Documents illustrating the activities of the general and provincial chapters of the English Black Monks, 1215-1540 [1]

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GENERAL AND PROVINCIAL CHAPTERS OF THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS

https://doi.org/10.1017/S2042171000002661 Published online by Cambridge University Press

DOCUMENTS ILLUSTRATING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GENERAL AND PROVINCIAL CHAPTERS OF THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS 1215-1540 EDITED FOR THE ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY BY

WILLIAM ABEL PANTIN, M.A., F.R.HIST.S., BISHOP FRASEB LECTURER IN HISTOBY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

CAMDEN THIRD SERIES VOLUME

XLV

LONDON

OFFICES OF THE SOCIETY 22 RUSSELL SQUARE, W.C.I

1931 https://doi.org/10.1017/S2042171000002661 Published online by Cambridge University Press

Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd., Frome and London

https://doi.org/10.1017/S2042171000002661 Published online by Cambridge University Press

CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE

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vii

INTRODUCTION :

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xi

PART

I—GENERAL

CHAPTERS *

OF THE PROVINCE

CANTERBURY, 1215-1336, D O C U M E N T S N O . 1-134

OF .

3

P A R T I I — G E N E R A L CHAPTERS O F T H E P R O V I N C E O F Y O R K , 1215-1336, DOCUMENTS N O . 135-148 . . .

217

APPENDIX I — T H E

D E C R E T A L S IN SINGULIS

REGNIS

AND EA

QUAE APPENDIX II—EXTRACTS FROM THE NORWICH ROLLS.

273 .

277

APPENDIX III—COMPARATIVE TABLE OF THE STATUTES OF THE SOUTHERN PROVINCE

281

APPENDIX IV—COMPARATIVE TABLE OF THE STATUTES OF THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN PROVINCES 2 . .

289

APPENDIX V—CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF CHAPTERS AND PRESIDENTS, WITH REFERENCES TO THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS . . . . . . . .

293

1 Before 1336, the Chapters were known as General Chapters : after that date, they were usually known as Provincial Chapters. s The terms Southern and Northern, when used here, refer to the provinces of Canterbury and York respectively.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S2042171000002661 Published online by Cambridge University Press

PREFACE the following pages I have tried to put together a fairly complete collection of documents illustrating the legislative IandNother activities of the General and Provincial Chapters of the

English Black Monks ; because it seems necessary to have something of this sort to work upon, before we can even begin to study, in a thorough, orderly and dispassionate manner, the various historical aspects of Benedictine monachism in this country. We must not take these records for the whole of the evidence : obviously there exist other materials, in some ways perhaps more illuminating, such as the great mass of local records of particular houses, our unrivalled series of Bishops' Registers, literary remains, and so forth. Moreover, we must not mistake aspirations and precautions for facts and statistics : the statutory monk bears a strong resemblance to the economic man. But with these limitations granted, the records will, I hope, be found useful in their own particular way, especially in revealing in progressive stages the mentality and the general policy of the English monks, their attitude towards the big and permanent problems, like the relations between monastery and monastery, or between abbot and convent, the relative claims of Prayer and Study, and many other points of observance. All these things, too, will have to be carefully compared with the contemporary ideas and movements among the Black Monks on the continent. Probably this collection is not by any means complete: indeed, I hope it is not. Some new documents have come to hand already while the book was in the press, and further discoveries will be welcome. The collection should be of use in showing other workers the sort of documents to be looked for, and where they are likely to be found. I think I owed my first inspiration and guidance in making vii

viii PREFACE this collection to the masterly little list of references which the Rev. H. E. Salter gave in the Preface to his Chapters of the Augustinian Canons. Two other scholars, Miss Rose Graham and Mr. V. H. Galbraith, who were already interested in the subject, most generously gave me the full use of their materials and experience. Further, I found the way made easy, especially as regards the chronology of the Chapters, by the published work of the late Mr. Edmund Bishop, and Dom U. Berliere. To Professor F. M. Powicke I am very deeply indebted for his constant enccuragement and advice : it was his suggestion that made me shape my work into the Alexander essay printed in 1928. The late Professor Tout, when President of the Royal Historical Society, took a kindly interest in my projected publication, and helped to find it a place in the present Series. I have to thank Mr. H. H. E. Craster, Professor Hamilton Thompson and the Rev. A. Milton for help at various stages. A collection like this naturally depends upon ready access to many scattered sources, and here I have much for which to be grateful. Owing to the fact that so many English cathedrals originally had Benedictine Chapters, it has come about that in several of them the monastic records have survived practically undisturbed, though often of course sadly damaged and diminished by time. I wish to draw special attention to the almost inexhaustible possibilities of these deposits for systematic research into monastic or local history, and to express my personal gratitude for the generous facilities which I have in every case received from the authorities in charge—namely, the Deans and Chapters of Durham, Norwich, Ely, Worcester, Winchester, Gloucester, Canterbury, Westminster Abbey, and St. George's, Windsor; and I also wish to thank in particular those on whose time and attention I have made the greatest demands—Mr. J. Meade Falkner and Mr. K. C. Bailey at Durham, Canon Wilson and Canon Blake at Worcester, the late Canon Westlake and Mr. L. E. Tanner at Westminster, and the late Mr. L. G. Bolingbroke at Norwich. Further, I wish to thank the Bishop of Worcester and the authorities of the British Museum, the Bodleian Library, and the Cambridge University Library, of Jesus College, Oxford, Corpus Christi College and Jesus College, Cambridge, for* facilities in using their manuscripts. I owe a special debt of gratitude to the Royal Historical Society for publishing this work in the Camden Series, and to the General

PREFACE

ix

Chapter of the English Benedictine Congregation for their generous contribution towards the expense of publication ; and to Mr. Charles Johnson, who has kindly read the proofs. W. MANCHESTER, ST. DUNSTAN'S DAY,

19 May, 1930.

A. -PAN-TIN.

INTRODUCTION HE aim of this work is to present in as complete a collection as possible, the documents, both published and unpublished, T concerning the General Chapters of the English Black Monks. A

sketch of the history and functions of the Chapters has already been given by the present writer in the Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Fourth Series, vol. x, p. 195, and need not be repeated here. The subject-matter of their legislation will be included in the full index which it is hoped to add at the end of the forthcoming volume. As regards the materials printed here for the first time, some have been hitherto scarcely noticed, or misunderstood, others have been known to scholars, and even transcribed more than once, but not printed. The already printed materials have been given here once again, mainly for the sake of completeness, but in some cases there have been additional reasons for republication. For instance, the statutes of 1219 and 1225 (no. 4) are among the few documents which are unsatisfactorily handled in Reyner's edition (App. Ill, 94), and the collation in the Monasticon (I, xlvi) is half-heartedly carried out. Again, the statutes of 1249 (No. 13) were accurately printed from one MS. by Luard in his edition of the Chronica Majora of Matthew Paris (Rolls Series, VI, 175), but without the use of the other two versions of the document. The extracts from the chronicles, which have in most cases been collated with the MSS., are given here, not because the editions in the Rolls Series are untrustworthy, but for the sake of completeness, and for the corroboration of other documents: and the same applies, of course, to the documents which have already been printed in the article on Gloucester College, by Mr. Galbraith, in Snappe's Formulary (Oxford Historical Society, 1924). It should be borne in mind that from the Council of the Lateran, in 1215, until the Constitutions of Benedict XII in 1336, there were xi

xii INTRODUCTION two separate Chapters of the English Black Monks, one for the province of Canterbury, the other for the province of York. After 1336, there was a single provincial Chapter for the whole of England. It is with the earlier system that we are here concerned. The larger documents, the surviving legislative acts of the chapters, belong to the thirteenth century. In particular, attention may be directed to the three important groups of Southern statutes, several times revised, Nos. 2-4 (1218/9-1225), No. 13 (1249), Nos. 28-30 (1277-9). These are real attempts at an exhaustive code. The relations between the statutes, the way in which older material was worked in or discarded, can be seen from the comparative table, Appendix III. The Northern Chapters simply accumulated statutes, without any real codification or revision, though sometimes there are later statutes abrogating earlier ones, e.g. par. 13 of the statutes of 1310 (below, p. 269). The Northern Chapters seem to have borrowed liberally from the Southern statutes, especially in the Chapters of 1221, 1287 and 1310 (see table, Appendix IV) : but the imitation was not mechanical and wholesale. Presumably the Northern prelates borrowed just those sections which they needed; and they added very excellent and pertinent statutes of their own. As they were only four in number, they had a distinct advantage, in legislating, over the large and unwieldy Chapter of the Southern province : it was even possible for them to legislate for the case of a particular monastery. Besides the legislative documents and the notices from chronicles, there are a number of letters concerning the Chapter or the presidents and their work : an early and interesting example is the couple of letters c. 1247, Nos. 10 and 11. The letters become more numerous towards the end of the period, when the monastic letter books become more frequent: see No. 50 to the end. As regards the method of publication: the documents of the Southern Chapter (the province of Canterbury), and of the Northern Chapter (the province of York), have been kept separate. Within those two divisions, the documents have been arranged, irrespective of provenance, in chronological order, and numbered. As many of the documents are undated, the dates are often conjectural. In printing the Statutes a special problem is raised by the fact that on more than one occasion the Southern Chapter issued first one version of the statutes, and subsequently another version, partly revised, but in many respects a repetition of the

INTRODUCTION xiii first. Now, legislative texts have to be treated with great care (cf. the elaborate, grammatical analysis of the wording of the Rule in No. 33A). It will not do to dismiss such a revised version as being " practically the same " as the first issue. No intelligent person would be satisfied with such an assurance. Only too often, monastic documents, customaries, for instance, have been left unpublished, on the vague grounds that they are more or less the same as something else already in print. On the other hand, to print the revised version in extenso would be uneconomical, and would not bring out the differences in a salient manner. Consequently, a particular method has been used for printing the second or revised issues of statutes, as explained on pp. 6,63, below. Besides these cases of immediate and conscious reissue, if the statutes of the whole period and of both provinces are taken into account, it will be seen that there is much repetition. For that, no apology is needed. Legislative repetition may be as significant as legislative innovation, though what precisely it signifies, is too controversial a matter to be discussed here. The text has been extended throughout, with a few exceptions. Doubtful but probable extensions have been printed in italics or within brackets. In some cases, however, especially place names, the final suspension has simply been represented by an apostrophe. Since the original scribes so often shirk the issue, the editor may perhaps be excused in sometimes following their lead. In particular, with regard to local epithets, such as Cantuar' or Cant', Wygorn' or Wyg', applied to a person or a church, as prior Wygorn' or Ecclesia Cathedralis Wygorn', it seems impossible to find a safe, general rule for extension, whether to Wygornie, or Wygorniensis, or Wygornensis. On the other hand, it has seemed safe to follow a general rule of extending, without comment, these epithets as being adjectives, when applied to a province or diocese, as firovincia Cantuariensis.

