THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Herford, Hildesheim, Cassel, Butzbaoh, Marburg, Konigstein, Rostock, and Culm (1473, the farthest point reached to the eastward). The Herford community, which (see below, § 16) went over bodily to the Reformation, remained in existence as a Lutheran brotherhood until 1841.
Even before the foundation of the first hout^e for the brothers, Groote had presented (1374) to the burgomaster of Deventer a dwelling owned by him, to serve as a home for poor women, either unmarried or widows and without any monastic ties. The house did not seem at first to prosper, either under Groote or under his successor Jan van Gronde, who was an able preacher, but lacked the special gifts required. The sixteen women lived much as they pleased, and did little work, so that poverty pressed them and the outlook was discouraging, when in 1393 Brinckerinck took charge of the house and put new life into it, 7. The with constant spiritual care and strict Houses for discipline. As in the case of the
Women, brothers, new houses were soon founded, which offered a striking contrast to many of the nunneries, in the degenerate condition in which the latter too often were. The rapid spread of these houses affords a proof of the strength which the spirit of free devotion possessed in its earliest days. In the first half of the fifteenth century, at least eighty-seven of these communities sprang up, nearly all in the Netherlands. Usually there was only one in a town, though Zutphen had three, Deventer five, and Zwolle six. Many of them, however, transferred themselves before long to the Third Order of Saint Francis or adopted the rule of the Windesheim nuns, though such a change does not seem to have involved the total severance of relations with the brothers and sisters of Groote's society. The sisters were very commonly known, not only in Deventer but elsewhere, as Beguines — the name frequently given in those days to the tertiaries of the mendicant orders and other non-cloistered associations of women. The rule which governed them is known from the extant statutes of more than one house; it does not differ essentially from that of the tertiaries under the charge of the Utrecht chapter. Their dress was gray in color, rather old-fashioned in cut, so that they were frequently objects of ridicule. Their food was as simple as their dress. There seems to have been no definite age-limit for reception; at Deventer girls of nine and women of fifty were admitted. Each house was ruled by a mistress, and had other officials corresponding, mutatis mutandis, to those of the brothers. They occupied themselves in all kinds of women's work, as it was then understood; occasionally in nursing, teaching girls, and copying manuscripts. Outside of the Netherlands their extension was greatest in Germany, where they seem to have reached a considerable number in the middle of the fifteenth century.
Besides t he names most usually employed by themselves ifratres vitce communis or bonce voluntatis), the Brethren had a variety of popular appellations in different places. Thus they were called, from their manner of delivering not formal sermons but
plain talks, fratres collationum or coUationarii ; because they imitated the apostles in their manner
of living, " apostolic brothers "; from 8. Different their diligence in copying manuscripts. Names. " brothers of the pen "; where they
had schools, " school brothers " ; " cowled brothers " or " blue brothers," from their habit; and various other names taken from the saints to whom they were specially devoted as patrons or examples, Gregory, Jerome, Michael, George, Martin, and Mark. The names of " Lollards " or " Nollards " seem also to have been applied to them by their enemies.
Since they made no vows on entrance, each brother could leave at any time without incurring ecclesiastical penalty. For this reason, as well as because they considered it possible to combine the interior life with mingling in the world, the title of
religiosi was frequently denied to them. 9. Dress. Their clothing consisted in a uniform,
simple, but dignified outer garment of black or gray linen, confined at the waist by a black woolen girdle; for clerics it reached to the feet, for novices and lay brothers only to the knees. Beneath this was worn a rough shirt, to be washed once a month in summer, every other month in winter, and drawers of the same material. The cloak was a bluish-gray, and a black hood or cowl covered the head.
The inmates of the houses were divided into three classes — priests and clerics, laymen, and probationary candidates. The first class performed all spiritual and ecclesiastical functions, the second the domestic tasks of house and garden; but all were brothers. The time of probation ranged from two or three months to a year. Each new brother was free to dispose of his property as he chose; but if he gave it to the house he could not reclaim it on leaving. Every house had a head called the rector, not as among the Windesheim communities, the prior; there was an effort to avoid imitating
monastic usage in such details. In 10. Organ- the sisters' houses the confessor was ization and also called rector. The rector was Discipline, chosen with the greatest care; later,
the choice was not left whollj' to the individual house, and if no suitable person were among the community, one was sent from another house. All the members were pledged to obey him; without his permission none could leave the house or go anywhere except to church. In the rector's absence one of the clerical brothers in his place decided all questions that did not admit of postponement. If there were any complaints against the rector, it was the duty of the priests to consider them. Next to the rector's, the office of procurator was of importance; he had charge of the external relations of the house, of the buildings, of receipts and purchases. In the larger houses a cellarer was also required. One of the most important officials was always the librarian, who not only was custodian of the books, but supervised the copying industry and provided the materials for it. Other officials mentioned are a novice-master, a precentor, a sacristan, an iTifirmarian, a cook, a gardener, etc. For purposes of discipline a chapter of faults (as