God provided that +the one should give so large a yield of milk as to suffice for all the +Brothers, though they would have thought that they would scarce get +enough from two. Then was seen the fulfilment of the word of the +prophet Esaias, who saith: “It shall come to pass in that day +that a man shall nourish a young cow, and for the abundance of the milk +he shall eat butter.”</p> +<p>At the beginning of their common life the Brothers were despised +by worldlings, and they bore patiently the derision of them that passed +by; also they were called by vile names in scorn, and suffered much +evil speaking and many injuries from the envious; but the patience of +the good overcame the malice of the froward, and the freedom of their +good conscience gave them the greater joy because of the scorn that +was cast upon them. For although men that were ill-disposed would +insult these poor little ones of Christ, and blushed not to speak evil +of the innocent, yet many that feared God would praise their holy conversation; +such men assisted them with kindly deeds and help, being moved thereto +by pious reasons.</p> +<p>One of the community, a Lay Donate and an upright man, was employed +in feeding the cattle, and as he was driving an herd of swine in the +field he met an ancient crone, who began to abuse him and to hurl unseemly +words at him. And the devout Brother answered her gently, saying, +“Good dame, tell me my faults freely, and chide me sternly, for +I greatly lack such chastisement,” but the woman hearing this +was smitten with inward remorse, and said in a changed voice: “What +should it profit me to help you to the kingdom of heaven, but myself +to hell!” for she perceived that by her chiding the Brother earned +fresh merit, but she punishment for her frowardness.</p> +<p>It came to pass that as two of the Brothers were at work together +out of doors, one by mischance did unwittingly hurt the other somewhat, +and he who had done the injury prayed the other to pardon him for God’s +sake. But the Brother who was hurt in body was whole in heart, +and said: “Even if thou hadst slain my father I would freely pardon +thee,” and those that stood by and heard his saying were edified, +and glorified God for the gracious words that proceeded from the sufferer’s +mouth. May these few things that I have told of the early deeds +of our elders be pleasing to the reader.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER V.</h3> +<p><i>Of the consecration of the first chapel and altar at Mount St. +Agnes</i>.</p> +<p>On the Vigil of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, and in the year +of our Lord 1395, was consecrated the first chapel on the Mount of St. +Agnes the Virgin, and the first altar therein was dedicated in honour +of that saint, and of the most blessed Mary Magdalene, by Hubert, the +Suffragan and Vicar-General for Pontifical Acts to our most Reverend +Father and Lord, Frederic, Bishop of Utrecht.</p> +<p>And after the rite of Consecration, when the Dedication Festival +was at hand, being the Sunday after the Nativity of St. John, Reyner, +the Curate of Zwolle, came and was the first to sing a Solemn Mass in +the chapel, wherein he offered the sacrifice of perpetual praise to +God, for he was friendly disposed to the Brothers, and at unity with +them. So from that day forward the Holy Mysteries of our Redemption +were celebrated there by Priests and Clerks, and on festivals, hymns +to the praise of God were sung to stir up devotion of heart.</p> +<p>Having made this holy beginning, the lowly band of Brothers was kindled +to a still greater love of the worship of God, but in after time, when +the new and larger church in the monastery was builded and consecrated, +the dedication of this former chapel was transferred to the latter by +licence of the Bishop, but as was more seemly, it was dedicated first +to St. Mary and afterward to St. Agnes. After this, when nearly +three years had gone by, the desire of the Brothers to build a monastery +burned fiercely within them, and the elder amongst them especially, +with their Rector, were eager to do this work and carry it forward with +all speed, for certain urgent reasons did compel them. They saw +that without monastic discipline the way of life in the House could +not continue to be ordered duly, and therefore they determined that +the habit of an holy order must be their refuge, for they were instant +to make prudent provision for themselves and those that should come +after, and to stop the mouths of them that spoke evil, because such +men did strive with the cunning of this world to disturb the lowly and +simple lives of the Brothers. Moreover, though they were still +poor and had not things suitable to their need—either proper buildings +or service books—yet did they try to begin the work, trusting +in the mercy of God and heartened by the help of good men. And +one spake of them and marvelled that men so poor should wish to build +a monastery and to take religious vows, though they had no hope of increase, +but Father John of Ummen, ever a lover of poverty, answered him, saying: +“I have always heard from holy men that poverty is good, being +both the cause of all good and the means of increasing the same.”</p> +<h3>CHAPTER VI.</h3> +<p><i>Of the year and place in which the first four Brothers were invested</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1398, on the 18th day of January, being the +Feast of St. Prisca, Virgin and Martyr, our Right Reverend Lord Frederic +of Blanckenhem, the renowned Bishop of Utrecht, issued his license to +the devout priests, Egbert van Lingen, and Wolfard, the son of Matthias, +and to the other Clerks and Lay Brothers that dwelt on Mount St. Agnes, +in Nemel, near Zwolle, for it was his desire to increase the glory of +God, and to promote the cause of Holy Religion. By the full authority +vested in him he gave them leave to build a monastery for the Order +of Canons Regular in any fit and proper place in his diocese, so that +they might worthily and devoutly serve as the soldiers of Almighty God +in the Regular Order, following the rule of the blessed Augustine. +So having obtained this licence in their favour, they chose a place +in the freehold land that is called Westerhof, in the district of Gherner +and the parish of Dalvessen, the curate of which parish, who was an +honourable man named Frederic Denter, giving his assent to their purpose. +They determined to set their monastery here because they had found no +other site that was fitting, although they sought anxiously elsewhere +a place of habitation. At this time the men of Zwolle would not +suffer a monastery to be builded upon the Mount at Nemel, though this +was done in after days by the favour of God, but Egbert Mulart had given +them this land at Westerhof. He was a most upright man, and one +in authority, being of gentle lineage in Hasselt, and he was a trusty +friend and a special patron of the devout. Here then they builded +for their first need a small chapel, which they let consecrate in honour +of Mary, the most Blessed Mother of God, and also other buildings of +moderate size, and they reverently called the place “The Garden +of the Blessed Mary,” in honour of Christ’s gentle Mother. +When these things were done, the day drew nigh on which the Brothers +of this House should be invested there. Now on the day of the +Lord’s Annunciation, which is the solemn Feast of the Blessed +Mary ever Virgin, Mother Church doth celebrate throughout all the world +the first act of our Redemption. So that when that holy day had +dawned with fair sunshine there came the Reverend Lord Hubert, Bishop +of Yppuse, and Suffragan to our Lord Bishop of Utrecht, for he had been +summoned thither upon that day. And when the waxen tapers and +crosses and the other ornaments were ready, he there consecrated the +burial ground, and the three altars, and then at the High Altar, which +he had dedicated, he sung Mass with solemn music.</p> +<p>Afterward, in his reverend presence, and in the face of a large company +of other religious, both Clerks and Lay, Brothers who had come together +from every quarter to keep this Festival, the first four Brothers of +our House were invested by that reverend and devout man, John Wale, +Prior of the Regulars in the state of Zwolle, for he had been summoned +for this very purpose. This number four did mystically signify +the number of the four Evangelists, and the names of these Brothers, +which are worthy to be cherished by them that come after, are here set +down. The first was Brother Egbert of Lingen, who had been chosen +for the priesthood by the Brothers on the Mount three years before this +time.</p> +<p>The second was Brother Wolfard, son of Matthias of Medenblike, a +priest of great age.</p> +<p>The third was John Ummen, a Clerk who came from Campen, a kinsman +of John of Ummen, our first founder. The fourth was Dirk of Kleef, +a Clerk who came from that state. These four made their profession +on the same day, and when the Divine Mysteries had been celebrated, +and their bodies had been refreshed, they spent the day in spiritual +rejoicing and brotherly love. Brother Egbert was the Senior in +standing and took the place of Rector of the House until a new Rector +appointed by the Chapter should come; then he gave place to Brother +Wolfard and stood humbly behind him. The Clerks who were not yet +invested with the habit of the Order were these:—Wichbold, son +of John of Deventer, Henry Huetinc of Deventer, John of Kempen, of the +diocese of Cologne, Hermann of Kempen, of the same diocese.</p> +<p>After Easter, when a general Chapter was held by the Fathers at Windesem, +these were received into the Order, and their names were set down and +written as members of the Fellowship of Houses belonging to us: the +Fathers also provided them a suitable Rector, and after a little space +that religious and devout Brother, Egbert Lingen, was sent to them. +He had been a member of the Monastery of St. Saviour, at Emsten, and +for about a year, that is, until the coming of the new Prior, he ruled +over the House, as will be shown hereafter. Throughout the summer +of this same year the Pestilence was heavy at Deventer, Zwolle, Campen, +and the neighbouring towns and districts, so that it often happened +that twenty or thirty men were buried in one day in the divers parishes +of these towns.</p> +<p>About this time and on the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the +Baptist, died Reyner, Curate of Zwolle, and two priests that were his +chaplains. He was a good man and pitiful to the poor, and ever +cherished a special devotion to St. John the Baptist. At this +time also died many devout persons, both men and women.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER VII.</h3> +<p><i>How the monastery was removed from Westerhof to Mount St. Agnes</i>.</p> +<p>In the same year of the Lord 1398, on the 26th day of the month of +August, two days before the Festival of our Holy Father Augustine, did +that most kindly Lord Frederic, by the grace of God, Bishop of Utrecht, +issue a further licence. He did ever most faithfully promote the +interests of our House, and was our special patron, and he had compassion +upon the Brothers who were invested a short time before at Westerhof, +in that they were ill-content with the place, and ill-provided for there, +by reason of divers hindrances and impediments that were not agreeable +to the religious life. The Bishop therefore, hearing of these +hindrances and the true causes thereof, gave them licence to transfer +themselves and all their goods from the aforesaid place to Mount St. +Agnes, so soon as might be convenient, and to retain the same rights +and privileges as he had before conferred upon them. Thus for +the second time they obtained his full and gracious consent to their +desires, and Conrad Hengel, then Vice-Curate of Zwolle, likewise assented +to their pious wishes.</p> +<p>Therefore on the eve of the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross +they returned to the place that they had long possessed and where the +greater number of their friends still continued to dwell, with blind +John of Ummen; they left, however, some few Lay Brothers at Westerhof +to arrange their affairs.</p> +<p>Moreover the Bishop of Utrecht had given them a licence for the consecration +of a burial-ground for the use of the monastery that they should found +on Mount St. Agnes. But when Hubert, the Bishop Suffragan, came +for this purpose and entered into Zwolle, he was not allowed to continue +his journey to the Mount until the Magistrates had first spoken with +the Lord Bishop of Utrecht, for they thought to dissuade him from his +opinion. From this cause the consecration of the burial-ground +was delayed for the space of a year, until the return of the Bishop +of Utrecht, for the said Bishop during the year had gone to the Curia +at Rome, and he ordered that the cause of both parties should be put +off and await his coming and presence on his return. But when +he had come back from Rome and entered his own country in safety, certain +of our Brothers came to him and asked him once more to give permission +for the consecration of the burial-ground, and he, yielding to the importunity +of his friends, did freely grant their petition. So he issued +his commands again and ordered the consecration of this place, for he +loved it and paid no heed to the complaints of the adversaries, since +he preferred the honour of God and the progress of religion rather than +the unjust words of worldlings, who, as is well-known, do often oppose +the desires of good folk. From that time forward he showed special +love to the House on the Mount, and extended to it yet fuller patronage, +so that one day when he was riding round the mountain on his way to +Zwolle, he asked one of his companions, saying: “What is this +place, and what manner of men dwell here?” and his Vicar answered +him: “Beloved Lord, dost thou not yet know that place? This +is thy monastery, this is Mount St. Agnes, and the Brothers of the Mount +dwell there.” And the Bishop made answer: “It is well—may +God preserve them.”</p> +<p>It came to pass in this same year, 1398, in the month of September, +when the Plague was still amongst us that a well-disposed Lay Brother +named John, son of Faber, who was smitten with the pestilence, came +from Zwolle to the mountain, and sought hospitality in the name of God. +And being received in charity, his disease grew heavy upon him, and +he died on the Feast Day of St. Maurice the Martyr. But after +his death certain of the Clerks and Lay folk, being infected with the +Plague, were taken from this life after a little while, but several +others grew whole of their sickness, for the Lord had mercy upon them.</p> +<p>Lastly, on the day after the Feast of St. Francis the Confessor died +John, son of Nicolas of Campen, a Lay Brother of great age, who had +been the gardener.</p> +<p>On the day of the translation of our holy Father, Augustine Gerard +Bou left this bodily life. He was a man of great strength, who +had been a farmer, and his native land was Holland.</p> +<p>On the Feast of St. Calixtus, Pope and Martyr, died Hermann Restikey, +a Clerk of the diocese of Cologne; he was born in the town of Kempen, +and was well learned and skilled in singing and in binding books. +When he drew near to death he asked that a taper might be lighted quickly +and given into his hands, and holding this above his breast he began +to say devoutly and often to repeat: “Mary, Mother of Grace, Mother +of Mercy, do thou protect us from the enemy and receive us in the hour +of death,” and having said this, he breathed forth his soul.</p> +<p>On the day after the Feast of the Eleven Thousand Holy Virgins, John +of Kempen fell asleep in the Lord; he was a devout Clerk of the diocese +of Cologne who had just been received into the Religious Order, but +he died or ever he could take the habit, for death was beforehand with +him. He was kinsman to the aforesaid Hermann, whom he had persuaded +to withdraw from the life of the world when he was Sublector in the +town of Campen. These greatly loved one another in life and death, +they came from one city and province, they were of one heart in their +good purpose, and alike steadfast therein. This John, who continued +a longer space in the service of God, was a man of great kindliness +and sobriety, and was well skilled in the work of husbandry. For +at harvest time when all must labour more than usual he was diligent +in helping therein. And sometimes at night he would gather in +the crops of the poor, and often wearied himself by this work of piety; +but in this year the weather was very rainy, and the crops were in such +danger that he gathered in those that grew in the watery places, and +binding them into sheaves carried them on his own shoulders out of reach +of the waters.</p> +<p>On the Feast Day of the Saints Crispin and Crispian died Wichbold, +son of John of Deventer, a man of good lineage. For a long time +he lived a devout life in Zwolle, but afterward finished his days yet +more devoutly on the Mount. Being an eager lover of the Scriptures +he edified many by his holy discourse. On the Feast Day of St. +Martin the Confessor, Henry of Deventer fell asleep in Christ; he was +a Clerk and the companion and fellow citizen of Wichbold, and likewise +a very humble and gentle man. One day he was plastering the inner +walls of the cells in the dormitory of the Brotherhood with soft mortar +in company with another Clerk. But it happened that as the mortar +was somewhat violently dashed on to the wall some did come through the +cracks of the battens into Henry’s face (for he was standing on +the other side of the wall) and befouled him greatly. But he who +had done the deed, looking to see who had been bespattered by the mortar, +and seeing the Brother who was so greatly loved with his face befouled, +implored his pardon in dolorous wise. But Henry was rather merry +than vexed, and answered: “There is no hurt done, be not disturbed. +I care not for it.” So gentle was he that none ever saw +him angered or heard him complain.</p> +<p>The day after the Feast of Brixius, Confessor and Bishop, died Hermann +of Laer, a man of great age who came from Campen.</p> +<p>On the Vigil of St. Thomas the Apostle, died Gerlac ten Water, a +Clerk of the town of Kampen. He had a deep devotion to the Blessed +Virgin, and was still in the flower of his youth, but in this same year +he left the world and his parents and entered the monastery with joy, +and he made a good end to his life when came the time appointed for +him to die. These were buried in the Chapel of St. Agnes, which +afterward became the Chapter House, because there was no other consecrated +ground in the which they could be buried. But as the space was +very narrow, some were buried in a neighbouring spot, because it was +hoped that a burial-ground would soon be consecrated there.</p> +<p>But in the year 1407, in the time of William Vorniken, the second +Prior, and after the consecration of the new chapel, the bones of some +of these Brothers were taken up and buried again in the other burial-ground +on the western side of the chapel, where now several Lay Brothers who +knew them lie buried also.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast day of St. Martin, the Bishop, Brother +Egbert Linghen, the first Rector, invested two converts; their names +being Brother John, son of James of Hasselt, and Brother John Eme of +Zwolle.</p> +<p>In the year 1399, on the Feast of St. Gregory the Pope, Brother Godefried +of Kempen, who was born in the diocese of Cologne, was invested by the +first Rector. He was a skilful writer and singer, and he wrote +one missal for the High Altar, and three Antiphonaries, and likewise +illuminated several books. Also he painted and adorned the altars +of the church most beautifully with the figures of saints.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER VIII.</h3> +<p><i>How John Kempen was chosen as the first Prior of Mount St. Agnes</i>.</p> +<p>In the year 1399, after Easter, John of Kempen, one of the community +at Windesem, was chosen to be Prior of the House of Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>By the help of God, he, the first Prior, did govern the affairs of +the House, with the many poor inmates, zealously and devoutly for nine +years. Also he added to the possessions of the monastery in laudable +wise, providing buildings and books and other things needful. +He it was that ordered the building of the chief part of the church +walls, and he made ready much timber for the finishing of the roof. +He began to plant an orchard on the south side of the cloister, and +he set forest trees round it on every side. This is that very +garden that Gerard Groote, long before, pointed out to the Brothers +that they should grow their herbs therein. For a long time wheat +was grown, but a great while after herbs were planted.</p> +<p>In the days of the Prior, mountains and hills were made low, and +hollow valleys were filled up: then was fulfilled to the letter that +which is written in Esaias, a text oft spoken of by the Brothers in +the midst of their toil: “Every valley shall be filled and every +mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight +and the rough ways plain” . . .</p> +<p>It is no easy task to tell with what toil and sweat this mountainous +place was turned into a level plane, and this sandy soil made abundantly +fruitful. Very heavy and long was the labour of preparing a site +for the burial-ground and church, for here the slope was steeper than +in other places, and extended over the whole face of the ground. +Yet by little and little and by labour done at divers times this hill +was taken away and the matter thereof thrown outside the boundary wall +into a deep valley toward the north: so that to the wonder of many scarce +a trace of the said hill could be seen. And the Brothers who worked +by turns there would say to one another: “True is the word of +the Lord which He spake: ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard +seed ye shall say to this mountain, be thou removed from hence hither +and it shall be done!’ But since faith without works is +dead, we do firmly believe that if we put our hand to this work in the +name of the Lord, we shall quickly remove this mountain.” +So it was done, not to this mountain only but also to others that stood +round about the monastery when the boundaries thereof began to be enlarged +and to be surrounded by a wall of stone. Besides this Prior John +set up the following needful buildings: namely, a Refectory for the +Brothers and another for the Lay Folk, a kitchen and cellar, and cells +for guests, also a sacristy for Divine service between the choir and +the Chapter House. And he himself was the first among them that +laboured, and would carry the hod of mortar, and dig with the spade +and throw the earth into the cart. When he had leisure he was +instant in reading holy books, and often worked at writing or illuminating. +He caused several books to be written for the choir and the library, +and because they were poor he appointed certain Brothers to write for +sale, as was the custom from old time. This many of the Brothers +were zealous to do, but others set themselves manfully to the tasks +without.</p> +<p>In the year 1399, Indulgences were granted to the people of Zwolle +by the Apostolic See, and Pope Boniface the Ninth granted these to be +gained by all that were truly penitent at the Church of St. Michael +on the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, and on the Feast of St. +Michael.</p> +<p>In this same year, I, Thomas of Kempen, a scholar at Deventer and +a native of the diocese of Cologne, came to Zwolle to gain indulgences. +Then I went on, glad at heart, to Mount St. Agnes, and was instant to +be allowed there to abide, and I was received with mercy. Afterward, +on the day before the Feast of St. Barbara the Virgin, came William, +son of Henry of Amsterdam, who also, at that time, lived at Deventer +with the devout Clerks.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER IX.</h3> +<p><i>How the Burial-ground at Mount St. Agnes was consecrated</i>.</p> +<p>In the same year, 1399, after the Feast of St. Remigius, the Prior +and Brothers of our House took counsel and aid from their friends, and +busied themselves about the consecration of the burial-ground, which +ceremony had been delayed for a long while because of the hindrances +above named. But when they knew that our Lord of Utrecht had returned +from the Curia at Rome they came to him in Wollenhoven, where he then +lived, and readily obtained their petition through the mediation of +their most trusty friends, the noble Sweder of Rechteren and the priest +Henry de Ligno.</p> +<p>So that Bishop Frederic, our most kindly lord, delayed not to send +to his Suffragan bidding him to come with all speed and consecrate the +burial-ground on the Mount, and the Suffragan also when he had read +the letter of his Superior was found eager to perform this pious act; +and he came without delay with the messengers who had been sent to him, +and on the day after the Feast of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, and at +about the hour of Vespers, he consecrated the burial-ground that lieth +within the cloister of the monastery, the Prior, Brothers, Clerks, and +servants of our House being present at the ceremony. When the +rite had been performed duly, a gentle rain fell and watered the consecrated +ground with the dew of heaven, and all that dwelt thereabout rejoiced +with great joy, for that the place had been consecrated by the Bishop, +and that the mouths of the adversaries who strove to hinder the foundation +and progress of the monastery were evidently stopped.</p> +<p>So when the rite of consecration had been performed by the authority +of the Bishop, he went himself on another day to Windesem and there +consecrated the new choir and the four altars.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER X.</h3> +<p><i>Of the Brothers who were invested by John of Kempen, the first +Prior</i>.</p> +<p>In the days of this venerable man our first Prior and Father, seven +Clerks and three Converts were invested, and the day and year of their +investiture are written below. Likewise he received the profession +of Brother Godefried of Kempen who was then about twenty years of age.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1401, on the day after the Dispersion of +the Apostles, was invested Brother John Drick of the city of Steenwyck +in the diocese of Utrecht. He was before a priest, and Vicar of +Steenwyck, and after less than a year of probation he made his profession +by licence of the Prior of the Superior House, on the birthday of St. +John the Apostle; and he afterward was chosen Procurator.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast day of St. Brixius, Bishop and Confessor, +was invested William, son of Henry (who was called William Coman) of +Amsterdam in the State of Holland. He was now twenty-three years +of age and had lived with the devout Brothers at Deventer, but Florentius +Radewin, before his death, sent him to Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day before the Feast of St. Catherine the +Virgin, was invested Brother Frederic, a Convert who was born in Groninghen +in the State of Frisia, and lived for a long while on Mount St. Agnes +with the first founders of the monastery.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1402, on the Vigil of the Nativity of Christ, +was invested Brother Gerard, son of Tydeman, who was born in Wesep, +a town in Holland: he wrote divers works for the use of the monastery +and for sale. In the year of the Lord 1403, on the day of St. +Pontianus the Martyr, was invested Conrad, a Convert; he was a tailor +and was born in the Countship of Marck.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1405, on the Festival of the Four Crowned +Martyrs, Brother Alardus, a priest, and John Benevolt of Groninghen +were alike invested: Alardus was forty-six years old and a Frisian by +nation; he had been Curate at Pilsum, which was his native place, and +was a good and devout man.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1406, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, which +fell in that year on the day before the Feast of St. Barnabas, two brothers +that were Clerks, and one that was a Convert, were invested. These +were Thomas Hemerken of the city of Kempen in the diocese of Cologne, +and own brother to John of Kempen the first Prior. The father +of these was called John and their mother Gertrude. The other +Clerk was called Oetbert Wilde of Zwolle, whose father’s name +was Henry and his mother’s Margaret. The Convert was Arnold +Droem of Utrecht who brought great wealth to the monastery and was in +charge of the Refectory.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XI.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of Brother Wolfard, Priest in the Monastery of Mount +St. Agnes</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1401, on the Feast of the Holy Martyrs John +and Paul, Brother Wolfard, son of Matthias, died in the monastery pertaining +to our order, which is called the House of the Blessed Virgin in the +Wood, and lieth near Northorn. He came from Medenblic, a town +in Holland, and was one of the four first Brothers of our House. +He was a man of great stature and grave deportment, eloquent in discourse, +and his hoary head was comely to look upon. He took part in the +labours of the younger Brothers, and would perform lowly tasks, such +as washing the trenchers, digging the ground, carrying stones, or collecting +wood. It was his wont to come early into the choir, to be alert +in watching, enduring in fasting, careful in celebrating the Mass, and +devout in prayer. Once he was asked by a Religious what he had +eaten during Advent, and whether he had had eggs from time to time; +and he made answer: “Blessed be God, throughout Advent I have +seldom taken eggs or fish, but I have eaten pulse only and have kept +the fast in great contentment.”</p> +<p>So when by the ordinance of God the end of his life was at hand, +and the time when his good deeds should receive a better crown, he made +a most edifying end after the manner and order following:</p> +<p>At that time and in this year there was a notable pestilence in our +House of the Blessed Virgin in the Wood, whereof the Prior and many +Brothers died, and the one priest who survived, Brother John of Groninghen, +a weakly and feeble man, was left desolate save for the presence of +one novice, Brother Honestus. But our Brother Wolfard, hearing +of the death of these Brothers, and of the grief of them that were left +desolate, was greatly moved with compassion for this House. One +day, therefore, when girt for labour, he said in a tone of pity to me, +as I stood by him, “Who could deserve to have his portion with +these good Brothers of Northorn, and to earn an end like theirs?” +For he had known divers of these Brothers, and the place where they +dwelt, and he loved their holy company. And as he was telling +me many good things concerning them, Brother Arnold, a Convert from +Northorn, entered in at the gate of our monastery to ask for one of +our priests and when Brother Wolfard saw him coming he ran joyfully +towards him and embraced him. But hearing the cause of his coming, +he said that he himself was ready to go with him if it were pleasing +to the Prior, and his obedience should permit. And Arnold, seeing +his readiness to come, rejoiced thereat, and said: “Most beloved +Brother, how good would it be that thou shouldest do so.” +Then the Brothers were called together and considered who should be +sent to succour those Brothers in their strait, and they determined +upon Brother Wolfard, who was of fitting character and age, and he, +being moved by charity, assented to their resolution. On the next +day at sunrise, he set forth to Northorn with Brother Arnold, being +ready to lay down his life for the Brothers after the example of Christ, +that he might save it everlastingly. So he said farewell to the +Brothers of Mount St. Agnes, who wept at his departure, and left the +monastery never to return thither; but he knew not how soon he should +be removed to a Higher Mount. In thus leaving the place and the +Brothers he overcame his natural man and fulfilled the law of charity, +following, in his death, the example of Christ. Therefore he entered +into the Monastery of Mary, Mother of Christ, which is in the Wood, +and within a few days he there made an end of his life, and was buried +by the Brothers of the House aforesaid. Our Brother Egbert hath +told me that long ago Gerard Groote had said to our brother: “Wolfard, +thou shalt know two conversions,” for in the days of Master Gerard, +Wolfard had begun to be well disposed to the religious life, but afterward +he was turned away to the world: yet after many years, by the grace +of God, it came about that he was again pricked to the heart, and, leaving +his pastoral charge, he changed his worldly life, and was among the +first of the Brothers to take the religious habit, and he thus ended +his life with a happy death struggle.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XII.</h3> +<p><i>How Brother William Forniken was chosen to be the second Prior +in the House of Mount St. Agnes</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1408, on the Vigil of Ascension Day, Brother +William Vorniken, from the Monastery at Windesem, was chosen to be Prior +of Mount St. Agnes. He was the second Prior of our House, which +he ruled for seventeen years, being a lover of poverty and discipline. +After that he was taken away from us he was promoted to the Superior +House at Windesem, and became Father General of all our Order. +He it was who looked to the roofing of the church, the making of new +stalls in the choir, and the provision of fair vestments to be worn +by priests and servers on festivals. Also he enlarged the borders +of the monastery, and surrounded the whole with a wall of stone; he +built a new dwelling for the husbandmen and placed a byre for cattle +near the gate, likewise in the year of his departure he began to make +a mill and to build a brewery. In several places he planted trees +of divers kinds, of which some were fruit trees; and he made smooth +the slopes of the mountain, which for the most part still remained steep, +and this he did by carrying away the sandy soil.</p> +<p>He ordered the altars to be beautified with pictures, and good store +of books to be written for the choir and the library. Yet in the +midst of all these things poverty and simplicity were dear to him, and +with his own hand he illuminated many books. He took divers Lay +Brothers to dwell with him, for he saw with the eye of charity that +they would earn the reward of eternal life by faithfully cleaving to +their holy labours, and living the common life under obedience. +Some of these he received as Donates, others he invested with the habit +of Converts.