In printing, the punctuation, and the use of capitals, and of u and v, have been regularized in accordance with modern practice : i has been used for both forms, i and j , and, as far as it is possible to distinguish them, c and t have been used as in the manuscripts. It must be remembered that these documents are taken from many different MSS., of various dates : hence absolute uniformity must not be expected. For the rest, the readings of the MSS., including any eccentricities of spelling, have been reproduced without comment, as far as possible. Where, however, the reading of

xiv INTRODUCTION the MS. is plainly against the meaning, or good grammar ; if the correct reading is fairly certain, the text is corrected, and the corrupt reading of the MS. is given in a footnote : but if the correct reading is doubtful, it is given as a conjecture in a footnote, and the corrupt reading of the MS. is allowed to stand in the text. The gemipunctus (representing, in theory, a suppressed proper name) is fairly commonly used in these documents: it has been reproduced as two dots. Where several MSS. survive, as for the Northern Chapters, a careful collation has been made, and the variants recorded, including variations of spelling, where these seem significant, as with place names, or technical, non-classical words, like pittancia, cellerarius, etc.; but not all minor variations of spelling in ordinary words, as commodum, comodum, etc. There is probably a sufficient variety of examples elsewhere in the book to satisfy anyone specially interested in medieval orthography. It is to be feared that, even so, the apparatus will be found cumbersome: but it has seemed safer for a beginner to err on the side of being meticulous. The variants had all to be noticed, at least, in the course of collation, and in the case of the Northern statutes, they do throw some light on the relations of the MSS., as, for instance, the marked likeness of the Durham rolls D3 and D4. Further, it is as well to underline the fact that the variations of these Northern MSS., if not always or generally important, are remarkably numerous. Evidently the text was not yet rigidly fixed. This is in marked contrast to the later Chapter documents, after 1336, where the numerous surviving manuscripts do not show anything like the same number of variations. As a general rule, the footnotes are confined to matters of textual criticism, dating, and identification of persons : any systematic commentary on the subject matter has been avoided, as it would have swelled and delayed this work indefinitely. It is hoped to give some kind of glossary of more obscure terms together with the index at the end of the second volume. The following is a list of the abbreviations used: Ann. Mon.:: Annales Monastici, ed. H. R. Luard, Rolls Series, 1864-9 Annales de Theokesberia, in vol. I, Annales de Wintonia, in vol. II, Annales de Wigornia, in vol. IV. S. Benedicti Reg.:

Sancti Benedicti Regula Monasteriorum, ed.

D. Cuthb. Butler, Herder, 1927.

INTRODUCTION xv Matt. Par.: Matthew Paris, Chronica Majora, ed. H. R. Luard, Rolls Series, 1872-84. Monasticon: Dugdale, Monasticon Anglicanum, ed. Caley, Ellis, and Bandinel, London, 1849. Reyner: Clem. Reyner, Apostolatus Benedictinorum in Anglia. Douay, 1626. R.S.; Rolls Series: The Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages, published under the direction of the Master of the Rolls. Snappe's Formulary: ed. H. E. Salter, Oxford Historical Society, 1924, vol. LXXX. Wilkins:

Concilia Magnce Brittanice et Hibernice, London, 1737.

It has been necessary to go through a number of the monastic registers or letter-books of the period, and it may be of use to the reader to have the following list of the principal MSS. of this kind used in this volume, arranged under the places of origin. When the time comes, a similar list will be given for the later period, after 1336. These letter-books contain the various letters issued by the abbot (or prior), entered in chronological order, and were probably kept by the abbot's chaplain or secretary: in a humble way, they correspond to a medieval bishop's register. They first appear in the late thirteenth century, and become frequent in the fourteenth century: at the end of the fifteenth century, they too often degenerate into purely formal records of leases, presentations, etc. It is to be hoped that some day may see the production of a full bibliography of English Chartularies and Registers, similar to that of M. Henri Stein for France. The existing lists in the enlarged Monasticon, and in Tanner's Notitia Monastica, though useful, are uneven, and often give no clue to the present whereabouts of the MSS. . Brit. Mus., MS. Cotton. Julius AIX, fo. 158-70. (Letters and Charters, XIII cent.) BURY ST. EDMUNDS . Cambridge Univ. Library, MS. Ff. II, 33. (Registrum tempore R. de Denham, Sacriste Bury.) BURY ST. EDMUNDS . Brit. Mus., MS. Harl. 230. (Register of abbots Thomas de Totyngton, 1302-12, and Richard Draughton, 1312-35. cf. Monasticon, III, 118.)

ABINGDON

.

.

INTRODUCTION

XVI NORWICH .

.

PETERBOROUGH

PETERBOROUGH

RAMSEY

.

SPALDING .

THORNEY .

WORCESTER

.

WORCESTER

.

Muniments of Dean and Chapter: Registrum IX. (Register of prior Rob. de Langley, 1310-26.) Brit. Mus., MS. Cotton. Vesp. E XXII. (Register of abbots William de Wodeforde, 1295-9 (fo. 1) and Godfrey de Croyland, 1299-1321 (fo. 45), cf. Monasticon, I, 371-2. The register apparently begins at Michaelmas, 22 Ed. I (1294.) Brit. Mus., MS. Cotton. Vesp. E XXI. (Register of abbot Adam de Botheby, 1321-38. cf. Monasticon, I, 360.) Cambridge University Library, MS. Hh. vi. 11. (A collection of miscellaneous treatises, originally including the Rule, with notes and documents relating to Ramsey, fo. 1, 66 ff.) Brit. Mus., Add. MS. 35296. (The first volume, containing parts 1-3, of the XIV Cent. Register or Chartulary of Spalding Priory : Part 1, division 9, contains documents about the General Chapter. The second volume, containing parts 4-5, is MS. Harl. 742.) Brit. Mus., Cotton Charters, roll. XIV, 13. (Roll of Letters, temp, abbot William de Jakel or Yakesle, 1261-93.) Dean and Chapter, Muniments: Liber Albus: Register of prior John de Wyke, 1301-17, fo. i-lxxxij v . (cf. J. M. Wilson, Liber Albus, Worcester Historical Society, 1919, Nos. 1-749). Register of prior Wulstan de Bransford, 1317-38, fo. lxxxiij-clxijT. (cf. J. M. Wilson, op. cit., Nos. 750-1286.) Public Record Office : Aug. Misc. Bk. 63. (Letter-book of the Priors of Worcester, covering the years 1286-1339 (fo. 1-46°), 1339-70 (fo. 47 to end), (cf. J. H. Bloom, Worcester Historical Society, 1912.)

INTRODUCTION

WORCESTER

.

.

.

xvu Dean and Chapter, Muniments : Registrum Sede Vacante. (cf. J. W. Bund, Worcester Historical Society, 1897.)

Besides the above list, more detailed notes on the following MSS. will be found in the course of the work : Bodleian, MS. Bodley 240 : below, p. 22. BURY ST. EDMUNDS Brit. Mus., MS. Cotton. Julius D I I : CANTERBURY, ST. below, p. 4. AUGUSTINE'S Brit. Mus., MS. Stowe 930 : below, p. 32, DURHAM . 221.

Dean and Chapter, Muniments, Misc. Ch. 2601, 5661, 5666, 5667, 5725 : below, p. 217. Brit. Mus., MS. Cotton. Nero D I : below, ST. ALBANS . P- 32Brit. Mus., MS. Cotton. Faustina A I I : SHERBORNE . below, p. 33, 62. Dean and Chapter, Muniments, B.1610 and WORCESTER . C.875A: below, p. 25. Bodleian MS. Bodley 39: below, p. 61,220. YORK, ST. MARY'S Jesus College, Oxford, MS. 64: below, [EVESHAM OR TEWKESBURY ?] P- 3 [RAMSEY ?] Brit. Mus., Add. Charters 34035A-B : below, p. 105. ? . . Cambridge University Library, MS. Ii.1.5 : below, p. 62. These notes do not pretend to give a complete, technical description of the MSS. : but simply to discuss the MSS. so far as they are concerned with the present subject. In the following pages, certain monasteries, such as Worcester and Norwich, will no doubt appear to play a predominant part; while others, including some of the greatest importance, such as St. Albans and Westminster, are on the whole conspicuous by their absence. This inequality simply reflects the accidental survival or loss of records, .and does not by any means necessarily indicate the relative importance or activity of the various monasteries. Note: As some fresh documents have had to be inserted at the last moment, supplementary numberings, such as 24A, 72A, have been used.

PART I GENERAL CHAPTERS OF THE PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY

Note on the General Chapter, c. 1218-25

T

HE first General Chapter of the province of Canterbury was held at Oxford some time between 14 September, 1218, and 24 July, 1219 : before the latter date, for it was in the third year of Honorius III, and after the former date, for the second Chapter of 14 September, 1219, was held on the next Holy Cross day after the first Chapter at Oxford. Higden's Polychronicon (Rolls Series, VIII, 198) has the entry Hoc anno convenerunt primo abbates nigri ordinis apud Oxoniam ad tractandum de ordine, under the year graticB MCCXIX, Henrici III, II [sic]: the dating is confused, for the second year of Henry III ended 28 October, 1218. The Annales Cestrienses (Lanes, and Cheshire Record Society (1886), XIV, 50) gives: MCCXIX convenerunt abbates nigri ordinis Anglie apud Oxoniam de ordine monachali predicatorum [sic]; the last word is obviously an error, perhaps for primo or tractaturi or provisuri; and the manuscript is late (xv-xvi cent.), and perhaps this entry is derived from Higden. Thus, though there is some show of evidence for 1219 as the date, it is not very convincing. On the other hand one would expect the Chapter to have met in late September, 1218, which was the usual time for the Chapters in this century, and would have given ample time for the visitation and trial of the statutes that intervened before the second Chapter in 1219. For want of better evidence, we must leave the date as 1218/9. As the outcome of the first Chapter, we have the two earliest documents (Nos. 1 and 2), preserved in the MS. 61 of Jesus College, Oxford, a twelfth-century MS. of Bede on the Canticle of Canticles, the text of which begins on the second leaf of the first gathering. On both sides of the first leaf, which must have been originally left blank, someone has written these two documents, in a careful charter-hand, apparently contemporary. It seems evident, therefore, that the presence of these documents is not due to a subsequent accident of binding. It remains a puzzle, why a book of this kind was chosen, rather than a martyr3

