N 173, to both of you, means, to the anchoresses as well as to their servants; comp.
The directions to the women attending on the anchoresses show how in the thirteenth century, when these rules were framed, personal cleanliness was still regarded as among the errors to be avoided, or at least a luxury to be renounced.
But the anchoresses themselves have permission to wash “whensoever it is necessary, as often as ye please.
Anchoresses were under stricter rules, and had less to do with the outer world.
Doubtless, we are right in inferring from the bishop's advice not to do certain things, that anchoresses were in the habit of doing them.
It must be noticed that the women for whom the Ancren Riwle was intended were anchoresses and not professed nuns; the essence of their life was solitude, whereas nuns were essentially members of a community.
Some of the precepts in this section of the Riwle are obviously more closely applicable to anchoresses than to nuns; for instance the instructions against hospitality and almsgiving.
The outward rule of the anchoresses of Tarrant Keynes was by no means rigorous.
This assumption is based on the superscription of a Latin copy of the book, which states that Simon of Ghent wrote it for his sisters the anchoresses near Tarent (apud Tarente).
And how shall those rich anchoresseswho are tillers of the ground, or have fixed rents, do their alms privately to poor neighbours?
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "anchoresses" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