</p> +<p>During the years that he was Prior he invested fourteen Clerks, whose +names, with the days of their investiture, are written hereafter.</p> +<p>In the year 1408, on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, was +invested Brother Nicholas Creyenschot, a native of the town of Kampen, +a youth in years but upright in character.</p> +<p>In the year 1410, on the Feast of All Saints, two Brothers were invested +together, namely, Wermbold, a priest of Kampen and kinsman to John of +Ummen, and Gerard Ae of Utrecht.</p> +<p>In the year 1411, on the Vigil of the Nativity, three Brothers were +invested together, namely, John the son of Gerard, John Bowman, and +Gerard son of Wolter, a Convert; all these came from Zwolle. In +the year 1413, on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin, +was invested Brother John of Lent, a town one mile from Zwolle. +In the year 1418, on the Vigil of the Nativity, three Brothers were +invested together, namely, Rudolph of Oetmersen in Twenthe, Otto Lyman +of Goch in Geldria, and Henry the son of James of Zwolle.</p> +<p>In the year 1421, on the Vigil of the Nativity, two Brothers were +invested: namely, Henry, son of William, of Deventer, and Deric Veneman +of Zwolle.</p> +<p>In the year 1423, on Easter Eve, two Converts were invested, namely, +Gerard ten Mollen of Zwolle, and Gerard Hombolt of Utrecht.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1424, on the Feast of the Annunciation of +the Blessed Virgin Mary, these three Brothers were invested: John Lap +of the town of Neerden in Holland, Christian Anversteghe of Campen, +and Helmic Braem of Herderwijck in the State of Geldria.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XIII.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of Brother Nicholas Kreyenschot</i>.</p> +<p>In the year 1410, on the Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle, Nicholas +Kreyenschot died just after sunset. He was a youth of good disposition, +and sprang from a notable family of the town of Kampen. He was +about twenty-three years of age, for God dealt pitifully with him so +that his short span of life fulfilled the task of many years, and he +escaped longer struggles in this present life; for eight months and +ten days after his profession he left dwelling in this present world +and departed to the other. The virtue of obedience shone brightly +in him, as was seemly in a good youth. Who should say, “Brother, +come hither,” and Nicholas would not come straightway, or “Begone,” +and he did not straightway depart? Moreover, a good return came +to the monastery through his means. It happened in a time that +he upset and broke a jar, and so grieved was he at this mischance and +loss, that he wept bitterly. Once also he made ready a sharp rod, +and came to the sub-Prior, saying: “I entreat thee, Father, for +God’s sake, to inflict a sharp discipline upon me, for I do often +transgress, nor do I make any progress.” He was buried in +the eastern part of the cloister near the wall of the church and beneath +the steps of our dormitory.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XIV.</h3> +<p><i>Of the consecration of our Church and of four Altars in the House +of Mount St. Agnes</i>.</p> +<p>In the year 1412, on the 8th day of the month of April, being the +Friday after Easter, our church was consecrated, being dedicated in +honour of St. Agnes the Virgin and Martyr of Christ. The rite +was performed by Matthias of Biduane, the Suffragan of our Lord and +Reverend Father in Christ, Frederic de Blanckenhem, Bishop of Utrecht. +Many religious persons and priests were present thereat, namely, the +Prior of Windesem, the Prior of Belheem, Conrad Hengel and John of Haarlem, +who were priests at Zwolle. Many other honourable persons also, +both men and women, young and old, men of the town and men of the country, +came together to this dedication. There was great joy in the hearts +of all, and a general license to enter the monastery was given to strangers, +as our statutes allow to be done on that day only. So when the +consecration had been solemnly performed, the Bishop came forward in +his mitre to consecrate the four altars. First he dedicated the +High Altar in the Choir in honour of the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Mother +of God, St. Agnes the Virgin, and the Apostles of Christ, and he sang +Mass in solemn wise for the dedication of the church and altar.</p> +<p>Then going out of the Choir into the northern aisle of the church, +he dedicated the Altar in the greater chapel in honour of the Holy Cross +and the Blessed Martyrs, and afterwards the Altar which is in the midst +of the church on the left of the Choir in honour of the Blessed Mary +ever Virgin, and of St. Augustine the Bishop, who is Father of our Order.</p> +<p>Lastly, he dedicated the Altar on the south side of the Choir in +honour of the most Blessed Mary Magdalene, St. Catherine, St. Cecilia, +and the Eleven Thousand Virgins.</p> +<p>This done, masses were celebrated at the several altars, and the +Host of Salvation was offered up in all reverence to God. But +after midday, the Brothers being gathered together, he consecrated the +burial-ground for the interment of the dead outside the church and on +the western and southern side thereof.</p> +<p>On that day he granted Indulgences for forty days to them that were +there present, and a like grace to all the benefactors of the church +and all that visited the altars, as was set forth clearly in the Bishop’s +letter concerning the consecration of the church. In this same +church there still stand the two altars that were consecrated in Westerhof +at the first foundation of the House in that place; for these, by consent +of the Bishop of Utrecht, were transferred to this church after the +return of the Brothers from Westerhof. One of these was consecrated +in honour of St. John the Baptist and the Blessed Apostles St. Peter +and St. Paul; this doth stand on the south side of the church. +The other was dedicated in honour of St. James and St. John the Apostles.</p> +<p>The Sunday after the Feast of the Blessed Gallus the Abbot (which +is in the month of October), was appointed to be kept in every year +as the anniversary of the dedication of this church and the several +altars therein; and on this day also is kept the Dedication Festival +of the House of the Blessed Virgin in Windesem and of the Convent of +Nuns at Diepenveen, to the glory and honour of the most Blessed Trinity.</p> +<p>In the same year, when their General Chapter was held at Windesem, +the venerable Fathers of the Canons Regular in Brabant came thereto, +and were accepted and united to our Fraternity, together with the Houses +belonging to them.</p> +<p>In this year from the Feast of Pentecost onward the Canonical Hours +were sung in our church after the monastic manner.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XV.</p> +<p>Of the death of the beloved Father John Ummen, the first Founder +of the Monastery of Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>In the year 1420, in the evening of the 1st day of September, the +Feast of St. Ægidius the Abbot, died that holy and faithful servant +of Christ, John Reghelant, formerly a most beloved disciple of Gerard +Groote, whose discourses he used to hear. He was born of honest +parents, and for several years was educated in Zwolle; but while he +was yet a youth he was diseased in the eyes, and God allowed him to +fall into darkness, and he continued blind to the end of his life; but +yet the less he could see the outer world, the more brightly did the +grace of God illumine him inwardly. His mother, whose name was +Regheland, was devoted to God, and often went on long journeys to visit +the shrines of Saints in company with her blind son, whom she would +lead by the hand, taking him with her to hear sermons in church, and +leading him onward to every good thing.</p> +<p>So when the venerable Master, Gerard Groote, was preaching in Zwolle, +and through God’s inspiration was bringing compunction to many, +the Lord did open the heart of this His servant also, and did inflame +him, wherefore he began to love Gerard much, and often sought to be +instructed by the doctrine of so great a man. For this cause he +left wandering about the world and sought to serve God in quietness, +also he exhorted all that came to him to despise earthly desires, and +take hold on that new life in Christ which Gerard taught by his holy +manner of living.</p> +<p>Therefore he took to him certain men that were well disposed, and +with them he began to live the Common Life in Zwolle, but afterward +they took up their abode upon Mount Nemel (which is now called Mount +St. Agnes), because they wished to dwell outside the tumult of the world. +Here they gathered a larger company, the which he governed for many +years with faithful devotion, assisted by divers helpers, until the +monastery was founded, for he did not fear the many hindrances that +met him. But at length when the monastery was builded, and a Prior +instituted in the canonical manner, John, being filled with brotherly +love, and led by a yet fuller zeal for souls, took with him certain +laymen of ripe age and began to form a new congregation in honour of +the Holy Trinity, in the field of St. John, near Vollenhoe, which congregation, +by the favour of God, he did enlarge greatly. And when in the +process of time the number of the Brothers was multiplied, he and many +others took the habit of the Tertiaries, and he continued to his life’s +end to be the humble servant of the Brothers and their first Rector. +He was one of the first and original disciples of Gerard Groote, and +had many spiritual discourses with him, for it was from Gerard that +he learned the way of an holy life, and he submitted himself and his +little ones fully to Gerard’s counsel and discretion. Being +prevented in due season by God’s grace, Father John was devout, +and is worthy of remembrance, for that going on day by day he reached +forward continually to the things that are before, being a notable lover +of poverty, one that kept lowliness and loved sobriety. He was +the very beauty of purity, a pattern of simplicity, a strong upholder +of discipline, an enemy of sin, a light of virtue, an ensample of devotion, +strong in faith, long suffering in hope, prodigal in charity, and one +that did convert many from the vanity of the world. A few things +concerning him are written in the beginning of this book.</p> +<p>So being wearied by his many years, when the day of his release from +captivity was nigh, and he was dwelling in the house of the Sisters +at Almelo, he fell sick; and having fulfilled seventy years of life, +he fell asleep in the Lord and was buried in the chapel of the Sisterhood +there. After his happy departure, John of Resa, a devout priest, +was chosen as the second minister of the House of St. John, and he sought +and obtained for that House certain privileges that were needful, and +also the consecration of the burial-ground, which things were granted +by the Venerable Frederic, Lord Bishop of Utrecht. After him Christian, +a native of Zeeland, and one that had made his profession, was chosen +as priest to that House, and was the third to administer and rule the +same.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XVI.</p> +<p>Of the pestilence that afflicted mankind, and how some of our Brothers +died in this plague.</p> +<p>In the year 1421 there was a notable pestilence in Deventer, Zwolle, +Kampen, and the neighbouring towns, and during the three months of summer +much people of the land were slain thereby. In the same year, +after the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the Cross was +preached against the heretics of Prague, who stirred up a grievous persecution +against Holy Church, the clergy, and the Christian people; and led away +many faithful persons by threatenings and deceits: likewise they destroyed +monasteries and churches, and put many persons to a cruel death. +In the same year in the month of September the disease laid hold on +certain of our household, for the pestilence did mightily increase, +and on the Octave of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, after High Mass, +a Lay Brother named Nicholas died. He was born in Drenthe, and +had been our miller, a man of good reputation and life, and well beloved +by all that were in the House.</p> +<p>On the Feast of St. Lambert, Bishop and Martyr, and about the hour +of Vespers, died our Brother Oetbert Wilde, a fervent and devout priest. +The Brothers were with him when he died, and they offered up prayers +after the accustomed manner. He was in the thirty-eighth year +of his age, and the fifteenth after his profession: he came from Zwolle, +where he was born of very honest parents, and he loved our patroness +St. Agnes the Virgin with a special devotion. In the beginning +he suffered many weaknesses and temptations, but afterward, by the help +of God, he was changed into another man, mightily uplifted from pusillanimity +of spirit, and endowed with much grace of devotion. He died happily +after a good struggle, and on the next day his body was buried next +to Brother Nicholas Kreyenschot on the eastern side of the cloister, +and Mass and prayers were said for him.</p> +<p>On the Feast of St. Michael, after Vespers had been said, Nicholas, +son of Peter, departed this life. He was a Donate of our House, +and a carpenter, being a man of great stature and mighty strength, and +he had lived for more than twenty years in the House of Mount St. Agnes. +He came from Monekedam in Holland, and having lived with us from the +very beginning of the monastery, he left a good memorial of his skill +and industry in his craft in the building of the church, and the new +stalls for the Brothers in the choir. His body was laid in the +burial-ground of the Laics, toward the south part and near the path.</p> +<p>On the day of St. Jerome the Priest, at about the time when the midday +meal was ended, died Riquin of Urdinghen, a Donate of our House who +attended the sick. He departed after a brief agony, while Litanies +were sung round his death-bed: his native place was in the diocese of +Cologne, and during the twenty-five years that he lived in the House +on the Mount he never visited his friends, nor saw his native land once +he had departed from her. He loved the Blessed Virgin with singleness +of heart, and on the seventh day of the week he abstained from one portion +of pottage out of devotion to her. In these three desires he was +heard of the Lord before his death, namely, to die on an high day, and +amid the Brothers—for he greatly loved them—and to have +a short death struggle; which things were so brought to pass by our +good Lord even as he had desired them out of his good and simple heart.</p> +<p>On the Feast Day of St. Luke the Evangelist, at about the fifth hour +of the morning, died Adam of Herderwijck, a Donate of our House, who +had sojourned in this place for twenty years. He submitted himself +to divers toils and discommodities by his devotion and faithfulness +to the business of the House; he was pitiful to the poor, kindly to +the afflicted, and in this time of stress he ministered with care and +diligence to the Brothers that were sick. His body was laid in +the burying ground of the Laics near the other Donates, and after his +burial the pestilence was stayed, for God had pity on us, and some that +had been smitten by this stroke grew whole of their disease.</p> +<p>In this year, after the Feast of All Saints, Brother Gerard Ae, once +an inmate of the House on the Mount, died in Frisia in the Convent of +the Nuns at Berghen.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of St. Lucia the Virgin, Peter Valkenburrigh +the Priest departed this life. He had lived an humble life for +a long while with the Brothers in the Field of St. John near Vollenhoe, +and he desired to be buried upon Mount St. Agnes, where he had dwelt +in former days, with the first Brothers of the House; for they of the +Field of St. John had not as yet a consecrated burying ground; so he +was laid to rest on the eastern side of ours next to Winald the Priest, +who was once chaplain to our Lord Frederic, Bishop of Utrecht, and a +friend to the Brothers on the Mount.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XVII.</p> +<p>Of the death of William, son of Seger, a Priest in Hasselt.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1422, on the Vigil of Ascension Day, which +was the day following the Feast of St. Potentiana, died that devout +priest, William, son of Seger, the Confessor of the Sisters of the Third +Order at Hasselt. He was born in Zwolle, and was buried, as he +had long desired, on the eastern side of the precinct before the Prior’s +Cell. There were present at his burial these venerable men, namely, +Father Wessel, first Superior of Kleerwater, near Hattem, Father John +Haerlem, Confessor of the Sisters at Zwolle, Father Gerard Trecht, and +Father Stephen Mulart, who were priests in Hasselt. Also many +other honourable men, and friends of the said William, came together +to his burial from the aforesaid towns, and the Prior of the House recited +the burial office with faithful devotion in presence of the Brothers.</p> +<p>After his death Father Gerard Trecht was called by the Fathers of +our Order to rule over the aforesaid Sisters in the room of the departed +Brother.</p> +<p>In the same year, during the days of Pentecost, peace was established +between the men of Utrecht and Holland, and those of Geldria, for during +a whole year they had been at grievous enmity, and many deeds of rapine, +murder, and arson had been wrought in evil wise on both sides.</p> +<p>In the month of September, on the day before the Feast of S. S. Cosmas +and Damianus, Brother John Pric, a priest and inmate of the House of +Mount St. Agnes, died in Thabor in Frisia. He was born in the +town of Steenwyck, and had been Vicar of the Church of St. Clement in +that place, but after several years, at the request of the Prior at +Thabor, he dwelt for a time with the Brothers of that House, and in +the same year many died in the pestilence, amongst whom he also fell +asleep in the Lord, and was buried with the other Brothers in that place +on the eastern side of the cloister. This was his motto for the +novices: “He that doth not accustom himself to exercises of humility +at the beginning of his conversion, and doth not break down his own +will, shall seldom become a good Religious.”</p> +<p>In the month of October, on the day of the translation of St. Augustine +the Bishop, there died at Zwolle that honourable dame, Mary, the widow +of Henry de Haerst, our neighbour. She was truly pious and pitiful +towards the needy, and often came humbly to Mount St. Agnes to hear +the Holy Offices. Moreover, she abstained from all wordly adornments +in her vesture, and she left a good bequest to our Brotherhood on the +Mount, where also she doth lie buried in the church in the same tomb +with Bartold her son.</p> +<p>In the year 1423 there was such mighty cold and frost that endured +from Epiphany even to the Feast of St. Peter’s Chair at Antioch, +that the hardness of the frost brought great masses of ice across the +waters. Wherefore at the beginning of March, when the snow and +ice melted suddenly in the heat of the sun, a great flood of waters +followed, and the dykes were burst by the rushing thereof, so that much +of the corn land was overflowed, and the seeds perished.</p> +<p>In the summer of the same year the boundary wall round our monastery +was finished even from the south to the western side, and a new gate +was made.</p> +<p>In this same year, on Easter Eve, two Converts were invested, namely, +Brother Gerard ten Mollen, and Brother Gerard Hombolt, as is recorded +above.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XVIII.</p> +<p>Of the death of our most reverend Lord Frederic, Bishop of Utrecht.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1423, on the Feast Day of S. Dionysius, +Bishop and Martyr, which is the ninth day of October, that most reverend +and renowned Lord Frederic of Blankenhem, the illustrious Bishop of +Utrecht, went away out of the light of this world, being about eighty +years of age.</p> +<p>He ruled the diocese of Utrecht strenuously and in honourable wise +during thirty years, for the grace of God Almighty succoured him: his +power was increased by many victories, and he gave the Church peace, +his country safety, and his people tranquillity before his death. +This is he that was a potentate of renown, a pillar of the priesthood, +a guiding star to Clerks, a father to the Religious, a friend to all +devout persons, a defender of the orphan, an avenger upon the unjust.</p> +<p>This is he that was the glory of rulers, the delight of subjects, +that upheld dignity among the aged, and uprightness amongst the young, +he was a pinnacle of learning, the ornament of the wise; he gave weapons +to the warriors and a shield to them that strove: he inspired terror +in his foes, and courage in his people; he was an ornament to the nobles, +an honour to princes, a glory to the great ones of the land. Who +could tell his praises in worthy wise, for in his days all was well +ordered in the land of Utrecht! Prelates were honest, and priests +pious in the worship of God; the religious were devout, the virgins +were chaste, the people were fervent in the faith, judges were firm, +and wealth grew abundantly in the cities. In these days also, +schools for learning flourished, especially at Deventer and Zwolle, +and a vast multitude of learners came together from divers states and +regions, both near and afar off. And because the Bishop feared +God, honoured Holy Church, and loved and defended all that served the +Lord, therefore the Majesty on High protected him from the enemies that +were round about, making rebellious nations subject to him, especially +those Frisians who had invaded his territories. Moreover, God +did make his days illustrious by many marvellous deeds, so that an age +of gold seemed to have been granted to his land of Utrecht. But +this did appear more evidently after the Bishop’s death, when +a schism—exceeding lawless and long enduring—arose and increased +among Clerks and people alike. And this the reverend Bishop feared +should come about, for he was a prudent man and a learned; moreover, +he knew the manners of the cities and the seditious ways of some of +the nobles whose insolence he had been able to restrain and subdue with +difficulty, and the exercise of great valour. “After my +death,” said he, “they will know that they have had a good +lord, for they all wish to be masters, and to have none set over them, +wherefore it shall be ill with them.” And he prophesied +truly, for the whole land of Utrecht suffered grievous loss for her +sedition, and shall long mourn the same, as will be shown briefly in +the proper place.</p> +<p>So this illustrious ruler died in his castle that is called Horst, +not far from Utrecht, and his body was brought by a seemly train of +followers to the church at Utrecht where his predecessors were buried, +and there in company with the other bishops in an honoured tomb upon +the right side of the choir he doth rest in peace.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XIX.</p> +<p>Of the death of Brother John Vos of Huesden, who was the second Prior +at Windesem.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1424, on the Saturday following the Feast +of St. Andrew, being the second of December, the venerable Father John +Huesden, who was the second Prior of Windesem, died in the sixty-first +year of his age. He had been a disciple of Master Gerard Groote +and Father Florentius, Vicar of Deventer, and on the Feast of St. Mary +Magdalene, in the year following the investiture of the first Brothers, +he himself was invested there together with Henry Balveren. A +short time after Brother Werner, the first Prior, was absolved from +his office, this John Huesden was chosen the second Prior of the House, +being then in the twenty-eighth year of his age. By the help of +God he continued as Prior for thirty-three years and ruled the House +in a laudable manner: also he was of much profit to the whole Order, +being a most comfortable and kindly Father to all the devout Brothers +and Sisters that were in the whole Diocese, for he was charitably disposed +to all alike. He ordered the writing of many books for the monastery, +being a fervent lover of the holy writings, and was specially devoted +to our Father Saint Augustine, a store of whose books he collected diligently. +He was also at Constance in the days of the General Council, whither +he went in company with John Wale, the venerable Prior of Zwolle, and +the cardinals and other prelates received them both kindly and with +reverence.</p> +<p>Now it came to pass a few days before his death, and within the Octave +of St. Martin the Bishop, that two Brothers came from Mount St. Agnes +to Windesem to commune with the Prior. And one of them had a dream +after this wise, which vision did foretell the Prior’s death; +for he saw the spirits gathered together in Heaven and hastening as +if to the death-bed of some one, and straightway he heard a bell toll +as if for the passing of a dying man, and the sound hereof aroused him, +and he awoke. So rising from his bed and desiring to go to see +what had happened, he perceived no man, for it was before the fifth +hour in the morning, and the Brothers were yet asleep. So, returning +to himself, he kept silence, and the thought came to him that our Father +the Prior should soon depart hence. Yet he told naught of this +vision to any that were in the House, but to a certain Clerk that was +coming from Brabant and journeying in his company he said privately: +“Tell Hermann Scutken, who sojourneth at Thenen, to come quickly +if he would speak with our Father at Windesem, for if the vision that +one hath seen this night is true, I wot that he shall not long abide +here.” So when fifteen days were passed this Reverend Father +died on the day aforesaid after High Mass, and before the midday meal +the Mass of the dead was sung for him, and his body was buried in the +choir before the step of the sanctuary.</p> +<p>On the Vigil of the Epiphany after the death of this venerable Father, +Brother Gerard Naeldwijc, the Procurator of the House, was chosen to +be Prior; but he was greatly grieved thereat, and after a long while +he consented, though against his will. Being lowly and gentle +he might not bear the honour and burden of this place, and he sought +earnestly with many prayers to be relieved from the care of so great +a charge, and when the next General Chapter was held he sought to be +absolved from his office of Prior, which petition was granted to him. +So after he had been absolved, and when the Fathers were still gathered +together, Brother William Vorniken, the Prior of Mount St. Agnes, was +chosen by the same General Chapter to be Prior of the Superior House. +And when he knew of his election he too was stricken with dismay, for +he was afraid of the burden, which is indeed a thing to fear. +So he wept abundantly, saying again and again that he was unworthy, +and striving mightily against this thing in every manner, yet was he +obliged to obey and to take upon himself for Christ’s sake the +yoke of so great a burden, being compelled thereto by his obedience +and the determination of the more part. Therefore, at length, +he consented, and after weeping bitterly he was confirmed and inducted +into the office, and all that were in the House gave thanks to God and +were glad; but the House of Mount St. Agnes was saddened above measure +and wept when her faithful Pastor was taken from her, for she knew none +like to him.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XX.</p> +<p>How Brother Theodoric of Kleef was chosen to be the third Prior of +the House on the Mount.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1425, the House of Mount St. Agnes bereft +of her Pastor (who had been chosen for and translated to the Superior +House) was instant to provide for herself another suitable ruler in +accordance with the canons. Wherefore the Brothers were gathered +together, and on the Saturday after Pentecost the Mass of the Holy Spirit +was celebrated after the monastic manner, and all the members of the +Chapter came together to the Chapter House. When the opinion of +each had been heard, Brother Theodoric of Kleef, our Sub-Prior, was +chosen, and those venerable Fathers, the Prior of Windesem and the Prior +of the House of the Blessed Virgin, near Northorn, took part in this +election, and confirmed the same as an holy act by the authority committed +to them.</p> +<p>Brother Theodoric was one of the elder Brothers of this same House, +and had been among those that were first invested: he had a long training +in the good life, and he wrote summer and winter Homilies together with +certain other books.</p> +<p>After his election as Father and third Prior of our House, many evils +befel in the diocese of Utrecht, which same did mightily afflict our +House and all the devout in the land. This was by reason of a +schism between Sueder of Culenborgh, who was confirmed as Bishop of +the diocese, and the noble Rodolph of Diepholt, and the long continued +strife between these two did disturb many Clerks and citizens of the +land.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin +Mary, and after Compline, died our Brother Conrad, a Convert. +He was the tailor, and was born in Scyrebeke in the Countship of Marck, +and had lived at Deventer under Florentius, which devout Father sent +him to Mount St. Agnes when he had learned the tailor’s art. +He lived devoutly and humbly with us for many years, making, cleaning, +and mending the raiment of the Brothers, but toward the end of his life +it was his chief delight to think that he had often cleansed their clothing, +for he hoped by his labours in this regard to have cleansed also the +stains of his own sins. He was a man right pure and modest, and +one that loved poverty and simplicity, and he ardently longed to be +released and to be with Christ Jesus and Mary, whom he often called +upon by name at the last: moreover, it was given him to die a peaceful +and an holy death on this day of Her Festival, and his body was laid +in the burying ground within the cloister of the monastery, hard by +the northern gate, toward the wall of the eastern building. In +the same year Sueder of Culenborgh was confirmed Bishop of Utrecht by +the authority of the Apostolic See, and he was accepted by the people +of Utrecht, and of certain other towns, but by the States of Overyssel +he was not received. Wherefore these States were placed under +an Interdict, and a great controversy arose among Clerks and people, +for some observed the Interdict, but the chief ones of the States with +those that clove to them, clamoured against it.</p> +<p>Alas! Holy God! on the day before the Feast of St. Lambert we ceased +from our singing by reason of the Interdict that was published against +us! For this cause the nobles of the land and many of the vulgar +had indignation against us and other Religious, and we suffered many +insults, and at last we were driven to go forth from our country and +our monasteries in order to observe the Interdict.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the holy day of Christ’s Nativity, were +invested two Clerks that had been Probationers a long while, and also +one Convert named James Cluit of Kampen who had studied for some time +at Deventer under John of Jülich, the famous and devout Rector. +The Clerks were Brother Gerard Smullinc of Kleef, who had attended the +school at Zwolle under Master John Cele, the excellent Rector with whom +he dwelt for some space as a fellow commoner: and Brother James Ae, +a Convert from Utrecht, and kinsman to Brother William Vorniken who +was once our Prior.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XXI.</p> +<p>Of the death of Brother Egbert formerly Sub-Prior at the House on +the Mount.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1427, on the day after the Feast of St. Ægidius +the Abbot, and after the third hour of the night, Brother Egbert of +Linghen died at Diepenveen in the House of the Sisters of our Order. +He was Rector and Confessor of that House, and was buried in the church +there, outside the choir and between the two chancels, the Prior of +Windesem being present at his burial.</p> +<p>This Brother was born in the town of Ummen and baptised in the church +of St. Bridget: but when his parents removed to Zwolle, he being a youth +of good disposition began to attend the school under Master John Cele, +and earnestly to profit thereby. And when he heard the honourable +reputation of the House on the Mount he came thither eagerly: now the +elder John Ummen then ruled over it, and his wholesome exhortations +touched Egbert to his good, so being now sufficiently advanced in learning +he left his parents, and in humility and devotion joined himself to +these Brothers—the poor little ones of Christ. Afterward +he was promoted to the Priesthood in this same House, and since the +grace of devotion grew in him, in a short time he, with two others, +took the Religious habit. These three were the first to take it, +and Egbert the first amongst them. Also he was for a time Sub-Prior +of our House on the Mount, being a man of good heart, eloquent in word, +diligent in writing, a comforter of them that sorrowed, quick to forgive +injuries, and one that did rejoice with all his heart at the progress +of others. He adorned many of the chant books in the choir with +beautiful illuminations, and also divers books for our library, and +sometimes those that were written for sale. He loved our House +on Mount St. Agnes above all places that are on the earth, and he laboured +right faithfully for the building thereof. Moreover, when his +parents were dead, he, their only son, received all their goods as their +lawful heir; and these were given for the common use of the Brothers +who had heretofore lived in great lack. Wherefore year by year +memorial is made of him and his parents in the monastery for these benefits, +as is justly due.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XXII.</p> +<p>How our Brothers and other Religious were driven from the land by +reason of the Interdict.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1429, the strife between them that followed +Sueder and them that clave to Rodolph—who had been chosen to be +Bishop—still continued, and heavy threats were made against the +Regulars in that they obeyed the letter of the Apostolic See and the +commandments of Sueder, Bishop of Utrecht. And since they would +not consent to the appeal of Rodolph, nor maintain his cause, they were +driven either to begin again to sing the services of the church or to +depart from the country, they and all their company.