Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/741

Rh sinned in secret, let him repent in secret; and let him impose upon himself a suitable penance: if, however, his sin shall have been discovered publicly, and beyond contradiction, let him, in the same place where he may have committed the sin, on the Sabbath day, after mass, when the congregation shall have left the church, be stripped in the sight of all, and let him be scourged and beaten most severely with thongs, or rods, by his superior, or by such other brethren as the superior shall depute to perform this duty; and then let him be expelled from our Institution.

Afterwards, however, if God shall have enlightened his heart, and he shall return to the Hospital and shall confess himself to have been a guilty sinner, and a transgressor of the laws of God, and shall promise amendment let him be again received, and a suitable penance be imposed upon him; and for a whole year let him be considered as on his probation, and during this period let the brethren observe his conduct, and afterwards let them act as seems best to them in the matter. And if any brother have a dispute with another brother, and the superior of the house shall have noticed the disturbance, let this be his penance: let him fast for seven days, the fourth and the sixth on bread and water, eating upon the ground without a table or a napkin; and if he shall have struck a blow, then for forty days; and if any brother shall absent himself from the convent, or the superior under whose control he hath been placed, wilfully and without the permission of the superior, and shall afterwards return, let him eat his meals on the ground for forty days, fasting on every fourth and sixth day on bread and water, and let him remain in the position of an alien for so long a time as. he shall have absented himself, unless that time shall have been so prolonged that it shall seem fitting to the chapter to remit a portion. Moreover, at table, let each one eat his bread in silence, as the apostle directs; and let him not drink after the “completorium,” and let all the brethren keep silence in their beds.

But if any brother, having misconducted himself, shall have been corrected and admonished twice or three times by the Master, or by any other brother, and by the instigation of Satan shall have refused to amend his ways, and to obey, let him be sent to us on foot, and bearing with him a paper containing his crime; yet let a fixed allowance be made to him, that he may be enabled to come to us, and we will correct him. And let no one strike those intrusted to them as servants, for any fault whatever; hut let the superior of the convent, and of the brethren, inflict punishment in the presence of all; yet let justice always be supported within the convent. And if any brother shall have made a disposition of his property after his death, and shall have concealed it from his superior, and it shall afterwards have been found upon him, let the money be tied round his neck, and let him be severely beaten by one of the brothers in the presence of the rest, and let him do penance for forty days, fasting every fourth and sixth day on bread and water.

Moreover, since it is necessary to lay down a statute for you all, we ordain that for each of the brethren as shall go the way of all flesh, in whatever convent he may die, thirty masses shall be sung for his soul. At