246 THE HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF [book i.

rubbish, is highly to Raymond’s disadvantage. Yetwas he a very eminent personage. Undoubtedlythis trash given in his name, was never meantby him to be the apology for a rule. Impossibleto suppose it ever came from him at all, but wasevidently only a collection of many little straynotes, thrown together by chance, and referring tosome observations he may have made on miserablenegligences in the daily service. No doubt thewording was by some of his lowest subalterns,who may have thought they were writing some-thing very becoming; and that it was his, is notto be dreamed of, nor merits a serious objection.Forsooth it is a nasty custom to walk about naked.Kindness is due to the sick. It is wrong to speakloud and disrespectfully in the church. All inde-cency is to be eschewed, particularly in the companyof women. Nor should females be allowed either toAvash heads of knights, or feet. It is forbidden to wearforeign furs ; 1 which reminds us of the sumptuarylaws of the Italian Republics, in none of which, how-ever, are found so many littlenesses as in this. Soto have this exhibited as the rule of an order thatnever occupied itself but with things of the greatestmoment, and had something of the qiiil mourut inall its transactions, is not unlike an insult to com-

1

Appendix, xiv.