</p> +<p>Then did the Priors take counsel with their congregations, and they +chose rather to give place to the people that were enraged against them, +and to be exiles for justice’ sake than to consent to such commandments +to the scandal of all the devout, for these had already gone away from +a great part of the country, leaving their own houses and their native +land.</p> +<p>Therefore, when this grievous choice was made known before the Fathers +and Brothers of our House, there was but one opinion amongst all, namely, +that they must prepare to sojourn in a strange land and so keep obedience +to the Apostolic See, but that they should leave in the monastery certain +of their household that were Lay Brothers, Converts and Donates, who +might keep the House. Thus were the Brothers driven forth, and +they departed publicly before sunset on the Feast of St. Barnabas the +Apostle. Moreover the Brothers of Windesem with their household +went forth toward Northorn, and they of Bethlehem in Zwolle went over +the Yssel to the district of Geldria. But the Brothers of Mount +St. Agnes abode at Hasselt for the first night, and on the next day +they took ship for Frisia meaning to go to their Brothers at Lunenkerc, +to help and comfort that House which they had begun to reform. +And by the help of God, while many of our Brothers sojourned there, +the House soon came to be well ordered. There were together in +the hired ship in which they crossed over twenty-four of our household, +both Clerks and Lay Brothers, and these abode three years in Lunenkerc +for the name of Christ and the Church of God; and the exile from their +own land, which they took patiently, bore notable fruit.</p> +<p>These are the names of our Brothers and the others of our household, +both Clerks and Laics, who were driven from the land of Utrecht and +from our monastery for their obedience in the matter of the Interdict +which they observed for more than a year by command of the Apostolic +See.</p> +<p>First our venerable Father the Prior, who was called Brother Theodoric +of Kleef; the second was Brother Thomas of Kempen, the Sub-Prior; the +third, Brother John Ummen, who was stricken in years and weak; the fourth, +Brother Gerard Wesep; the fifth, Brother John Benevolt; the sixth, Brother +Wernbold Staelwijc; the seventh, Brother John Bouman; the eighth, Brother +Henry Cremer; the ninth, Brother Henry of Deventer; the tenth, Brother +Dirk Veneman; the eleventh, Brother Helmic; the twelfth, Brother Christian; +the thirteenth, Brother James Cluyt; the fourteenth, Brother Gerard +Smullinc; the fifteenth, Brother Cesarius, a Novice; the sixteenth, +Brother Goswin, son of Pistor, a Novice.</p> +<p>Likewise there were two Converts, namely, Brother Arnold Droem and +Brother James Ae; three Clerks that had not yet received the Religious +habit, namely, Hermann Craen, Gosswin ten Velde, and Arnold ten Brincke; +two Donates named Gerard Hombolt and Laurence, and also John Koyte, +a guest and familiar friend of our House. All of these were received +for the first night as the guests of the Sisters at Hasselt, who showed +great charity and humanity towards us, and they lamented and wept bitterly +that we were driven out with violence. But since all the Brothers +could not find room nor beds wherein to sleep, these Sisters had compassion +upon us and brought us their own bedding wherewith they prepared a place +for us to sleep in the stable on the hay and straw, and here we all +slept commodiously enough. Many of the citizens in Hasselt also +had compassion upon us and wept, but certain envious folk that thought +ill of us mocked our Brothers and spake lightly of them, but of these +divers did afterward repent. On the second day, when morning came, +we hired a small ship and came by way of the sea to Frisia, the land +we sought, having taken sustenance by the way; but we used both sails +and oars and gat us across not without great hazard for the wind was +contrary. Thus we went thither for the name of Christ and to keep +obedience to the Holy Roman Church, the which we all desired to obey, +and we committed ourselves to God Who showed forth His mercy toward +us, and snatching us from the peril of the sea brought us safely to +our Brothers in Lunenkerc.</p> +<p>In the year 1430, on the 19th day of December, being the day before +the Vigil of St. Thomas the Apostle, died our beloved Brother John, +a priest who was born at Kampen. He was third among the first +four who received investiture, and he died after midday and was buried +on the right side of Brother Oetbert. He wrote in excellent wise +the Chants in the books that are for use in the choir, for he was a +good singer, and a man of modest character, and showed himself to be +able and skilled in divers kinds of work at harvest time and in the +building of the House. When we were driven forth he went with +the Brothers to Frisia, though he was weak, for he chose rather to share +their exile than to abide alone with a few Lay Brothers to keep the +House. But afterward he was sent back before the rest, for his +sickness compelled us to do this: so having fulfilled thirty-one years +in the Religious Life, he fell asleep in the Lord.</p> +<p>In the year 1431, on the Feast of St. Stephen, Pope and Martyr, Brother +Goswin Becker died in Lunenkerc. He was in the beginning of the +third year after his profession, but was not yet in Holy Orders, and +he was buried in the cloister of the monastery there. He was the +son of one John Limborgh, otherwise Becker, and was born at Zwolle.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XXIII.</p> +<p>Of the return of our Brothers from Frisia to Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>In the year of our Lord 1422 (1432), license was granted to members +of the Religious Orders, and to devout Priests and Canons, to return +to their own places and monasteries which they had left in order to +observe the Interdict of our Lord the Pope, but some few were excepted +as being suspected of taking part in the sedition. Now the Bishop +of Matiskon had been sent as Legate of the Apostolic See to make terms +of peace, and to remove the Interdict that had been pronounced to maintain +the cause of Sueder as against the noble Rodolph, who had been chosen +to be Bishop. Many Prelates and Religious Brothers were gathered +together to meet the aforesaid Legate in the town of Viana, and the +Fathers of our Religious Order and Devotion, the Priors of Windesem +and of Mount St. Agnes together with many others—devout Priests, +who had been obedient to the Interdict—entered into Utrecht rejoicing, +after holding friendly converse with the Legate. Then the Brothers +returned each to his own House bearing with them sheaves of peace, the +reward for their long exile which they had endured outside the diocese, +and so by little and little they returned to their own monasteries eagerly +and with devotion; for some of the Brothers of our House returned on +the eve of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, and some +about the Feast of St. Michael, while a few were left in Frisia to minister +to the needs and preserve the discipline of the House at Lunenkerc.</p> +<p>Through all things blessed be God who alone doeth great marvels!</p> +<p>CHAPTER XXIV.</p> +<p>Of the death of Brother John of Kempen, the first Prior of Mount +St. Agnes.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the fourth day of November, at midnight, died +Brother John of Kempen, the first Rector and Confessor of the Sisters +at Arnheim, being in the sixty-seventh year of his age. He had +been Rector or Prior in divers places and Houses that were newly founded, +namely, at the Fount of the Blessed Virgin, near Arnheim, where he was +the first Rector when that House was founded, and here he invested divers +Brothers: afterward he was chosen to be Prior of Mount St. Agnes and +ruled the House for nine years: then he was sent to Bommel, and he began +the House there with a few Brothers. After this he was chosen +to be Prior of the House of the Blessed Mary, near Haerlem, in Holland, +over which he ruled for seven years. At another time he was deputed +to be the first Rector of the Sisters at Bronope, near Kampen, and at +last he ended his life happily in a good old age and in obedience in +Bethany, which is by interpretation “the House of Obedience,” +and he was buried within the cloister after Vespers. I was with +him and I closed his eyes, for I had been sent by the Visitors to bear +him company, and I abode with him for a year and two months. After +Easter, in this same year, the House of Bethany was incorporated into +the General Chapter.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1433, during Lent, three Clerks were invested, +namely, Brother Hermann Craen of Kampen, Brother John Zuermont of Utrecht, +and Brother Peter Herbort of Utrecht. In the same year died Sueder +of Culenborgh, Bishop of Utrecht, and after his death Pope Eugenius +confirmed Rodolph Diepholt, who had been chosen before, to be Bishop +of the diocese.</p> +<p>In the year 1434, on the Feast of the Conception of the Glorious +Virgin Mary, was invested Brother Bero, a Clerk, of Amsterdam.</p> +<p>In the same year, on July 28th, died Margaret Wilden, a matron of +great age and mother of our Brother Oetbert. She was buried in +the broad passage at her son’s head, and on the northern side +of the cloister.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1436, on the Octave of the Feast of St. Stephen, +Proto-Martyr, Brother John, the first Convert of our House, died in +Beverwijc, near Haerlem. He was a faithful man and prudent in +business, wherefore he was sent abroad with Brother Hugo of the same +House, and bound by his obedience he accepted the mission.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of St. Juliana the Virgin, after Lauds, +died John Benevolt, a Priest of our House, who was born in Groninghen, +a man of great simplicity and innocence; he was buried on the eastern +side of the cloister, on the right of Brother John Ummen.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, +in the first hour after midday, died Brother Alardus, a Priest of Pilsum +and a Frisian by nation. He was well stricken in age, being above +seventy-six years old, and had lived the Religious Life for thirty years. +He was a man of great gentleness, and in the celebration of the Mass +careful and devout. He was ever among the first to go into the +choir and the Common Refectory of the Brotherhood until his last sickness. +It had been his desire to die on this Feast because he had often celebrated +it at the Altar of the Holy Cross, and according to his prayer so it +was done unto him. He often said to me, “The best dish that +is set before me in the Refectory is the Holy Reading, the which I gladly +hear: wherefore I do not absent myself willingly lest I should miss +the fruit of that Holy Reading during the meal. I delight also +in the presence of the Brothers, in that I see the whole congregation +there present taking their food under strict discipline.” +At length he was weighed down with years, and though he could not walk +alone, he came leaning upon a staff to the entrance of the choir to +hear the Brothers singing; then he took holy water, and bowed the knee +toward the High Altar. On the days when he celebrated he often +received a special consolation from God Himself.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1438, on the day after the Feast of St. Gregory +the Pope, died Brother Rodolph, a Priest from Oetmeshem, who had been +Prior of the House of St. Martin the Bishop, in Lunenkerc, in Frisia, +near Herlinghen. He had been sick a long while with dropsy, and +on the day aforesaid he breathed forth his soul between the ninth and +tenth hours in the morning, and he was buried on the right of Brother +Alardus. In the same year, on the Feast of the Annunciation of +the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, six Clerks were invested, namely, Brother +Henry Becker of Zwolle, Brother John Zandwijc of Rhenen, Brother Ewic, +also of Rhenen, Brother Telmann Gravensande of Holland, Brother George +of Antwerp, and Brother Arnold, son of Conrad, of Nussia. In the +same year there was a great famine in divers parts of the land, and +in a short space a mighty pestilence followed; also in that year, on +the Vigil of the Nativity of Christ, and after High Mass, died John +Eme, a Convert, who was cellarer to our House.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1439, on the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, +and early in the morning, before the fourth hour, died Wermbold Stolwic +of Kampen, who was a Priest before he began the Religious Life. +He was often sick of a fever, and being weakened thereby he fell asleep +in the Lord, having made a good confession, and was buried after Vespers. +He wrote the music in some of the Chant books in the choir.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin +Mary, there was an earthquake in divers places, and in the summer following +a great pestilence in divers parts, and many devout Brothers and Sisters +departed from this present world.</p> +<p>In the year 1440 the great building on the western side of the monastery +was set up, to receive guests and the Lay folk of our household, and +the roof thereof was finished in stone on the day before the Feast of +our Holy Father Augustine. At this work many of our Brothers laboured +long and bravely, while others attended to the choir.</p> +<p>In the same year four brothers died in the pestilence, namely, Brother +Arnold Droem, a Convert, Goswin Witte, a Clerk and Oblate, Dirk Mastebroick, +a Donate, Hermann Sutor, a Novice. Likewise many of our neighbours +in Haerst and Bercmede died of this plague, and by their own desire +were buried in our monastery.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1441, on the Feast of St. Petronilla the +Virgin, died our beloved Brother Christian of Kampen, the Infirmarius, +for he was smitten with the plague. He was very attentive to the +sick and plague stricken, to whom he ministered faithfully to the death. +On the same day, when noon was hardly past, died John Clotinc, a Lay +Brother and Oblate. He was a man very devout, and a pattern for +his long service in the brewery and the mill, and for his frequent prayers. +These died on the same day and at the same hour after High Mass when +Sext was done, and after Vespers, when the Vigils had been sung, they +were buried in peace. After their death, by the mercy of God, +the plague in the cloister was stayed.</p> +<p>In the same year and month, but before the aforesaid Brothers, and +on the day before the Feast of St. Pancras, died the elder Wermbold, +a Donate, who was born in Hasselt.</p> +<p>In the year 1442, on the fourth day of March, which was the third +Sunday in Lent, the venerable man, John of Korke, Bishop Suffragan to +our Lord of Utrecht, consecrated the burial-ground upon the eastern +side of the church, together with the cloister thereof, likewise the +passage before the Brothers’ Refectory, and that on the western +side that goeth from before the cells of the Converts to the entrance +of the church. Also on the northern side the ground to bury strangers +in, with the whole circuit thereof, but the part in the midst of it +had been consecrated aforetime with our church. Moreover, the +Bishop granted indulgences for forty days to them that walked devoutly +round the burial-ground. Besides these, he consecrated the precious +and fair Image of the Blessed Virgin with the Child Jesus, that standeth +above the altar which is dedicated in honour of Her and of St. Augustine +(this is that altar which is set in the midst of the church before the +choir), and he granted forty days’ indulgence to them that should +recite five Aves devoutly and on bended knees before the said image. +Likewise, he consecrated another small image of the Blessed Virgin, +that is placed before the gate of our monastery, and he granted forty +days’ indulgence to them that should recite three Aves there devoutly +and on bended knees.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1443, on the day of St. Prisca, Virgin and +Martyr, and after midday, died our beloved Brother, John Bouman, a Priest, +who was once our Procurator. He had been sick for a long while +with a quartan fever, whereby his body was wasted, and he finished his +life with a happy agony. He was born in Zwolle, and for many years +endured labours and divers infirmities, and this saying of Christ was +often in his mouth: “In your patience ye shall possess your souls.” +When I visited him at the end he said to me, “How gladly I would +every day go with the Brothers into the choir if I were strong enough +God knoweth!” He was full of faith and compassion, and he +gladly read and heard of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ; he had, +moreover, a special devotion to the Blessed Mary Magdalene, for he was +born on Her Feast Day, wherefore he often said the Mass for Her Feast, +or humbly asked another to say it for him. About a month before +his death a certain Brother had this vision after Matins: it seemed +to him that the Brothers were singing the Vigil in the choir, and that +a corpse was there. And after the Vigil the door of the choir +was opened, and certain Lay Brothers of our household came into the +choir and stood round the corpse; amongst these were seen two Lay Brothers +who were already dead that came to the burial, namely, Brother John +Eme and Hermann, son of Wolter (now they had died four years before +this time). These, with the rest of the household, went forth +as if to follow the corpse going through the gate upon the south side +of the choir, and they went in procession to that part of the precinct +where our Brothers, who are Priests, are wont to be buried—and +straightway the vision disappeared. Then that Brother held his +peace and began to think within himself: “It may be that some +one of our Brothers shall soon depart out of this world, and we shall +sing the solemn Vigils of the dead for him.” And so it came +to pass, for when the month was ended, Brother John Bouman died, and +the things seen in the vision were fulfilled in due order on his behalf, +and he was buried near Brother Christian. He lived in the Order +of Regulars for thirty-one years and twenty-six days, and he had friends +in Zwolle that were good men and great: moreover, notable increase of +goods came to our monastery from him and from his parents.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1444, on the Feast of All Saints, was invested +Henry Ruhorst, a Clerk, who was born at Kampen.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed +Virgin Mary, the Regulars of Haerlem, by the will of all, took upon +them the rule of the cloister.</p> +<p>After the Feast of St. Bartholomew, three of our Brothers who were +Priests, were sent to found the new House of Roermund.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1445, on the day before the Feast of St. +Bernard the Abbot, our beloved Brother Caesarius Coninc died. +He was a native of Utrecht, and Prior of Lunenkerc, but he had made +his profession at Mount St. Agnes. He went on the concerns of +his House to Antwerp, where he fell sick, and having been in a fever +for nearly eight days he fell asleep in the Lord, and was buried there +in the Convent of the Sisters of our Order. He held the office +of Prior for eight years, and he departed from this world in the forty-sixth +year of his age, and many goods came for the use of the monastery from +his parents.</p> +<p>In the same year, during Advent and after, a flood of waters overwhelmed +many lands and drowned the crops in Betua that pertains to Geldria and +Hertzogenbusch.</p> +<p>In the year 1446, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed +Virgin Mary, two Clerks were invested, namely, Brother James Spaen, +from Geldria, and Brother Henry, son of Paul of Mechlin in Brabant; +the former of these attended the school at Deventer, and had a brother +who was a Religious at Northorn: the latter attended the school at Zwolle.</p> +<p>In the same year, on Palm Sunday in the month of April, there was +a great tempest, snow, hail, and the breath of the storm, and thunder +was heard therewith. In the night of that day the dyke between +Wilsen and Kampen was broken down, and the cattle and beasts of burden +at Mastebroic were drowned. In Zutphen the tower of the church +was set afire by lightning, and the roof was cleft above, and certain +persons were wounded, and some were slain by this sudden mischance—in +other parts also divers houses were destroyed by fire. In Zwolle, +after Mass, a mighty terror fell upon them that were in the church, +and the shutters were shaken from the church windows by a lightning +stroke. In the same year, on the day following the Feast of St. +Odulphus, and at the seventh hour when Compline was done, died Brother +Frederic, son of John, a Convert from Groninghen. He was an aged +man of about eighty years, and one of the elders amongst them that first +dwelt in this place. In many things he was profitable to the Brothers, +for he shaved their heads and blooded them and dressed their wounds, +and did other faithful service to the sick and the plague stricken; +at length, wearied with age and having a good foundation of holy deeds, +he fell asleep in the Lord. He came to Mount St. Agnes to serve +the Lord in the sixth year after the death of Master Gerard Groote, +with the first Brothers that dwelt here, and with those very poor Lay +folk, the disciples of Gerard, of whom I have written above. He +lived therefore in this place for sixty-six years, reckoning the years +of his conversion from the beginning thereof to the year of his death +inclusively, and Brother John Kempen, the first Prior of this House, +invested him as a Convert on the Feast of St. Katharine the Virgin, +in the year of the Lord 1401, he being the third of the Converts then +invested.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Octave of the Holy Trinity, and on the night +of the Feast of the Saints Gervase and Protasius, died Brother Arnold, +son of Conrad of Nussia, being twenty-six years of age. He had +been in the priesthood for one year, and for nearly fifteen days had +been sick of a tertian fever, but God had pity on him that in a brief +space he fulfilled many years, and by the swiftness of his course escaped +the hazardous defilements of the world; now he had finished eight years +in the Religious Life.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1447, on the day before the Feast of St. +Agnes the Virgin, two Clerks were invested, namely, Everard ter Huet +of Zwolle and James Spenghe of Utrecht.</p> +<p>In the same year the Clerks at Alberghen, near Oldenzale, received +the habit of Holy Religion in the Order of Canons Regular of St. Augustine, +and they were invested on the day of the Finding of the Holy Cross.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XXV.</p> +<p>How Theodoric of Kleef, third Prior of the House on the Mount laid +down his office, and was absolved therefrom.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1447, that venerable Father, Theodoric of +Kleef, third Prior of our House of Mount St. Agnes the Virgin, coming +home from the General Chapter, called the Brothers together, and humbly +sought to speak with them so that when the Visitors of the House came +he might be absolved from his office of Prior. For twenty-three +years he had ruled the House with fatherly care, and he was weary with +many labours. He would have made this petition a year before, +but that the urgency of divers concerns of the House had hindered him +from so doing, and he pleaded the weakness of his age and that his senses +were clouded. Hearing these things the elder Brothers spake with +the members of the Chapter, and thinking to show mercy toward their +beloved Father who had long served them to the best of his power, they +gave a kindly hearing and assent to his petition. Wherefore the +three eldest amongst them, on behalf of the other Brothers and at their +request, came to the Visitors, for they were sitting in a private room +to hear the opinion of each one of the Brothers, and on bended knees +with their hands clasped they besought them instantly, and with all +their hearts, to grant absolution to this Father for that he was infirm +and aged; this they said was the time to show him pity, and this was +what he desired as he had told to certain of them privately.</p> +<p>The Visitors therefore heard the opinions of all, and finding that +the more part of them that were gathered together demanded this thing +of set purpose, did piously admonish the Prior that he might yield to +the petition of the Brothers and resign his office out of consideration +for his own weakness of body. The good Father hearing this prostrated +himself humbly before the Chapter, and returning thanks to the Brothers +said that he was ready to resign into the hands of the Prior of the +Superior House the burden of that office which he had long borne.</p> +<p>But since the duty of holding visitations at certain other houses +had been laid upon them, the Priors of Windesem and Zwolle besought +our Brothers that such visitations might be held by the known and former +Prior as the Chapter had ordained, and when these were done, then at +a convenient season the desire of the Brothers concerning the absolution +of the Prior should be fulfilled.</p> +<p>So when the matter of the visitation was finished, the Priors of +Amsterdam and of Hoern returned, and coming to our monastery did a second +time examine the opinion of the Brothers in private, and they found +that the more part were still of one heart, and constant to their opinion +that the Prior should be absolved, though some few of the younger Brothers +dissented from the rest.</p> +<p>Hearing this the Visitors, by the authority to them committed, absolved +the Prior on the day after the Dispersion of the Apostles, thinking +thereby to provide for the peace and usefulness of the House. +Then in accordance with the statutes of the Chapter they bade the Brothers +to keep fast for three days for the election of a new Prior; then they +returned toward Holland to their houses, since their own needs compelled +them so to do, but they besought the venerable Prior of Windesem to +deign to be present in person at the election when the Brothers should +choose their Prior. And this was done, the grace of God providing +for us, so that the petition of the brothers, which they had made long +since, came to a good issue in the election of a new Prior, for which +election they did invoke the Holy Ghost and poured out prayers to God +instantly both in public and in private.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XXVI.</p> +<p>How Brother Henry of Deventer was chosen to be the fourth Prior of +the House of Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1448, on the 20th day of June (July), when +the three days’ fast was ended, the Brothers came together to +sing the Mass of the Holy Spirit on the day before the Feast of St. +Praxedes the Virgin; but the Mass of the Blessed Virgin had been said +in private because it was the Sabbath. Then after the end of Mass, +and when Sext was done, the Brothers went forth from the choir to the +Chapter House to choose a new Prior; and the venerable Prior of Windesem, +with the Prior of Zwolle, was there present with them, for he had been +called and besought to hear the election. So, having held a short +conference with the Brothers, and the manner of election being read, +the Prior of Windesem exhorted the members of the Chapter to choose +a fit person to be Prior following the commandments of God and Canon +Law. There were here present twenty-one Brothers that were electors, +and two who were far away had written letters wherein they expressed +their will. So the Brothers that were electors went away a little +space outside the doors of the Chapter House, and the two Priors aforesaid +came and stood by the altar in the Chapter House, the door thereof being +open, and with them were the three elder Brothers. There they +stood to hear the votes of each man separately, for they could be seen +by all, but none could hear what was said. Then the votes of each +being heard and counted, our Sub-Prior, Brother Henry, son of William +of Deventer, was chosen and nominated to be Prior, having the votes +of the more part recorded for him on the paper, namely sixteen. +Some there were beside that did not choose him, but of these three Brothers +did not vote at this time, and two chose the Procurator, James Cluyt. +Then one of the elder Brothers, on behalf of himself and of the more +part, besought the Prior of the Superior House to confirm the election, +who straightway appointed the next day to be the last for any to oppose. +And when none made opposition to the manner of the election, nor said +aught against the Brother who was chosen, the Prior elect was called +to consent to his election which had been made according to the canons, +so that it might be duly confirmed. And he straightway prostrated +himself in the midst of the Brothers protesting that he was not sufficient, +and he humbly besought to be relieved of this burden, but when he could +not gain his purpose, and dared not obstinately to resist, he gave consent +in an humble voice, being overcome by the insistence of the Brothers +and compelled by his obedience to his superior: and he submitted himself +to the ordinance of God for the sake of observing brotherly love and +the needful discipline of the cloister. So when he had been confirmed +by the Prior of Windesem he was led in to the choir in the presence +of all the Brothers, and placed in his stall, and prayers were offered +up. After which done all the members of the Chapter straightway +went into the House, and following the accustomed manner all the professed +Brothers took the vow of obedience to their Father, the new Prior, and +after them the Converts, and lastly the Donates did the like. +When this was done they spent the day with joy and giving of thanks, +and at last their Fathers, the Priors of the other houses who had taken +part in all that was done, said farewell to them, and the Brothers left +the garden and returned to their cells. When the bell rang for +Vespers they came together to the choir, and sang the Vespers of St. +Mary Magdalene with cheerful voices. After three days the Brothers +were called together to the Chapter House, and the Prior proposed that +in accordance with the statutes they should choose another Sub-Prior, +so on the Feast of St. James the Apostle, before the hour for Vespers, +Brother Thomas of Kempen was nominated and elected after a brief scrutiny. +He was one of the elders, being sixty-seven years of age, and in past +times had been appointed to this office, and albeit he knew himself +to be insufficient and would have made excuse, yet he did submit him +humbly to the assembled Brothers, for his obedience bade him so to do; +neither did he refuse to undergo toil on their behalf for the love of +Christ Jesus, but earnestly besought the prayers of his comrades and +Brothers, for he trusted rather in the grace of God than in himself.</p> +<p>In the same year, during the summer season, the crops were grievously +ravaged in divers places by the mice, which ate the corn while it was +still growing up and when it was in the blade. Our Lay Brothers, +therefore, dug ditches and put in the ground jars filled with water, +and such was the craft with which they did this that a vast number of +the mice were drowned in these jars, and they slew in divers places +many thousands. These creatures had caused great loss to us and +our neighbours by ravaging the wheat, the barley, the oats, and the +peas, and also the green crops in the fields that were for the fodder +of the cattle.</p> +<p>About the beginning of the month of September there was a notable +tempest, and a great flood of waters broke in upon us (for the sea had +burst his banks), and this did overflow our pasture land and destroyed +the grass and the fodder. By this same tempest many ships that +had adventured themselves upon the sea were overwhelmed with all their +crews.</p> +<p>But herein again the good and merciful God did provide for us, for +our fishers took great store of fish by reason of this flood, and these +did suffice the Brothers and their guests for food during many days.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1449, on the Feast of St. Bernard the Abbot, +we received the precious relics of certain Saints and Martyrs who were +companions of Gereon, Duke and Martyr, and of others that were companions +of the Eleven Thousand Holy Virgins of Cologne. These did the +venerable Abbot of St. Panthalion send to us from the many relics that +are in that monastery.</p> +<p>Likewise Egbert Tyveren, a Donate of our House, brought back to us +from Cologne, as true relics, certain small fragments that were given +to us by the Carthusians, and by the Regular Brothers of our own order +in the House of Corpus Domini. The Prior and the Brothers of our +House being gathered together in the choir before High Mass brought +these relics into the church, carrying the Standard of the Cross and +lighted tapers in their hands, and afterward the Prior placed them on +the different altars, having enclosed them in reliquaries in seemly +wise in honour of the Saints.</p> +<p>In the same year, on December the 16th, our Brother Godefried of +Kempen died in Brabant in the House of the Sisters of the Regular Order +that is called the Cloister of the Blessed Virgin, near Zevenborren. +This convent was afterward destroyed utterly by fire in the year 14--, +and the Sisters were removed to Brussels with great honour by the Duchess +of Burgundy.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1450 many faithful servants of Christ went +to Rome to gain Indulgences, which our Lord, Pope Nicholas V, by advice +of the Cardinals, and moved himself by piety and mercy, had granted +by a Bull in the previous year. Then did many Christian folk that +sojourned on this holy pilgrimage return whole, but many died by the +way, and many in the city of Rome.</p> +<p>In the same year, in Holland, Utrecht, Amersfoort, Zwolle, Kampen, +Deventer, Zutphen and many other towns and hamlets, a bubonic plague +raged, and many devout persons and religious, as also many worldlings, +departed from this present life. In the same year the winter time +was very mild, with but little snow and thin ice, but the wind was cold. +In Lent, and at the beginning of March, our fishers took great abundance +of the fish called smelts, wherewith, during the Fast, our Brothers +were fed, and also many poor beggars at our gates.