[The Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes by Thomas a Kempis]@TWC D-Link bookThe Chronicle of the Canons Regular of Mount St. Agnes CHAPTER XXIV 14/33
_How they avoided all occasion of scandal_. One may see how greatly they preferred their own good report and the edification of all men before all worldly good, by this tale; namely, that on a time two young men of Deventer came to Windesem, of whom one was called Goswin Comhaer (a man who was afterward a great example), but the other was Conrad Mom.
These earnestly sought to be received here, but the members of the House made answer saying that in this region there would be too much talk if this were done, and if they remained in this place, for their parents dwelt hard by: let them rather go to Eemsteyn. And receiving this reply the men took it ill enough, so that I heard one of them exclaim in a sad voice: "May God pity us in that we cannot obtain or know any place of rest for this cause, namely, that we are rich." And they went obediently to Eemsteyn. XXVI.
_Of their Charity_. These men also were wondrous charitably disposed toward all that did lack, especially toward new Houses of our own order that were begun in poverty.
These they desired to help to an extent even beyond their power, by transferring to them both goods and men, as is manifest not only in the matter of the two youths aforementioned, but also in the case of divers others that were rich and desired to dwell with them.
These they did often direct to other monasteries to relieve their needs, for they sought not what might be profitable to themselves, but rather what should be so to others.
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