4 THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540 ology, or a copy of the Rule, or a register. There is no direct indication of the provenance of the MS. : perhaps it was owned by one or other of the two visitors, the abbots of Evesham and Tewkesbury, whose credentials and agenda are contained in these documents. The abbot of Evesham became one of the presidents in 1219. No. 2 is the original set of statutes (which we may call Version A), drawn up at the first Chapter at Oxford. The second Chapter met at St. Albans, 14 September, 1219, and, at the request of the " weaker brethren," drew up a modified version of the statutes of Oxford (No. 3 ; par. 1-35 of No. 4). This we may call Version B. This Chapter, however, was hampered by the death of one of the presidents, as was also the third Chapter, which met at Bermondsey, about August-September, 1224. It was only in the fourth Chapter, at Northampton, 21 September, 1225, that the presidents at length were able to publish the revised statutes of 1219, together with certain additions of their own (No. 4). The documents concerning these Chapters of 1219-25 are found in the Cottonian MS. Julius D. II. This is evidently the manuscript known to Reyner as the Matricula de camera abbatis S. Augustini Cantuariensis (App. Ill, 94), from which he prints the statutes. It is certainly a book of St. Augustine's Canterbury, of which the chief contents are : (a) fo. 1-23, historical matter, including, fo. 3-21, a chronological table, giving a line to a year, into which short annals have been entered. The fact that the frame-work of the table goes down to the end of the thirteenth century, led Reyner to date the MS. at 1300 : but, in fact, the last entry is the death of Richard [Magnus or Grant, ob. 1231], Archbishop of Canterbury, wrongly entered under the year 1237. There are accompanying lists of Kings of England, Archbishops, Abbots of St. Augustine's, Popes and Emperors, which the original hand brings down to about the same time. (6) fo. 24-39, The Rule of St. Benedict. (c) from fo. 39V to the end, a chartulary of St. Augustine's Canterbury, with additions to the original hand. To judge from the old foliation, some gatherings have been misplaced in binding and others lost altogether. Thegathering, fo. 157-161, contains Legatine visitations in 1234,

PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY 5 printed by Miss Rose Graham in the English Historical Review, XXVII, 1912, p. 728. The remains of another gathering (fo. 162-4), contain the documents of the Chapters 1219-25, here printed, apparently in the same hand as the chronological matter, the Rule, the original parts of the chartulary, and the Legatine visitations. The documents would seem to have been written not before about 1234 or 1237, and probably not later than 1249, when a new set of statutes superseded the earlier ones (see No. 13). They are written neatly, but not always accurately (e.g. the curious fusion in par. 26 of the 1219 statutes, No. 4). In the manuscript, the statutes of 1219 (Version B) are given as an enclosure or citation within the document issued by the presidents after the Chapter of 1225 (No. 4). It must be borne in mind that these statutes only survive in this form ; they do not come to us as a separate, contemporary document. Hence they may have been " touched up " between 1219 and 1225 : all that the presidents of 1225 vouch for, is that they have not " subtracted " anything. In view of what was done in the way of tacit interpolation in the Northern statutes (see below, p. 222-5), it is just possible that some of the additional paragraphs in the statutes of 1219 (e.g. par. 7 and 8), were really interpolated in 1225. A further difficulty is the fact that the manuscript does not make it quite clear where the statutes of 1219 end and the additions made in 1225 begin. Obviously paragraph 33 is still part of the statutes of 1219, for it is based on paragraph 25 of the first Chapter (Version A) : paragraphs 34-5 are uncertain, but they most probably belong to 1219, for they are marked by rubrics, like the preceding matter. Moreover, what follows, the paragraph 36, with its historical recapitulation, reads very much like the beginning of the additions of 1225. In any case, it is not of vital importance, perhaps, to distinguish precisely between the statutes of 1219 and the additions (and possibly the interpolations) of 1225 : for subsequently, for practical purposes, the whole passed as the " statutes of 1225," and were thus quoted ; see No. 5. The statutes of 1218/9, Version A, in the Jesus MS., are divided into paragraphs : these divisions have been followed, in printing, except that in the case of paragraphs 18,19a, 22a, and 24, a further division has seemed necessary. For convenience' of comparison, we have artificially divided the statutes of 1219, Version B, into numbered paragraphs corresponding to those of Version A, but the actual arrangement in the MS. (Julius D. II) is somewhat different:

6 THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540 there are no paragraph marks, but the text is cut up by the rubrics into sections containing one or more of our paragraphs, as can be seen from Table I, below, p. 16. Since Version B is essentially a revision of Version A, it has seemed desirable to avoid mere repetition. Version A is printed in extenso. As to Version B, the following method has been used : (a) on p. 16 below, will be found a key or skeleton, showing the rubrics and paragraphs of B, and their relation to the paragraphs of the printed Version A: in effect, Version B stated in terms of Version A. (b) Where the paragraphs of B keep more or less closely to A (= sign in the key), the verbal differences of B are recorded in the footnotes to Version A. (c) Where the paragraphs of B either differ materially (cf. sign in the key), or are additions to A (add sign in the key), they are printed in extenso, on p. ijff below.

[1.

The presidents of the General Chapter order the abbots of Evesham and Tewkesbury, visitors, to inquire into and report on the reception of the statutes of the General Chapter. Before 14 Sept., 1219.]

Jesus College, Oxford : MS. 64, fo. 1.

De sancto Albano1 et de sancto Edmundo 2 Dei gracia abbates, venerabilibus4 in Christo patribus eadem gracia de Evesham 3 et de Theokesbir' abbatibus, salutem in Domino sempiternam. Que ad utilitatem communem provisa sunt, et auctoritate sanctorum patrum statuta, quibus per omnia obedire necesse est, ut effectum debitum sorciantur, per eos quibus honus inpositum est, executioni sunt demandanda. Ea propter sanctitatem vestram admonemus in Domino, et quantum in nobis est nrmiter mandamus, quatinus abbatiam de Burton', et abbatiam Cestrie, necnon et singulas domos religiosas nostri ordinis in episcopatu Wigorn' personaliter circueuntes, visitationis officio diligenter intendatis, inquirentes sollicite et diligenter, an ea que de communi consensu provisa fuerunt in capitulo generali nuper celebrato, sunt apud omnes promulgata, et in promulgatione recepta, et post receptione ea, que decet, devotione observata. Si vero predictorum statutorum ad aliquos non pervenit noticia, volumus ut per vos promulgeantur, et artissime observari precipiantur. Quod si in ipsa promulgatione, quod non de facili credimus, seu in receptione et observantia aliqui contumaces inventi sunt vel rebelles, quicumque fuerint, maiores vel minores, diligenti memorie in scriptis commendentur, ut in proximo generali capitulo de talibus, qualiter coherceri debeant, provideatur. Ad hec universis et singulis prelatis iniungatur per vos, ut in proxima futura solempnitate exaltationis sancte crucis apud sanc1 3 4

2 William de Trumpinton, 1214-35. Hugh de Northwold, 1215-29. Randulfus, 1213-29. Peter, 1216-31. Both he and his colleague of Evesham had been monks of Worcester. 7

8

THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540

turn Albanum conveniant, de hiis que ad salutem animarum et religionis et fame observantiam pertinere dinoscuntur, divina gratia permittente, salubriter tractaturi. Valete in Domino. [2.

The presidents to the houses of the diocese of Worcester, recommending the visitors, and enclosing the statutes of the first Chapter, at Oxford, c. 14 Sept., 1218—24 July, 1219. Before 14 Sept., 1219.]

[1.]

Jesus College, Oxford: MS. 64, fo. 1. [Version A.] % De sancto Albano et de sancto Edmundo Dei gratia abbates et de Ward' a et de Tham' b eadem gratia abbates Cisterciensis ordinis, universis abbatibus et prioribus proprios abbates non habentibus, et collegiis, et monialibus nigri ordinis Wigornensis diocesis, salutem, pacem et perpetuam vitam. Autoritate concilii Lateranensis c apud Oxon' congregati communi et unanimi assensu visitatores vobis transmittimus venerabiles patres de Evesham et de Theokesbir' abbates, monentes in Domino et autoritate predicti concilii et capituli nostri generalis firmiter iniungentes, quatinus Dei amore pre oculis habito, vos reverenter et honorificerecipientes, si qua regulariter in domibus vestris revelanda fuerint, et pro reformacione ordinis, et observancia regulari corrigenda, eisdem caritative detegere curetis, discretis eorum monitis et mandatis salubribus adquiescentes humiliter et devote, ut obedientia vestra apud omnes merito debeat commendari. Quod si quid apud vos a dissensionis, quod absit, vel dificultatis ernerserit, per eosdem ad capitulum proximum celebrandum .differatur. Mittimus insuper vobis statuta eiusdem capituli legenda, inspicienda, et firmiter observanda in hac forma: ^[ Ad honorem Dei et sancte Romane ecclesie iuxta statutum concilii Lateran' pro correctione et reformatione regularis discipline abbates Cantuariensis provincie in generali capitulo apud Oxon' convenientes, anno domini Honorii pape III tercio : ^f In primis dictante e Spiritu Sancto unanimi consensu statuerunt, ut ipsi abbates habitu et gestu regulariter se habentes in capitulo in claustro, pro audiendis confessionibus et fratribus »b Roger, abbot of Warden, c. 1223. Simon, abbot of Thame, c. 1205—24. 0 Cf. the decretal In singulis, printed below, app. I, p. 273. a interlin. e dictante] om. MS. A : it is rightly given in Version B.