</p> +<p>In the same year the men of Zwolle builded a great and lofty bridge +of strong wooden timbers across the River Vecht, not far from our monastery, +to serve the necessities of their own folk and the convenience of men +that would come thither; the cost thereof was six hundred Rhenish florins.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of St. John before the Latin Gate, +Brother Gerard of Deventer, whose surname was Bredenort, was invested.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the twenty-ninth day of August, died James Oem, +Rector of the Sisters at Bronope, near Kampen, who for nine years had +exercised a kindly rule over that House. After his death the Prior +of Windesem appointed Brother Dirk of Kleef to be Rector and Confessor +of this House. He had been formerly Prior of Mount St. Agnes, +and was the eldest of the Brothers of that monastery.</p> +<p>In the year 1451, on the Octave of Easter, which was the day before +the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, died Dirk Poderen, a servant +of our House, a poor man and an aged, being about eighty years old: +he had lived with us for twenty years.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Vigil of the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, +and at the ninth hour, when Compline had been said, died Brother Gerard, +son of Wolter, a Convert who was sixty-eight years of age lacking two +months, and had lived the Religious Life for nearly forty years. +The Prior and the Brothers were present with him at his death: he was +faithful and earnest in good deeds and words, and he was buried on the +western side of the passage with the other Converts.</p> +<p>In the same year a new mill was builded, and finished with much labour +and cost, for the greater convenience of our House.</p> +<p>In the same year the House of the Regulars in Cologne which is called +“Corpus Christi,” and standeth in the parish of St. Christopher +the Martyr, was received into our Chapter. At this time, namely, +after the Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin, our Brother, +Henry Cremer, was sent to act as Sub-Prior of this House, and Brother +Gerard of Kleef went with him to be the Rector.</p> +<p>In the same year there was a grievous pestilence in Cologne, and +as is reported by many, twenty-five thousand persons are reckoned to +have died thereof.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1451, our most Reverend Lord Nicholas de +Chusa, Cardinal with the title of St. Peter in Chains, who was Legate +for the land of Germany, came to the diocese of Utrecht, after that +he had visited the upper parts of Saxony and the cities and townships +of Westphalia. He came likewise to Windesem, where he was received +with honour by the Brothers, and held a conference with them, and by +the authority of the Apostolic See he granted Indulgences on the occasion +of the Jubilee to all that were subject to our General Chapter. +When he was asked whether one might go to Rome to gain Indulgences without +special license, he replied: “Our Lord the Pope himself hath said, +‘Better is obedience than Indulgences.’”</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1452, a great and grievous loss befel the +city of Amsterdam, a famed and populous city in Holland, for a fire +broke forth on the Feast Day of Urban, Pope and Martyr, and the wrath +of God went forth in particular against the congregations of religious +persons, both men and women; so great was the fire that the more part +of the city should seem to have been destroyed, and scarce a third part +thereof was saved. Fourteen monasteries are known to have burned +almost to the ground, and verily great misery was caused thereby in +the sight of all men, such as had not been heard of from very ancient +times until that day. Many virgins that had taken the veil, putting +aside their maiden modesty, wandered about the city lamenting and begging +for hospitality, whereby the hearts of many were moved to tears. +Everything was buried, from the great Church of St. Nicholas to the +ancient Convent of the Nuns of our Order inclusively, and in the other +direction from the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary to our monastery +exclusively, for God in His mercy spared that House that it was unhurt.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of the Commemoration of St. Paul the +Apostle, and after Vespers, our beloved Brother Henry Cremer died at +Windesem; on the day following, being the Octave of St. John the Baptist, +his body was brought to our House, wherein, through the mercy of God, +he had lived for nearly thirty-three years in the Religious habit; this +was done that at his life’s end he might not lie in a strange +land afar from our House, but might be buried according as he desired +amongst our Brothers. He was faithful in his labour, in the writing +of books, and in his attendance in the choir; and being zealous for +discipline he kept a watch over his mouth and loved his cell. +Formerly he had been Prior in Rickenberrich in Saxony for nearly eleven +years, and afterward for a few years abode in Diepenveen with two others +his companions, but he was instant in his petition to return to the +Brotherhood, and obtained his desire; after this he was sent to Cologne, +but returning thence he died at Windesem and was buried in our House.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1453, a strange pestilence fell upon the +men of certain towns and the villages adjacent thereto. This plague +befel after the Feast of St. John the Baptist, and was notable by reason +of the benumbing of the throat and the pain it caused in the breast +and side. At this time many of our Brothers and the Lay folk of +our Household who were labouring hard in the fields—for it was +harvest—were smitten so grievously by the benumbing of their throats +that they could scarce speak or eat. There was a north wind that +was very cold at night, but by day turbulent and dry, and many were +chilled thereby and fell sick. As a remedy against this, some +clothed themselves in stouter garments and abstained from cold food +and drink, and these grew well by reason of their abstinence and care +to keep themselves from too great cold, for God had pity on them; but +some that neglected these matters died after three days, or even two, +being weakened by the numbness.</p> +<p>When this disease first broke forth, our Brother Gerard ter Mollen, +a Convert, fell sick and received the Unction after Compline on the +day of the Translation of St. Martin the Bishop: in the night following, +before the hour for Matins, his sickness grew heavy on him and he died. +He was a faithful labourer, ever ready to toil for the common weal, +and he was in the sixtieth year of his age, having fulfilled thirty +years and three months in the Religious Life: he was buried in the western +path at the head of Gerard, son of Wolter.</p> +<p>In the same year, in the month of July, and on the Feast of the Translation +of Benedict the Abbot, died Dirk, son of Arnold, a young man who was +a Laic and Fellow Commoner, that came from Bericmede: he had received +the Sacrament of the Holy Unction, and died after High Mass had begun.</p> +<p>In the same month, on the day following the Feast of St. Margaret +the Virgin, when Compline was done, and the Ave Maria had been said, +died Henry Diest, a Donate of our House: he was nearly forty-eight years +of age and had fulfilled thirty years in this House.</p> +<p>In the same month, on the day following the Feast of Alexius the +Confessor, Dirk Struve, a Laic and Fellow Commoner, died after Compline, +having received the Holy Rite of Extreme Unction. He had lived +long in the House, and on the day following when the first Mass had +been said he was laid in the burying ground of the Lay Brothers.</p> +<p>After him, and on the night before the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, +before Matins, died Everard Ens of Campen, a good and faithful Laic +and Fellow Commoner, who had lived with us for fifteen years.</p> +<p>In the same year, in the month of August, on the night before the +Feast of St. Dominic the Confessor, and before Matins, died our most +beloved Brother Theodoric of Kleef. He was the third Prior of +our House, and an old man and full of days, for he was seventy-six years +old, and had fulfilled fifty-five years in the Religious Life. +When the first Brothers were invested here, he was the fourth to receive +the Habit, and from the very beginning of the monastery, before any +of the Brothers had received investiture, he with the Clerks and Lay +folk in this place had begun to serve the Lord in much poverty and toil. +Moreover, it had always been his desire that by the favour of the Lord +he might end his life in this same House with the Brothers, and be buried +amongst them, and so it came about, for he was laid in the eastern passage +by the side of our Brother, Henry Cremer, whom he had drawn to the Religious +Life, and whom he had loved with all his heart. Thus it came about +that as they had loved one another in life, so in death and in the grave +they were not divided.</p> +<p>In the same year and month, on the day following the Feast of Sixtus, +Pope and Martyr, and when noon was past, died Dirk, son of Wychmann +of Arnheim, who had lived here for two years.</p> +<p>In the same year, in the month of August, on the Feast of St. Lawrence +the Martyr, and in the morning after Prime, died Matthias, son of William +of Overcamp, a Donate of our House, who had been overseer of husbandry +for a great while. He often suffered pain from the stone, and +at length falling sick with a disease in the throat, and being bowed +with age, he fell on sleep in holy peace in the seventy-second year +of his age, having endured many labours; for when the monastery was +founded he came hither with his father, William, a tailor, of great +age, and being then but ten years old, he began that good course which +was brought to this happy issue. He was laid in the burying-ground +of the Lay folk before the entrance to the broad cloister. At +this time of pestilence in our House it befel that a certain Brother, +while sitting in his cell, heard a sound at the door thereof as of one +knocking twice, but when he arose to open the door he could not see +or find any man there. And marvelling at the matter he thought +that perhaps some one might be like to die, and on the next day the +bell was tolled for the death of Dirk Struve, a Laic of our household. +So also before the death of Brother Theodoric of Kleef, once the Prior +of our House, the like thing happened two days before he fell sick.</p> +<p>In the year 1454, on the morning of the fourteenth day of March and +after Prime, died Brother Gerard Hombolt, a Convert, in the fifty-fifth +year of his age. He had fulfilled thirty years in the Religious +Life, and for a great while was cellarer of the House, in which office +he was faithful and zealous for the common good, so far as our poverty +in temporal wealth and the number of persons to be served did allow. +He was buried in the western passage before the door of the church with +the other Converts.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the sixteenth day of May, the venerable Father +John Lap died in the House of Elisabethdal, near Roremund, of which +he was Prior, but he had made his profession as a Brother of our House +of Mount St. Agnes. He was in the fifty-fifth year of his age, +and being a lover of discipline and of the Religious Life had fulfilled +thirty years and nearly two months therein.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day before the Feast of the Exaltation of +the Holy Cross, and about the second hour after noon, died Dionysius +Valkenborch, a Donate of our House, being seventy-three years of age. +He had lived an humble and holy life with us for a great while, near +to fifty-five years; at first his tasks were to feed the swine and milk +the cows, but when he grew old he was made the gatekeeper, with another +to help him, and ending his temporal life in a good old age he left +a fair ensample to all.</p> +<p>In the same year, in the month of August, on the day following the +Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there was a heavy +rain both in the uplands and the lowlands, and much corn and seed perished +thereby, and we suffered great loss in our farm by the overflowing of +many waters. In the same year, on the Feast of Gallus the Confessor, +and at about the ninth hour, when Compline was ended, died Brother John +Zandwijc of Renen, a Priest of our House, being thirty-eight years old. +He had suffered long from the stone, and was patient and gentle, and +he had fulfilled sixteen years and near seven months in the Religious +Life. On the day before the Feast of St. Luke, when Mass was ended, +he was buried by the side of Theodoric of Kleef in the eastern passage +of the cloister; here he rests in peace, freed from the many toils and +perils of this life, for his desire was to be released and to be with +Christ.</p> +<p>In the year 1455, on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, two +Clerks were invested, namely, Brother Henry, son of Bruno, and Theodoric, +son of Arnold Wanninck; both came from Deventer, and had honourable +parents and friends, and in the year following they made their profession +together upon the same day.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Octave of the Feast of the Apostles Peter +and Paul, when Matins was ended, died our venerable Father, William +Voerniken, the fourth Prior of Windesem. He was buried in the +choir by the side of the venerable Prior John Huesden, for these two +greatly loved one another, wherefore after death they shared one tomb +in the church. He was eighty-two years of age, and had been the +second Prior of the House on Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the 22nd of April, when Prime was done, died +John Mastebroick, a Laic and servant of our House, who was faithful +in labour and devout in prayer. He was about seventy years old, +and had lived with us for nearly forty-five years, and he departed to +the Lord in holy peace, desiring an eternal reward for his many labours. +He was laid with the servants in the burial-ground of the Lay folk and +Donates of our House.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the 9th of October, the day before the Feast +of Marcus, Pope and Confessor, when Compline was done, died Gerard, +son of Hermann, a Laic and servant of our House; he was a stonemason +and a faithful worker so far as his powers did allow, but he was often +sick with the complaint of the stone, from the tortures whereof he died, +though he bore the same with much patience; and he left all the goods +he had as a bequest to the monastery.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1455, on the 17th day of November, within +the Octave of the Feast of St. Martin the Bishop, four altars in our +church were consecrated by Iodocus, who was Bishop Suffragan, Doctor +in Sacred Theology, and belonged to the order of Preachers. He +had received a general commission from the General Chapter of Utrecht, +and he consecrated the several altars after this wise. First the +altar which is on the north of the church, and in the upper part thereof, +in honour of St. Michael the Archangel and all the holy Angels: secondly, +the altar which standeth upon the same side, but in the lower part of +the church, in honour of the holy Confessors, Gregory, Ambrose, Jerome, +Bernard, Francis, and Lebuin. Thirdly, the altar which is in the +midst of the church, in honour of the holy Confessors, Martin the Bishop, +Willibrord the Bishop, Nicholas the Bishop, and Antony the Confessor. +Fourthly, the altar which standeth on the south side, toward the end +of the church, in honour of the Saints Anne, Elizabeth, Monica, mother +of our holy Father Augustine, and all holy widows.</p> +<p>Likewise he consecrated the Holy Cross that is over the door of the +choir, and certain images of Saints, namely, of St. Augustine the Bishop +and St. Agnes the Virgin: also two small figures, the first of St. Mary +Magdalene, the second of St. Agnes in the Coffer; also the image that +is over the altar of the Holy Cross that showeth the blessed Virgin +Mary holding the Crucified Lord, Who lieth on her breast: also the images +of St. James the Apostle, St. Katherine the Virgin, and St. Barbara, +Virgin and Martyr.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1456, on the Feast of St. Antony the Confessor, +Brother Gerard, son of Dirk, who came from a place near Zwolle, was +invested as a Convert. He was a man well stricken in age, and +had lived with us in honest wise for thirty years, being a good husbandman; +before his investiture he had been an humble Donate, for we had many +of that degree amongst us.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day following the Feast of St. James the +Apostle, died John Smyt, a Laic and servant of our House. He was +drowned in a deep pool that had been filled by the rain, and with him +perished four very good horses that were drawing a cart to fetch fodder. +At that time the weather was very rainy, so that many crops were destroyed +thereby. The Brothers therefore brought back this servant of God +to the House, and after Compline laid him in the burial-ground of the +Laics. Moreover, they celebrated Mass for him, and offered up +prayers that he might receive the reward of his labours. By God’s +providence, he and the other Laics of our House had received Communion, +as was the custom, on St. James’s day: and he himself had lived +with us for one year, being skilful and diligent in the smith’s +craft.</p> +<p>In all things blessed be God, Who scourgeth us, and also healeth +our stripes, for though we lost above an hundred florins by the drowning +of the horses, yet did the good Lord save us and our country from the +army of the Duke of Burgundy, who was laying siege to Deventer; for +after the Feast of St. Matthew peace and concord were restored between +the Duke and the cities and people of this land.</p> +<p>In the same year of the Lord 1456, on the Feast day of St. Lucia, +Virgin and Martyr, and in the morning when High Mass for her festival +was already begun, died that fervent lover of discipline, Brother William +Coman. He was born in Amsterdam, in Holland, and for a great while +had lived an humble life amongst our Brothers, and he was seventy-eight +years and four months old. On the Feast of St. Brixius, Bishop +and Confessor, he had fulfilled, by the help of God, fifty-five years +in the Religious Life, for this was the anniversary of his investiture, +and on this day he celebrated Mass for the last time, for he was sick +from that day forward until the Feast day of St. Lucia, whereon he ended +his life with a happy agony; and he was buried in the eastern passage +by the side of our Brother John Zantwijc.</p> +<p>This William Coman left many a good ensample of patience, poverty, +and abstinence, for the imitation of them that come after; and in the +days of the venerable Prior, William Vorniken (who was the second to +hold that office in our House) he was Procurator, and afterwards Sub-Prior. +Then for three years he was Prior of the House at Amersfoort, after +which he was Rector of the Sisters at Bronope near Kampen for fourteen +years; but at last, as age had come upon him, and his hearing failed +by little and little, he returned to our House and Brotherhood, where +he died in holy peace, and he was buried amongst the Brothers after +the accustomed manner.</p> +<p>In the same year died Gerard Smullinc, the first Rector and Prior +of the House at Ruremund, who, after that he was absolved from his office, +went to gain Indulgences at the Shrine of St. James at Compostella, +in which place he was buried.</p> +<p>The anniversary of his death and that of his parents is kept on the +day following the Feast of St. Elizabeth, because we know not surely +the day thereof.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1457, on the day of St. Benedict the Abbot, +and at eleven o’clock at night, Theodoric Herxen, a venerable +Father of pious memory, and a priest of seemly life, died at Zwolle, +being seventy-six years old. He was the second Rector of the House +of Clerks in Zwolle, and ruled it for forty-seven years; also he was +Confessor to many devout Brothers and Sisters, and his whole life, from +the time that he was of full age, was spent in discipline of character +and in virtue.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XXVII.</p> +<p>How Father Henry, the fourth Prior, resigned his office, and how +Father George was chosen to be the fifth Prior.</p> +<p>In the year 1458, on the day following the Feast of St. Matthias +the Apostle, Brother Henry, son of William, the fourth Prior of the +House, resigned his office. Now he had lain sick for a great while +and was weak from fever; wherefore, prostrate upon his bed in the presence +of all the Brothers, he besought them with many tears and exhorted them +to agree to choose another Prior in his room, according to the lawful +statutes of the Order.</p> +<p>Hearing this all the Brothers were grieved, and for three days they +fasted after the accustomed manner, praying for guidance in the coming +election, which was held on the Thursday after the third Sunday in Lent, +for which day the Introit is “Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord.” +So when the Mass of the Holy Spirit had been said and the hours were +done, the election was held in the choir in the presence of all the +Brothers; and that venerable Father the Prior of Windesem was also present +with them to hear the opinion of each one; likewise Brother John Naeldwijc +and Brother James of Cologne, Prior of the House of the Blessed Virgin +at Belheem in Zwolle.</p> +<p>When the opinion of each had been heard, George, who was a Brother +of our House, but at this time Prior of Briel, was chosen by the greater +number of votes. Some indeed chose Bero, Prior of Beverwijc, but +all consented humbly and peaceably to the judgment of the greater number; +so by common consent Brother George was elected, being a Father most +beloved, and himself a lover of the rule.</p> +<p>In the same year four Brothers were invested, three of them on the +day following the Feast of St. George the Martyr, and the names of these +were Henry Hierde of Herderwijc in Geldria, Hermann Borken of Westphalia +in the diocese of Munster, and Theodoric of Zwolle. The fourth, +namely, John Orsoy of Kleef, was invested soon after, on the Feast of +the birthday of our Father St. Augustine.</p> +<p>In the same year there was a notable pestilence in Deventer, Zwolle, +and Kampen, the which had raged in Utrecht and the neighbouring places +in the previous year. Verily this scourge of God was pious and +pitiful towards Christian folk, as hindering them from dwelling long +in this world so as to love it rather than the kingdom of Heaven. +At this time many devout Sisters in Deventer and Zwolle departed to +Christ.</p> +<p>On the day following the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed and +Glorious Virgin Mary died our beloved Brother Henry Ruhorst, the Sub-Prior +of our House, being forty years old, and he was buried in the eastern +cloister by the side of our Brother William Coman.</p> +<p>In the same year and month, on the Feast of St. Jerome and after +midday, died Hermann, son of John, a Laic who was Sub-Infirmarius, being +twenty-six years old. He was a poor man, who was born in a place +near Wessel in the district of Kleef; and being received by us, he showed +himself ready to do whatever was laid upon him.</p> +<p>In the same year, in the month of October, and at noon on the Feast +day of St. Dionysius the Bishop, Brother Gerard Wessep died in Zwolle. +He had been sent to the Monastery of Belheem, and of his obedience and +brotherly love he went thither after the death of many of the Brothers +of the House; for of these ten had died, as well as certain Laics that +were of the household. After the hour of Vespers he was borne +to a carriage and brought therein to our House, as he had desired, and +he was buried with the Brothers in the eastern cloister, by the side +of the Sub-Prior. At the time of his death he had fulfilled almost +fifty-six years in the Order, being in the seventy-seventh year of his +age. He wrote many books in the Latin and Teutonic tongues for +the choir, the library, and for sale; and he was forward to perform +many labours for the common good. Above all he was very faithful +and ready in tending the sick and dying till the moment of their departure; +for he feared not then to tend and stand by diseased and plague stricken +folk, serving them for the sake of God and brotherly love. So +the Lord willed to reward him also, with the Brothers that were dead +in Belheem; wherefore, when he had spent fifteen days in Zwolle, he +fell sick of the plague, and God took him from the toil and trouble +of this present life and gave him eternal peace and rest, which things—as +oft he told me with clasped hands—he had long desired.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day following the Feast of St. Martin the +Bishop, at the hour of Vespers, died our beloved Brother James Cluit, +a devout Priest and first Rector of Udem, being sixty-three years old, +and he was buried before the High Altar. His memory shall continue +to be praised and blessed, for he was beloved of God, an ensample to +us all, and his own stern judge.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1459, on the Feast of the Epiphany and at +about the fifth hour in the morning before Prime, died Everard of Wetteren, +the cook, a devout Donate, who was eighty years of age and over. +He had dwelt formerly in Deventer with Lambert Gale, a tailor, and in +the days of Florentius, who sent him to Windesem, he was first tailor +of the House; but the Brothers at Windesem sent him on to Mount St. +Agnes before the members of that community were invested with the Religious +habit, and there he helped to sew and make the garments in which those +first four Brothers were habited, whose investiture in the year 1398 +is described above. After some while spent in this office he was +sent to serve in the kitchen as assistant, and he afterwards became +chief cook, in which post he served all the Brothers faithfully for +above thirty years. At length, wearied with years, he was relieved +from his labours and slept in peace, being an old man and full of many +days.</p> +<p>In the same year, within the Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed +Virgin Mary and on the Feast day of the holy martyrs Protus and Hyacinthus, +at noon died Gerard Hombolt of Utrecht, a Donate of our House, who was +fifty-nine years old. He was very zealous, faithful, and devout +in the service of God, particularly in the things which pertain to the +glory and honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary; moreover, he procured a +most fair image of her, and a corona of polished brass holding many +candles, and certain other ornaments that are set above the altar of +the Blessed Virgin. These things he did out of his great devotion, +and with a pious intention of adorning our church in honour of the Blessed +Virgin and St. Agnes.</p> +<p>First he was Hospitarius and afterward Refectorarius to the Brothers, +and all things that were committed to his charge he kept honestly and +in cleanly fashion, seeing to the provision of all needful vessels, +napkins, and towels. On a time when many guests had come to the +House he bade the cook provide all things necessary for them; but the +cook, being troubled at this unaccustomed number, was heavy at heart, +for he feared lest he might not be able to satisfy all as he fain would +do, but Gerard Hombolt, putting his trust in the Lord, said, “Make +the sign of the Holy Cross over the pots and the cooked food and God +shall give His blessing and a sufficiency.” So the cook +did as Gerard had said, and blessed the provision again and again in +faith, and behold the good Lord, seeing their faith, gave them an increase +so that all had enough; and when the meal was done there was abundance +left over, insomuch that the fragments that remained sufficed for a +full meal at supper.</p> +<p>In his youth, and before he entered the monastery, Gerard, out of +his great devotion, visited the Holy Land—Jerusalem, Bethlehem, +and the other places hallowed by our Saviour; and he was disposed, if +it should be allowed him, to visit them once again before his death. +But the good Lord changed his love for the earthly Jerusalem to love +for the Jerusalem which is in Heaven, into which he entered (as I hope) +through the intercession of the Blessed and Glorious Virgin; for on +all the Vigils before Her feasts it was his wont to fast, eating nought +save bread nor drinking aught save beer; and it was within the Octave +of the Feast of Her Nativity that he departed in holy peace out of this +present world to the realms of Heaven, having made a good confession, +being contrite, and having received the Unction. Much wealth also +came to our House through his means, and he died in the fifty-ninth +year of his age, having lived with us for thirty-five years.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1460, after the Feast of the Purification +of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there was a mighty frost. The bitter +cold began on the Feast day of St. Scholastica the Virgin (which was +the first Sunday in Lent), and endured until the middle of the fast, +so that men and horses heavily laden could walk everywhere upon the +frozen waters in safety, and carry their goods across the same. +Likewise in many places there was lack of fodder and straw wherewith +to feed the beasts, for the ground was dry and frost bound, wherefore +men could not get them fresh grass to feed the cattle. For this +cause some poor men brake up the roofs of their houses and gave of the +thatch to the beasts: and this lack of grass endured until the first +of May.</p> +<p>In the same year, in the month of April, and on the second Sunday +after Easter, which was the day before the Feast of Vitalis the Martyr, +Brother Gerard Cortbeen was invested: he was a Priest, and a native +of Herderwijc, a good man, honest, faithful, and thirty-two years of +age.</p> +<p>In the same year our church was adorned in seemly wise, the roof +thereof and all the flat spaces of the inner walls being painted in +fair colours to the glory of God and in honour of St. Agnes the Patron +Saint of the church. Amid the bright colours were written these +three names Jesus, Mary, Agnes, which of holy purpose were painted in +large and black letters, and they stand forth clearly to be read by +the eyes of all that enter the church.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of the Dispersion of the Apostles, +between the hours of Tierce and High Mass, died Deric, son of William, +a carpenter and servant of our household who was a Fellow Commoner. +He was born in Zwolle and was now thirty years of age, having lived +a good, humble, and peaceable life in this House for nearly eleven years.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1461, on the morning of the Feast of St. +Emerentiana the Virgin, and before the hour of Prime, died Herder Stael, +a very honest man, and a fellow citizen with us at Zwolle, being seventy-four +years old. He was a special and faithful friend to our House for +many years. As was his wife also particularly in the troubled +times of Bishop Rudolph, when our Brothers were constrained to leave +the monastery and to go to the House belonging to our Order in Lunenkerc. +At that time this good man bought our crops as they stood in the fields +near the monastery, and out of an honest purpose bade his servants to +reap and harvest the same. Afterward he sent the fruits of the +ground, and the provender that had been gathered, to our Brothers in +Lunenkerc by little and little, for they had been sent thither as it +were to a place of exile. This same Herder Stael lived with us +for nearly a year before his death, being moved so to do by a deep desire, +and having a holy and firm purpose to serve God. He died as aforesaid +in holy peace and in an honoured old age, and his body was laid in the +broad cloister; his friends from Zwolle being present at his burial.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XXVIII.</p> +<p>Of the ancient Reliquary of St. Agnes, and how it was gotten.</p> +<p>In the same year 1461, George, the venerable Father of our House, +asked and obtained from the Canons of the great church at Utrecht the +ancient Reliquary of the most holy Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, and the +beloved Patron of our House, but her relics were not therein contained. +It was in her honour that our church was consecrated in the year of +the Lord 1412, and on the Friday in Easter week, as is set forth more +fully above in the chapter entitled “Of the Consecration of our +Church.”</p> +<p>Two of our Brothers that were ordained to be Priests, namely, Brother +Henry, son of Bruno, and Brother Theodoric Wanninck, brought back this +holy Reliquary with them, journeying from Utrecht by way of Holland, +and across the sea, not without danger and fear, for the sea was turbulent. +Yet through the help of God, and the merits of St. Agnes the Virgin, +they were protected from these perils and reached an haven of safety. +A few days afterward, on the eve of the Feast of St. Scholastica the +Virgin, they brought the Reliquary to Mount St. Agnes, and our Brothers, +with all the Laics of our household, hearing this, did rejoice exceedingly.</p> +<p>The Reliquary was borne into the church with all devotion and reverence +and placed in the sanctuary of the choir near the High Altar and beneath +the arch in the northern wall. The bones of the Saint had rested +for nearly three hundred and fifty years in this Reliquary, which was +an humble one, being of wood and covered with plates of brass and gilded +work. But at last a new and most fair coffer of silver adorned +with gold was made for her by the Canons of the great Church of St. +Martin at Utrecht.</p> +<p>Likewise one should note that it was in the year of the Lord 1413, +in the time of Frederick of Blanckenhem, the Reverend Bishop of Utrecht, +that the relics of this most Blessed Saint Agnes the Virgin were removed +with all reverence from the ancient wooden Reliquary into this new one +of silver fairly gilt. This was done on the second of December, +being the day following the Feast of Ægidius the Abbot, by that +Reverend man Hermann Lochorst, Dean of the great Church of St. Martin +the Bishop. He it was, chiefly, who had procured that the holy +relics of the Saint should be removed in this manner; and a great while +afterward George, our venerable Father and Prior, earnestly begged for +the ancient Reliquary, which our House had long desired, and by the +insistence of his friends he obtained the same from the Chapter and +Canons of the church. These things were done in the year 1461, +as is written above.