Robert Grosseteste
Robert Grosseteste
Robert Grosseteste was an English statesman, scholastic philosopher, theologian, scientist and Bishop of Lincoln. He was born of humble parents at Stradbroke in Suffolk. Upon his death, he was almost universally revered as a saint in England, but attempts to procure a formal canonization failed. A. C. Crombie calls him "the real founder of the tradition of scientific thought in medieval Oxford, and in some ways, of the modern English intellectual tradition"...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionStatesman
counting fifty good hundred marks ought pasture thousand wool yield
The wool of a thousand sheep in good pasture at the least ought to yield fifty marks a year, the wool of two thousand one hundred marks, and so forth, counting by thousands.
acre acres fallow hundred ought
Know that each acre of fallow ought to support yearly two sheep at the least, then a hundred acres of fallow can support two hundred sheep, two hundred acres, four hundred sheep and so on.
appear either high lord middle openly presence seated side
And you yourself always be seated at the middle fo the high table that your presence as lord or lady may appear openly to all, and that you may plainly see on either side all the service and all the faults.
either far four guests men possible sit tables
Make your free men and guests sit as far as possible at tables on either side, not four here and three there.
benefit constrain eat far great hall honour possible shall
And as far as possible for sickness or fatigue, constrain yourself to eat in the hall before your people, for this shall bring great benefit and honour to you.
against commands god great quickly
Say to all small and great, and that often, that fully, quickly and willingly, without grumbling and contradiction, they do all your commands that are not against God.
served shall
And if strangers come to supper they shall be served with more according as they have need.
science matter form
It is not possible for form to do without matter because it is not separable, nor can matter itself be purged of form.
august land corn
And in doing this I advise you to send to the best manors of your lands those of your household in whom you place most confidence to be present in August at the leading of the corn, and to guard it as aforesaid.
corn bread week
Also see how many quarters of corn you will spend in a week in dispensable bread, how much in alms.
doors noise disputes
Command that your marshal be careful to be present over the household, and especially in the hall, to keep the household, within doors and without, respectable, without dispute or noise, or bad words.
house faithful watches
Command those that govern your house before all you household that they keep careful watch that all your household, within and without, be faithful, painstaking, chaste, clean, honest and profitable.
pleasure gods-will serving-god
Exhort all your household often that all those who serve you shall know to serve God and you, faithfully and painstakingly, and for the will of God to prefer in all things to do your will and pleasure in all things that are not against God.
two over-you each-day
And be careful of this, that each day at your meals you have two overseers over your household when you sit at meals, and of this be sure, that you shall be very much feared and reverenced.