How Brother Theodoric of Kleef was chosen to be the third Prior of the
House on the Mount.
In the year of the Lord 1425, the House of Mount St. Agnes bereft of her
Pastor (who had been chosen for and translated to the Superior House) was
instant to provide for herself another suitable ruler in accordance with
the canons. Wherefore the Brothers were gathered together, and on the
Saturday after Pentecost the Mass of the Holy Spirit was celebrated after
the monastic manner, and all the members of the Chapter came together to
the Chapter House. When the opinion of each had been heard, Brother
Theodoric of Kleef, our Sub-Prior, was chosen, and those venerable
Fathers, the Prior of Windesem and the Prior of the House of the Blessed
Virgin, near Northorn, took part in this election, and confirmed the same
as an holy act by the authority committed to them.
Brother Theodoric was one of the elder Brothers of this same House, and
had been among those that were first invested: he had a long training in
the good life, and he wrote summer and winter Homilies together with
certain other books.
After his election as Father and third Prior of our House, many evils
befel in the diocese of Utrecht, which same did mightily afflict our
House and all the devout in the land. This was by reason of a schism
between Sueder of Culenborgh, who was confirmed as Bishop of the diocese,
and the noble Rodolph of Diepholt, and the long continued strife between
these two did disturb many Clerks and citizens of the land.
In the same year, on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, and after Compline, died our Brother Conrad, a Convert. He was the
tailor, and was born in Scyrebeke in the Countship of Marck, and had
lived at Deventer under Florentius, which devout Father sent him to Mount
St. Agnes when he had learned the tailor's art. He lived devoutly and
humbly with us for many years, making, cleaning, and mending the raiment
of the Brothers, but toward the end of his life it was his chief delight
to think that he had often cleansed their clothing, for he hoped by his
labours in this regard to have cleansed also the stains of his own sins.
He was a man right pure and modest, and one that loved poverty and
simplicity, and he ardently longed to be released and to be with Christ
Jesus and Mary, whom he often called upon by name at the last: moreover,
it was given him to die a peaceful and an holy death on this day of Her
Festival, and his body was laid in the burying ground within the cloister
of the monastery, hard by the northern gate, toward the wall of the
eastern building. In the same year Sueder of Culenborgh was confirmed
Bishop of Utrecht by the authority of the Apostolic See, and he was
accepted by the people of Utrecht, and of certain other towns, but by the
States of Overyssel he was not received. Wherefore these States were
placed under an Interdict, and a great controversy arose among Clerks and
people, for some observed the Interdict, but the chief ones of the States
with those that clove to them, clamoured against it.
Alas! Holy God! on the day before the Feast of St. Lambert we ceased from
our singing by reason of the Interdict that was published against us! For
this cause the nobles of the land and many of the vulgar had indignation
against us and other Religious, and we suffered many insults, and at last
we were driven to go forth from our country and our monasteries in order
to observe the Interdict.
In the same year, on the holy day of Christ's Nativity, were invested two
Clerks that had been Probationers a long while, and also one Convert
named James Cluit of Kampen who had studied for some time at Deventer
under John of Julich, the famous and devout Rector. The Clerks were
Brother Gerard Smullinc of Kleef, who had attended the school at Zwolle
under Master John Cele, the excellent Rector with whom he dwelt for some
space as a fellow commoner: and Brother James Ae, a Convert from Utrecht,
and kinsman to Brother William Vorniken who was once our Prior.