The Register: Rules (2-20)

Rules of the Fraternity of the Holy Trinity (2–20)

2. (fn. 1) [f. 9] Also ȝif eny broþer dye þat haþe nouȝt of his owen where wiþ he may be yburyed, ȝif it mowe be yproued and founden so þan it is ordeyned þat he schal ben yburyed of þe comun boxe.

3. Also ȝif it byfalle þat eny of þe breþerhede falle seeke fyue myle eche wayes aboute London' and dyeþ þere, þat ȝif þe wardaynes of þat ȝere ben ysent after, þan it is ordeyned þat þei schullen wende and fecche home þe body to London', and þat alle þe breþeren be redy at her warnynge and goo aȝeyns þe body with outen þe citee townes ende forto brynge þe body in to þe place with worschyppe þider as he schal ben yburyed uppon þe forsayde peyne. And þat þe costages abouten hym be made gode of þe boxe ȝif he were noȝt off powere to payen þerfore hym selfe. And ȝiff he were of powere lete his executoures payen þerfore hem selfe. But hou so it falle þat þe costages of þe wardeynes be ymaked gode of þe boxe.

4. Also ȝif cas falleþ þat eny of þe breþeren han nede forto borowe a certey somme of syluer, þat is to sayen xx s. or ij marke vnto a quarter of a ȝere uppon suffisyant jeweles of syluer or of golde, þan ȝif it be founden þat he haþe trewely done his duetes to his broþerhode he schal be (ys)yesed for þe tyme.

5. Also þere ben ordeyned xiij taperes of wex and euery taper of sex pounde of wex wiþ dysches of pewdre accordynge þerto, forto brenne aboute þe sepulcre on Estres euen and Estres day also longe as þe manere es in Holy Chirche.

6. [f. 9b] Also ȝif þere be eny breþeren þat discuren þe counseyle þat we speken amonges vs, þe whiche þat turneþ to harme or to velany to eny of þe breþerhode, þat he paye þe forsayde payne or elles þat he be yput oute of þe breþerhode.

7. Also ȝif eny of þe breþerhode be a losed of eny thefte or he be an commun contekour or commun hasardour or of eny oþere wycked fame wherfore by þat þe company may ben apayred or defamed, (wiþ outen eny delay) it is ordeyned þat þei ben yputte oute of þe breþerhode with outen any delay.

8. Also it is ordeyned þat þere schulle be assigned two sufficiant men to kepe þe commun tresour in þe boxe and also (ȝif þei may aforþe) to hauen a clerke for þe same breþerhode. And þoo same schal ȝelde iuste and dewe accomnptes vnto þe breþerhede (of al þe katel resceyued) with inne a moneþ nexte sewynge after þe feste of þe Trinyte ȝere by ȝere of al þat þei han resceyued. And eche ȝere þei schal ben ychaunged, but it so falle þat þei ben þe more profitable men to þe catel and to þe companye byforsayde.

9. Also it is ordeyned ȝif it so byfalle þat eny of þe breþer falle at debate or distaunce, þat þei ne gedre none perties forto ouen hem, bot firste take ij of her owen breþeren, and ȝif þei may not accorden hem chese þei ij chosen oþer oþere ij, and ȝif þei iiij may not accorden hem ȝit (unto) þei four chese ij, and ȝif þei vj may not acorden hem þan leten hem ij at debate fechen hem helpe and counsayle in her beste manere forto accorden hem.

10. [f. 10] Also it is ordeyned þat þere schal none wardynes make none newe statutes ne newe ordinaunces wiþ outen assent of alle þe breþeren.

11. Also it is ordeyned þat þe maystres þat beþ assigned euery ȝere schalle presente uppe in þe day of her accountes alle þe names of þe breþeren and þe susteren (and) þat comen newe in to þe forsayde fraternyte in her ȝeres, and þan entre her names in þe papyre vndyr þeir names in þe same ȝere. And þus schal alle þe maysteres do þat beþe chosen ȝere by ȝere.