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1462, on the night of the Feast of St. Juliana, +Virgin and Martyr, died our beloved Brother John, son of Hessel of Zuermont, +who came from Utrecht. He was a timid man, and ready for any lowly +task; moreover, his will was always good to serve the monastery to the +best of his power. Yet through the weakness of his nature and +pains in his head, he often stayed outside the choir, but by his work +without he redeemed the time which he could not spend in devotion within +the church.</p> +<p>A few days before his death he said to certain of the Brothers that +he should die shortly, and indeed the end came somewhat suddenly to +him, for on the day before the Feast of Juliana the Virgin he was well +and cheerful, but in the night following some weakness, whereof we knew +not, came upon him, and he was found dead before the bed in his cell; +being clad in his under garment he lay prostrate upon the floor with +his feet stretched out and his arms close to his side, looking as though +he were commending himself to God and to the Holy Angels: for no man +was with him at the last to give him comfort, since none knew of his +agony, but after supper-time, because they saw that he was not present, +certain Brothers sought him in the cell where he slept, and they found +that he was gone away from this world, and had fled to Christ as we +do piously hope and believe. He came of very good and honest parents +in Utrecht, and had many friends and kinsmen that were living the Religious +Life. And so at length, after many labours and much pain of heart +and body, he was taken away from the miseries of this present life, +in the fifty-fourth year of his age, having spent twenty-nine years +in the Religious Life. After the office of the Mass had been said +duly, and the Psalms and Vigils had been recited, he was buried in the +eastern side of the cloister, on the right of Brother Gerard Wesep.</p> +<p>In the same year, after the Epiphany, there was a most bitter frost, +which lasted throughout Lent and longer, and the great drought was hurtful +to the pasture lands whereon the beasts were fed.</p> +<p>CHAPTER XXIX.</p> +<p>Of the death of Brother Henry, son of William, the fourth Prior of +our House.</p> +<p>In the same year, and upon the 10th day of March, being the second +day before the Feast of St. Gregory the Pope, died our most beloved +Brother of pious memory, Henry, son of William, who was a native of +Deventer. He departed at the fifth hour after midday, when the +Vigils of the dead had been sung; and our beloved Father George and +all the Brothers were present with him, praying during his happy death +struggle, and many Laics of our household were there also.</p> +<p>He had been the fourth Prior of our House, and having sought instantly +to be absolved from his office because of his oft infirmities, he lived +thereafter for four years amongst the Brothers, being humble, gentle, +exemplary, devout, and reverent to all. To none was he burdensome, +but to all men kindly, comfortable, pitiful, helpful, cheerful, modest, +peaceable, and silent. Amid elders and prelates he was lowly and +courteous, towards the young and weakly he was sweet and amiable. +Because of his good and modest manners, his uprightness, fidelity, and +the honest bearing which he showed (as a Religious ought to do) whether +walking or standing, speaking or keeping silence, he long held the office +of Procurator for the House; for he was chosen for that post in the +first place, and afterward was made Sub-Prior. But at last, by +God’s ordinance, he was promoted to be the fourth Prior of our +community, in which office he was confirmed in all peace and charity. +For ten years he continued to be Prior, ruling those that were under +him by the goodness and modesty of his character rather than by rough +speech; he was instant in his zeal for reading, for prayer, and holy +meditations whensoever such exercises were possible. Well might +one write and say of him many of those things that the blessed Bernard +doth write concerning Humbert, the servant of God, who was the devout +Sub-Prior in St. Bernard’s House. Him did Henry strive to +imitate, for he too was devout, beloved of God and man, and a servant +of Christ. He died in the sixty-first year of his age, having +entered upon the forty-second year of his Religious Life, and he was +buried on the right side of Brother John Zuermont.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day before the Feast of St. Ambrose the +Bishop—this day being the Saturday before Passion Sunday—and +at the fifth hour of the morning before Prime, died Dirk ten Water, +an honourable citizen and magistrate of Zwolle, who had been received +as a Fellow Commoner, for he greatly favoured the devout.</p> +<p>He abode in our House as a guest for six weeks, being sickly the +while, but it was his intention to serve God and to remain with us: +also he was a notable benefactor to the House in his lifetime and at +his death; and he died in peace in the sixty-eighth year of his age, +being fortified by the sacraments of the church. He was buried +in the tomb of his mother, Swane ten Water, beneath a sarcophagus of +stone that standeth in our church before the Altar of Holy Cross.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the last day of August, and within the Octave +of the Feast of St. Augustine, before Matins, died the humble and devout +Laic, John Bobert, being forty years old. He came from the diocese +of Treves, and formerly was our shepherd, but afterward he became porter +to the monastery, and he was very faithful and pitiful to the poor. +Having fulfilled twelve years in this House, he fell asleep in peace, +and was laid in the burial-ground of the Lay folk.</p> +<p>In the same year, during Advent, on the Octave of the Feast of St. +Andrew the Apostle, and before Prime, died an aged man named Gerard +Poelman. He was a Donate of our House, and was born in Zwolle, +but he lived with us for sixty-two years, having come to us in the days +when we were still very poor, and lacked goods, buildings, books, and +holy vestments. His parents often succoured us and did us much +kindness, for they were somewhat wealthy, and they gave or lent us money +to buy provision, because they loved their sons who dwelt with us, namely, +Henry, and this Gerard that was the younger brother. These two +had one sister, whose name was Adelaide, a devout virgin, who for many +years ruled over the House of the Béguines at Nyerstadt, where +at length she died amid the nuns, and she was buried by the Brothers +of the Regular Order in Bethlehem.</p> +<p>At first this Gerard was the tailor of our monastery, as was also +his brother Henry, but afterwards he faithfully discharged the duty +of fisherman, but when weakness compelled him to abandon this task, +he became the gardener, and was skilful in growing vegetables and herbs +of divers kinds. At last, wearied with years and overborne with +toil, he fell asleep in a good old age, for he was eighty-one years +old, and in return for his labours received a crown of life at the hands +of the King of Glory. He was laid in the burial-ground of the +Laics and servants of the House, on the western side of our church, +and the venerable, devout, and holy Father George performed the rites.</p> +<p>In the year 1463, on the day before the Feast of Quirinus the Martyr, +that is on March 29th, and at about the eighth hour when Compline was +done, died John, son of James, a faithful Laic of our House and a good +husbandman; he was an Oblate and Resignate, and was born in Dalssen; +moreover, he proved himself to be useful and skilled in his work among +our husbandmen. He was well beloved, and lived in this monastery +for twenty-eight years, but having fulfilled forty-six years of life, +he departed in holy peace, and was buried near Gerard Poelman, in the +burial-ground of the Laics, on the Wednesday before Palm Sunday.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the 15th of May, being the fifth Sunday after +Easter, and the third day after the Feast of Servatius, three young +Clerks were invested, namely, Peter, son of Simon, of Liege, William, +son of Peregrinus, of Kampen, and Arnold Wanninck of Deventer, own brother +to Theodoric Wanninck of our community. Brother Peter, the first +of these, was twenty-three years old; the second, namely, William, was +twenty-one; and Arnold Wanninck, the younger, was twenty. At their +investiture our Father George performed the ceremony and celebrated +High Mass of the Resurrection.</p> +<p>In the year 1464, on the 15th of May, being the Tuesday after the +Feast of the Ascension of our Lord, Hubert, son of Nicholas, of Amersfoort, +who was thirty-five years old, was invested as a Convert of our House. +For some years he had been town crier, and he was well beloved, being +a trusty friend to the devout Brothers and Sisters in their business. +When his wife was dead and his sons had received their portions, he +chose to leave the world and humbly to serve God in the monastery; so +after a probation of nearly three years he was invested solemnly as +a Convert.</p> +<p>In the same year, and on the day following the Feast of St. James +the Apostle, died Andrew, son of Hermann, of Sichele, a faithful and +devout Laic of our House and an Oblate to God. He had no possessions +of his own, nor did he leave behind him any private store, no not one +mite. He came to our monastery on the Feast day of St. Agnes, +in the year of the Lord 1419, being then twenty-one years old; and having +fulfilled with us in the service of God nearly forty-four years, being +then sixty-five years of age, he departed from this world. His +death came about through a sudden mischance, for having fallen from +a horse, he was hurt grievously, and commending himself to God, he fell +asleep in holy faith and peace. And he was laid in the burial-ground +of the Laics.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast day of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, +there fell a great tempest of wind, and many trees were broken and torn +from the earth; likewise large ships were sunk in the sea, and in many +parts, as also at Rome, the pestilence raged so that a great multitude +of men that had thought to live long died thereof.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1465, on the Feast of the Annunciation of +the Blessed Virgin Mary, a young Clerk named Reyner Koetken was invested. +He was nineteen years of age, and sprung from an honourable stock, having +good parents and friends at Zwolle: moreover, he had three sisters who +were living the Religious Life as Béguines in the House of Wyron +that lieth near the city without the northern gate.</p> +<p>In the same year, in the month of March, and during the Lenten season, +God succoured our House by granting us to catch a great number of fishes +in the river Vecht, which is near the monastery, and these sufficed +for all that dwelt with us, and likewise for the poor, and for strangers; +also many traders came from the regions of Westphalia and Saxony to +buy these fish which are called smelts.</p> +<p>In the same year a new monastery was founded in Zwolle for the Order +of Preachers.</p> +<p>In the same year, in the month of July, and on the day before the +Feast of St. Praxedes the Virgin, died our beloved Brother Henry Lymborgh, +a Priest, who was born in Zwolle. He was fifty years old, and +he was buried in the eastern cloister, by the side of Henry, son of +William, our fourth Prior. Often he fell sick with the stone, +and at the end, having fulfilled twenty-seven years in the Religious +Life, he had a slight stroke of palsy in the face, and he fell asleep +in peace amongst the Brothers. In the same year, in the month +of October, and on the day following the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel +(that is, the night of the Feast of St. Leodegarius, Bishop and Martyr), +died John Tyman, a native of Holland. He was a faithful Laic and +an Oblate, and when he finished his course was seventy years of age.</p> +<p>For forty-five years he lived with us humbly, and in obedience working +with the husbandmen, albeit for a long time he had been lame; and after +a long trial by sickness he rendered up his soul with patience, and +was laid in the western burying-ground with the other Laics.</p> +<p>In the same year, and on the day before the Feast of the holy Martyrs, +Crispin and Crispian, one Bernard Irte died at Zwolle, being a citizen +of that city, and son of Lambert of Irten, a magistrate of the State. +He was a friend to our House, and during his lifetime often visited +our church, in which out of his devotion to St. Agnes the Virgin he +desired to be buried, and he was laid with the Converts in the western +cloister before the door of the church.</p> +<p>In the year 1466, on the night of the Feast day of St. Maurus the +Abbot, and before Matins, died Wolter Eskens, the father of Gerlac, +our cellarer; he was an ancient man, being ninety years old, and he +had been formerly our husbandman on a certain farm pertaining to the +monastery at Windesem, but he was born in the town of Raelten. +In his old age he left his friends and acquaintance, following his son +Gerlac, who was a faithful Oblate, and he lived in our House for nearly +eleven years before his death.</p> +<p>Long had he been bowed with age, yet he hastened to the church every +morning to hear Mass, leaning upon a staff. He was very good and +patient in bearing his bodily weakness, and he fell asleep in the Lord, +giving thanks. So after Mass had been said for him, he was buried +with the Laics and servants of our House, in the burying-place of the +Donates.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Octave of the Feast of St. Agnes the Virgin, +died Christian, a Priest, who was eighty years old. He was Curate +of Ter Heyne, and a special friend to our House, and out of his devotion +he chose to be buried with our Brothers, so he was laid in the eastern +cloister in the same grave with Hermann Gruter the Priest.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1467, on the third day of the month of March, +and before Compline, died Hysbrand, our tailor, a Resignate and Oblate, +who was born in Amsterdam, a town of Holland. For thirty years +he had lived with us, and he was laid in the burying-place of the Laics, +being seventy-two years of age when he died.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast day of the holy Apostles Peter and +Paul, died Tidemann Mulart, a native of Hasselt. He was a Resignate +and an Oblate, who had long discharged many hard tasks as a servant +of our House, for he abode with us for near of forty-four years, and +at length he departed in peace, being seventy-two years old, and he +was laid in the burying-place of the Laics.</p> +<p>In the same year the Brothers and members of the House at Windesem +builded and enlarged their ancient church to promote the honour of God.</p> +<p>In the same year, after the Feast of Pentecost, our Father George +builded a new kitchen that was greater and more stoutly wrought than +the former, for the old kitchen was roofed with reeds and thatch, and +he builded this new one by reason of the peril of fire, and also to +rid us of certain ill conveniences, and to promote the good of the community.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the night of the Assumption of the Blessed and +Glorious Virgin Mary, and after the Te Deum had been sung, died the +devout Laic, Nicholas Bodiken, who was an Oblate of our House. +He served Christ faithfully, and showed special devotion in singing +the praises of the Most Blessed Virgin.</p> +<p>A few days before his death he was seized with grievous pain in the +head and his other members, but being purged by this sore suffering +in the body, he gained an happy issue therefrom, for his end was such +as he would have wished, and he met the same with a good will and with +complete resignation on the day aforesaid, which was the solemn feast +of the Blessed Virgin.</p> +<p>When supper was ended, Nones of the Blessed Virgin were sung, and +Vigils recited for him, and then he was laid in the burying-place of +the Laics and amongst the Oblates and Donates of our House; being in +the seventy-ninth year of his age when he died. He had lived for +a great while with us, but the needs of his mother and grandmother constrained +him to take care of them, which thing he did, having taken counsel with +the Prior of our House, but after that they died in Zwolle, he returned +to the monastery at Mount St. Agnes. After this he fulfilled thirty +years in complete subjection to our rule, and on the Feast day aforesaid +he fell asleep in the Lord, and all that dwelt in this House bore witness +to his good report.</p> +<p>On this same Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, our most +beloved Father George took the Ciborium of the Venerable Sacrament from +the altar with all reverence, and the whole body of members, going before +him in procession round the cloister, sang the Response, “Felix +namque.” After they had returned to the choir, they bowed +the knee before the Revered Sacrament which was placed upon the altar, +and sang the Antiphon, “Media Vita,” with the verse and +the Collect proper to times of pestilence, for at this time the plague +had begun both here and in many places.</p> +<p>In the same year, by the blessing of God, our orchard bare much fruit, +but the fields, though they stood thick with corn, were hurt by the +continued rain that fell at harvest time. Wherefore frequent prayers +to God for fair weather were made at the time of Mass, and the seven +psalms were recited in the choir.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, died Arnold +of Nemel, an aged farmer, who was a neighbour and a good friend to our +House. He was laid in the western cloister before the door of +the church, and in one grave with his son.</p> +<p>In the same year, after the Feast of All Saints, and after Compline, +on the day before the Feast of Leonard the Confessor, died Arnold, son +of Gerard of Werendorp, who was our miller, a faithful Laic and Fellow +Commoner of our House. He was a man greatly beloved and profitable +to the Laics of our household and all the Brothers, and he died after +that he had finished the thirty-third year of his age, having continued +with us for fourteen years. He was laid in the burying-place of +our Laics by the side of Nicholas Bodiken.</p> +<p>In the same year, 1467, Albert, son of Hubert of Amersfoort, was +invested on the day of the Conception of the Glorious Virgin Mary, being +twenty-three years old, but he had attended the school at Zwolle for +four years.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1468, in the month of April, on the day following +the Feast of St. Ambrose the Bishop and in the middle of the night, +before Lauds, died Godefried Hyselhan of Kampen, a Laic and Donate of +our House, being eighty-three years of age. For a great while +he was the miller of our monastery, and a man faithful and upright in +his conversation. Afterward he became our porter, and showed himself +pitiful and kindly to the poor; but at length, worn out with years, +he died in peace, for God had mercy on him: and he was laid in the burying-ground +of the Laics.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1469, on the day after the Feast of the Holy +Innocents—which day is the Feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury, +and falleth within the Octave of the Lord’s Nativity—died +Brother Gerard that was called Cortbeen, whose death befell after supper, +and before the hour of Vespers. Before he entered the Religious +Life he was a Priest, and he was born at Herderwyjc, but for ten years +past he had lived the Religious Life amongst us in piety and devotion. +Often he endured much toil in time of harvest, and in winter also he +would cut wood in the marshland, for he was a strong man and apt for +coarse and heavy toil, yet he neglected not the inner things of God. +At the last he was afflicted of the Lord with a dropsy in the legs, +and after bearing the scourge of this infirmity he departed out of this +world to the Lord in the forty-second year of his age. So Mass +and Vigils for the dead were said for him, and he was buried in the +eastern cloister.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1470, on the third day after the Feast of +Servatius the Bishop, two Clerks, and one Laic who was a Convert, were +invested. This was on a week day, so as to avoid the concourse +of men, and the gathering together of a crowd of friends from the world.</p> +<p>Of these Clerks the first was Otto Graes of Deventer, who was twenty-two +years old and had two brothers living the Religious Life as Priests +in the Regular Order: of these one was at Windesem, the other in the +House of Bethlehem at Zwolle. The second of the Clerks was Rudolph, +son of Gerard, a native of Amersfoort, who was twenty-one years old, +and had sojourned for a while at Zwolle before he entered the monastery. +The third was Henry Kalker, a Novice and Convert, who came from the +region of Kleef, and was thirty-seven years of age: he lived with us +before his investiture, dwelling amongst the Laics, and he was a good +tailor, but sometimes he served in the kitchen, and sometimes ministered +to the sick: after a while, by reason of his uprightness, he was invested +as a Convert.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day following the Feast of the holy Martyr +Maurice and his companions, and after Matins had begun, died our Brother +Peter Herbort, a Deacon who was sixty-five years old. He was of +weak frame, and by nature very frail, so that he was unable to observe +many of the statutes, yet he often received discipline in the Chapter +for his faults: also he washed the heads of the Brothers when they were +shaven, and rejoiced to serve the others as reader in the Refectory. +At length, having fulfilled forty-three years in the habit of the Regular +Order, the time came for him to go forth; so being contrite of heart, +having made his confession and received the Communion and the Unction, +he fell asleep in the Lord in good confidence and faith amid the prayers +of the Brothers. For our Father George, with many of the Brothers, +was present with him, but the rest remained in the choir to sing Matins +and Lauds. After supper Vigils were sung for him and for our other +benefactors, and he was buried in the eastern cloister by the side of +our Brother Gerard Cortbeen.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1471, that is to say, on the Feast day of +Antony the Confessor, and in the morning after High Mass, died that +devout Laic, Gerlac, son of John, who was born hard by Zwolle, that +is to say, at Dese. He was seventy-two years old, and for the +last fifty-three years and more had lived with us in great humility, +simplicity, and patience. He bore many toils and privations, and +amongst the other virtues that he showed, he was especially notable +for the virtue of silence, so that through all the day he spoke but +very little, and even during the hours of toil he gave an example of +silence to others.</p> +<p>A short while before his death he was smitten with apoplexy, and +became partly delirious and he was laid in our burying-ground with the +rest of the Laics.</p> +<h2>SO FAR THE CHRONICLE WAS WRITTEN BY THOMAS OF KEMPEN; THE RESIDUE +THEREOF WAS DONE BY ANOTHER.</h2> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of St. James the Less, and after Compline, +died our most beloved Brother Thomas Hemerken, who was born in the city +of Kempen, in the diocese of Cologne. He was in the ninety-second +year of his age, and this was the sixty-third year after his investiture; +likewise he had been a Priest for above fifty-seven years.</p> +<p>In the days of his youth he was an hearer of Florentius at Deventer, +by whom also he was sent, when twenty years old, to his own brother, +who at that time was Prior of Mount St. Agnes. From this same +brother he received his investiture after six years of probation, and +from the early days of the monastery he endured great poverty and many +labours and temptations.</p> +<p>Moreover, he wrote that complete copy of the Bible which we use, +and also many other books for the use of the House, and for sale. +Likewise he composed divers little books for the edification of the +young, which books were plain and simple in style, but mighty in the +matter thereof and in their effectual operation.</p> +<p>The thought of the Lord’s passion filled his heart with love, +and he was wondrous comfortable to the troubled and the tempted; but +as age grew upon him he was vexed with a dropsy in the legs, and so +fell asleep in the Lord and was buried in the eastern cloister by the +side of Brother Peter Herbort. In the same year, on the Feast +day of St. Lambert, and after Prime, Brother Hermann Craen the Vestiarius +died of the plague, being sixty-four years old. In the beginning +he was Sacristan, but afterward, and for above fifteen years, Vestiarius. +Then for thirteen years he held the office of Procurator, but being +set aside from that office, he was for the second time appointed to +be Vestiarius, in which vocation he gained much praise for that he provided +sufficiently for every man so far as the means of the House did allow. +After that he was set aside from his office of Procurator he bore himself +patiently: and he had lived the Religious Life with us for thirty-eight +years and a half: but in the day aforesaid, when Vigils had been sung +for him, he was buried after supper-time in the eastern passage.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day before the Feast of St. Francis, and +after Matins, Wichman Spuelre died of the plague. He was a young +Laic about twenty-five years of age who was born at Doesborgh, but for +above four years he had lived with us; and being chosen to be Sub-Infirmarius +he served the sick with kindliness and in gracious wise, wherefore he +obtained great praise from all men. He was laid in the burial-ground +of the Laics, but on the day following, namely, on the Feast of St. +Francis, and just before one o’clock, three Priests and one Lay +Brother were anointed with the oil of the sick. In the same year, +on the day after the Feast of St. Francis, Brother Henry, son of Paul +of Mechlin, who was a Priest, died of the plague. He was nearly +forty-six years of age, and was Infirmarius, in which same office he +had served the Brothers faithfully for fifteen years; but he had lived +with us in the Religious Life for twenty-four years and a half, and +he was buried in the eastern cloister beneath the steps, and in the +same tomb with Nicholas Creyenscot, who died before.</p> +<p>It is told of this Brother, as an ensample and memorial of him, that +on the third day after that he was smitten with the plague, seeing that +sure sign of death which is vulgarly called the “Death Spot,” +and while his strength of mind and body were yet whole in him, he asked +for the habit to be brought wherein, after the custom of the Order, +he must be buried; and when it was given him he put it on without help +from another, and with his own hand sewed up the forepart thereof lest +others might unwittingly look upon his body. Then after supper-time +was ended, he, with the Infirmarius who was acting for him, read the +Litanies and the seven penitential psalms for all his negligences; and +as an act of gratitude for all the benefits that God had bestowed upon +him, he added the Te Deum Laudamus. So at length, about the hour +of Vespers, having made a good confession, he rendered up his soul, +Father George being there present with him, while the Brothers were +singing the verses antiphonally in the choir.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of St. Marcus the Pope, when dinner +was ended, Peter, son of Nicholas, a Laic of our household, died of +the plague. He was born in Amsterdam, and was about fifty years +old, but he had lived with us for twenty-five years and a half, being +employed in the brewery. He was a strong man of great stature, +and a pattern to the Laics by reason of his close observance of the +habit of silence, his regularity in reading the Vigils, frequenting +the church, and such like exercises. He was laid in the burial-ground +of the Laics.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day following the Feast of St. Dionysius +the Martyr, and before the ninth hour in the evening, Brother Peter, +son of Simon, who was born in Liège, died of the plague; now +he had lived with us in the Religious Life for nine years and a half. +By nature he was very timid and modest, and at the beginning of his +conversion he had suffered many temptations to cowardice, albeit he +was afterwards delivered from these by the grace of God. So he +yearned for death with great desire, longing to be released and to be +with Christ, and he was laid in the eastern cloister.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day following the Feast of St. Luke the +Evangelist, and after Matins, Peter, son of John, died of the same plague. +He was a Laic and Resignate of about seventy-three years of age, who +was born in Utrecht; but he had lived with us for about fifty-four years, +and was employed in binding books. By nature he was very weakly, +especially in the head, and he often received discipline for his negligences, +being punished therefore: yet he did gladly serve for the Brothers at +Mass, and at the last, in the time of the plague, he got his death through +ministering to the sick, and died in the presence of Father George, +and was laid with the other Laics in their burying-ground.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day following the Feast of the Eleven Thousand +Virgins, and in the morning after Prime, died our Brother John Kysendael, +who was born at Orsoy in the land of Kleef. He was almost thirty-four +years old, and had lived with us in the Religious Life for fourteen +years and nearly two months, being much beloved for his holy conversation +and his virtuous life. Moreover, he served the Brothers humbly +in his office of sacristan for nearly four years, and so that versicle +which is sung for confessors was apt and fitting for him “who +was ever pious and prudent, lowly and modest, sober and chaste and peaceful +so long as this present life endured in his bodily limbs.” +He was buried in the eastern cloister.</p> +<p>Two hours afterwards, on the same day, and of the same plague, died +Hermann Crom, a Laic and Resignate, who was born in Utrecht, being now +sixty-four years old, but he had lived with us for nearly thirty-four +years; he was of great service to the Brothers, first in the office +of Sub-Infirmarius, and afterward in making ready the Refectory and +ministering to the other needs of those Brothers that were weak and +old. At length, as he served the sick, he was smitten with the +plague, and was laid in the burying-ground of the Laics.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, and after +supper-time, Laurentius died of this same plague. He was a Laic +and Donate, and his native place was Alsen, a town near Tyel in the +parts of Geldria. He was seventy-three years of age, and had been +barber to the House, having lived with us for near forty-five years. +A great company of strangers resorted to him hoping to be cured by his +skill as a surgeon, for he had some good knowledge of that art. +He was laid in the burying-place of the Laics.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of St. Martin the Bishop, and before +the tenth hour in the evening, Ludolph the miller died of the plague. +He was born at Delden in Twenthe, and was nearly thirty-seven years +old, but he had lived with us for three years and a half. He fell +sick through tending the plague-stricken, for he was at this time their +faithful servant; and having made a good confession, and being filled +with a fervent love of God, he died and was laid in the burying-ground +of the Laics.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1472, on the Feast day of St. Ambrose, which +fell on the Sunday after Easter, died Brother Everard ter Huet, a native +of Zwolle, and Prior at Bergum, where for ten years and more he had +ruled the Brothers in laudable wise. Having fulfilled forty-three +years of life, twenty-five of which he had passed as a member of our +Order, he died at last, being smitten with the plague, and was buried +in the church of the aforesaid monastery.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the fourth day after the Feast of St. Ambrose, +and when Prime was done, died our Brother John Lent that was a native +of a place near Zwolle, being nearly eighty years old; but he had lived +with us in the Religious Life for about fifty-nine years. He was +very strict in his observance of the rule, and a pattern to the Brothers, +but at length, being worn out with the disease called stone, he died, +and was buried in the eastern cloister. By his writing he was +of much profit to the monastery, for he attained great excellence in +this art, wherefore he wrote many books for sale, and many for the choir +and the libraries, wherein he left a notable example for others to imitate.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the day of St. Potentiana the Virgin (which +was the Tuesday after Pentecost), and when Vespers were done, Johson +of Tric died of a rupture. He was a Laic and Resignate, a native +of Zwolle, and seventy-five years old; but he had lived with us for +fifty-one years, being a pattern to the Laics by the toils that he bore, +and his obedience to discipline. By reason of his trustiness he +was often set over the husbandmen at Lunenkerc at the time of our exile, +and also at home, that is, at Mount St. Agnes. But at the last +he died suddenly and without making confession, for death was beforehand +with him; howbeit he received the Unction, and he had made his confession +two days before he died, and had received Communion with the others +on the Feast of Pentecost.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the fourth day after the Feast of St. Lucia, +died Gherard, son of Hermann, a Laic of our household, who was born +near Albergen in Twenthe. He was nearly fifty years old, and had +lived with us for twenty-three years. His stature was small, but +his mind great, and he directed our husbandry with all diligence; but +at length he fell into a consumption owing to a kick from a horse, and +having lingered a long while, he died, and was laid in the burying-ground +of the Laics.