Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/739

Rh displayed a wholesome adherence to the Divine commands (spurning all the allurements of this world, which, although attractive, are but an illusion), fearing not to expose both your persons and your possessions to jeopardy in their fulfilment; and whereas we have carefully called to mind how that ye have ever hitherto displayed the most devoted affection, and the most reverential zeal towards our person and towards your mother, the Church of Rome, and continue so to do at the present time; we have thought it fit, and do consider it reasonable, that, bestowing upon you and your Hospital our munificent grace, we should (so far as with God’s permission we are enabled) admit your petitions to our favourable consideration. And whereas your prayer, when laid before us, was to the effect that some time since, at the capture of the city of Acre ye lost the apostolic letter containing the provisions of your “Rule,” with other things of no small value, for which reason ye have humbly petitioned of us, that, whereas ye no longer possess the letter of the brother Raymond, at that time the Master of your Hospital, who established the aforesaid “Rule,” signed and sealed with his leaden seal, in which letter the said “Rule” was distinctly laid down, as ye assert; we might be graciously pleased to grant to you, under a hull from us, a renewal of this “Rule,” as a guarantee of a greater precaution:

We, therefore, being ever solicitous for the prosperity and tranquillity, as well of yourself as of your Hospital, and being favourably disposed towards the granting of your pious requests, have caused the aforesaid "Rule,” as it is understood to have been contained in the letter of the said brother Raymond, to be registered in the following terms, a few omissions and alterations of words having been made in it by our order. We, nevertheless, do confirm and renew the same “Rule,” by our special grace, being well acquainted with it. The tenor of the letter was as follows:—

In the name of the Lord, Amen. I, Raymond, the servant of Christ’s poor, and Master of the Hospital of Jerusalem, by the advice of the General Chapter of both clerical and lay brethren, have established the following precepts and statutes in the house of the Hospital of Jerusalem. In the first place, I desire that all those brethren who here dedicate themselves to the service of the poor, shall, by God’s assistance, maintain inviolate the three promises which they have made to him, namely, chastity; obedience, which is to be understood to include whatever may be commanded by the Master; and to live without any property of their own; because the fullment of these three vows will be required of them by God at the last judgment. And let them not seek for, or claim as due to them, more than bread and water and raiment, which things are promised to them; and let their raiment be humble, because our masters the poor, whose servants we profess to be, appear scantily and meanly clad, and it is not right that the servant should be proudly arrayed, whilst his master is humble.

Furthermore, it is ordained that their behaviour in church shall be decorous, and their conversation such as befits their calling; let the clergy perform the service of the altar in white garments, and let each presbyter have a deacon, or a sub-deacon, to attend upon him, and when occasion