12. Also it is ordeyned þat þe maystres þat beþ for þe ȝere schal chese none oþer maystres bot suche as þei wil vndirtake fore, and also þat þei be of þe same parysch of Seynt Botulphe byfore sayde.

13. Also it is ordeyned þat þe wardeynes of þe olde ȝere schal ben suffereyne auditoures of þe maystres þat ben ychosen by hem for þe new ȝere, in þe day of her acountes. And þus euery ȝere sewynge þe olde maystres schullen be auditoures vppon þe newe but ȝif þe breþeren þenken oþere mor profytable.

14. Also it is ordeyned þat þe olde maystres schal hauen þe commun papyr en her owen warde yseled with þe newe maystres seeles vnto þe day of acountes. And þe same day of accountes þe auditoures schal aske a juste rekynynge of þe tresour in þe boxe, and þan of al þe quarterages of þe ȝere and for alle þe entres and for alle byquestes. And þan schal þe auditoures (schal) allowe hem dewe expenses for þe ȝere.

15. [f. 10b] Also it is ordeyned þat in þe day of þe Trinyte feste byforesayde þat þe olde maystres schal chese newe. And ȝif it so byfalle, as God forbede, þat þe newe maystres nyl not resceyue þe charge, þan it is ordeyned þat who euer so doþe, he schal paye vnto þe commun boxe x s. but if he haf resonable excusacion. And ȝif he be ychosen þe nexte ȝere after he schal it resceyue uppon peyne of xx s. But ȝif he haue alway resonable excusacion. (fn. 2)

16. (fn. 3) Also it is ordeyned þat in þe Sunday nexte after Alle Sowlen day we schal haue an Dirige ouer nyȝt, and on þe morowe a solempne masse of requiem [w]ith a Dirige ouer nyȝt for alle oure breþeren and sustren qwycke and deede, at whiche messe ech broþer and sustre schal offre an halfe peny. And þat eche broþer and sustre come (be obedient) to þat Dirige and þat messe uppon peyne of (þe forsayde) a pounde of wexe. But he haue resonable excusacion.

17. Also it is ordeyned þat in day of þe same (obite) Sunday by fore sayde, þe preste assigned for þe same breþerhode schal rede openlyche stondynge in þe pulpyte alle þe names of þe breþeren and þe sustren of þe forsayde fraternyte þat ben on lyue, sayinge deuoutelyche for hem psalmus Deus misereatur nostri. And þan for alle þe breþeren and þe susteren þat ben deede þis psalme Deprofundis, with þe deuoute orisouns sweynge and accordynge to hem.

18. Also it is ordeyned þat þe same preste (þat is ordeyned) þat schal serue þe company of þe fraternyte, schal be charged of þe wardeynes for þe ȝere forto do dewelyche and trewelyche wynter and somer his masse by fyue of þe clocke, or els assigne an oþere for hym ȝif he be diseysed. Sayinge by fore masse daily a memorie of þe Trynytee and euery day sweynge masse as þe day askeþ. And euery Moneday a memory of (masse of) requiem for alle þe bretheren and sustren þat ben deed. Takynge for his lyf lode x marcas and dj., þat is to sayen, euery quarter of þe ȝere fyue nobles xx d., and an dowble hode of þe colour of þe breþerhode. [f. 11] And also þat he be meke and obedient vnto þe qwer in alle diuine seruyces durynge hys terme as custome is inn þe citee amonge alle oþere prestes.

19. Alleso it is ordeyned þat no mayster schal be ychose with inne fyfue ȝere after þat he haþe ben maystre of þe forsayde breþerhode. But euery man kepe his eleccion vppon certeyne peyne as þe papyr makeþ mencion byfor.

20. (fn. 4) [A]lso it is ordeyned by commun assent of alle þe breþeren, þat who so euer wille be broþer or sustre of þe forseyde breþerhode schal pay vnto þe forseyde breþerhode ijs. for his entre þat is to saye xij d. in rewarde unto þe maistres for þe tyme, and þe oþer xij d. vnto þe commun boxe et cetera forto be þeroffe euermore countable.