Beautifully written MS. of the end of fourteenth century, MS. Douce 114, takes for its the phrase used by its anonymous author in a general description of its subject. The author, probably a Benedictine, writing for a ‘religious sister’ also in Benedictine convent, finding that the community” knowledge of the doctrine of penance was both insufficient and confused, and considering the complexities of the available Latin ‘penitentials’, proposes to reduce into a vernacular compilation of three parts all the necessary instruction on contrition, confession and satisfaction. He writes: ‘Also seldom have they little comfort of their confessors to teach them that speedft” … and needful were of the sacrament of penance … at their’ request and because ye have none other understanding of other manner of Scripture than of such as is written in your mother tongue, I will etc’ The three parts are divided into seven chapters each, and though long it is a simple straightforward and useful piece of work, full of homely illustrations, and must have been a great comfort to the nuns and their superiors.