Caput VI. Reclusa ne pauperum aut hospitum praetextu facultates habere velit: utatur ancilla probata: non puellas doceat.
Living by the Work of Her Hands
The recluse should live by her own labor if possible, and if not, arrange humble daily provision in advance, refusing to accumulate wealth even under the pretext of charity, and enduring patiently the cries of the poor until they depart.
To make this happen, the recluse should see to it that she can live, if possible, by the work of her own hands. This is what perfection looks like. But if weakness or frailty prevents this, before she is enclosed she should seek out certain people from whom she may humbly receive, on each day, what suffices for one day — and not add anything on account of the poor or of guests. Let no poor people cry out around her cell, let no orphans weep, let no widow lament. But you'll say, 'Who can prevent this?' Sit, keep still, endure. Soon, once they know you have nothing and that they themselves will receive nothing, they'll leave — or go away worn out. You'd be crying out about something inhuman.
No Surplus, No Hospitality
A true nun owns nothing beyond bare necessities; any surplus must be sent through a faithful intermediary to the poor, and the recluse must avoid both direct charitable mingling and the burden of hospitality, which easily devolve into worldly gossip.
But if you have anything beyond necessary food and clothing, you are not a nun. What, then, will you give away? Still, the recluse is instructed that whatever has been left over from the labor of her hands beyond what she needs for sustenance, she should send to a faithful person who will distribute it to the poor. I do not want an old woman who is a snare to chastity, mingling with the poor, to draw any closer, or to carry blessed loaves from some monk or cleric; let her not whisper flattering words into the ear, lest in exchange for the alms received she kiss the hand and hiss into the ear.12 Moreover, care must be taken that the recluse not take on any burden of hospitality on account of receiving religious women. For even among good women, the worst often come; sitting down before the recluse's window, after a very few words about spiritual matters have been exchanged, they slide into worldly talk, then weave in love affairs, and spend nearly the whole night sleepless.34 Make sure you avoid such a thing, so you won't be forced to hear what you would shudder to see. For these things may seem bitter when they are heard or perceived; yet what follows is sweet when it is dwelt upon.
A Trusted Servant and a Helper
Once her destitution is known, no one will reproach the recluse for refusing charity or guests; instead she should have only a proven, discreet old woman to guard her cell and a strong girl for manual labor, with no access permitted to boys or girls.
If you're afraid of scandal — that you don't give to the poor and you don't welcome guests — once everyone has learned of your destitution, there'll be no one to reproach you. But if I wouldn't want you to be wealthy on account of the poor or on account of guests — far less so on the pretext of a larger household. Therefore let some old woman be chosen for you — not garrulous, not wandering, not quarrelsome, not trifling — but one who has cultivated good character and has earned a testimony of trustworthiness from everyone. Let her guard the door of your cell, and let her admit or keep safe whatever is needed. Let her have under her care a stronger girl, suited to carry burdens, who will carry water and wood, cook beans or vegetables, or — if illness requires it — prepare finer things. Let her be kept under the discipline of the rod, so that her wantonness won't perhaps defile your holy dwelling and bring your purpose into contempt. Allow no access to yourself for boys or girls. There are some recluses who busy themselves teaching girls and turn their cell into a school.
The Cell Must Not Become a School
Some recluses who teach girls turn their cell into a school, becoming entangled in girlish affections and losing all memory of God; two attendants are enough.
The older woman sits at the window; the younger one remains in the portico. The older woman watches each of them individually, and caught up in girlish ways she is now angry, now laughing, now threatening, now striking, now flattering, now kissing, now calling the one who's weeping closer instead of striking her, stroking her face, gripping her neck, and rushing into an embrace — now calling her daughter, now her friend. How, amid all this, can the memory of God — unless it's worldly and fleshly things that, even if they aren't carried out, are still stirred up and, as it were, painted before your eyes?5 Surely those two are enough for you to talk with and to wait on.
Read the original Latin
Quod ut fiat, videat inclusa, ut si fieri potest, de labore manuum suarum vivat. Hoc enim perfectum est. Si autem aut infirmitas aut teneritudo non permittat; antequam includatur, certas personas quaerat, a quibus singulis diebus quod uni diei sufficiat, humiliter recipiat, nec causa pauperum vel hospitum quidquam adjiciat. Non circa cellulam ejus pauperes clament, non orphani plorent, non vidua lamentetur. Sed quis, inquies, hoc poterit prohibere? Tu sede, tu tace, tu sustine. Mox ut scient te nihil habere, seque nihil recepturos, vel fatigati discedent. Inhumanum hoc clames.
