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ainsi comme religions. Et se mettoient en tel lieu
que trois ou quatre foiz la sepmaine ilz se retrou
voient en samble pour eulx soulacier et esbatre.
Et rendoit chascun raison de che quil avoit trouve
et apris et tant que ilz avoient experimente que
vray estoit qui plus en savoit et quilz trouvoient
avoir plus grant entendement. Si leslisoient par
le consentement de chascun et celui leur recordoit
leurs raisons oyans tous les compaignons et recor
doit a tous ensamble tout che que chascun avoit
dit tellement que tous si accordoient et mettoit
chascun par escript che que le maistre avoit dit. en
telle maniere furent premierement les clergies con
trouvees et avancees. Et tant travelleirent et est
dierent quilz sceurent de par nostre seigneur du quel
toute science naist et habonde grant partie de che
qui en est. Mais che ne fut mie en pau de tamps
ainchois y misrent bien longuement et moult
y estudierent et entendirent. Et ceulx qui furent
premerains tout che quilz entendoient et savoient
mettoient par escript au mieulx quilz povoient

as [people in] religious orders do. And having settled in these places,
they met together three or four times a week
to provide solace to each other and to debate.
And each one reported on what he had found
and learned. And they continued to experiment this
way until they determined who was truly the most
knowledgeable and whom they found to have the greatest understanding.
By unanimous agreement, they elected him [to be their master].
He would hear the arguments of all the companions
and would report to all what each had actually said,
so that everyone agreed, and everyone would write
down what the master had said. In this
way the clergy were first established and set up.
And they worked so hard, and studied so much that,
with the help of Our Lord, from Whom all knowledge arises and abounds,
they were came to know a great deal of what comprises it [i.e. the knowledge].
But this was never done quickly, and
indeed they spent a very long time at it and studied a lot. And those who were the first
wrote down everything they understood and knew, as best they could,

ainsi comme religions. Et se mettoient en tel lieu
que trois ou quatre foiz la sepmaine ilz se retrou
uoient en samble pour eulx soulacier et esbatre.
Et rendoit chascun raison de che quil auoit trouve
et apris et tant que ilz auoient experimente que
vray estoit qui plus en sauoit et quilz trouuoient
auoir plus grant entendement. Si leslisoient par
le consentement de chascun et celui leur recordoit
leurs raisons oyans tous les compaignons et recor
doit a tous ensamble tout che que chascun auoit
dit tellement que tous si accordoient et mettoit
chascun par escript che que le maistre auoit dit. en
telle maniere furent premierement les clergies con
trouuees et auancees. Et tant trauelleirent et est
dierent quilz sceurent de par nostre seigneur du quel
toute science naist et habonde grant partie de che
qui en est. Mais che ne fut mie en pau de tamps
ainchois y misrent bien longuement et moult
y estudierent et entendirent. Et ceulx qui furent
premerains tout che quilz entendoient et sauoient
mettoient par escript au mieulx quilz pouoient

as [people in] religious orders do. And having settled in these places,
they met together three or four times a week
to provide solace to each other and to debate.
And each one reported on what he had found
and learned. And they continued to experiment this
way until they determined who was truly the most
knowledgeable and whom they found to have the greatest understanding.
By unanimous agreement, they elected him [to be their master].
He would hear the arguments of all the companions
and would report to all what each had actually said,
so that everyone agreed, and everyone would write
down what the master had said. In this
way the clergy were first established and set up.
And they worked so hard, and studied so much that,
with the help of Our Lord, from Whom all knowledge arises and abounds,
they were came to know a great deal of what comprises it [i.e. the knowledge].
But this was never done quickly, and
indeed they spent a very long time at it and studied a lot. And those who were the first
wrote down everything they understood and knew, as best they could,