THE image displays a portion of the 15th century vellum manuscript A9, and shows the opening lines of a text containing directions for the clerical life. This manuscript forms part of the collection of the Franciscan college of St Anthony at Louvain, now in the custody of UCD (School of History and Archives). The 400th anniversary of the foundation of St Anthony’s in 1607 was celebrated in 2007 (www.louvain400.eu).