Heaven, Who doth ever turn His Face toward lowly things, but doth look
from afar upon the lofty. For as wealthier persons came and brought
their goods into the common stock, the place whose beginning was so poor,
and its outward appearance so lowly, grew to be a yet fairer vineyard of
the Lord of Sabaoth. For the tillers of the farm and the country folk of
the land of Bercem and Nemel, seeing that an house was now builded on the
mountain and that devout men had come together there to serve God in
humility and simplicity, gave and assigned to them and their successors
the aforesaid place in honour of Holy Religion, and that prayers might be
offered for them and their friends; which grant they did also confirm in
writing to any others whom God Almighty should see fit to associate with
them. In regard to this holy gift and this pious request made by consent
of the owners of the place, there was but one deed executed relating to
the first and original foundation. This is attested by the seals of many
honest men, and in it is given a short description of the manner of the
Common Life and of the wholesome rule so far as this same was applicable
to the conditions of the Brotherhood in the early days. These things
were done and finished in the year of the Lord 1386 on the Friday before
Palm Sunday, and a year and a half after the death of the aforesaid
Master Gerard.



CHAPTER III.


_Concerning the names of the first Brothers and their labours_.

These are the names of those first Brothers, the devout men who began to
build the House of Mount St. Agnes and to dwell there. First James