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exemplariter instruendis, in choro etiam pro divinis officiis, et in [Version A..] refectorio pro fraternis solaciis totiens x studeant 2 interesse, quotiens nee corporalis infirmitas a u t s debilitas nee ecclesie necessitas a aut * utilitas vel alia rationabilis causa fuerit impedimento. % Deinde placuit universis, u t 6 prelati de terris vel redditibus [2.] monasteriiadmanifestam lesionem, perpetuam alienationem 6facere non presumant, vel terras consuetudinarias in libertatem alicui concedere vel donare, vel novas consuetudines facere sine assensu capituli, nee alicui hereditare ' corredia vel libertates 8 aliquo modo 9 concedere. 1f Et 10 quia ipsi prelati n p e r quasdam superfluitates notari dicun- [3.] tur, et monasteria gravari, communi deliberatione providerunt, ne aliqui 12 prelatorum servientes habeant 1S numero vel apparatu honestum modum excedentes, unde ordo monachalis in aliquo redargui possit M levitatis. If Et ne post decessum prelatorum per servientium exactionem [4.] pro impensis obsequiis contingaht15 monasteria vel subditos16 vexari, a prelatis quibus serviunt annua et certa stipendia accipiant 17 servientes. If Similiter etiam provisum est de vecturis ut nullus numerum , •, excedat vicenarium, nisi rationabilis causa aliud inducat: sed studeat quilibet pro Deo et sancte religionis reverentia dictum numerum quantum poterit coartare. Tf Inherentes etiam vestigiis sancti 18 concilii Lateranensis primi b [6.] decreverunt, ne monachi pretio recipiantur, nee peculium habere permittantur,19 pena dicti concilii20 contravenientibus infligenda : In 1

2 et in ref.—totiens] om. add oportune. [Version B. ] 8 seu. * sive. n e instead of u t . . . n o n . 6 elienationem. * hereditarie. 8 9 liberationes. titulc. 10 u Set. prelati ipsi. 12 13 14 aliquis. habeat. possit argui. 15 16 contingat. substitutos [sic]. 17 18 percipiant. om. 19 20 add nisi pro iniuncta sibi administratione. consilii. 3

a b

interim. The reference is to the Third Council oj the Lateran, 1179: Deer. Greg. IX, lib. Ill, tit. xxxv, c. 2. The Chapter statutes several times refer to the Third Lateran Council as the First, and to the Fourth (1215) as the second: cf. below, pp. 17, 233.

io

THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540

[Version A.] quo de proprietariis ita cautum est: viventes a communione altaris removeantur, et qui in extremo cum peculio inventi fuerint, nee oblatio pro eis fiat, nee inter fratres recipiant sepulturam. [7.] ^f Infra vicesimum annum monachi non recipiantur nisi commendabilis utilitas vel necessitas x aliud induxerit. [8.] If Ad hec 2 salubriter provisum est ut silentium debitis locis, horis, et temporibus, ab omnibus firmiter observetur,-et in permissis colloquiis in claustro et alibi a turpiloquiis,3 vaniloquiis, et detractionibus abstineatur: contrafacientes regulari subiaceant discipline. • [9-1 ^ Lecti etiam monachorum ita sint ordinati, quod videri possint dormientes. [10.] f Hospitalitas omnimodis * secundum facultatem 5 loci diligenter 6 observetur. [11.] • ^f Signa nisi 7 necessaria in choro et 8 in refectorio et aliis indebitis locis' non fiant. [12.] f E t quia sacra testante scriptura tarn anime quam corpori [fo. i T ] salutifera est abstinentia, |'rigorem regule beati Benedicti moderantes provide statuerunt, u t a festo exaltationis sancte crucis usque ad festum omnium sanctorum solitus ordo reficiendi in conventu servetur: A festo vero omnium sanctorum usque ad capud ieiunii singulis feriis semel reficiantur in conventu nisi in festis capparum, et diebus a natali usque a d epiphaniam Domini, salvis consuetudinibus quarundam ecclesiarum in quibus maior abstinentia hactenus extitit observata. 9 [13.] ^f U t pauperes debitis elemosinis non defraudentur, 1 0 firmiter preceperunt, u t omnia apponenda sine fraude u apponantur 1 2 in conventu et alibi ubi monachi feficiuntur, et de omnibus appositis totum residuum sine diminutione in elemosinam cedat, per elemosinarium indigentibus fideliter erogandum. Qui contrafecerint, 13 in crastino sine dispensatione in abstinentia panis et aque perm a n e a n t 1 4 : presidentem vero a b hac necessitate exceperunt. [Version B.I

2 3 1 V el nee.] ow. hue. addet. 5 omnibus modis. iuxta facultates. 6 7 om. nisi] vero non. 8 9 om. A 12 cf. B 14 below. 10 fraudentur. "• diminutione. 12 13 apponentur. -erit. 14 sine disp.—permaneant] graviori discipline subiaceat. 4

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1f De vestimentis etiam et calciamentis monachorum statuerunt, [Version A.] ut ordinata sint omnino. Coopertoria 1 sint de albo vel nigro [14.] panno, vel de nlsseta 2 cum peUibus agninis, albis vel nigris, vel pellibus vulpinis. 3 Cappe 4 monachorum nigre sint 5 : et hec predicta congruis temporibus sine difficultate dentur et recipiantur. 6 a Tf Camerarius autem 7 denarios vel quidlibet aliud pro predictis fts-] vel aliis'ad usum 8 monasticum pertinentibus darenon audeat. Set nee monachus aliquam permutationem recipere presumat; immo secundum b institutionem regule redpiens nova, det vetera pauperibus fideliter eroganda; 0 alioquin et camerarius deponatur, et monachus contrafaciens novis careat vestimentis. 9 % Sellas eciam10 et omnia que ad equitaturam pertinent 1X habeant [16,] ordinata. % Evagationes monachorum penitus inhibeantur, nisi pro nego- [17.] ciis, vel aliqua maxima necessitate, ex permissione prelati mittantur, die prefixo a prelate) reversuri.12 d Omnes superfluitates tam in cibis quam in potibus et aliis ll8-l er consilium iiij or monachorum vel amplius ad hoc electorum, 13 secundum quod decet, prelatus amputet, salvis bonis et approbatis consuetudinibus in singulis monasteriis. If Et ut competentius et secretius fratres qui pondus diei et [19-] estum 14 portant cum necesse fuerit provisione prelati 1 5 recreationem per esum carnium 16 accipiant, provideatur locus hones1

2 COhoportoria. russetto. 4 5 vulpinis] murileginis vel lupinis. Cape. sunt [sic]. 6 7 accipientur. vero. 8 usus [sic]. 9 Alioquin—vestimentis] om : cf. B. 17 below. 10 om. 11 que—pertinent] ad equitaturam pertinentia. 12 13 A 17 cf, B 20 below. per consilium—elect.] om. 14 estus. 15 cum—prelati] ex permissione prelati cum nee. fuerit. 16 per esum carnium] om. 3

a

corrected from repiantur, MS. A. " interlin. MS. A. corr.from erog. fidel., MS. A. * This clause is not marked as a separate paragraph in the Jesus MS. (A) ; no doubt the omission of the paragraph mark is accidental, as the clause is quite distinct from the preceding one, and for that reason it is here numbered separately. The same applies to par. 24 below. c

[Version B.]

T H E ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540

12

[Version A.] tus iuxta refectorium si fieri potest, vel alius competens, a quo [i9«] monachicumrecreatifuerint a d c l a u s t r u m e t x h o r a s canonicas cum maturitate festinent. 2 Quibus 3 nullus omnino admisceatur monachus vel laicus ante prandium vel post, nisi custodes ordinis et * servientes ad hoc deputati. 5 2 [ °]Tf Hoc etiam circa infirmos observari 6 volunt ut nullus monachus sanus, nullus omnino extraneus cum eis comedat: sed monachus sanus alias recreationem accipiat per licentiam. 7 [.21.] ^f Nullus omnino monachus, obedientiarius vel alius, seculares vel servientes introducat in domum innrmorum, 8 nisi per iussionem 9 prelati, et hoc pro necessitate. Sed quilibet servientibus ad hoc deputatis contentus 1 0 sit. D 22 -] If Nullus monachus det vel accipiat aliquid absque superioris sui licencia; et licet claustrales h o c 1 1 necesse habeant observare, omnes obedientiarii hoc maxime observent, sub pena excommunicationis: precaventes ne bona sibi commissa distrahant 1 2 aut consumant; sed ea in utilitatibus ecclesie fideliter expendant: et secundum receptas 1 3 et expensas eo modo 1 4 et ordine quo fiunt15 fideles prelato reddant rationes, adhibitis ei de discretioribus 16 [22a.] secundum numerum fratrum. Quod ut melius et firmius observetur, quolibet anno in prima secunda feria xl. excommunicentur publice in capitulo ab ipso prelato quicunque in eis fraudem fecerit. 17 [23-] If Eodem die excommunicentur omnes conspiratores, omnes incendiarii, omnes proprietarii, omnes fures, omnes qui aliis falso [Version B.]

1

2 ad. insert here B 25, below. Quibus] illis autem qui recreacionem recipiunt. 4 et] om. 5 add nisi de permissione prelati. 6 om. ' sed monachus—licentiam] om. 8 Nullus omnino—infirmorum] om : this and the preceding omission, in the MS. B, must surely be accidental: they have the result of " telescoping " par. A 20 and 21 into one, B. 26. 9 per iussionem] de permissione. 10 conventus [sic], 11 licet—hoc] liceat [sic] hoc claustrales. 12 13 14 ddetrahant. h exceptas. om. 15 ip e facte fuerint. i e di discretionibus [sic]. 17 A 22a, cf. B 28 below. 3

PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY crimen imponunt. r

1

,

1

13 2

Conspiratores autem vocant omnes qui inter . „ 1

1

•

! • •

lii.

• •

.

[Version

., A.\

se confederantur ad subversionem ordinis, vel statutorum a maion- [23a.] bus salubriter,3 vel ad persecutionem alicuius prelati vel fratris ex odio vel ambitione, vel qui alios malitiose defendunt. : Nullius depositum in monasterio ab aliquo recipiatur nisi conscientia prelati,4 nee prelatus aliquis B hoc faciat nisi cum trium 4i fratrum vel amplius 8 laudabili7 testimonio. If Ad reprimendam etiam temeritatem exeuntium provide statue- , , runt, ut post exitum redeuntes in loco ultimo recipiantur, et in gradu et ordine quo tune recipiuntur8 perpetuo permaneant, et omni voce in capitulo careant, donee prelatus suus visa eorum condigna satisfactione cum eis duxerit dispensandum. ^f Hec a igitur fratres karissimi que ad salutem animarum et reformationem ordinis et regularem observantiam secundum Deum provisa sunt et statuta, monemus et hortamur in Domino, ut humiliter et devote suscipiantur, affectuose et fideliter adimpleantur. Visitatores insuper cum ad vos venerint, autoritate concilii, cum omni benignitate recipiatis, providentes, ut verbis utamur concilii, ut sic apud vos et correcta inveniant, ut correctione b non egeant, set commendatione. Magna cautela habenda est in visitatione facienda. Visitator enim ita se habere debet, ut aliis sit forma vivendi, scilicet ut cum excessus corrigere debeat, non sit ipse superfluus. Excessus monasterii diligenter inquirat; prelato loci autoritate capituli iniungat, ut ipse subditis suis in virtute obedientie precipiat, quod si qua fuerint in monasterio corrigenda proponant, et ipse modeste corrigat: qui tamen non credat omni spiritui; set que audierit, diligenter discutiat, et secundum quod rei veritatem cognoverit, approbet vel reprobet audita. Studeat etiam animos fratrum in reverentiam sui prelati revocare si conversi fuerint. Caveant subditi ne aliquid de corrigendis ad contumeliam prelati usque ad adventum visitatoris subticeant: set si qua sunt que prelatus noluerit vel non poterit corrigere, ilia proponant in publicum. Visitatus autem prelatus si qua fuerint que non possit X

A 23, cf. B 28, 29 below. salubriter a maioribus. 4 nisi consciencia prel. recip. 6 vel ampl.] om. ' laudabilium. • MS. hoc. b Con. from corregcione.