Caeterum si praeter necessarium victum et vestitum aliquid habes, monacha non es. Quid ergo erogabis? praecipitur tamen inclusae, ut quidquid de labore manuum suarum victui superfuit, mittat cuidam fideli, qui pauperibus eroget. Nolo ut insidiatrix pudicitiae vetula mixta pauperibus accedat propius, deferat ab aliquo monachorum vel clericorum eulogias; non blanda verba in aure susurret, ne pro accepta eleemosyna osculans manum in aure insibilet. Cavendum praeterea est, ut nec ob susceptionem religiosarum feminarum, quodlibet hospitalitatis onus inclusa suscipiat. Nam inter bonas plerumque etiam pessimae veniunt, quae ante inclusae fenestram discumbentes praemissis valde paucis de religiosis sermonibus ad saecularia devolvuntur, inde subtexere amatoria, et noctem fere totam insomnem ducere. Sane tu tale devita, ne cogaris audire, quod videre horreas. Forte enim videbuntur amara, cum audiuntur, vel cernuntur; quae sequuntur, dulcia, cum cogitantur.
Si scandalum times, eo quod nec pauperibus erogas, non suscipis hospites; cum omnes tuam nuditatem didicerint, non erit qui reprehendat. Si vero nec pro pauperibus, nec pro hospitibus te velim pecuniosam esse; multo utique minus occasione grandioris familiae. Itaque eligatur tibi aliqua anus, non garrula, non vaga, non litigiosa, non nugigerula; sed quae bonos mores excoluerit, et ab omnibus habuerit testimonium veritatis. Haec ostium cellulae custodiat, et quod debuerit, vel admittat, vel conservet. Habeat sub cura sua fortiorem ad onera sustinenda, puellam quae aquam et ligna comportet, coquat fabas, aut olera; aut si hoc infirmitas exegerit, praeparet potiora. Haec sub virgae disciplina custodiatur, ne forte ejus lascivia tuum sanctum habitaculum polluatur, propositum blasphemetur. Pueris et puellis nullum ad te concedas accessum. Sunt quaedam inclusae, quae in docendis puellis occupantur, et cellam suam vertunt in scholam.
Illa sedet ad fenestram, ista in porticu residet. Illa intuetur singulas, et inter puellares motus nunc irascitur, nunc ridet, nunc minatur, nunc percutit, nunc blanditur, nunc osculatur, nunc flentem vocat pro verbere propius, palpat faciem, stringit collum, et in amplexum ruens nunc filiam vocat, nunc amicam. Qualiter inter haec memoria Dei, nisi saecularia et carnalia, etsi non perficiantur, moventur tamen, et quasi sub oculis depinguntur? Tibi utique duae illae sufficiant ad colloquium et ad obsequium.
Notes
- 1 ↩insidiatrix pudicitiae: literally 'ambusher/entrapper of chastity' — rendered 'snare to chastity' to convey the metaphor of a person who lays traps against chastity.
- 2 ↩insibilet: rare verb, likely 'hiss/whisper into.' The sense is of furtive, seductive communication disguised as spiritual exchange.
- 3 ↩devolvuntur: literally 'are rolled/slunk down' — rendered 'slide into' to capture the metaphor of gradual descent from spiritual to worldly conversation.
- 4 ↩subtexere: literally 'to weave beneath, to add secretly' — rendered 'weave in' to convey the stealthy introduction of inappropriate topics.
- 5 ↩The phrase 'nisi saecularia et carnalia' is syntactically ambiguous: it can mean 'unless [the memory of God is distracted by] worldly and fleshly things' or 'unless worldly and fleshly things [are what occupy the memory].' The translation follows the more natural reading that the memory of God is being displaced by worldly and fleshly preoccupations.
De institutione inclusarum (A Rule of Life for a Recluse) companion
A rule only lives if you keep it daily
Chosen Portion gives your new rule its anchor: one free devotional portion every day.
Aelred built his sister's day around fixed times of prayer and meditation; Chosen Portion supplies the fixed daily portion that makes a modern rule of life keepable.
- Anchor your rule with a fixed 10-minute daily portion
- Practice Aelred's threefold meditation with guided daily prompts
- Review and adjust your one-page rule after 30 days of tracked practice