Ancrene Wisse (also known as the Ancrene Riwle or Guide for Anchoresses) is an anonymous monastic rule (or manual) for female anchoresses written in the early 13th century. The work consists of eight parts: divine service, keeping the heart, moral lessons and examples, temptation, confession, penance, love, and domestic matters. Parts 1 and 8 deal with what is called the "Outer Rule" (relating to the anchoresses' exterior life), while Parts 2–7 deal with the "Inner Rule" (relating to the anchoresses' interior life). Community The adoption of an anchorite life was widespread all over medieval Europe, and was especially popular in England. By the early thirteenth century, the lives of anchorites or anchoresses was considered distinct from that of hermits. The hermit vocation permitted a change of location, whereas the anchorites were bound to one place of enclosure, generally a cell connected to a church. Ancrene Wisse was originally composed for three sisters who chose to enter the contemplative life. In the early twentieth century, it was thought that this might be Kilburn Priory near the medieval City of London, and attempts were made to date the work to the early twelfth century and to identify the author as a Godwyn, who led the house until 1130. More recent works have criticised this view, most notably because the dialect of English in which the work is written clearly originates from somewhere in the English West Midlands, not far from the Welsh border. In 1935 the Early English Text Society which was led by Sir Israel Gollancz and managed by Mabel Day decided to publish editions of the Acrene Wisse. Day advised on several editions and she worked on the Nero MS version which had been transcribed by J. A. Herbert. The principles which she established are said to have governed all the later editors. Geoffrey Shepherd in the production of his edition of parts six and seven of the work showed that the author's reading was extensive. Shepherd linked the author's interests with those of a generation of late twelfth-century English and French scholars at the University of Paris, including Peter the Cantor and Stephen Langton. Shepherd suggested that the author was a scholarly man, though writing in English in the provinces, who was kept up to date with what was said and being written in the centres of learning. EJ Dobson argues that the anchoresses were enclosed near Limebrook in