2

omnes vocant.

s

om. recipiantur.

8

8

[Version B.]

14 THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540 per se corrigere, visitatori cum modestia proponat. Caveat autem visitator ne quid in domo statuat visitata, quod prius non ostenderit prelato loci. Si vero contigerit quod aliquis monachorum in visitacione in aliquo excesserit, visitator ita modeste excessum corrigat, ne alii ob rigorem correctionis que corrigenda sunt subticeant, nisi forte visitatori constiterit quod animo excesserit malignandi, et tune rigide reprimat temeritatem malitiose contra prelatos vel subditos presumentis.

[3. The General Chapter at St. Albans, 14 Sept., 1219, made a revised version of the statutes, Version B, which was published in a letter of the presidents, c. 14 Sept., 1219-4 Oct., 1220. Through the death of one of the presidents, on 4 Oct., 1220, the revised statutes did not take effect, and the letter containing them only survives through its inclusion in the document of 1225, No. 4, below, where it is printed, from MS., Cotton. Julius D II, fo. I62-I63 V .]

(4. The following document can best be described as the statutes of the General Chapter, 1219-25. The presidents of the General Chapter at Northampton, 21 Sept., 1225, re-issue Version B of the statutes, the revision made at the Chapter at St. Albans, 1219 ; with an explanatory note, and additions made in 1225. After 21 Sept., 1225.]

MS., Cotton. Julius D. II, fo. 162. {Reyner, App. Ill, 94 ; Monasticon, I, xlvi.) Constitutiones capituli generalis. De Evesham x et de Abbendon 2 Dei gracia abbates, universis [Explanatory prelatis et subditis communis capituli monachorum in provincia noie-l Cantuariensi constitutes, salutem. Anno incarnationis dominice M°CC0XX0V0 in die sancti Mathei apostoli in monasterio sancti Andree apostoli apud Norhamt' celebratum fuit capitulum, presidentibus 3 nobis in eodem capitulo de abbatibus et prioribus ibidem presentibus communi assensu ad hoc prepositis. Quia igitur statuta capituli iampridem apud sanctum Albanum celebrati, propter1 decessum bone memorie abbatis sancti Augustini Cantuarie, qui in eodem capitulo cum me abbate de Evesham presidebat, debitum non fuerunt sortita effectum ; a nobis et a prescriptis 1 2 Randulfus, 1214-29. Robert de Henreth, 1221-34. *4 MS. residentibus. Alexander) abbot of St. Augustines, died 4 October, 1220. 15

16 THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540 patribus in hoc capitulo apud Northamt' congregatis fuit provisum, ut statuta predicti capituli sancti Albani plenisssime tradantur execucioni, quibusdam tamen additis,1 quibusdam 2 autem declaratis, nullo vero subtracto. Fuit forma capituli eiusdem talis: [Here follow, without any break, in the manuscript, the statutes of the General Chapter, Version B, as revised at the Chapter at St. Albans, 14 September, 1219, and published by the presidents, 14 September, 1219-4 October, 1220. Note that this Version B of 1219 only survives through being recited in the document of 1225 (No. 4) : "it may have been " touched up " in the interval, and there is a slight uncertainty about par. 34-5. As Version B is essentially a revision of Version A, the following particulars are given according to the method described above, p. 6.] I. Key to the rubrics and paragraphs of Version B, showing their relation to the paragraphs of Version A. \Jo. 162.] [Jo. 162V.]

[fa. 163.]

Prologue cf. A prologue. De abbatibus 1 = A 1. De non alienandis 2 = A 2. De familia 3 == A 3. 4 = A 4. De stipendiis De vecturis 5 = A 5. De proprietate 6 = A 6 ; 7, 8 add ; 9 = A 7. De silentio 10 = A 8 ; 11 = A 9. De hospitalitate 12-13 = A 10-11 ; 14 cf. A 12 ; 15 = A 13. De vestimentis 16 = A 14 ; 17 add ; 18-19 = A 15-16. De evagationibus 20 cf. A 17 ; 21 = A 18. De cibis 22 add ; 23 = A 19 ; 24 add ; 25 = A 19a ; 26 = A 20, 21-

{Jo. i63v.]

De rationibus reddendis 27 = A 22 ; 28 cf. A 22a, 23. De excommunicatione 29 cf. A 23. Qui sunt conspiratores 30 = A 23a. Qui sunt proprietarii 31 add. De deposito recipiendo 32 = A 24. De reversione fugitivorum 33 = A 25. Quod statuta Concilii Lateranensis secundi observentur 34 add. De inobedientibus 35 add. II. Paragraphs of Version B, which are substantial variations from or additions to, Version A. For the other paragraphs, see the preceding table, and the footnotes to Version A, above. 1 J MS. auditis. MS. quibus.

PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY

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De Evesham et de sancto Augustino * Dei gracia abbates, universis [Version B collegis nigri ordinis per Csintuariensem provinciam constitutis, (I2I9)1 pacem, prosperitatem, salutem perpetuam. Ad hoc ex suscepti [Proloiue-] regiminis officio obligatos nos esse reputamus, ut superiorum mandata devote suscipere, et suscepta numiliter adimplere, quatinus nobis datum est desuper, affectuosissime teneamur. Cum igitur, fere omnibus innotuit, apud Oxoniam convenissent venerabiles patres ordinis nostri, ad providentiam et reformationem eorum, que ad salutem omnium nostrum observanda fuerint; ex magna deliberatione actum est, ut iterato apud sanctum Albanum reverendi patres prescripti convenirent in proximo sequenti exaltatione sancte crucis, statuta que ibidem essent observaturi sub hac forma; ut si quid offensionis vel perturbationis ex premissis apud aliquos emersisset, communicato consilio immutaretur in melius; si quid minus actum, in bonum augmentum reciperet; si quid superfluum, resecaretur. Ea propter prefato termino apud sanctum Albanum, in generali capitulo, ad honorem Dei et sancte Romane ecclesie, iuxta statuta concilii Lateranewsw secundi,2 anno Domini Honorii pape quarto, nobis presidentibus, invocata Spiritus Sancti gratia, diligenti et diutino tractatu habito, ad pacis et unitatis observantiam nrmissime roborandam, statuta primi capituli sui, que quibusdam infirmioribus videbantur onerosa et importabilia, communi et consona voluntate abbatum et priorum nobis assidentium, cum moderatione declarata sunt. Prioratus autem sive obedientie pretii donatione nulli tradantur. [7.] [8.] Monachi singuli in tocis singulis 3 non morentur. Et quia sacra attestante scriptura tam anime quam corpori [14.] salutifera est abstinentia, de ieiunio monachorum nihil aliud volumus esse statutum, nisi quod in regula beati Benedicti continetur, salva [cf. A 12.] pro loco et pro tempore pia consideratione circa iuniores, debiles et innrmos, secundum diversorum monasteriorum regularem consuetudinem. Camerarius qui aliter fecerit, vel monachus contrafaciens, graviori [17.] discipline subiaceat. , Evagaciones monachorum penitus inhibeantur, et si pro necessi- [20.] tate ecclesie sue, vel pro aliqua iusta causa ex permissione prelati W- A 17.] proficiscantur, provideatur ut in maturis servientibus et vecturis sufficientibus, et apparatu honesto, secundum facultatem ecclesie, 1 2 8

Alexander, 1212—4 October, 1220. I.e. the fourth Lateran Council, 1215 : see note above, p. 9. suis MS. B. C

18

THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540

[Version B procedant, et die prefixo a prelato revertantur, nisi de iusta causa (1219).] ulterioris more prelatos suos certificent. [22.] Omnem etiam singularitatem in cibis et potibus in refectoriis prohibeantur [sic]. [24.] Ita quod ipsi cui post completorium moram faciunt reprehensione notabilem, graviori per prelatos suos in crastino subiaceant discipline, et etiam ipsi simul compleant. [28.] Quod ut melius et nrmius observent, omnes qui in ipsis fraudes [cf. A 22a, fecerint, et omnes conspiratores, et omnes proprietarii, omnes 23 -' fures, omnes qui aliis crimen falso imponunt, ab omnibus prelatis in generali capitulo constitutis, denunciati sunt excommunicati. [ 2 9] Et statutum est ab eisdem, ut quolibet anno in secunda feria W- A 23.] p r j m e ebdomade quadragesime a singulis prelatis in suis capitulis publice denuntientur excommunicati. [31-] Proprietaries autem omnes vocant illos, qui preter conscientiam abbatis, vel prioris abbatem proprium 1 non habentis, aliquid sibi possident, quod abbas aut non dederit aut permiserit. [34] Ad hec omnia statuta Lateranensis concilii secundi ordinem nostrum contingentia volumus et precipimus ab omnibus firmiter et inviolabiliter observari. Si qui vero scienter inobedientes deprehensi fuerint mandatis t 35 '] concilii, pene gravissime subiaceant, de prudencia prelati infligende, et secundum qualitatem satisfactionis mitigande. [There is no break in the MS., but apparently the statutes of 1219, Version B, end here : the additions made in 1225 follow :—•] [Additions of Quoniam etiam capitulum, medio tempore inter capitulum de 1225.] sancto Albano et capitulum Norhamt', apud Beremundesheyam [jo. i63v.] convocatum,2 propter absentiam pie recordationis abbatis GloucesL36] trie3 qui eidem capitulo cum abbate de sancto Albano debuit presidere, prout debuit, non processit, ubi 4 provisum fuit ab abbatibus tune ibidem presentibus quod in capitulo Norhamt' de Westmonasterio 5 et Radingia 6 abbates deberent presidere, vel priores monasteriorum suorum, qui vices illorum supplerent illuc, pro se mittere, si in propriis personis venire non possent: et vero 7 ipsi nee priores sui ad idem capitulum occurrerunt, cum summa deliberatione fuit provisum, quod amodo propter absentiam illorum, qui promisi 8 sunt ut in capitulo presint, nequaquam celebratio 1 3 4 6

2 proprii MS. B. 24 Aug., 1224-21 Sept., 1225. He died 23 Aug., 1224 • cf. Hist, et5 Cartul. Mon. Gloucest. (R.S.),I, 26. sic MS. : perhaps for unde. Richard de Berking, 1222-46. 8 Simon, 1213-26. ' for nee? sic: perhaps for provisi.

PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY 1

19

capituli commutetur, sed loco absentium de ibidem presentibus [Additions of alii subrogentur a patribus ibidem congregatis; sicut in hoc I 2 2 5l capitulo provisum est de nobis de Evesham et de Abendon' abbatibus. Provisum insuper fuit in eodem capitulo apud Norhamt' quod si [37.-] aliquis visitatorum ante completum omcium visitationis rationabiliter fuerit prepeditus, quominus idem officium possit complere; ab abbatibus qui capitulo predicto prefuerunt, alius loco eius subrogetur, ne pro alicuius defectu visitatio impediatur. Ad hoc statuerunt quod si quid questionis, quod per capitulum r 8 -1 corrigi non possit,2 vel inter prelatos monasteriorum [corrigi non possit, vel inter prelatos monasteriorum] aliqua controversia orta fuerit 3 ; ad illos, qui ultimo capitulo prefuerunt, differatur ut per illorum industriam et cautelam corrigatur. Et si aliquod negotium in regno ortum fuerit, quod omnes [39] prelatos monasteriorum contingat, cum hoc ad notitiam predictorum abbatum, qui capitulo ultimo prefuerunt, pervenerit, sicut in concilio generali legitur, quod ipsi compescant illos per censuram ecclesiasticam qui monasteria presumunt offendere, ita ne monasteria offendantur, convocent omnes prelatos capituli, si fieri potest, sin autem, illos, quos pro negotii qualitate viderint convocandos, et pro ternporis brevitate possint convocare; ut quod omnes tangit, per omnes vel per eorum partem saniorem agatur. Quod si aliquid, tam difficile, quod absit, emerserit in casibus f4O.] predictis, quod per ipsos terminari non possit, usque ad generale capitulum eiusdem difficultatis diffinitio differatur. Et hoc idem circa visitatores decreverunt. Pia insuper consideratione fuit provisum quod si aliquod monas- |-4I ] terium, quod absit, vel incendio vel quocumque alio casu ad tantam | pervenerit paupertatem, quod nee ex se vel per se possit reformari, [j0 jg 4 ] ut omnes prelati et fratres capituli sic studeant eius defectui succurrere, ut per eorum consilium et auxilium in statum debitum restituatur. Salubri etiam providentia fuit constitutum, ut in quolibet [42.] capitulo celebrando ita tempestive primo die capituli conveniant prelati, quod absque impedimento celebrationis capituli, missa de Spiritu Sancto sollempniter in communi, ad invocandum auxilium et gratiam eiusdem, et pro fratribus capituli, possit celebrari. 1 8

2 -tatur MS. possint MS. sic MS. : evidently the repetition is accidental.

20

THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540

[Additions of Et in eodem capitulo devote petentes fraternitatem capituli, I2 25] in societatem beneficiorum monasteriorum per participationem [43] admittantur, ad quod defuncti, amicis eorum pro ipsis humiliter intervenientibus, recipiantur. [44.] In fine vero capituli, simul omnibus in unum congregatis, fiat communis confessio, et tam presentium quam absentium, vivorum ac defunctorum fiat fratrum capituli absolutio ; et data et accepta benedictione, cum pace corporaliter ab invicem discedant, per caritatem semper in Christo manentes coniuncti. [45.] Constituti sunt etiam ibi visitatores mittendi, ita quod iter arripiant circiter octo dies post pascha proximum post capitulum deNorhamt',ita quod nulli eorum excedant in equitaturis duodenarium nurnerum : ut monasteria tam monachorum quam monialium secundum formam scriptam in concilio Lateranewst secundo visitent. I46.] Provideant etiam attentissime quod statuta capituli integerime in monasteriis observentur: et ut nullus per ignoranciam in adventu visitatorum se possit excusare, constitutum est quod nos qui tune presidebamus, mitteremus predicta statuta sub sigillis nostris viris discretis per diversos episcopatus, qui ea vicinis prelatis [30 Nov.] et subditis sigillis suis signata infra festum sancti Andree promulganda transmittant." [47.] Et quia multi prelati rationabiliter se excusaverunt, quidam minus sufficienter, alii vero non venerunt, nee se excusaverunt, firmiter iniunctum est visitatoribus, ut de causis quare ad capitulum non venerunt, diligent em faciant inquisitionem, et minus sufneienter excusatis firmiter iniungant, ut ad capitulum proximum veniant, vel canonica prepeditione impediti, nuntios mittant, ut super hiis, quod capitulum dictaverit, recipiant. Et ut visitatores melius instruantur ubi 1 talem debeant facere inquisitionem, nomina prelatorum ad capitulum venientium eis transmisimus. [48] Ibidem insuper provisum fuit, quod a die illo, scilicet a die sancti Mathei, quo celebratum fuit hoc capitulum apud Norhamt'.in tres annos in monasterio de Radingia iterum celebretur capitulum, et presidebunt tune de Westmonasterio et de Burgo abbates, qui invocata Spiritus Sancti gracia, tam in hiis statutis, quam in aliis ordinem nostrum contingentibus corrigenda corrigant, et statuenda statuant. 1

nisi MS.

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21

Hec ergo, fratres karissimi, que ad salutem animarum et reforma- [Additions of tionem ordinis et regularem observantiam secundum Deum provisa I 2 2 5 ] sunt et statuta, et exhortamur in Domino, ut humiliter et devote L49-] suscipiantur, affectuose etiam et fideliter adimpleantur. Visitatores insuper, cum advenerint auctoritate concilii cum omni benignitate recipiatis, providentes, ut verbis utamur 1 consilii, quod cum ad vos accesserint, plus apud vos inveniant quod commendatione, quain correctione, sit dignum. Valeat universitas vestra semper in Domino. Nomina abbatum et priorwm qui venerunt ad capitulum. Abbas de Evesham et abbas de Abendon' qui presidebant. Abbas de Rameseia. Abbas de Burgo. Abbas de Glouces^n'a. Abbas de Eynesham. Abbas de Cestria. Abbas de Barden'. Abbas de Wynchcomb. Abbas de Mideltun'. Prior de Wintonia. Prior de Coventria. Prior de Bathonia. Prior de Birchened'. In recessu de capitulo venit abbas de Sancto Eadmundo. [There follows, under the heading De omnibus capitulis monachorum the decretal In singulis regnis : cf. below, p. 273.] 1 utantur, MS.

rj0

l 6 4 vi

Note on MS. Bodley 240 1

HIS manuscript, a Bury St. Edmunds book, dating from about 1377, contains part of the Historia Aurea of John of TyneT mouth, and, from page 765 onwards, various treatises and extracts 2

on monastic history and observance. An analysis of this part of the MS. is given in Horstman, Nova Legenda Anglice, I, lviii-lxv. The compiler, no doubt a monk of Bury, was a conservative, or rather, a reactionary, who disapproved strongly of the development of monastic observance from the thirteenth century, especially in regard to two characteristic points, which come up in the legislation of the Chapters, namely, the eating of flesh-meat, and the shortening of the office. Thus, on page 820, col. 2—page 822, col. 1, he gives a historical disquisition " Contra eos qui vellent detruncare officium divinum. Expositor regule, etest apud Walden. Monachi primis temporibus erant pro maxima partelaici. . . ." Inthecourse of this, he quotes the prophetic vision of S. Pachomius, as to the future growth and laxity of monasticism, and adds : " Ista prophecia seu premunicio verificatur per abrogacionem psalmorum familiarium et precum et quarundam aliarum cerimoniarum et que fiebant et que dicebantur aliquando in ordine monachorum." On page 772, col. 1-789, col. 1, he gives Excusaciones monachorum qui communiter a carnibus abstinent, et quod ob hoc vocari non debent singulares ypocnte nee sicut heretici Manichei creature Dei condempnatores. To illustrate his point, he gives, on page 774, col. 2, a 1

M. R. James, On the Abbey of St. Edmund at Bury (Cambridge, 1895),

p. 261 : H.55. See the article by V. H. Galbraith, in Essays in History presented to R. L. Poole (Oxford, 1927), p. 385 : cf. Horstman, Nova Legenda Anglice, I, lvii ; Arnold, Memorials of St. Edmund's Abbey (Rolls Series—1890), I, lxv. I have to thank Mr. Galbraith for directing my attention to this MS. 22

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23

series of extracts from the General Chapters of the thirteenth century, on this subject. 1 The extracts are printed in the present work, separately, under their various dates : in the manuscript they are given together in the following order, without any general heading: (1) Extract from statutes of Chapter at Oxford, 1256 : see below, No. 24. (2) Extract from statutes of Chapter at Northampton, 1225 : see below, No. 5, and cf. No. 4, par. 14. (3) Extract from statutes of Chapter at Oxford, 1237; with a reference to chapter at St. Albans, 1240: see below, No. 6. (4) Extract from statutes of Chapter at Southwark [1249] : see below, No. 13A, cf. No. 13, par. 4. (5) The series ends with the following observation : Omnia enim statuta capitulorum provincialium fere usque ad annum Domini 1270 artant monachos sanos ad abstinenciam carnis et ad ieiunium yemale secundum regulam sancti Benedicti et statuta summorum pontificum in decretalibus et decretis: set a predicto anno ceperunt prelati et patres ordinis dissimulare, et causa patet in glosa Willelmi 2 super capitulo Ne in agro, extra, de regularibus, in Clementww's constitucionibus .3 These chance extracts, revealing several Chapters and statutes otherwise unknown, show in the first place, rather painfully, that our surviving records are only a fragment: secondly, that the statutes of the older Chapters, even after they had been made officially obsolete in 1343, were sometimes still preserved and valued as records of sound tradition: and finally, that even after Pope Benedict XII (in 1336) had allowed flesh-eating, it did not entirely " pass unchallenged " * among conservatives. [5 • Extract from the statutes of the General Chapter at Northampton, 1225. 21 Sept., 1225.] MS. Bodley 240, p. 774, col. 2. Item in statutisprovincialis capituli Norhampton' celebrati anno 1225.5 De abstinencia et ieiunio monachorum nichil aliud volumus esse statutum nisi quod in regula sancti Benedicti continetur salva 1 For a discussion of this subject, by the late Edmund Bishop, see Downside Review, XLV, October, 1925, pp. 184-238. 2 3 Gulielmus de Monte Lauduno ? Clement: Lib. Ill, tib. x, c. 1. 4 5 Edmund Bishop, loc. cit., 208, § 43. Rubric.