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1473, on the 28th day of June, two Brothers +were invested as Clerks. The first was Stephen Putselaer, who +was born at Doesborgh, and had attended the school at Deventer; he was +now twenty-two years old. The second was John, son of Tric, a +native of Amsterdam, who had sojourned at the school of Zwolle for nearly +four years, and at the time of his investiture he was at the beginning +of his eighteenth year.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1474, on the day before the Feast of St. +Agatha, Virgin and Martyr, and in the morning between the sixth and +seventh hours, died Brother Otto Lyman, a native of Goch, being nearly +seventy-six years old, but he had lived with us for fifty-five years +and a little more. He was very zealous for discipline, and most +strict in observing the rule of silence; also it was his custom to attend +all the services in the church, each in its season, so much so that +although weakened by old age and an apoplexy, he did not forgo this +custom to the very end of his life. Besides this he carefully +observed a voluntary poverty both in the matter of his clothing and +with regard to the furniture of his cell. During his life he wrote +many books for the library; but at length his infirmities grew upon +him, and he fell asleep in the Lord in the presence of the venerable +Prior and the Brothers, and was buried in the eastern cloister.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1474, on the day of St. Urban, Bishop and +Martyr, brother Martin, son of Nicholas, was invested. He was +nineteen years of age and was born at Amsterdam, but he had attended +the school of Brussels for three years.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1474, on the second day after the Feast of +the Conception of the Virgin Mary, and after Matins, died Brother Theodoric +Veneman, who was born near Zwolle, being now seventy-two years old; +but he had lived a laudable life with us for fifty-two years, lacking +two months. He was of ripe character and a pattern Brother; moreover, +he was zealous in observing the rule of silence and quietness, but at +length he fell sick and slept in the Lord, and the venerable Prior George +and the Brothers were with him at his death. He was buried in +the eastern cloister.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1474, on the day of St. Agapitus the Martyr, +died Goswin ter Beeck, a Laic of our household, who was born in Zwolle, +being -- years old, but he had lived with us for about fifty-three years; +his life was a very pattern, and well ordered, both in word and deed; +he had been our miller for more than forty years, and was very faithful +to the House. In that he greatly feared that death should come +suddenly, he made his confession to the venerable Prior after due preparation, +and a short time afterwards he met that death which he had feared, for +God ordained it so.</p> +<p>In the same year died our beloved Brother Gerard, son of Tric, that +was a Convert. This befell on the second day after the Feast of +St. Lucia, Virgin and Martyr, and after Matins. He was eighty-two +years old, and for many years had been a Donate, but having lived honestly +amongst us for more than thirty years he was invested as a Convert, +for so it seemed good to the Prior and the whole Brotherhood. +He was most strict in observing discipline, weighty in word and character, +austere toward himself, and a lover of poverty. Moreover, he directed +our husbandry, and that of two other Houses of our Order, to wit, the +Houses at Anyhen and at Lunenkerc, also that of the monastery belonging +to the Order of St. Benedict which is called the House of Kleerwater, +near Hattem; for out of charity to the Brothers of that House the venerable +Prior lent Gerard to them. So having lived with us for nearly +fifty-four years in this honest and devout wise, he fell asleep in the +Lord and was buried in the western passage which is called “The +Strangers’ Passage,” together with the other Converts.</p> +<p>In the year 1475, on the fourth day after the Feast of Maurice and +his companions, and about the fifth hour in the morning, died William +Brant, a Laic of our household, but a Clerk in regard to learning. +He was born at Kampen, and was now nearly seventy-five years old; but +he had lived with us for nearly sixty years. Although he was notable +for knowledge, yet he desired to continue humbly, modestly, and in quietness +unto his life’s end in the condition of a Laic, and specially +to avoid the sin of detraction. Beside his unceasing labours in +other matters, he awakened the Brothers for Prime during forty years.</p> +<p>In the year 1473, on the third day after the Feast of St. Matthias +the Apostle, and in the morning, died Encbert of Tyveren, a Donate and +Fellow Commoner of our House, being eighty-three years old. Amongst +other virtuous habits, he had one that is specially worthy to be remembered, +namely, that if any did him a wrong, he would easily and without hesitation +grant full forgiveness for the same, whenever the offender showed any +sign of charity toward him. Being fired, moreover, with charity +and love for God and his neighbour, and with a zeal for souls that ceased +not night or day, he strove for their good whenever he had opportunity; +and of this many can bear witness, both men and women, for whom he obtained +places fit for them wherein they might serve God.</p> +<p>In the same year and week, namely, on the fifth day after the Feast +of St. Matthias, John Bodien (?) died at Deventer. He was a Laic +of our household, and being oppressed by infirmity he went to Deventer +to take counsel of a physician, and there died in his brother’s +house; and since he was born of a good stock, his body was brought back +to us with honour by his friends, and laid in the burying-ground of +the Lay folk. For a few years after his conversion he served in +the kitchen, and coming to his life’s end he fulfilled the toils +of many years in a short space.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1477, on the Octave of the Feast of the visitation +of the Blessed Mary, and after Nones, that is at about the eighth hour, +died Gerlac, son of Wolter. He was a devout man and very trusty; +a Laic and Resignate that was born at Ralt, and he was nearly seventy-one +years old. On the day before his death, and after Compline, he +took his supper in the kitchen according to his custom (for he was cellarer) +and by a mysterious visitation of God he suddenly was deprived of all +sense and strength. He lost the power of speech, and he lay until +next day struck down with apoplexy without speaking or eating, and died +after Nones at the hour aforesaid. He had lived with us for nearly +forty years, during twenty-three of which he had fulfilled the duties +of the aforesaid office with faithfulness and care, being almost always +in his cell and ready to carry out the wishes of the Brothers. +He was laid with the other Laics in that burying-ground of ours that +pertains to them of that condition.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast of St. Ægidius, and after Compline, +that is to say about the middle of the seventh hour, died that devout +Laic, Albert, son of Florentius. He was a Resignate and about +seventy-three years old, but he had lived with us for nearly forty-five +years, and for a long while served the Brothers patiently in the kitchen. +But afterwards he was very serviceable to the sick, and to the Infirmarius, +by catching and bringing them fresh fish. He was laid with the +others in the burying-ground of the Laics.</p> +<h2>FROM THE CHRONICLE OF OUR BROTHER THOMAS OF KEMPEN CONCERNING MATTERS +NOT PERTAINING TO OUR HOUSE.</h2> +<h3>CHAPTER I.</h3> +<p><i>Concerning the year in which that reverend man, Florentius of +Wevelichoven, was made Bishop of Utrecht</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1479, Florentius of Wevelichoven, aforetime +Bishop of Munster, was enthroned as Bishop of the Church of Utrecht +on the Festival of St. Willibrord, first Bishop of that See.</p> +<p>He was a prudent man of honest life, ripe age, and a lover of religion, +and under his rule, which was during the reign of our Lord Pope Urban +VI, Gerard Groote flourished, that venerable master who was truly great +by reason of his life, his learning, and the words of his preaching.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER II.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of John Ruesbroeck, first Prior of the Groenendaal</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1381, and on the second day of December, +being the Octave of St. Katherine, Virgin and Martyr, the venerable +and most devout Master John Ruesbroeck died in the district of Brabant. +He was the first Prior of the Monastery of the Groenendaal near Brussels, +which Monastery pertains to the Order of Canons Regular; he was then +in the eighty-eighth year of his age, and he was buried before the north +end of the High Altar in the choir. He took the Religious habit +in the aforesaid place amongst the first who were there invested, being +then sixty years of age; and, by the help of God, he fulfilled the office +of the Priesthood for sixty-four years. His holy and glorious +doctrine was published far and wide over the land of Germany, and giveth +light thereto. This was he whom Master Gerard Groote visited, +together with John, a scholar from Zwolle, for he thought that his writings +were worthy to be compared with those of the greatest doctors. +Moreover, he had put forth many books that were most devout, touching +matters of the higher understanding, which books, of his wisdom, he +wrote in the Teutonic tongue; and he poured forth in liberal abundance +that grace of heavenly sweetness which he had received from God, for +the use of his neighbour and them that should come after in the Church. +There are eleven books which he composed either before or after his +entrance into the Religious Life; and less the tale should be incomplete, +the book of his letters doth make that number up to twelve.</p> +<p>There was in the same monastery, under this venerable Master, a Convert +whose name was John, a man very devout, who did humbly devote himself +to his life’s end to serving in the kitchen, and he was illumined +with special grace for divine contemplation. He compiled a great +and notable book, filled with high and heavenly doctrine, in the which +he doth commend his most beloved father, John Ruesbroeck, in most excellent +wise.</p> +<p>In the same monastery also were certain other most devout Fathers +and Religious Brothers, eminent for their life and wisdom, as their +holy works that have come down to us do testify.</p> +<p>Concerning the life and writings of John Ruesbroeck and Brother John +Cocus, more is told in a little book that hath been put forth of late, +and that is entitled “Of the Origin of the Monastery of the Groenendaal.”</p> +<h3>CHAPTER III.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of the venerable Master Gerard Groote, a man most +devout</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1384, on the Feast day of the blessed Bernard +the Abbot, and at the fifth hour, after Vespers, Gerard, surnamed Groote, +died at Deventer, in the time of the pestilence; he was a venerable +man and beloved of God, and the forty-fourth year of his age was nearly +done.</p> +<p>His body was borne to the Parish Church of the most Blessed Virgin, +Mother of God, and therein was laid with due honour not far from the +sanctuary. His father’s name was Werner Groote, and he was +a Schepen and magistrate of the same city; his mother was called Heylwige, +and both her husband and she were of high place and mighty in honour +and riches, judged after the measure of worldly dignity; but Gerard, +by God’s inspiration, put aside the burden of riches and despised +the pomps of the world on the which he had relied carelessly for a long +while, and for the sake of an humble Christ took upon him a garb of +humility. Suddenly he was changed into another man, so that all +wondered, and he became a rule of life to Clerks and Lay folk alike. +Hereafter, by the pattern of his good conversation and the exhortation +of his holy preaching, he withdrew many persons from the vanities of +the world and laid upon them the gentle yoke of Christ. Likewise +he resigned all his ecclesiastical benefices, but he kept some small +portion of his father’s goods to provide for his own necessities. +Much he gave to the Religious, and his dwelling-house and homestead +lie bequeathed for ever to the poor Sisters, or Béguines, whom +he had gathered together in that same place. Of his humility he +took upon him the rank of a deacon so that he might be able to preach, +but he would not take priestly orders because of the awe in which he +held the same.</p> +<p>On a time he went toward Zwolle in company with Peter, Curate of +the Church of Deventer, and his companion questioned him with friendly +boldness, saying: “Beloved Master, why wilt thou not be made Priest, +since thou art well lettered and fitted to rule others?” +But Gerard made answer: “I would not be Curate of Zwolle, no, +not for a single night, for my cap full of golden florins.” +And Peter being astonished said: “What then shall we feeble and +wretched folk do, for our knowledge and our life are less worthy than +thine?” And this word of Master Gerard had so great weight +that this same Peter did afterward renounce his pastoral charge and +did maintain himself upon a single benefice, and that one to which no +cure was attached. Gerard, moreover, wrote profitable treatises, +and many letters to divers persons, and from these writings one may +see readily enough how great a zeal for souls was in him, and how deep +an understanding of the Scriptures. He translated two books of +John Ruesbroeck from the Teutonic into the Latin tongue, and these are +entitled: “Ecce Sponsus” and “De gradibus amoris.” +Likewise he translated “The Hours of the Blessed Virgin,” +and certain of the Hours from the Latin into the Teutonic tongue, so +that simple and unlearned Laics might have in their mother tongue matter +wherewith to occupy themselves in prayer on holy days; and also that +the faithful, reciting these Hours, or hearing them recited by other +devout persons, might the more readily keep themselves from many vanities +and from idle talking, and so, being assisted by these holy readings, +might make progress in the love of God and in singing the divine praises. +Once a certain man who was united to him in the bonds of friendship, +asked him, saying: “Most beloved Master, of what use are all these +books which you carry on so great journeys?” And Gerard +answered: “For good living a few books are enough; but we must +have all these for the instruction of others and to defend the truth, +so that if any might not believe me yet they may assent to the authority +of the saints.” Many other good things also Master Gerard +did in his life, as certain worthy records of him tell us, so that from +the small band of his disciples there grew at length a great company +of devout persons.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER IV.</h3> +<p><i>Of the great eulogy passed upon Gerard by a certain doctor</i>.</p> +<p>Master Gerard of holy memory, he who was called “The Great,” +has passed happily to the Lord. Truly he was “The Great,” +for in his knowledge of all the liberal sciences, both natural and moral, +of civil law, canon law, and of theology, he was second to no one in +the world, and all these branches of learning were united in him.</p> +<p>He was a man of such saintliness and gave so good an example in his +mortification of the flesh, his refusal of temporal advantages, his +contempt for the world, his brotherly love for all, his zeal for the +salvation of souls, his effectual preaching, his reprobation and hatred +of wickedness, his withstanding of heretics, his enforcement of the +canon law against those that broke the vow of chastity, his conversion +to the spiritual life of divers men and women who had formerly lived +according to the world, and his loyalty to our Lord Urban the Sixth—in +all those things I say he gave so good an example, that many thousands +of men testify to the belief that is in them that he was not less great +in these virtues than he was in the aforesaid sciences. Master +William of Salvarvilla, Cantor at Paris, Archdeacon of Brabant in the +Church of Liège, an eminent doctor in theology, compiled the +above eulogy from that which he heard from the lips of men worthy of +credit, and from his own knowledge of Master Gerard, and he believed +beyond all doubt that it was true.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER V.</h3> +<p><i>How, after his death, the number of the Devout and the Order of +Regulars did increase</i>.</p> +<p>After the death of the venerable Master Gerard Groote, the devotion +of faithful persons in Deventer, Zwolle, Kampen and the neighbouring +towns began to grow mightily in the Lord, so that in a short time there +arose many congregations of men and women that served God, dwelling +together in common and in chastity of life after the manner of the primitive +Church and that laudable custom of the holy Fathers that was introduced +by the Apostles.</p> +<p>Some of these who could ill abide the concourse of people in the +cities, sought habitations that did befit them far from the places where +men do congregate, and having builded them poor little houses, determined +to lead a hidden life therein after the example of the ancient Fathers; +but in process of time, as their numbers and their goods increased, +they took upon them the habit of holy religion, for God so ordered it, +and converted their houses into Monasteries of the Order of Canons Regular, +thinking thereby to be the more profitable. This same memorable +Master, inspired with a spirit of prophecy, foretold this thing, namely, +that the number of the devout should increase mightily, for to a certain +Priest, who was his friend, and afterward became a Canon Regular at +Zwolle (from whom also I heard the saying), he said: “Behold, +beloved, this good thing which by God’s help hath been here begun, +shall be increased yet more, and this little spark shall kindle many +fires throughout all Holland and Geldria.”</p> +<p>Thanks be to God that as we have heard, so have we seen with our +own eyes the fulfilment of this prophecy, and that not only in the regions +round about, but also in the parts afar off and in the upper provinces. +He had it likewise in mind to found, with the help of certain friends, +a monastery for Regulars who should take the habit which he had seen +in Brabant in the house of John Ruesbroeck, but this purpose he committed +to the followers whom he had made firm in the faith of Christ, that +they should fulfil it, for death was beforehand with him, and this was, +indeed, fulfilled effectually by these same disciples in after days.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER VI.</h3> +<p><i>Of the consecration of the Church, and the investiture of the +first Brothers in Windesem</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1387, on the day before the Feast of St. +Luke the Evangelist, the first Church of the Monastery in Windesem was +consecrated in Honour of the glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God.</p> +<p>This place received the name Windesem from the village that lieth +near to it, and it is one mile from Zwolle, toward the south; near the +eastern side thereof is the River Yssel; also some space away is Hattem, +the strongest fortress in Geldria.</p> +<p>On this same day six Brothers made their profession and were invested +with the habit of the Order of Canons Regular, who observe the rule +of Augustine, the glorious Bishop and Father of our Order. The +names of these are as followeth:</p> +<p>Brother Henry of Huxaria, a Priest.</p> +<p>Brother Werner of Lochem, in Geldria, the first Prior of the house +there.</p> +<p>Brother John of Kempen, in the diocese of Cologne, who was afterward +Prior at Mount St. Agnes.</p> +<p>Brother Henry Wilde of Hertzogenbosch, in Brabant.</p> +<p>Brother Berthold ten Hove, a native of Holland, who conveyed to us +his patrimony and the place where the monastery standeth.</p> +<p>Brother Henry Wilsem of Kampen, a man of great probity, who was formerly +a great one in the world. He was eloquent in discourse, humble +and earnest in the service of God.</p> +<p>With these and others that loved holy religion, this new foundation +of the Order of Canons Regular in the diocese of Utrecht had its beginning +after the happy death of Master Gerard Groote, and under the rule of +Florentius, Bishop of Utrecht, it increased by little and little, but +in process of time it began to grow yet more fruitfully in divers places. +All the men above named, save only one, had been disciples of Master +Gerard, by whom they, with many other Clerks, were drawn to the amending +of their lives, being imbued with his wholesome exhortation.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER VII.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of John de Gronde, a Priest</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1392, on the 17th day of May, being the day +following the Feast of St. John before the Latin Gate, and at the fourth +hour in the morning, John de Gronde died at Deventer, in the house of +Florentius. He was a devout Priest and a mighty Preacher of the +Word, and it was in the fortieth year of his age. The town of +Octmesheim, in the district of Twent, and the diocese of Cologne, was +his native place, and he was a man adorned with modesty and eloquence, +and the venerable Master Gerard let summon him from Amsterdam in Holland +to hear the confessions of the devout, likewise Gerard committed to +him the governance of the Sisters of his House. For awhile he +abode with the first Brothers in the ancient House of Florentius, and +rose up with the others in the morning to recite the Hours; and when +the time for rising came, he awoke straightway and went forthwith to +arouse the other Brothers, knocking and saying: “Arise, watch +and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” Of this thing +Master Gerard maketh mention in the letter which he wrote to the priests +at Amsterdam, what time he besought that John should be sent to him, +for this alacrity did especially please him.</p> +<p>As his death drew on, Father Florentius, who earned the love of all +the devout, stood by him to comfort and console him; to whom John spake, +saying: “Lo! the adversary doth strive to disquiet me, and would +confound me at the last.” But Florentius answered: “Fear +not but trust in the Lord, and keep silence as to those things that +are cast up against thee.” Then John, as one truly obedient, +said: “In the name of the Lord,” and these were the last +words that he spake before his death. He was buried in the Church +of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, by the side of Master Gerard and in +the same tomb, for it was in this church that he had oft proclaimed +aloud the Word of God. Likewise from time to time he would preach +at Zwolle and hold colloquy with the Brothers on the mount, urging them +to hold with constant mind to the course they had begun. So these +two on earth are covered by one stone, and one Stone, that is an heavenly, +did make them firm in the true faith; as they loved one another in life, +so in death their bodies are not divided.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER VIII.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of the most Reverend Florentius of Wevelichoven, +Bishop of Utrecht</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the lord 1393, on the Feast day of St. Ambrose the +Bishop (which in that year was Good Friday), while the Holy Office of +the Lord’s Passion was being said in the church, our most Reverend +Lord Florentius of Wevelichoven, Bishop of Utrecht, departed from the +light of the world. He died in the city of Hardenberch, having +ruled his diocese for twelve years and five months in laudable and glorious +wise, and his body was taken to the Church of the Blessed Martin at +Utrecht, and was buried with honour in the choir beneath the steps of +the sanctuary. Here a taper is kept lighted as a memorial of his +good reputation, for verily he was a lover of the true light, and a +defender of his country. In discipline he was very strict; and +spent naught needlessly or to any unprofitable end, but all that was +justly owed he paid honestly, repaying loans, restoring buildings that +were decayed, setting up new ones, fortifying towns and castles. +He loved the things of God and prudently disposed of worldly matters; +by his servants he was beloved, to the poor he was pitiful; he cherished +all devout persons, and was accepted of Clerks and people.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER IX.</h3> +<p><i>How Frederick of Blanckenhem was chosen to be Bishop</i>.</p> +<p>In the same year, the noble and famous Lord Frederick of Blanckenhem, +formerly Bishop of Strasburg, was chosen to the See of Utrecht and confirmed +by the authority of the Apostolic See. He was one of lofty mind, +famous for knowledge and prudence, and by the help of God he ruled the +diocese for many years with great glory, and guarded his country by +his victorious might. Beneath his rule the Order of Canons Regular +and the devout multitude of Brothers and Sisters spread far and wide, +and rejoiced in their prosperity in all regions that lay beneath his +jurisdiction.</p> +<p>In this year also three monasteries were founded in Holland, near +Amsterdam. One belonging to the Carthusian Order, one to the Canons +Regular, and one to the nuns of that same order: this last lieth within +the city and near the ditch.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER X.</h3> +<p><i>How the monastery at Northorn was founded</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1394, about the time of the Feast of the +Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Clerks belonging to the +household and congregation of that venerable Priest, Master Everard +of Almelo, a Bachelor in Physic or Medicine, began to prepare a place +for a monastery; for of their own free will and by his council they +had determined to build an house in Vrensueghen upon an hereditament +that is called Enoldint. So having obtained license from that +Reverend Lord Otto ten Hoye, Bishop of Munster, and having the consent +of the Dean, Archdeacon, and Chapter, which was given on the 1st day +of May, a small Oratory was consecrated in this same place during the +Advent following and on the Feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle. +This Oratory stood where now the church is builded, and there on this +same day four Priests of the household of Everard were invested with +the habit of the Order of Canons Regular; they were admitted by Wenomar, +Bishop of Sebale, a member of the third Order, and Vicar-General for +Pontifical Acts to Otto, the Reverend Bishop of Munster: now the names +of the Brothers by him admitted are these:</p> +<p>The first was Henry Kyndeshof of Deventer, and there were also Herpe +of Lippe, Hermann Plectenberrich, and John of Julich. Of these +Hermann Plectenberrich was chosen to be the first Prior, and the four +abode by themselves under the authority of the Bishop of Munster, because +their founders would not have them subject to any other, but in the +year of the Lord 1400 they were placed under the authority of the Chapter-General +of Windesem, which is in the diocese of Utrecht, and lieth near Zwolle, +as it were one mile distant.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XI.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of that most devout Priest Florentius, Vicar of the +Church of Deventer</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1400, on the day before the Feast of the +Annunciation of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, and when it was now late, +and the Ave Maria had rung, there died in his own House at Deventer +the Priest Florentius Radewin. He was a man of holy life and the +beloved Father of all the devout, an humble Vicar of the Church at Deventer, +a Master of the University of Prague, and he was now in the fiftieth +year of his age. He was born at Leerdam that is subject to the +Count of Arkel, but when he heard of the fame of Master Gerard, he left +his native land and became his devout follower and disciple, and in +a short space he was a Father to many devout persons, and the first +founder of the congregation of Clerks in Deventer.</p> +<p>His garb was simple and gray in colour, his bearing was composed, +his bodily presence full of grace, and his aspect lovable. His +hair was black, but his beard somewhat gray; his face was thin and had +but little colour, his forehead was bald and his gait and bearing were +full of dignity.</p> +<p>Once he came on a visitation to Mount St. Agnes, and the Brothers +were glad at his coming, and the elder amongst them asked him to deliver +some discourse, so he spoke a few words to them on humility and charity, +and at the end he added: “See now, ye may be sickened of these +words that ye have heard from me,” for he did not think that he +could say aught worthy to be heard. Nevertheless he was mighty +to comfort the devout, and it was a pleasant thing to see him and hear +his words. Also the words wherein he confessed that he was not +skilled to speak were received as very edifying, and some of the Religious +wrote what he said on their tablets and in their books.</p> +<p>This most holy man of God flourished in the days of that venerable +Lord Florentius of Wevelichoven and the illustrious Frederick of Blanckenhem, +the two famous Bishops of Utrecht.</p> +<p>When his death was announced to them of the city, the Canons and +Clerks came together to attend the burying of so great a man, and a +vast multitude of people followed as far as to the Church of St. Lebuin, +wherein he was buried before the altar he had served, which is dedicated +in honour of St. Paul. His life that was adorned with virtue is +more fully set forth in the DIALOGUS NOVITIORUM.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XII.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of Everard of Eza, a Curate in Almelo and a great +master of Physic</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1404, on the first day of the month of April, +died that reverend man Everard of Eza, the Curate of Almelo and a great +master in physic. He often gave the benefits of his healing art +without price to many that were sick, but especially to the poor. +Likewise he founded and in a special way provided for the Monastery +of the Blessed Virgin in the Wood near Northorn, in the Countship of +Benthem, and he procured that some of the Clerks who lived with him +should be invested there. Amongst physicians he had a great reputation; +of the nobles he was honoured, by worldlings he was feared, by the religious +he was beloved, and for a long while his fame was good in the land. +Moreover, he had been a close friend to Florentius, the Vicar of the +Church at Deventer, and rejoiced to visit him; and he often succoured +him in his infirmities and expended anxious care upon him; likewise +he said of Florentius that it was a thing above human nature that a +man so weak should live so long, unless it were that God preserved him.</p> +<p>But let it not be a marvel to any how it came about that these two +reverend Fathers and Masters were thus of one heart in the service of +God, for He who brought together the Blessed Peter and Paul to preach +in Rome did also unite Florentius and Everard in Deventer, to be as +it were two bright lights in the world, to dwell together as Brothers +like minded in the House and there to comfort themselves and others.</p> +<p>But the conversion of this reverend Master Everard came about after +this manner, and was brought by the co-operation of God to an wholesome +effect. When the venerable Master Gerard, of whom mention is made +above, was preaching the Word of God to the people outside the walls +of Deventer, Everard hastened to come to his preaching, for he had heard +Gerard’s fame and was puffed up with the wisdom of this world; +so he came not of brotherly love, but out of a curious mind, desiring +to know whether the Master’s teaching was consonant with his fame, +for he did not hunger for uprightness but rather would catch him in +his talk. Yet he stood not openly among the common and simple +folk, but behind a pillar, as one that hideth; and behold Almighty God +Who knoweth the heart, neither can any hide from His face, did fill +the quiver of the preacher with sharp arrows wherewith in secret he +pierced through the heart of this curious hearer, who, being pricked +thereby, laid aside all the naughtiness of his former vanity, and became +a devout disciple of the preacher. For when the preaching was +done, he came near to the man of God, and made known how the Lord had +dealt with him by means of the preaching, and how this had befallen +him as if the preacher had traversed all the hidden places of his heart +and seen all the secrets thereof. So Master Gerard received him +and confirmed his charity toward him, and at length Everard became his +companion and helper in preaching; but not long after his conversion +Master Gerard departed to the Lord. After his departure the old +enemy stirred up no small enmity against the devout disciples, but God +was present with them, giving to them patience and constancy. +Now many of the devout were ignorant of Master Everard’s conversion, +but he wished to join himself to the disciples of Christ that dwelt +in Deventer in the House of Florentius; the Brothers, however, when +they saw him were afraid, and began to flee from before his face as +lambs from before the wolf, and they gat them into the hidden places +of their cells; yea, and Florentius himself was fearful, for he knew +not what Everard might mean, who aforetime had been harsh enough and +had opposed the devout Brothers.</p> +<p>Everard therefore said to Florentius: “Wherefore do these Brothers +flee away?” and he answered: “They know not with what mind +thou art come,” but Everard said, “I am come to amend my +life,” and when he was still held in suspicion of Florentius, +he said after due thought and protesting his innocency: “If ye +will not believe my words, at least believe mine acts—I pray you +give me a cell for a season, and prove me therein of what spirit I am.” +Therefore they took him and assigned to him a cell where he lived long +and was wholly converted; for as once he had gained great knowledge +of medicine, so now he received no small light in the law of the Lord +and in the holy Scriptures.