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OF THE MANNER WHEREIN NATANA WAS ELECTED ABBESS

Natana and all the sifters who had a voice in the eleftion of an abbess went into the chapter-house. “ Above all things,” said Natana to them, “ is it needful to have a worthy superior, for through the goodness of the superior God gives virtue to those that are beneath her. Wherefore, since our abbess has passed from this life to the next, it is needful, according to nature and reason, that we seek from among us the one that is chiefeft in holiness of life and the love of God, for she is worthy to be our paftor according to the ordinance and the will of God.”

2. All the sifters desired to eleft an abbess according to their accuftomed manner, but Natana said that she had learned a new way of election, which way is by art1 and by numbers; and this art follows the conditions of the Book of the Gentile and the Three Wise Men, which follows the Art of Finding Truth ? “ After this manner,” said Natana, is found truth, and this truth will reveal to us which sifter may beft and moft fittingly be made abbess.”

3- So Natana was desired by all the sifters to tell them the manner whereby through an art they might discover

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HOW NATANA WAS ELECTED ABBESS and eleft the sifter who was meeteft to be abbess. Natana answered, saying these words: “ Of the art of eleftion I will tell you in brief manner the beginnings. This art is divided into two parts: the firft part is of choosing the eleftors who themselves cleft their paftor; the second part is of the manner wherein their superior is chosen. Where¬ fore I will tell you firft of the firft part, and afterwards of the second.”

4. Natana said: “We number in this chapter twenty women, who have a voice in the eleftion of a paftor. According to the art, we muft eleft from these twenty sifters an odd number, which may be five or seven, for this number is more fitting than any other for an eleftion, and the number of seven is more fitting than the number of five. Therefore let an oath to vote truly be taken firft by all the sifters ; then let the firft sifter be asked secretly which of the nineteen are moft meet to be of the seven eleftors ; and afterwards let the second be asked, and the third, and so in order down to the laft; and each time let the answer of each sifter be written down. Finally, let it be seen which sifters are they that have received the moft votes, and let those that have had moft votes be the seven who shall eleft the abbess.”

5. “ The second part of the eleftion consifts in the choice by the seven eleftors of their paftor. Firft, it is meet that the seven eleftors agree upon a certain number of persons, and upon certain names for eleftion, as seems to them good, and let each be compared with the other according to four conditions, namely: which of them beft loves and knows God, which beft loves and knows the virtues, which moft knows and hates the vices, and which is the meeteft in her person.”

6. “ Each of the seven eleftors may choose one person to be in the number of those to be elefted superior, and each eleftor herself shall be of that number. In order that ye may the more clearly underftand the art, let us suppose

BLANQUEKNA

that the number of persons, whereof our paftor is to be chosen and defied, be nine. Firft, then, it is meet that the seven be divided into two parts: two of the one part and five of the other. The five muft decide which of the two shall be defied, and the name of her that has mod votes shall be secretly written. After this, another of the five shall be compared with her that has received mod votes ; let her be set in the place of her that has been defeated by lack of votes ; and let that defeated one be set in the place of her that is compared with the firft or with the second. And let this be done in order with all the reft, and to this number let there be added the eighth candidate and the ninth, namely, the names of those that are not of the elefiors. Now, if we take this number, there will be six-and-thirty compartments,1 in the which will appear the votes of each. Let her be defied that has the moft votes in the moft compartments.”

7, When Natana had expounded the art of eleftion, one of the sifters asked her: “ If it should chance that the votes in these compartments are equal, what does the art in this event ordain ? ” Natana answered : “ The art ordains that from the number of these, whether two or three or more, chosen by art alone, be chosen that one who beft accords with the four conditions aforesaid, and she who beft accords with the conditions is worthy to be defied.”

8. Greatly did the art and manner of eleftion please the sifters, and they all said that by following this art there could be no error in the eleftion. So they all determined that for ever thereafter they would make eleftions in the art and manner which Natana had described, and to this end ar/ set themselves to ftudy the art, and they learned it. After a few days they made eleftion according to the art,

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and by the art it was revealed to them that Natana was to be abbess.

9. So Natana was eletted abbess. Greatly was she dis¬ pleased at being thus honoured. She blessed God for that He had been pleased to honour her above all the reft, but she feared left the sifters had erred in the art, and desired to see the six-and-thirty divisions of the ballot-box, so that if they had erred in the art and she should not be abbess, they might eleft that one whom the working of the art might indicate. So Natana and the sifters who were not of the seven eleflors examined the way which had been followed according to the art in the eleftion, and found that they had followed the art as was meet. Then Natana began to think deeply how she might learn and be able to rule herself and the sifters, and she meditated daily how she might direft the convent in right ways.