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OF POVERTY

When the Bishop was with the canons in chapter, he said to them that Jesus Chrift promised the Kingdom of Heaven to the poor, wherefore he desired that one canon should be set aside for the office of poverty, the which canon should preach concerning poverty, and be at the head of the poor that were in that city, and that for the love of God he should give up the income of his canonry, and beg the wherewithal to live, and go poorly clad, and reprove them that were not poor in spirit. When the Bishop had set forth the details of this office, a certain canon, who was a man of holy life, rose upon his feet, and begged that he might have the office of poverty, promising to fulfil with all his power the conditions aforesaid, the which were fitting to the office.

a. The office was given to this canon, and the Bishop caused it to be proclaimed in all the churches that he was at the head of the poor, and that he would beg for them ;

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their advocate the Canon cried ever : “ Juftice I Juft ice I ’’ The Bishop enquired of the Canon wherefore he thus cried, and the Canon spake to the Bishop these words :

5. “ My Lord Bishop ! It is written that all that remains to thy clergy over and above their necessities belongs to the poor. Now the Mailer has made Storage of much corn, and desires to sell it, to the end that he may buy a caStle for his nephew. I ask therefore that the money which he will receive for the corn may be given to me, for it belongs to these poor folk whom thou hail commended to me ; and his nephew is not a cleric, neither has he him¬ self a mouth or a belly which has need of so much corn : I demand therefore that juSlice may be done." The Bishop sent for the Mailer and enquired concerning the truth of that which the Canon of Poverty had said ; and he found that it was even as he had said. So the Mailer had shame and confusion, and the Bishop gave sentence that all that corn should be given to the poor; and if the nephew of the Mailer desired to be treated as poor, that he should have a share likewise, even as the others of the poor.

6. The Canon of Poverty preached in every place in praise of poverty and in condemnation of riches. One day it came to pass that a very wealthy and honourable burgess of that city had invited him to dine. Before they ate, the Canon prayed the burgess to show him all his house. So the burgess led him through all the rooms of his house, and the Canon saw that there was no room nor any chamber that had lack of aught; for the house was very fair and wondrously fashioned. In every room was all that per¬ tained to its office; for in the chambers there were many beds and rich coverings, and in the hall were many weapons and many benches, in the flables many beafts, in the kitchen many utensils, in the courtyard many hens and geese, and much wood, and in the garden many trees. In the granaries was much corn, and in the pantry much bread and wheat; in the armoury were many silver cups, in the

said to him that he had a secret room in his house, the which he had not yet seen, and he desired that he should see it. So the burgess led the Canon to that room, which was poorly furnished. In that room the Canon dined that day with the burgess and with his wife secretly, and they ate meagrely. And the burgess showed him a poor bed wherein he and his wife lay, and he showed him the hair shirts which they wore, and he showed him a book wherein was made note of the alms which he did secretly. In another secret room was the crucifix before the which the burgess and his wife were oft-times to be found in prayer and in

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