</p> +<p>After this he accepted the dispensation of God towards him, namely, +to be still and attend to his heavenly calling, and also following herein +the example of Florentius, to gather together into his own house at +Almelo certain Clerks and Lay folk, with whom he lived for many years +under due discipline. Moreover, lest they who were so gathered +together should be scattered abroad after his death, he began to think +of a fit place where they might serve God together, and by His help +he found such a place as he desired for the founding of a monastery, +and here those Brothers whom he had formerly invested in an humble manner +were placed. To them he distributed gifts out of his own substance, +namely, gold and silver, books and other things for their use, for building +and for needful expenses. As regardeth the foundation of this +monastery see above, under the year of the Lord 1394. He was buried +in his own church at Almelo, where he had governed his people for many +years, and he left a good memorial among the devout whom he cherished +and loved as a father. On a time when I attended the school at +Deventer, I fell sick, and with such care did he tend me that by the +mercy of God a like sickness fell not upon me for many years after.</p> +<p>In the same year, on the Feast day of St. Gregory the Pope, the building +of our church was begun by brother John of Kempen, the first Prior.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XIII.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of the Priest Amilius that succeeded Florentius at +Deventer</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1404, on the day before the Feast of St. +Barnabas the Apostle, Amilius the Priest died at Deventer; he was a +mighty zealot for souls, kindly in feeding the poor, austere to himself, +compassionate to the sick, comfortable to the troubled, and he was about +thirty-two years of age.</p> +<p>He came from the parts of Geldria near Tyele, and coming to Deventer +he attended school there for a while, but when he was amongst the foremost +of the students he left the school and clave to Florentius, for it was +his desire to serve God. Afterward Florentius procured his promotion +to the priesthood, and before his death placed him over the whole congregation, +likewise he did commit to his charge the governance of the House as +being his beloved disciple. This burden that was laid upon him +Amilius undertook with much sorrow, and though he was not minded to +disobey the command of so great a Father, yet with weeping eyes, lamentation +and sighing, he professed himself unworthy of this preferment; likewise +in his secret prayer he mourned bitterly, for he desired rather to have +the tasks of the kitchen laid upon him than to be preferred to the honoured +post of governing men. For in the kitchen he ever rejoiced in +his servitude, being safer therein, and having a good conscience; but +in the other office a thousand dangers met him, bringing no small care +with them. Yet God did not long delay to answer the prayers and +sighs of his humble servant, for his burden on earth endured but a short +while, and having fulfilled four years and near to three months in the +care of governance, the Lord rewarded his faithful labours with eternal +rest. His body was laid in the burying-ground of St. Lebuin the +Confessor, near that of Lubbert, a Priest of his own House. There +also was John of Viana buried, and there Reyner Haerlem the acolyth +and many other devout Brothers and Clerks of the House of Florentius +rest in peace. After the death of Amilius, John Haerlem succeeded +as ruler of the House, but he was afterwards chosen to govern the sisters +at Zwolle, and Godefred of Wesel filled his place, for the Fathers in +their prudence did so ordain it.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XIV.</h3> +<p><i>Of the first investiture of the Sisters of our Order in Diepenvene +near Deventer</i></p> +<p>In the year 1408, on the Feast of St. Agnes the Virgin, the Sisters +of the Order of Canons Regular in Diepenvene near Deventer were first +invested. This investiture was done by Brother John Huesden, the +venerable Prior of Windesem; and there were present also the Prior of +the House of the Fount of the Blessed Virgin near Arnheim, Brother John +of Kempen, Prior of Mount St. Agnes, and many other devout persons, +both men and women, who came together eagerly to be present on so notable +a day. So then there was great joy for the heavenly marriage of +many devout matrons and virgins; but the sound of much weeping ascended +to heaven also. The number of them who took on them the habit +and the order that followeth the rule of the Blessed Augustine the Bishop +was forty-three, and of these three first made their profession the +same day, but the others remained Novices for a year. Many of +these Sisters were gathered and brought from Deventer from the house +of Master Gerard Groote, after that the numbers there began to be increased, +and John Brincerinck governed and guided them for a great while.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XV.</h3> +<p><i>How the monastery in Budiken was reformed</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1409, William van den Berg, Bishop elect +of Paderborn, began to reform the monastery at Budiken, transferring +it from the rule of Canons Secular to that of Canons Regular; and he +published on this occasion the licence for their transference, at the +end of which are the words following: “To the honoured John Wael, +Prior of the Monastery at Zwolle, that is in the diocese of Utrecht, +we do by these presents grant, concede, and allow the privileges hereafter +following, namely, that he may attach to the Church and Monastery at +Budiken a suitable congregation of men devoted to God, when opportunity +doth offer, and that they be under the Order of Canons Regular, conforming +to the rule observed in the Monastery at Zwolle so far as the rule there +obtaining doth permit. We are led to grant this licence for this +special reason, namely, that St. Meynulsus, the founder of this monastery, +is believed to have belonged to the Order aforenamed; let the said John +Wael therefore set over this same congregation a Prior or Superior as +may seem expedient to him.”</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XVI.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of Gerard Kalker, a devout Priest, and Rector of +the House of Clerks</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1409, on the Vigil of the Nativity of Christ, +Gerard Kalker died at Zwolle. He was a devout Priest and Rector +of the House of Clerks in the said town, and his age was thirty-six +years. The town named Kalker in the district of Kleef was his +native place, but when he was attending the school at Zwolle he joined +himself to the devout Brothers, and himself became one of their congregation. +Afterward he was chosen to dwell in the new House that had been built +for a congregation of Clerks by Meynold of Windesem, a rich citizen +of Zwolle, and after a while was instituted as Rector of the same House, +being held worthy of that office by his Elders. He was one of +great stature and innocency of life. In word kindly, in counsel +wise, in bearing composed; to the poor compassionate, to strangers courteous, +and the citizens loved him; moreover, he burned fervently with divine +love to gain the souls of many. He was a zealous follower of Florentius, +whom he esteemed with all his heart and loved as his dearest Father; +likewise he left behind him many devout Brothers whom he had built up +to the highest virtues. He was buried in our monastery at Windesem, +and Theodoric Herxen, his disciple, succeeded him as Rector.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XVII.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of Henry of Gouda, a devout Priest, at Zwolle</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1410, on the day of St. Gregory the Pope, +Henry of Gouda died at Zwolle. He was a devout Priest and Confessor +to the Sisters in that place, having been of old one of the disciples +of Florentius, and he was born in Holland near Schoonhoven. Being +learned in the Scriptures he was a mighty preacher, and one that did +truly despise the world and its riches; he feared not to reprove the +vices of sinners, and in his frequent preaching he strove for the salvation +of his neighbours; moreover, he kept a strict watch over his own conscience, +and guarded his good reputation and humility of life. On a time, +as he was passing through the street in a city that is far away, some +boys whom he knew not seized him from behind by his cloak, and mocked +him with jests because it was his wont to go clad in very simple attire, +and a long sad-coloured cloak, for he seemed to take no thought of any +outward thing, nor to desire honour. So being thus entreated and +disturbed he looked back and said to himself: “Here ought we to +dwell, for at Zwolle they say unto us, ‘Sir, sir,’ yet what +merit do we gain thereby?”</p> +<p>Likewise he came sometimes to Mount St. Agnes, and sought to speak +with the Brothers in their cells, and as he was holding converse with +a certain one of them, he said, amongst many other good things, “Very +good is the life that ye pass here, and the more safe is the road that +ye traverse in that ye abide in the cloister afar from the multitude +of men. I, who almost every day do traffick with worldlings, what +can I learn thereby save the acts of worldly men? I am a man untaught, +neither have I knowledge of the life of contemplation, nor do I seek +to take hold on lofty matters—but sometimes I can preach in simple +words to untaught and common folk—yet henceforth I purpose to +amend myself with more diligence, and by God’s favour to apply +myself to things of greater moment.” When he said this, +that Brother was greatly edified at the humble words that proceeded +from his mouth. It is said also in his preaching he uttered this +notable saying: “Why should I say more? Words do beget a +multitude of words—and acts beget their kind. The fruit +of the Word is its fulfilment in deed.”</p> +<p>He was buried in the church at Windesem, where also certain other +devout Brothers and Priests do sleep, and after him John Haerlem was +preferred to rule over the Sisters in Zwolle, since the well-being of +the House so determined it; he was one that was sufficiently skilled +in sacred learning, and he had lived long and devoutedly in Deventer, +and moreover had ruled the House of Florentius for several years.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XVIII.</h3> +<p><i>How the Sisters in Bronope were invested</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1411, on the day of the Conception of the +Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sisters of the Order of Canons Regular in Bronope +were first invested. This House lieth outside the town of Campen, +which town is near the bank of the Yssel where that river runneth down +to the sea. This investiture, with indelible and perpetual vows +to live the life of the cloister, was conferred by the Reverend Fathers +and the Priors of our Order, namely, John Vos of Huesden, Prior of Windesem, +and William Vorniken of Utrecht, Prior of Mount St. Agnes near Zwolle. +To these the care and visitation of the House, and likewise of the house +at Diepenvene that lieth without Deventer, were afterward committed +by the General Chapter. But the number of these Sisters who were +first invested in this place was fourteen, of whom ten became nuns, +and four Converts; and of the ten nuns four did make their profession +on the same day; the other six, and the four Converts remained for a +year as Novices.</p> +<p>In the year of the lord 1412, a General Chapter was holden and the +houses of the nuns at Diepenvene and Bronope were incorporated as members +of the said Chapter.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XIX.</h3> +<p><i>The death of Wermbold the Priest</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1413, on the Vigil of Pentecost, being the +night of the Festival of Barnabas the Apostle, and at the eleventh hour, +died Wermbold, a devout Priest of laudable life who was Confessor to +the Sisters of the third Order in the House of St. Caecilia. He +came from Holland, from a place near Gouda, and for long had stood as +a burning and shining light in the city of Utrecht, enkindling many +by the word of his preaching and drawing them to the path of right living +by his good example and his wholesome counsel; for he was a zealous +lover of the holy Scriptures, and an eloquent preacher to the people, +one well beloved for his eminent continency of life, and honoured by +great folk. He procured that divers books of sacred theology should +be written, and translated divers sayings of the Saints into the Teutonic +tongue so as to profit the faithful Lay folk who were earnestly desirous +to hear the Word of God. At length, when his pious labours in +the service of God had been fulfilled with many trials, the good Lord +of His great kindness favoured Wermbold with a most sweet consolation +in a vision that was revealed to him. His body was taken for reverent +burial to the choir of the Church of St. Caecilia, and the last words +he spake as life departed were: “For Thou Lord only hast set me +in hope.”</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XX.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of John Cele, Rector of the School at Zwolle</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1417, on the ninth day of May, which in that +year was the fourth Sunday after Easter, the reverend Master John Cele +died at Zwolle in the diocese of Utrecht.</p> +<p>He had ruled the scholars there strictly, being an excellent instructor +of youth, a zealous lover of the divine Name, and one that closely attended +the choral and other offices of the Church and taught others so. +This most faithful man, eminent for his honest life, ruled the school +for many years, and with discernment taught many of his pupils to love +holy religion and the following after God. What Order that is +illustrious for its life or reputation hath not had monks that were +his pupils? Although above others the Canons Regular, the Cruciferi, +and the Cistercians have gained many adherents to the Order from among +his students, and of these some, being endued with the grace of virtue, +have become fathers of monasteries and rectors of churches. For +the pupils who were under his rule learned from their good Master to +despise for Christ’s sake the glory of this world that vanisheth +away, and that in the whirlpool of this mortal life nothing is better +and holier than to spurn the enticements of the world and to fight for +the Lord of Heaven. In his days it was a lovely thing to enter +the town of Zwolle and to see the chosen multitude of scholars that +did attend the school. Who could tell in worthy wise with what +fatherly care he strove to instruct all in learning and character, and +to the leading of an upright life, and the holding of a good repute? +For this purpose he often set before them and quoted the authority of +the holy Scripture, and strongly encouraged them to copy sentences from +the writings of the Saints. Furthermore, he gave them regular +instruction in singing, taught them to attend the church assiduously, +to honour Priests, to love religion, to hold converse with devout and +learned men, to pray yet more often, and gladly to take their part in +singing the praises of God. He himself was there present with +cheerful countenance, directing the whole choir in their harmonious +melody; and likewise on feast days he often played on the organ, rejoicing +greatly in this task, and being herein a true imitator of David, that +holy king who played upon the harp and danced before the ark of God, +singing His praises. In process of time the fame of John Cele’s +goodness went forth to the utmost parts of Germany, and his sayings +and opinions reached to the ends of the earth, borne thither on the +lips of his pupils. The men of Brabant with the Flemings, they +of Holland with the Frisians, they of Westphalia with the Saxons came +in crowds to study under him, and having borne themselves studiously +in the school, returned with their learning to their native places, +men of Treves and Cologne, Liege and Utrecht, Kleef and Geldria were +found here; and youths that were apt for learning gathered together +from other villages and castles and made great progress in knowledge. +The richer paid their own expenses out of their sufficiency, the poor +gathered in bands to beg, giving thanks to the hands that helped them. +These did the Master instruct gladly and without price when besought +so to do for God’s sake, for he was a true father of the needy, +and he exhorted them to strive to turn their studies to God’s +service; but wandering and froward fellows he would not admit nor endure, +but either by correction changed them to a better mind or drove them +forth from his presence, lest the naughtiness of such presumptuous persons +might work ill to them that were well disposed to obey, and disturb +the peace of the studious flock and their Rector. So he was a +rod of fear to the idle, but a staff of protection and safety to them +that were well disposed to learn. Many of his hearers, when they +had laid fitting foundation of knowledge, flew higher to loftier studies, +and those who bore them diligently were promoted to the degree of Masters +in a short while, and certain of these applying themselves to yet fuller +knowledge were found worthy to be counted in the number of the Doctors.</p> +<p>The great city of Paris doth know, holy Cologne and Erfurt do confess, +and the Curia at Rome is not ignorant of this, namely, the number of +learned men whom the school of Zwolle sent forth while Master John Cele +ruled her with all diligence, which thing he continued for a great while, +even until his hair grew white, for they say that this venerable Master +governed the scholars here for more than forty years.</p> +<p>This is his great glory, that so vast a multitude of his scholars +speak well of him, so many illustrious Clerks praise him, so devout +a company of monks still remember his name.</p> +<p>All things were well at Zwolle beneath his rule; they of the world +were not at enmity with the scholars, the devout might serve God freely +where they would, the Religious were under good supervision, and Priests +of honest life were accepted of the citizens.</p> +<p>They who governed the people feared God and were endowed with wisdom +and riches; moreover, amongst them were many learned magistrates who +had been of old disciples of John, and as was fitting, they ever held +him in love and reverence. He had collected many books for his +own use, both of philosophy and divinity, and he directed that after +his death these should be distributed for pious uses; for some he left +as a pious bequest, and for the good of his own soul, to churches, some +to monasteries, and some to the poor. So this is that revered +and justly praised Master John Cele, a native of the town of Zwolle, +a man well taught, learned, not puffed up by knowledge, sober, chaste, +humble, and devout.</p> +<p>Once he had gone to the country of Brabant with the venerable Master +Gerard Groote to see face to face that man most dear to God, John Ruesbroeck, +one that was illustrious for his life and doctrine, for he had known +him from afar, since his fame was noised abroad, and this journey he +made out of love for his devout and holy life. John Ruesbroeck +received them both in fatherly wise, and after a few days they returned +to their own habitation, greatly refreshed by the words of his mouth +and by his living example. This is more fully set forth in the +book of the life of that memorable Father. From this time forth +the flame of brotherly love burned yet more vehemently in the heart +of each, and, indeed, John Cele did wondrously love Gerard from the +very beginning of his preaching, ever holding him dear, and a man of +one heart with him in Christ, one that did treat well of the Word of +God before the people, showed a pattern of life in his own conduct, +and was very fervent in his zeal for souls. For this reason Master +John bore the reproach of men and much evil speaking from the froward, +who never fail so to entreat them that do well; and this befell him +because he encouraged and praised the acts of the Master and the glorious +words of his preaching, yet was he not overcome by the snarls of envious +folk, nor ceased greatly to extol Gerard, but before the magistrates +and the people he spake freely on behalf of the Religious. To +him did Gerard address certain friendly letters, and John, who loved +the Master’s words with all his heart, did collect the whole number +of his epistles, because of his delight in reading them. Likewise +he did often mention the venerable Master by name to his scholars, as +one whom he knew well, and in his own pleasant voice did recount his +deeds for an example to them. This is the end of the life of John, +that faithful servant of Christ Jesus, to whom may God grant to enjoy +the glory of heaven with all the saints. His body was buried at +Windesem, in the ancient cloister, near the door of the church.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XXI.</h3> +<p><i>Concerning John Brinckerinck, a disciple of Master Gerard</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1419, on the 26th of March, that is to say, +on the day following the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, John +Brinckerinck died at Deventer. He was a man beloved of God, a +devout Priest and Rector, and Confessor to the Béguines in the +House of Master Gerard Groote. He was born of good parents in +the city of Zutphen, in Geldria, and in the years of his youth he began +the devout life through the preaching of Master Gerard, for in a short +while he became a disciple of the Master and was adorned with special +grace; moreover, he heard many good things from him, and received from +his mouth words of heavenly wisdom, for he oft held converse with him +in the House, and yet more often without when they journeyed.</p> +<p>After Gerard’s happy death, John was ordained to the priesthood, +and when John de Gronde, the first Confessor of the Sisters at Deventer +died, he ruled the said Sisterhood which Gerard had founded, being set +up as the second Rector thereof, in which office he was a zealous minister, +and he governed the Sisters in most excellent wise for many years, for +God helped him. Sometimes he preached the Word of God in church +to the people, and he drew many to the service of God as handmaids of +Christ; and when the congregation of Sisters had begun to grow in merit +and to increase daily in number, he began to build a monastery for the +Nuns of the Order of Regulars outside the city of Deventer towards the +north, a work done with great and daily labour, and he ruled the same +most strictly with all diligence.</p> +<p>Through his example and his counsels, which promoted the salvation +of many, a great number of other Houses for Nuns were begun in divers +parts, of which some were under the discipline of the Canons Regular, +while others professed the rule of the third Order and were incorporated +therein.</p> +<p>His body was taken to his own monastery at Diepenvene, and there +buried in the choir before the High Altar, and after his death John +Hoef was preferred to be Rector of the Sisters in Deventer, but the +care of the Nuns was committed to the Prior of Windesem.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XXII.</h3> +<p><i>Of the death of Gisbert Dou, Rector of the Sisters at Amsterdam</i>.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1420, on the day before the Feast of the +Nativity of the glorious Virgin Mary, Gisbert Dou died in Holland. +He was a Priest of reverend life and Rector and Confessor to many Sisters +in Amsterdam, and he did also promote and found two monasteries for +the Canons Regular. This man of God, from the beginning of his +conversion, was very familiar with Gerard Groote, and his close friend, +for he knew his inmost thoughts better than did any other mortal man, +both the good thoughts and the bad alike, and whatever Gerard did in +his life, for he was his Confessor and his most faithful confidant in +those things which pertain to the examination of the conscience. +He held with him, therefore, most devout colloquies, frequently conferring +with him as to the condition of the Brothers or Sisters, and the things +needful to preserve the devotion which had begun in many places. +But through the bounty of God he lived safely for many years to comfort +the good, and he often preached the Word of God publicly in the church +to the people. He was kindly and liberal in hospitality to all +who came to him, a faithful helper of the poor, a sweet comforter to +the sad, a staunch friend to the Religious. The mighty looked +favourably upon him, the simple folk and the community loved him, and +learned men and prelates heard him reverently; and so having fulfilled +seventy-five years of life, he died in a good old age amongst the Fathers +of his House, and was buried in the Convent of the Sisters of our Order.</p> +<p>In the year of the Lord 1450, Peter de Mera, Chamberlain to our Lord +Eugenius IV, obtained a letter granting Indulgence to our House, namely, +to the Prior, the Brothers, the Converts, the Donates, and the Oblates +in the House on Mount St. Agnes; and the purport of his letter was as +followeth:</p> +<p>“Most blessed Father and most holy Lord, This petition is made +to further the salvation of the souls of your devout servants Theodoric +the Prior, the Canons or Brothers, and the other members of the community +who dwell in the Monastery on Mount St. Agnes, near Zwolle, following +the rule of the Order of Canons Regular, which monastery is in the diocese +of Utrecht: likewise on behalf of the servants of this same House, and +of other Priors, Canons, Brothers, members of the community, and servants, +who shall dwell from time to time in the aforesaid monastery; wherefore +that in future they may be ordered in more wholesome wise we beseech +your holiness to deign of your grace to grant them Indulgence to the +effect following, namely, that as long as they continue in the verity +of the faith, the unity of the Holy Roman Church, in obedience and in +devotion to your holiness and your successors, the Chief Pontiffs of +the Holy Roman Church, who shall be canonically elected, so long a suitable +Confessor chosen by them shall have power under the authority of the +Apostolic See to grant to them when in articulo mortis full remission +of all sin which they may have confessed with contrition of heart. +Provided always that they presume not to do any unlawful thing through +their reliance upon this Indulgence, and provided also that so soon +as they are notified of this Indulgence they keep fast on every Friday +for one whole year, or do some other act of piety: but if they have +neglected to fast or been unable to do so, or if it hath been their +custom heretofore so to fast on every Friday, then they shall be bound +to perform some other special act of grace in accordance with the directions +of the aforesaid Confessor.</p> +<p>“The privilege desired in this petition is granted to all professed +Brothers, Converts, and Oblates, under perpetual vows, so long as they +live in the observance of the rule.</p> +<p>“Given in the presence of our Lord the Pope,</p> +<p> “C. +ARMINIENSIS.</p> +<p>“It is asked also that the aforesaid licence hold good without +letters Apostolic to confirm the same.</p> +<p> “Granted. +C. ARMINIENSIS.”</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XXIII.</h3> +<p><i>As to the gaining of Indulgences at the stations in Rome</i>.</p> +<p>To the venerable and devout Priors at Windesem and Mount St. Agnes +near Zwolle, and to the Priests and Fathers unfeignedly beloved in Christ +Jesus, these, from Brother Everard Swane of the House of the Blessed +Virgin in the Wood near Northorn, your unprofitable servant, good Fathers. +Venerable Fathers, most beloved in Christ Jesus, my love is ever ready +to serve you, and I was desired by divers persons, yea, and besought, +as I understood, by some of your Brothers also, to write to the Curia +to enquire as to the virtue and extent of the Indulgences granted at +certain stations in Rome by our most Holy Father Pope Eugenius IV, the +granting of which Indulgences was promoted by my Lord the Cardinal as +ye do know. I was required to ask the virtue of such, and how +they might be obtained; this thing, therefore, I did long since, and +I have received a reply to this effect, namely: “That no man may +know fully the virtue and extent of these Indulgences, because from +the time of St. Peter onward, Indulgences beyond number have been given +and granted by divers Pontiffs.”</p> +<p>I have spoken likewise on this matter with certain persons that are +about the Court, and to put the matter shortly, these also are unable +to give any certain decision in the matter, but, arguing it amongst +themselves, some said that the remission of all sins may be obtained +at any station; others held and said that all Indulgences granted throughout +the whole city may be obtained at any one of the stations. Which +is the truer argument I dare not to say, beloved Fathers, but this I +know full well of mine own knowledge and experience, that Cardinals, +Prelates, and others, both men and women, throughout the whole city, +are wont to be zealous in visiting each several station; neither is +it the usage there to make any reference to the virtue or extent of +the Indulgences, even inwardly, but every man doth commit this matter +to God Who alone doth know the tale of the same, and we too ought to +follow this custom. But as concerning the gaining of the same, +of which I have made mention above, the Chamberlain of my Lord Bologna, +who returned to this country a short while ago for divers purposes, +hath told me thereof by word of mouth, and he saith that he himself +was present when the Indulgences were granted. Every man that +hath made his confession and is contrite, and hath fulfilled the conditions +laid down in the letter wherein the Indulgence was granted—that +is, living in common and in the observance of the rule—may gain +the same in the church of his own monastery. And these conditions +are that he enter the church with the same intention that he would have +in Rome were he present there on the proper days for visiting the stations; +that he prostrate himself before the altar which he would have chosen +there, and pour forth his prayers or certain repetitions of the Pater +Noster as devoutly as he may: that he celebrate Mass: or visit the several +altars saying the Pater Noster or other prayers after the same manner +as that which is customary in the aforesaid city. In short, if +any man doth as is aforesaid, there is sure hope that he will gain the +Indulgences just as if he were actually present in Rome, as is set forth +also in the said letter. Therefore, beloved Fathers, ye may, if +it please you, tell these things to the Brothers of your House, or to +any others ye will that desire to be informed as to the matters set +forth above, and in this do as may seem expedient to you. As for +our Lord Eugenius the Pope, aforementioned, who hath granted and given +us Indulgences so freely, and my Lord of Bologna who procured the grant, +and others who have laboured in what manner soever to this same end, +ye will (as they do trust) make mention of them in your prayers, especially +on the days proper for the stations, committing them to God for the +sake of Jesus the humble. And may He see fit to keep you, and +all that are committed to your charge, safe in His holy service.</p> +<p>Written on the day following the Feast of St. Philip and St. James, +in the year of the Lord 1443.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XXIV.</h3> +<p><i>The letter of the Cardinal of Bologna</i>.</p> +<p>Antony, by the mercy of God, Bishop of Ostia, Cardinal of the Holy +Roman Church, and commonly known as the Cardinal of Bologna, to all +and each of the Canons Regular, our beloved in Christ, and to all other +persons that are Converts or Lay Brothers in the House of the Blessed +Virgin in the Wood, and in the Houses elsewhere that belong to the said +Order of St. Augustine in whatever diocese they may be, and who live +in the observance of the rule, and to others who shall see these presents, +greeting:</p> +<p>It is a just thing, and one consonant with reason, to bear witness +to the truth; wherefore by the tenor of these presents we do notify +your whole society, and bear witness that our most holy Father and Lord +Eugenius IV, by divine providence Pope, by his Apostolic authority hath +granted to each and all of you Indulgence and Concession following at +my prayer and instance, the same being delivered by word of mouth and +needing no further confirmation by letters Apostolic. Ye are not +bound in any way whatever to avoid any man, even though he be for the +time being held under sentence of excommunication, either at the time +of the celebration of the divine Mysteries or at other seasons (unless +indeed there be any in your churches that are publicly denounced as +excommunicate), nor shall such intercourse be held to impute guilt to +you or to any one of your company. Likewise and by similar authority +he doth grant to you, that those among you that for the time being do +suffer infirmities in the body be not bound to say or recite the Canonical +Hours during the time of such infirmity, nor be deemed to be under such +compulsion so that they be excused by the counsel of such suitable Confessors +as may be chosen from your body.</p> +<p>Likewise that each Prelate of your several churches shall have authority +with regard to vows to make pilgrimage across the seas, to the shrine +of the Blessed Peter and Paul, or other places of pilgrimage which ought +to be paid by you, or any one of you, from time to time, to commute +the same to other acts of piety.</p> +<p>Furthermore and by the authority aforesaid he doth grant to the followers +of your devotion this concession:</p> +<p>Whereas Indulgences have been granted by the Apostolic See to faithful +persons all and sundry who from year to year devoutly visit certain +churches in the which “stations” are appointed for certain +days—and of these churches some are within, and some without the +city—and whereas these Indulgences are granted to persons who +visit the said churches on the days for which stations for this purpose +are appointed;</p> +<p>Now therefore he doth grant that each and all of you, being truly +penitent and having made confession, may and ought to enjoy the benefits +of such Indulgences just as if ye had actually and in person visited +the churches aforesaid.</p> +<p>And this concession shall avail both for the present and time to +come for ever, so that it hold good for those of you only who shall +continue to live in common, and in your own community (that is under +the General Chapter), and shall persevere in the observance of the said +rule.</p> +<h2>A LETTER CONCERNING THE FIRST INSTITUTION OF THE MONASTERY AT WINDESEM.