to gain souls, and an hatred of wickedness.

Having these things before his eyes he spared not while he lived either
toil or cost, for he went about preaching everywhere in hunger and
thirst, in cold and nakedness.

VII. _Of his death_.

At length after much strife, and having converted many to Christ, this
most blessed Father passed happily to the Lord in the year of the Lord
1384; and he left the residue of the work, of which he himself had done
enough, to his little ones, those whom he had gathered under his wings
that they might promote the salvation of many and be their pattern, whom
also he had nurtured with the milk of his goodness and his sweet-savoured
doctrine; for it was his intention that through them should be finished
that work which he had ever in mind, and had striven to carry into effect
so far as he could; namely, to snatch souls from the jaws of the devil
and restore them to their Maker. This work his followers in their time
were not backward to do, neither have their successors to the present day
ceased to fulfil the same task.

VIII. _Concerning Florentius and his companions_.

Of these primitive disciples of Master Gherard, the first and chief was
that Florentius, son of Radewin, who was wonderful in all holiness and
honesty of character, and whose name that House, which was the first of
all the congregations of Clerks only, doth still retain. In like manner
one House at Deventer still hath its name from Gherard Groet, because it
was the House wherein he dwelt, and afterward this was the first of all
the congregations of women. This Florentius with his companions that
were men of light, and whose names and deeds are of record, made no small
gain of souls for the Lord, especially amongst the scholars that were
Clerks, and by their labours the monasteries of divers orders were
propped up in no slight degree and reformed also, the Lord working by
their means.

IX. _How like things were done in other cities_.

Florentius seeing that this was good, and that indeed no sacrifice could
be more acceptable to God than zeal for souls, sent devout and learned
men to other cities also to do a like work, especially to places where
there were schools largely attended, such as Zwolle, Doesborch,
Herderwijc and the like; and these men lived a common life like that in
the congregation already founded, and gained their livelihood by writing
books. They studied most of all to draw to Christ such scholar