</h2> +<p>Here beginneth the preface to the work following: with the whole +affection of my heart and mind, and with the service of my voice do +I exalt God, the Invisible, the Almighty, and His only begotten son +our Lord Jesus Christ.</p> +<p>My most beloved Brother of old, when I told the tale of the former +state of this House, of the Fathers and Brothers thereof, and their +blessed deeds, and when I related also the origin of this foundation, +thou didst seem to lend an ear somewhat readily thereto. Furthermore, +thou didst make request that some memorial thereof should be committed +to writing (for so it seemed good to thee), because they who saw and +knew the former members of the House and the fervour of their lives, +are now almost all dead; and I am as it were the dregs of the cup, the +very last of all; and being already worn with age, it is like that I +shall not be suffered to abide long with thee. For this cause +thou dost affirm that it should be profitless and wasteful that by the +lapse of time things that might perchance serve as an example and tend +to the edification of some, should pass over to forgetfulness.</p> +<p>Wherefore I have fulfilled thy petition, though mayhap not thy full +desire, since my manner of writing is coarse and ill-kempt; for which +reason I have made no mention of thy name, nor of my own; and this is +of set purpose lest if this poor letter fall at any time into the hands +of another, he might be offended on the very threshold and so not care +to go forward any further.</p> +<p>II. <i>The history of the origin of the New Devotion</i>.</p> +<p>Now in the days of old the land of the English did abound in men +great and holy, by whose saintliness and doctrine (as saith the venerable +Bede) that land was watered like the Paradise of the Lord; and so it +was that certain rivulets of that water, through the mercy of God, flowed +down to this our land to make it fruitful. For this country was +up to that time truly parched and ill-tended, inasmuch as doing service +to idols, and being ensnared in the errors of the heathen, it was held +captive of the devil.</p> +<p>III. <i>Of them by whom this land was turned to the Faith of +Christ</i>.</p> +<p>As for the first and chief of these spiritual rivulets, namely that +great man and true saint, Willebrord, we know the tale of how he appeared +here by sure testimony. For in the time of Pepin, King of the +Franks, and his son Charles the Great, and when 700 years more or less +had elapsed since the birth of the Lord, Willebrord with eleven others +did irrigate the said land with the waters of their holy preaching. +Moreover, with the help of his companions he did busy himself with breaking +up the ground with the ploughshare of discipline, yet not without much +difficulty; and in a short space the task of spreading the faith did +prosper wondrously beneath their hands; for God worked with them, and +did confirm their words with signs following.</p> +<p>Of a truth how great a fervour of faith and devotion flourished in +this our land under their guidance, and for a long while after their +days, is shown to this day, not only by the testimony of the books which +we have read, but also by those countless churches and monasteries which, +as we see, were builded on every side where the temples of idols had +been overthrown.</p> +<p>IV. <i>A lamentation over the waning of the aforesaid fervour</i>.</p> +<p>But, fie upon it, this first fervour and regular observance of discipline +did in process of time grow so lukewarm and feeble, that the outward +framework thereof alone remained, and as for the fruitfulness of the +truly spiritual life, the devil might seem to have said in the words +of Esaias, “and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the +rivers of defence.”</p> +<p>A certain aged man and an honoured priest spake in my hearing of +this drouth and failure of devotion, and referring to the time of which +I tell, he said that in the days of his youth and in these parts of +the Low Countries, all things pertaining to devotion and charity were +so brought to nothingness, that if any were touched inwardly by a desire +to amend his life, he would scarce find one single man from whom to +ask counsel; nor scarce one spot where he could put these fledgling +desires into a place of safety, unless it were among the Carthusians; +for amongst them Religious observance and the vigour of spiritual life +did flourish at that time, but scarce amongst any others.</p> +<p>V. <i>Of the rise of the New Devotion in our land</i>.</p> +<p>Since, therefore, there was such drouth throughout the whole land +(as hath been said before) that there seemed to be no trace anywhere +of the ancient devotion, the good Lord looked down from Heaven upon +the earth with the eye of His mercy, and made rise a little fount in +these failing days and in our land that was desert, pathless, and unwatered; +which fount grew by little and little to be a river (as is said in the +Book of Esther), and after a while into much water to irrigate not trees +that are corruptible, but souls, which truly are the plants of that +garden which is of the Spirit and faileth not.</p> +<p>VI. <i>Of Master Gherard Groet</i>.</p> +<p>Master Gherard Groet was this memorable fount, and not unworthily +is he thus typified, having been small in his lowly esteem and abnegation +of himself, but as his name doth signify, in the sight of God mighty +to overthrow by the sword of this word of the Lord the foes that rise +up against the salvation of His elect, so that he and his beloved sons +might gain the inheritance of Israel. One may say fitly enough +of this man what St. Augustine saith of Paulinus, who from being very +rich became for God’s sake very poor and yet with full store of +holiness.</p> +<p>Moreover, like Anah, he found the hot springs in the desert, namely, +the sweetness of divine love beyond common measure, together with abundant +zeal to gain souls, and an hatred of wickedness.</p> +<p>Having these things before his eyes he spared not while he lived +either toil or cost, for he went about preaching everywhere in hunger +and thirst, in cold and nakedness.</p> +<p>VII. <i>Of his death</i>.</p> +<p>At length after much strife, and having converted many to Christ, +this most blessed Father passed happily to the Lord in the year of the +Lord 1384; and he left the residue of the work, of which he himself +had done enough, to his little ones, those whom he had gathered under +his wings that they might promote the salvation of many and be their +pattern, whom also he had nurtured with the milk of his goodness and +his sweet-savoured doctrine; for it was his intention that through them +should be finished that work which he had ever in mind, and had striven +to carry into effect so far as he could; namely, to snatch souls from +the jaws of the devil and restore them to their Maker. This work +his followers in their time were not backward to do, neither have their +successors to the present day ceased to fulfil the same task.</p> +<p>VIII. <i>Concerning Florentius and his companions</i>.</p> +<p>Of these primitive disciples of Master Gherard, the first and chief +was that Florentius, son of Radewin, who was wonderful in all holiness +and honesty of character, and whose name that House, which was the first +of all the congregations of Clerks only, doth still retain. In +like manner one House at Deventer still hath its name from Gherard Groet, +because it was the House wherein he dwelt, and afterward this was the +first of all the congregations of women. This Florentius with +his companions that were men of light, and whose names and deeds are +of record, made no small gain of souls for the Lord, especially amongst +the scholars that were Clerks, and by their labours the monasteries +of divers orders were propped up in no slight degree and reformed also, +the Lord working by their means.</p> +<p>IX. <i>How like things were done in other cities</i>.</p> +<p>Florentius seeing that this was good, and that indeed no sacrifice +could be more acceptable to God than zeal for souls, sent devout and +learned men to other cities also to do a like work, especially to places +where there were schools largely attended, such as Zwolle, Doesborch, +Herderwijc and the like; and these men lived a common life like that +in the congregation already founded, and gained their livelihood by +writing books. They studied most of all to draw to Christ such +scholars as were Clerks and when they were so drawn and converted, to +send them to the several monasteries and congregations, there to serve +the Lord. Moreover, the conversion of these and their conversation +was a cause and means of salvation to many, as we found out afterward +in the case of divers of them. So much of their calling Clerks +to Christ.</p> +<p>X. <i>Of the names of the Fathers and Rectors of the first +congregation</i>.</p> +<p>Furthermore, with regard to the Fathers of the former congregations +(to go back a little to my former subject), I, in the hearing of Christ +Jesus, without whom nothing can be begun or founded duly, do say as +followeth:</p> +<p>“Through what act of grace or miracle came it to pass that +as Master Gherard Groet was preaching and sowing the seed everywhere, +there were added to him so suddenly and unexpectedly men of such kind +and so great, for these were of one mind with him, and every one of +them in each city and place burned with the zeal with which he also +burned to exhort and convert a people that was stiff necked. Yet +with all diligence they set them to the task of gathering together virgins +as pearls from the shells and most pure lilies from the thorns. +These were in their days true bridesmen and friends of the bridegroom, +who hear and rejoice because of the bridegroom’s voice: who strove +with emulation in God’s behalf to present the whole body of plighted +virgins whom they had gathered together as one chaste virgin to one +husband, even to Christ.</p> +<p>Thou dost ask, perhaps, “Who are they whom thou dost so commend, +and what are their names?” Hear then:</p> +<p>In Deventer, John Brinckerinc ruled over the virgins that were first +gathered together there, and from these in after days sprang the House +at Dyepenween, which was under the same Rector.</p> +<p>In Zutphen was Henry of Huesden; in Doesborch, Tric Gruter; in Zwolle, +Henry of Gouda; in Kampen, Tric of Gramsberch; in Utrecht, Werembold. +In Amersfoort, William son of Henry; in Leyden, Peter of Poel; in Harlem, +Hugo Goltsmit; in Amsterdam, Ghijsbert of Oude; in Horn, Paul of Medenblic. +Likewise in Enchusen, Paul of that city; in Pormereynde, Nicolas of +that city; in Almelo, Everard of Eza; likewise in Schutdorp, Henry of +that city. These are the holy men whom the Lord chose with love +unfeigned to carry on and complete His work which Master Gherard Groet +had begun in wholesome wise by His inspiration, as hath been set forth +already. Holiness made them priests, learning made them doctors, +diligence made them profitable rectors of many congregations, and zeal +for the gaining of souls made them notable preachers as hath been found +in the case of many of them. O happy day on which that great Gherard +was born amongst us, for he was the fount and source whence flowed the +waters of salvation to our land, so that what before his time had been +parched became a pool, and the thirsty land, springs of water.</p> +<p>XI. <i>Of the multiplication of the devout, especially of virgins</i>.</p> +<p>From this time forth the fount that once was small began to grow +by means of the rivulets aforesaid into abundant waters, that is, monasteries +without number and congregations also which fed them, so that it should +seem that the saying in Exodus was fulfilled which saith of the sons +of Israel how that when Joseph died his seed was multiplied exceedingly +and filled the land. Thus it came to pass that the people, both +men and women, loved a life of virginity, and in chastity emulated the +dwellers in Heaven. But above all there was a vast band of women +that were virgins who despised the thought of motherhood, and spurned +this flowery world with contempt, ever showing by their thoughts, their +deeds, and their bearing, that they desired rather to be united to that +Spouse Who is in Heaven. What state is there to-day, what township +or city in the whole province of Cologne but rejoiceth to have known +the savour and scent of these same lilies? Yet was there diversity +in their lots, for as Paul doth testify of himself, so too was it with +them; some having a savour of life unto life, and some a savour of death +unto death. But in this the matter of their election is most clearly +shown, and likewise the fact that they were not of the world, because +they ever bare the world’s hatred and persecution, sometimes suffering +at the hands of parents and kindred, sometimes from rulers and the common +folk of the cities and towns, beneath which persecution they bore themselves +with all patience and humility; yet they suffered most greatly from +false teachers and preachers who were zealous to assail with mad words, +and to persecute a manner of life that they knew not, yet did not they +not prevail.</p> +<p>XII. <i>How a certain monk of Cologne was put to confusion</i>.</p> +<p>For example, one such was preaching in Cologne at the time of the +Prague heresy, and he said among other matter: “Ye do go to Prague +to contend with heretics whom ye might find readily in your midst—even +in St. Gereon’s Street”—by which he signified the +Sisters of the congregation who dwelt in the said street. But +the great ones of the city took the word very ill, saying that such +a thing was never heard, namely, that heretics should dwell in the fair +city of Cologne. But why should I say more? At length the +matter was referred to the bishops and to the university, and, save +that the monk had somewhat speedily sought refuge by flight, it would +have conduced to his own detriment that he ever preached that word in +Cologne.</p> +<p>XIII. <i>How the Sisters were examined</i>.</p> +<p>Forthwith Master Henry de Gorinchem was sent to enquire into the +charge of the false preacher aforesaid (for this Master Henry was held +in the highest esteem among theologians at that time), and he did skilfully +perform the task assigned to him, examining the affairs and condition +of those Sisters with all diligence, and when he understood clearly +their sincerity in the Faith; their obedience in all things to Holy +Church; how that they had given up all personal property both in goods +and in their own will; their chastity and how in all things they did +imitate the Mother of Christ; their patience in watching, fasting, and +in seeking to gain their whole sustenance by the labour of their hands, +he was astonished thereat and returning to those who had sent him he +spake openly, saying, “If this life be not that in which every +Christian ought to follow Christ, then have I never read the Scriptures.” +And from that time he bore such goodwill toward them, that very often +he would help them in their suits, and likewise by his will he distributed +notable gifts amongst them.</p> +<p>XIV. <i>Concerning Master Bernard de Reyda</i>.</p> +<p>Next in order there was the disciple and successor of this doctor, +namely, Master Bernard de Reyda, who may fittingly be reckoned amongst +the most illustrious, and he ruled over the Sisters aforesaid until +the present day, being also their Confessor and Fellow Commoner. +But whither have we come? Verily it was our purpose, according +to thy petition to say somewhat of the first members of our House at +Windesem for thy delectation: but I do confess I have been led further +than I thought by my desire to bring forth into the light the names +of the Fathers aforementioned who were well known to me, fearing lest +in process of time they should be hidden altogether in the darkness +of silence, which thing God forbid. But in the second place, the +savour of these sweet-scented lilies that were now spread far and wide +amid the monasteries and congregations, did compel me to bear some testimony +as to their number and their most holy conversation, while the breath +of life is yet whole in me. For unworthy though I be, I have conversed +with them for these many years past, visiting and holding colloquies +with them, and I have ever found them firm in the faith, and in deed +effectual; wherefore let any man say what he will of them, but I say +with Balaam: “Let me die the death of the Righteous, and let my +last end be like theirs”—but let us return to the purpose +whence we have wandered.</p> +<p>XV. <i>Of the origin of the House at Windesem</i>.</p> +<p>So under Florentius and his companions there grew a great company +of devout persons, both Clerks and Laics, who either wished to dwell +with them or at least relied upon their wholesome admonition and counsel.</p> +<p>Amongst these were two men of no mean rank according to worldly dignity, +sagacious in mind and sufficiently learned for their degree, namely +Henry de Wilsen, a citizen of Kampen, and Goswin Tyasen, a citizen of +Zwolle. These two, being prudent men and well skilled in worldly +matters, were a strong stay to Florentius and his companions, and ever +present helpers in all the work that the Lord had ordained should be +done through them.</p> +<p>But when they saw how, that after the death of Master Gherard Groet +of holy memory, the heavens continually dropped honey, and how that +from the seed which Gherard had planted and the skies bedewed from above, +many congregations of men and women began to spring up on every side, +they rejoiced with exceeding joy; also they began to hold many colloquies +amongst themselves, as to how this good beginning that had its wholesome +origin from God might continue unshaken for a yet longer space to His +glory, and the salvation of many souls.</p> +<p>They found by God’s inspiration that this might be done by +the means following, that is to say, if a monastery of some approved +order, but preferably of the Canons Regular, should be founded, under +whose shadow all the devout turtle-doves might have a secure refuge +from the swoop of the falcon. But where might a place be found, +and the other things also that were needful for the carrying out of +such a work? For, as saith the Apostle of the calling of the primitive +Church, so amongst these also there were not many rich, not many noble—save +them that their virtue did make noble and them that voluntary poverty +did make rich before God.</p> +<p>Wherefore these Converts prayed to the Lord with all their hearts, +that He, without whom no good thing is begun, carried forward, or ended, +might deign effectually to show them what might be His good pleasure +in this business; and they remembered likewise that Master Gherard Groet +ever kept the same purpose in mind, although he could not carry his +desire into effect, for death was beforehand with him.</p> +<p>XVI. <i>Concerning Brother Bertold, and the site of this monastery</i>.</p> +<p>The Lord therefore, that He might show how He was the cause and the +beginner of all these things, stirred up the spirit of a young Clerk +named Bertold ten Hove, who was the owner of broad meadows, and particularly +of an estate that is called “Hof to Windesem”—where +by God’s aid we now do dwell—and he, coming to Florentius +and his company, did of his own act and free will offer to give himself +and all his possessions into their hands for the service of God, and +he desired earnestly that a monastery might be builded in the aforesaid +place, if this might be done.</p> +<p>When they knew this, all betook them to praising God, reaching up +their hands toward Heaven; for they held it as a most sure sign that +He had heard their prayer, and had promised to be, by some means or +other, the promoter of this cause. Straightway so many of them +as were owners of houses or lands sold them and put the price into Florentius’ +hands, or at least resigned the same for the use of the monastery that +should be builded.</p> +<p>XVII. <i>Of the goodwill and consent of Florentius the Lord +Bishop</i>.</p> +<p>Forthwith they began to be instant with the venerable Lord Florentius +of Wevelichoven, who was then Bishop of Utrecht, for his consent to +the founding of a monastery, and for the privileges needful for this +business; and him they found most gracious in all things, for he had +a special love of virtue.</p> +<p>This was done in the year of the Lord 1386, and by the co-operation +of God (good men also reaching forth an hand to help them) the affair +so prospered that in the year following, that is in 1387, on the day +following the Feast of St. Gallus the Confessor, an humble church and +burial-ground and also four altars were consecrated in due order by +Hubert, the venerable Bishop of Yppuse, in honour of the Holy Trinity, +and the Blessed Virgin and others.</p> +<p>XVIII. <i>Of the first Brothers of this monastery</i>.</p> +<p>But since it is written, “Not the people for the place’s +sake, but the place for the people’s sake,” we must see +who were the first to dwell here; since indeed these were the founders +and the pattern of all who did afterwards come under the Chapter of +Windesem.</p> +<p>In the first place there was Henry of Uxaria, at that time the only +priest amongst them, and he was appointed Rector by the Bishop, by whose +commission the said Henry received the Religious habit from the suffragan.</p> +<p>Next there was Henry de Wilsen and Goswin Tyasen, who were invested +as Clerks, that did devote themselves, for they would not be promoted +to holy orders by reason of a stain that did unfit them under the rule. +Also there were these following: Brother John of Huesden, Brother Henry +Wilde, Brother Werner Keencamp, Brother Bertold ten Hove, Brother John +Kempis, and Brother Henry Balveren. All these were sons and disciples +of Florentius, from whose breast they sucked in abundance the milk of +all goodness, which same they poured forth without stint for their posterity +in after days.</p> +<p>These men and certain others of the community, whose will was good +thereto, were marked out by Florentius to build the monastery in the +place aforesaid, and to take the habit of Holy Religion therein to the +Glory of Christ; which task they were forward to fulfil with wisdom +and all speed; also to the men above named there were added, a short +space afterward, certain persons of like intention and fervour, namely, +John Otto of Zoes, Henry Loder, Arnold of Kalkar, Gherard of Naeldwijc, +John of Broechusen, and others.</p> +<p>XIX. <i>The praise of the early Fathers</i>.</p> +<p>O Windesem, these are they by whom thy first foundations were laid, +through whom was kindled that bright light, namely, the rule of the +truly Regular life; so that thou who wast then as a grain of mustard +seed, the least of all herbs, wast enabled to grow into a great tree, +beneath the shadow of whose branches fowls of heaven, without number, +might take their pleasant rest.</p> +<p>XX. <i>How the Brothers aforesaid were promoted in other monasteries</i>.</p> +<p>At last when many houses that sprung from the same stock had been +founded on all sides, both for men and women, there was scarce one of +them but desired that a pastor might be provided from amongst the aforesaid +Brothers of Windesem.</p> +<p>This we did see with our own eyes and hear in after days, how Brother +Henry of Uxaria was appointed by the Bishops to be the first Rector +of this House, which office he held for but a short time; then we did +see Brother John of Huesden, a young man in years but hoary in mind, +who ruled this church of ours for above thirty-three years in wholesome +wise, to the great increase of our goods, both spiritual and temporal, +and was beloved of God and man. When he died Brother Gherard Naeldwijc +was chosen by all the Brothers to take the place of the departed Prior, +yet scarce for half a year could he bear the honour and burden of this +care by reason of his exceeding lowliness, but he renounced the office +of Prior and cast off the burden thereof in presence of all the Brothers, +though this was contrary to the opinion of the whole community, and +likewise to that of the Fathers gathered together in the Chapter.</p> +<p>Likewise we have seen how Henry Wilde was chosen to be Prior at Eemsteyn, +Brother Werner at Horn, Brother John Kempis at Mount St. Agnes, Brother +Arnold Kalkar at the Fount of the Blessed Mary, Brother John Otto at +Amsterdam, Brother Henry Loder at Northorn, Brother John Broechusen +at Leerdorp, and so forth.</p> +<p>XXI. <i>Of the pattern of virtue left for us by the Fathers</i>.</p> +<p>And now, in the last place, one must see how virtuous were these +men, and what an example they left for us to imitate. But no one +amongst men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which +is in him; yet by considering his outward deeds one may guess what lieth +hidden inwardly in him.</p> +<p>XXII. <i>Of their simplicity and poverty</i>.</p> +<p>One may know by the humble plan of the former House which they builded +how greatly these men loved simplicity and holy poverty. For the +inner walls thereof were small, and the House was covered in with reeds +or thatch; so at that time what is now the part behind the church was +the whole church itself; and the chapel that is now was then the refectory; +the brewery was the kitchen, and the old brewery was our mill house +and infirmary. Moreover, the bounds of the monastery were so narrow +that the present inner wall on the north of the barn was then the extreme +outer wall of the House. So the whole was lowly and small, being +arranged to receive but few inmates.</p> +<p>XXIII. <i>Of their Victual</i>.</p> +<p>They kept a frugal and poor table, not so much of necessity, or through +lack, as out of love of poverty, and the habit which was implanted in +them, which same they had acquired together with the disciples of Florentius.</p> +<p>So on a time I heard Brother Gherard Naeldwijc say in pleasantry +that in those times on fast days they would sometimes divide one fig +into four or six portions that so the great quantity of the bread they +consumed might be seasoned by those fragments. On a time also +there come to us, I know not whence, half a jar of salted salmon, and +as the Brothers were doubting what should be done therewith, Brother +Henry de Wilsen, being ever greatly zealous for discipline, persuaded +them that by all means it ought to be sold lest such new and unaccustomed +dainties should begin to be brought in.</p> +<p>At this time they had no flocks of sheep, nor any fishery, nor fishers, +but so piously and soberly did they live that Gherard of Bronchorst, +a Canon of St. Saviour’s, who once sojourned for a while with +the Brothers at Windesem, was wont to say in his own pleasant manner, +“None fare sumptuously in Windesem unless it be the swine and +the guests.” So also to drink wine and eat roast fowls were +held in Windesem to be matters that should be referred to the Bishop.</p> +<p>XXIV. <i>Of their Vesture</i>.</p> +<p>Their vesture and their utensils were notable examples of their true +lowliness and simplicity, so that I remember to have seen those venerable +elders, Brother Henry of Uxaria and Brother Henry de Wilsen, wearing +garments that were altogether worn through by constantly rubbing against +the seats as they leaned back, and these were botched about the elbows +with great patches of rough cloth. But if men of their quality +wore such vesture what wonder if the younger men in those days were +not more freakish than they in the matter of clothing?</p> +<p>Indeed, I lie if I have not seen some of our household that were +Laics wearing sad-coloured garments made of bark fibre, in providing +which and like garments also Brother Henry Balveren, the Vestiarius, +showed great zeal, as did the tailor, Brother Herbert, a Convert who +was formerly a disciple of Gherard Groet.</p> +<p>They had likewise certain hair shirts which were lent from time to +time to divers of the younger Brothers for the taming of their vices +and concupiscence, and one of these was as rough as those hair cloths +with which the brewers’ cauldrons are wont to be dried.</p> +<p>XXV. <i>How they avoided all occasion of scandal</i>.</p> +<p>One may see how greatly they preferred their own good report and +the edification of all men before all worldly good, by this tale; namely, +that on a time two young men of Deventer came to Windesem, of whom one +was called Goswin Comhaer (a man who was afterward a great example), +but the other was Conrad Mom. These earnestly sought to be received +here, but the members of the House made answer saying that in this region +there would be too much talk if this were done, and if they remained +in this place, for their parents dwelt hard by: let them rather go to +Eemsteyn. And receiving this reply the men took it ill enough, +so that I heard one of them exclaim in a sad voice: “May God pity +us in that we cannot obtain or know any place of rest for this cause, +namely, that we are rich.” And they went obediently to Eemsteyn.</p> +<p>XXVI. <i>Of their Charity</i>.</p> +<p>These men also were wondrous charitably disposed toward all that +did lack, especially toward new Houses of our own order that were begun +in poverty. These they desired to help to an extent even beyond +their power, by transferring to them both goods and men, as is manifest +not only in the matter of the two youths aforementioned, but also in +the case of divers others that were rich and desired to dwell with them. +These they did often direct to other monasteries to relieve their needs, +for they sought not what might be profitable to themselves, but rather +what should be so to others. Thus they sent Arnold Droem to Mount +St. Agnes, Stephen Wael to the Valley of Peace, and Brother Nicholas +Bochorst to Nazareth, and so forth.</p> +<p>In like manner it was agreed by the community with regard to Brother +John ten Water that he should be sent to the Fount of the Blessed Mary +where there seemed to be notable scarcity; yet by his lowliness and +his great importunity that he should by no means be parted from the +Brothers, he did overcome this resolution.</p> +<p>But the well spring of their goodness ceased not with these, rather +it did flow forth and reach all men, especially poor Clerks and members +of the Houses of the New Devotion. What man did ever return from +them empty-handed? for if the petitioner were rich, he brought back +counsel, if he were poor he received help.</p> +<p>XXVII. <i>Concerning Gherard of Renen</i>.</p> +<p>There was in those days, that is, amongst the first Fathers, a man +of great age, who was by no means the least of his own folk, and his +name was Gherard of Renen. He would sojourn for long spaces of +time with the Brothers at Windesem, for he was bound to them by an exceeding +love: and being on a time in the House at Utrecht wherein I dwelt, and +in the presence of a certain honourable matron who was his kinswoman, +he began to speak of the aforesaid Brothers, their manner of life and +their virtues, and I myself was there present also. So then this +woman was suddenly kindled to so great fervour by the things that she +had heard that she suddenly burst forth with these words: “Ah, +if I were a man, and mine own master, no one should hinder me from going +to such a community.” And I verily believe that until this +man told his tale I myself had never heard mention of Windesem.</p> +<p>XXVIII. <i>Of the privileges obtained for the binding together +of the Chapters</i>.</p> +<p>After a short while it came to pass that three daughters were born +to the House at Windesem, namely Eemsteyn, the House of the Blessed +Virgin, and the House of the New Light near Horn. And when in +this manner the number of the monasteries had grown to four, by the +advice of Florentius and the other Fathers aforenamed, they sent to +the Curia at Rome in the time of Boniface the Pope, who granted them +leave to gather together a General Chapter together with authority and +fitting privileges and so forth; for up to this time they had agreed +to remain directly under the rule of the Bishop. Gherard of Bronchorst, +who hath been named above, did take upon him this mission with all devotion, +but Reyner Minnenbode, the founder of the monastery at Eemsteyn paid, +as it is said, all the expenses thereof in most liberal wise.</p> +<p>XXIX. <i>Of their manner of holding the Chapter</i>.</p> +<p>But when the Fathers and Brothers of these four Houses held a Chapter +in their humble fashion, the Fathers of the congregations whose names +are given above would come together, or at least some of them, and sit +them down to deal with matters concerning not the acquiring of worldly +wealth, but the conversion of souls and the maintenance of the common +good. And at that time all were as it were one fold and one flock, +and in very deed one body in Christ.</p> +<p>XXX. <i>The Conclusion</i>.</p> +<p>What sayest thou to these things now, Brother most beloved, remembering +that thou wast a wild olive, and meet for eternal fire, and seeing that +thou art now grafted, in despite of nature, on this fair and fruitful +olive tree, and art become a partaker in its fatness? Canst thou +do aught save proclaim with the whole inward love of thine heart, “Great +is thy mercy to me, O Lord, and Thou hast snatched my soul from the +nethermost Hell”? For it is written of Catho that he would +praise his gods mightily—he being but an heathen—and extol +his own good fortune, in that it had been permitted to him to be born +in that land, and at that time when he could see Rome and her Empire +flourishing in the height of their prosperity; and if this is true, +Brother most beloved, what return wilt thou make to the Lord thy God +for that it was given thee to be born and to live in this time of His +Most abundant Goodness, and in a land which He, the Lord, hath blessed? +Hadst thou lived in the days of thy fathers, before our land was illumined +by the light of Grace of which so much hath been said already, what +else could have befallen but that thou shouldest have done even as they +did? From which it doth follow that thou also wouldest have gone +even whither they went, there to abide for ever.</p> +<p>O happy days in which were born the leaders and chiefs of this new +army of ours, I mean Gherard Groet and Florentius, and their son’s +sons also, and they that are born from them continually! and so it shall +continue to the end of time. Amen. May the Mother of Grace +grant thee to follow their footsteps and to hold fast their doctrine.</p> +<p>* * * * *</p> +<p>Here endeth the letter concerning the first institutors of the monastery +at Windesem, which letter was written by the venerable Father William +Voern.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHRONICLE OF THE CANONS REGULAR</p> +<pre> +OF MOUNT ST. 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