24

THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540

pro loco et tempore pia consideratione circa iuniores, debiles et infirmos regulariter facienda.1 [6- Extract from the statutes of a General Chapter at Oxford, 1237.] z MS. Bodley 240, p. 774, col. 2. Item in statutis provincialis capituli apud Oxoniam celebrati. a0. 1237 0 . 3

In primo provisum est et statutum quod regula beati Benedicti de esu carnium districtius ab omnibus observetur. Et ne prelati subditis suis onus imponere videantur, quod digito suo movere nolunt, statutum est et provisum, quod tarn prelati quam subditi a carnibus abstineant iuxta regule sanccionem. Discrecioni vero prelatorum relinquatur de infirmis et debilibus, ut ipsis liceat laicis exclusis fratres debiles in infirmitorio carnibus recreare, cum necessitas exegerit manifesta, misericordiis et aliis recreacionibus quocunque nomine censeantur penitus interdictis. Istud idem statutum fuit recitatum et approbatum in capitulo apud sanctum Albanum celebrato 4 anno Domini 1240. \1 • General Chapter at Oxford, 1246 : prorogued. 21 Sept., 1246.] Annales de Theokesberia, MS. Cotton, Cleopatra, A VII, fo. 45 (Annales Monastici, I, 135). Capitulum generate. Die sancti Mathei apostoli celebratum fuit capitulum generale apud Oxoniam, et quia pauci fuerunt ibi abbates, decreverunt vocare universos ad Norhampton' circa Letare Ierusalem. [8. General Chapter at Northampton, 1247. 11 Mar., 1247.] Annales de Theokesb., MS. Cotton, Cleopatra, A VII, fo. 45 (Annales Monastici, I, 135). In crastino Letare Ierusalem facta fuit convocacio abbatum nigri ordinis apud Norhampto» et ibi constituerunt visitatores qui prefuerunt, scilicet abbas Eveshammie et abbas de Abendon'.5 1 Cf. No. 4, par. 14 (p. 17) : but note the slightly different wording at the end. This is really one of the statutes of 1219, republished in 1225. 2 a i See above. Rubric. celebratum MS. 5 A book in the library of Dover Priory (James, Ancient Libraries of Canterbury and Dover, Cambridge, 1903, p. 480, No. 337) contained, curiously inserted among a collection of medical treatises, some Constituciones capituli generalis monachorum, beginning De euisham et de abin\don\. These must have been constitutions issued by the presidents of this Chapter of 1247 : apparently we have a fragment of them in No. 9, below.

Note on the Worcester Roll of Chapters

T

WO of the muniments of the Dean and Chapter of Worcester, now numbered B.i6ioand C.875A, originally formed part of a single roll, as is shown by the continuous reading of the text on the verso. B.1610 consists of a single membrane, and C.875A of two membranes sewn together. The two documents, when put together, still do not make up the complete roll, for B.1610 begins abruptly on recto and verso, and C875A ends abruptly on recto. Both portions are much injured, and illegible in places. The surviving contents are as follows : Recto: B.1610. (a) An attendance-list of prelates, c. 1252 : printed below, No. 16. (b) A note on the General Chapter at Oseney, 21 Sept., 1252, and its prorogation : No. 16. These two items have been already printed in Worcester Charters, ed. J. H. Bloom (Worcester Historical Society, 1909), pp. 173-4. C.875A. Membrane 1. (c) [Quoddam ?] privilegium a domino papa concessum: a letter of Pope Innocent IV, issued ; n 1252, concerning metropolitan visitations: printed in the Annals of Burton (Annales Monastici, Rolls Series, I, 303). (d) [Addicio ?] statutorum apud Norhampton : printed below, No. 9. (e) Indulgencia super exempcionem \ecclesiarum\ parochialium : a letter of Pope Innocent IV, concerning exemption from procurations ; printed in Annals of Burton (loc. cit., p. 302), also Matthew Paris, Additamenta (Chron. Maj., R.S., VI, p. 228). 25

26

THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540 (/) Nova constitucio Lond'. A Letter of Pope Innocent IV, 10 July, 1252, concerning procurations: printed in Annals of Burton (loc. cit., p. 300).

Recto: C.875A. Membrane 2. (g) The General Chapter at Oseney, 30 March, 1253 ; printed below, No. 19. (h) An attendance-list of Prelates, probably 1253, printed below, No. 20. (i) The General Chapter at Evesham, 21 September, 1255 ; printed below, No. 23. Verso:

B.1610. (/) Part of the Statutes of Gregory IX ; more or less the version printed in Matthew Paris' Additamenta (loc. cit. VI, 235) ; cf. Auvray, Registres de Greg. IX, II, col. 320 ff. The MS. begins abruptly with the words /illorum confortet naturam (see Additamenta, p. 238, line 8 from bottom) : thus about the first quarter of the statutes must have been contained in a preceding portion of the roll, now missing. C.875A. Membrane 1. (j contd.) The statutes of Gregory IX continued. B.1610 ends with the words in Kal. Aprilis statum domus sue in capitulo/ and C.875A continues : vel coram senioribus (see Additamenta, p. 240, line 2 from the bottom). Membrane 2. (_/' contd.) The statutes of Gregory IX continued : and ending with the words : . . . observanda. Et reliqua. Tu autem, Domine, auctorem confunde. Amen. (k) A letter of Pope Innocent IV, 12 September, 1253 : evidently described in a note at the end: [. . . li]tera domini pape edita dominis Cicestrie et Norwyc' et abbati Westmonasterii. See Cat. Papal Reg., Letters, I, 290. The remainder of the verso is blank.

PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY 27 It is impossible to guess the size of the missing portion at the beginning, though it must at least have been big enough to contain the first quarter of the statutes of Gregory IX, on the verso. One would expect the first item on the recto of the missing part to have been the important statutes of 1249. [9- Statutes probably made at the General Chapter at Northampton,

11 Mar., 1247.] If our reading is correct, the title of this document is ambiguous. It might mean " an addition to the Northampton Statutes " : just as, in the same roll, the statutes made at Oxford (Oseney) in 1253 are called Addicio Statutorum de Suwerk (= Chapter of 1249). But since a contemporary letter (No. 10, below) speaks of the " constitution as to fugitive and ejected monks renewed in the last Chapter at Northampton (1247)," clearly referring to the statute printed below, it seems to follow that these are the actual statutes made at Northampton, 11 March, 1247, and that the title means " the addition to the statutes, which was made at Northampton." The document, which comes from the Worcester roll described above, is in a bad state, much faded, and very difficult to read. The words in brackets are doubtful, and possibly owe too much to the editor's imagination. But the document seems to be important, as the first indication of the Chapter's policy of encouraging and organizing study, which afterwards matured into the establishment of the monks at the universities. Such ideas were in the air at this time. The Cistercians (1245) and the abbey of Fleury (1247-60) were sending monks to Paris, and moreover, the Cistercians, in 1245, ordered a course of instruction in theology, a studium, in as many houses as possible, throughout the order: an interesting parallel to this English statute. (Denifle and Chatelain, Chartularium Univ. Paris., I, 175 (No. 133), 184 (No. 148) ; Archiv fiir Litteratur und Kirchengeschichte (1885),

I, 570 ; Matthew Paris, Chron Maj , V, 79 ) For further evidence of the claustral lectures, see below, Nos. 100-5, a n d P- 75[11 Mar., 1247.] Worcester Muniment C. 875A, recto, membr. 1. [Addicio] statutorum apud Norhampt'.

Et ut sacra religio funiculos suos longius [extend . . . .] faciat a[ ]atos [et ministros] suos in fide catholica ac

28 THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540 religionis [fervore] et [. . . .] provide statuit[ur], ut in singulis abbaciis et prioratibus, quibus [facultas] suppetit [ac fratrum multitudo] suffragatur, iuxta providenciam prelati, [saltim] una leccio de theologia vel de [sacris canjonibus, in loco decenti [et] honesto, singulis diebus, fratribus ad hoc deputatis ab aliquo [religioso vel seculari in] divina lege perito legatur. x Et de fugitivis et eiectis statutum est, ut presid[entes] capitulo generali prelatos fugitivorum et eiectorum, ad recepcionem eorundem admon[itos], premissa censura ecclesiastica, compella[nt], salva in omnibus ordinis disciplina, secundum [ ] decretal [ ] Ne religiosi etcetera.2 [10.

The presidents to the abbot of Bury St. Edmunds, enclosing a letter from Pope Innocent IV, concerning an ejected monk of Bury. After 23 Oct., 1247.] MS. Cotton, Julius, A IX, fo. 159. [Abingdon.]

If De Evesham et de Abbendon Dei gracia abbates, presidentes 0 capitulo generali apud Norhamtun' anno gracie M°.CC°.XLVI . 3 dominica qua cantatur Letare Ierusalem celebrate, venerabili patri et domino, H.4 eadem gracia abbati de sancto Edmundo, salutem in Domino sempiternam. Noveritis nos litteras apostolicas recepisse sub hac forma: 5 Innocencius episcopus servus servorum Dei, 6dilectis filiis . . 7 abbatibus presidentibus capitulo generali abbatum 10 et 8 priorum 9 ordinis sancti Benedicti in provincia Cantuariensi, salutem et 1 2

A marginal note, illegible. Deer. Greg. IX, lib. Ill, tit. xxxi, c. 24 : on which the wording of this statute is based. Cf. the letter below, No. 10. 3 This phrase shows most clearly that it was the presidents of the last Chapter who ruled in the interim. 4 Henry of Rushbrooke, 1235-48. 5 This papal letter is not in Potthast. There is, however, a similar letter in MS. Lansdowne 397, a formulary from the chancery of Durham Cathedral Priory (it is No. P of the 1421 list, Catalogi Veteres (Surtees Soc. vii.) 124) : containing the summa dictaminis of Richard de Pophis, fo. 21—130, and de conclusionibus litterarum que fiunt in causis appellacionum, fo. 188 ff. On fo. I95V is this letter, beginning : Scribit papa quod servetur statutum contra eiectos de mon\asteriis~] : its variations from the letter above will be given in the following footnotes thus (L). 6 Innocentius—Dei] om L. '• abbatibus] om L. 8 9 et] om L. add monachorum L. 10 in prov. Cant.] Locorum dioc' sive . . provincie. L.

PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY

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1

apostolicam benediccionem. Iohannes de Burgo monachus monasteri sancti Edmundi ordinis sancti Benedicti Norwicensis 2 diocesis nobis humiliter supplicavit, ut cum ipse ad idem monasterium, 3 a quo sicut asserit sine causa racionabili est eiectus, cupiat cum humilitate redire, ipsum ibidem recipi mandaremus. Cum autem felicis recordacionis G. papa * predecessor noster duxerit statuendum, ut presidentes capitulis celebrandis, seu patres abbates vel priores,5 fugitivos et ejectos de ordine suo requirant sollicite annuatim, ita quod si in monasteriis suis recipi possent 6 secundum ordinem regularem, abbates eorum seu priores 7 ad recepcionem cogantur ipsorum, salva ordinis disciplina : Quod si hoc ordo non patitur, auctoritate apostolica 8 providerent,9 ut, si absque gravi scandalo fieri posset,10 apud monasteria sua in locis competentibus, alioquin in aliis religiosis 11 domibus eiusdem ordinis ad agendam ibi 12 penitenciam vite necessaria ministrentur eisdem 13: Dileccioni vestre 14 per apostolica scripta mandamus, 15 quatinus circa prefatum I. faciatis statutum huiusmodi observari,16 Contradict ores per censuram ecclesiasticam appelacione postposita compescendo.17 Datum Lugdwm X. Kal. Novembr' pontificatus nostri anno v t0 . 23 Oct., Discrecionem igitur vestram affectuose rogamus, et presentis I 2 4 7 ' auctoritate mandati monemus et exortamur in Domino, quatinus memorato I. monacho domus vestre, salva ordinis disciplina, viscera pietatis aperientes et misericordiam iudicio superexaltantes, ipsum ob reverenciam sedis apostolice et nostram in pristinum statum revocare velitis, ad memoriam reducendo quod vinum severitatis sine oleo pietatis vulneribus sauciati infusum plus nocet 1 2

Sal.—bened.] om L. Iohannes—diocesis] Dilectus filius G. de . . monachus monasterii . . 3. ordinis sancti Benedicti L. 4 monasterium ipsum L. G. papa] Gregorius IXUS L. 6 6 add abbates proprios non habentes L. possint L. 7 8 seu priores eorum L. apost. auct. L. 9 10 provideant L. poterit L. 11 12 add, locis sive L. ibidem L. 13 vite—eisdem] eis vite nee. subministrent : add et in provincia . . de qua monasterium prefatum existit presidentes huiusmodi sicut asseritur non existant: L. 14 15 fraternitatem tuam L. iubemus L. 16 quatinus—observari] quatenus si est ita statutum huiusmodi circa prefatum . . facias observari, L. 17 Contradictores—comp.] contra etcetera. No date. L. Note, the passage in the Pope's letter, ut presidentes—ministrentur eisdem is taken almost verbatim from the decretal Ne religiosi viri vagandi ; Deer. Greg. IX, lib. Ill, tit. xxxi, c. 24.

30 THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540 1 Hinc est quod in urna aurea virga et manna simul quam sanat. 2 fuerunt, 3et in Ezechiele virga que ex austeritate imperabat, sicca remansit : scientes quod nequaquam clauso oculo dissimulare possumus, nee volumus, quin mandatum apostolicum et eciam constitucionem de fugitivis et eiectis in ultimo capitulo apud Norhamtun' 4 celebrato innovatam secundum Deum exequamur. Valete. [11.

The abbot of Bury St. Edmunds replies to the presidents, concerning the ejected monk of Bury. c. Oct. 1247.]

MS. Cotton. Julius. A IX, fo. 159/.

Venerabilibus patribus etc., salutem, reverenciam, et honorem. Litteras summi pontificis et vestras simul per dominum priorem de Coin'5 nobis transmissas, reverenter sicut decuit suscepimus. Quibus inspectis et diligenter intellectis, de piano intelleximus quod Iohannes de Burgo olim professus noster, tacita veritate, et per falsam suggestionem, litteras apostolicas ad vos impetraverat, quas nunquam inpetrasset, si dominus papa rei veritatem scivisset. Que quidem talis est; quod dictus I. de Burgo, de quo fit mencio, aliquando fuit de nostris, set a nobis recessit secundum regulam licenciatus et habitu monachali spoliatus propter suos quamplurimos enormes excessus et manifestos, de quibus melius ei ut sileamus, quam loquamur. Attamen, si voluerit, pro loco et tempore causas sue eiectionis et habitus sui privacionis summo pontifici et vobis cum tocius capituli nostri et eciam patrie testimonio plenius intimabimus. Ipse 6eciam post recessum suum a nobis, habitum ordinis Cisterniensis apud Swinesheved Lincolniensis diocesis manifeste suscepit, et diu publice portavit, donee pro manifestis excessibus suis a dicto monasterio sicut a nostro fuit expulsus. Preterea miramur multum et mirari non sufneimus, quare nobis tantum et non conventui nostro nobiscum literas vestras transmisistis. Scitis enim bene quod nee possumus nee debemus monachos recipere, 1 3 1

s Cf. Luc. x. 34. Cf. Hebr. ix. 4. Ezech. xxxiv. 4 ; xix. 12. This reference enables us to identify the interesting but much damaged statutes on studies and fugitives, with their ambiguous heading, Addicio statutorum apud Norhampton, from Worcester, MS. C 875A (No. 9 above) as belonging to the Chapter at Northampton, 12 March, 1247. 5 Colne was an East Anglian cell of Abingdon, hence the employment of 6 its prior as a messenger from the abbot of Abingdon to Bury. Sic MS.

PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY

31

nee receptos eicere, sine assensu conventus et capituli. Unum autem sciatis, quod nullo modo posset nobiscum morari decetero, sine gravi scandalo. Unde, si placet, si circa ipsum viscera pietatis velitis aperire, et misericordiam iudicio superexaltare, et oleum suavitatis cum vino severitatis vulneribus suis infundere, secundum mandatum apostolicum in aliqua alia domo religiosa, vel in vestris, vel in alia ubi suam penitenciam agere et vite necessaria possit habere, et sine scandalo commorari, si placet, providere dignemini, quia in nostra nullatenus sine scandalo vel dampno posset habitare nobiscum. Et preterea cellas non habemus sicut et vos habetis et plures alii in Anglia. Ceterum nolite mirare quod conventus noster non scribit vobis, nee sigillum suum presentibus literis, una cum sigillo nostro, apposuit, quia nichil ei scripsistis. Valete. A notice of the General Chapter 0/1249,i- n ^e Chronica Majora of Matthew Paris.]x Matthew Paris: Chronica Majora (Rolls Series, 1880, V, 81). De capitulo provinciali ubi diligenter tractatum fuit de reformacione nigri ordinis. Circa idem quoque tempus convenerunt abbates nigri ordinis vel eorum procuratores apud Bermundesheie die sancti Kalixti. De communi igitur consilio provisum est, Deo inspirante, talis reformacio: lege ad tale signum in libro additamentorum. 2 Unum tamen memoria dignum, quod inter ipsa statuta minime continetur, 3 non arbitror pretereundum, quod videlicet dominus rex ab ipsis omnibus, licet ad hoc nullam invenerit sustentacionem, impetravit, ut pro ipso et regina dicatur cotidie in missa, que cotidie in veneracione beate virginis canitur in eorum ecclesiis, collecta celebriter, videlicet, Deus in cuius manu corda sunt regum. [12.

1 This is given in the chronicle, under the year 1249, and so corrects the scribe's blunder of 1269, as the date of the statutes, in the Additamenta, see below, p. 34. 2 lege—addit.] ut in libro additamentorum poterit reperiri, MS. Cotton. Nero D. V (fo. 379). The reference is to No. 13 below. 3 This statement is not borne out by the copy of the statutes in the Additamenta, where the prayer for the King is noted : see below, No. 13 par. 43. *

Notes on the Statutes of 1249

T

HESE statutes are contained in three manuscripts : N. MS. Cotton, Nero, D I (fo. 95V, col. 2-fo. 97, col. 2) the Additamenta to the Chronica Majora of Matthew Paris, from which this document was printed by Luard, in his edition (Rolls Series, 1882), Vol. VI, p. 175-85. Here the document is written neatly, but not without some slips, notably the date in the rubric, which has caused some confusion in the past (e.g. to Reyner, Apostolatus, Tract. II, p. 39, 115, on the acta of " 1269 ") : cf. possunt for presunt, certificacionibus for creditoribus, in par. 1. Also, this MS. suppresses the names of the presidents. In spite of these occasional faults, however, it is the most complete text, and so has been taken as the basis. S. MS. Stowe, 930 (fo. 74V~76), a register-book, of a miscellaneous character, from Durham Cathedral Priory, in several hands, xiii-xv cent. (Catalogue of Stowe MSS. in the British Museum, London, 1895, I, 613-17). It contains the following documents bearing on this subject: fo. 72 v -3. Statutes of York Province, 1222, par. 1-34, and 1250. f°- 73V~4- A few decretals, dealing with monastic discipline, beginning with In singulis regnis, together with some of the constitutions of the Legate Otto (1238), for monks, fo. 74 v -6 (76 = end of gathering). Statutes of 1249. on fo. 52 (the first leaf of a quire, which perhaps originally followed fo. 76 ?) the statutes of the York Province, 1256. For these Northern documents, see below, p. 221. With regard to the date of writing : the portion of the manuscript from fo. 1 to fo. 76 belongs to the thirteenth century (with the exception of two gatherings, fo. 36-51, containing a fourteenth century copy of the Boldon Buke). Most of the documents belong to the years c. 1245-75, and in particular there are a number of papal documents of the years 1253-4 (c/- the Worcester roll of the same 32

PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY 33 date, above, p. 25). The Chapter documents fall into line with the rest. As the York statutes come down to 1256, they cannot have been written before that date : while it seems unlikely that anyone would have troubled to get a copy of the Southern statutes of 1249, after 1277, when the fuller and better arranged code of statutes came into being (see below, p. 60). In the same way we may note that the earlier legatine statutes of Otto (1238) are given, not those of Ottobonus (1268), which are elsewhere found in connexion with the decretals (see below, pp. 61, 62). The statutes of 1249 appear here with all indication of date and place suppressed, but a comparison with N has revealed at once that there could be no doubt as to their identity. It shows a most praiseworthy enterprise among the houses of the York province, at this time, of course, holding a separate Chapter, that this Durham book should include a good text of the Southern Statutes of 1249, while we owe our sole manuscript of the Southern Statutes of 1277 to St. Mary's, York (MS. Bodley 39: see No. 28). Obviously, the Northern prelates borrowed the southerners' statutes for practical guidance in their own legislative work : this practice explains the partial similarity of the statutes of the two provinces. Naturally, therefore, the scribe of MS. Stowe 930 takes a certain amount of liberties with the text of the 1249 statutes. Apart from continual minor variants, he cuts out all that is of purely local, topical significance, such as the prologue and paragraph 42, and he drastically simplifies the paragraphs 36-7, on the conducting of a General Chapter. The Northern prelates no doubt had their own views and their own customs as to procedure, which, however, they did later elaborate on the same lines as the Southern Chapters (1310, p. 265, below). There is another small point, which perhaps reveals the feeling of the Durham copyist. The Southern prelates, in their own version (N, F) in paragraph 37, write pro omnibus fratribus capituli defunctis, no doubt forgetting, after the manner of southerners, that there was any other province but that of Canterbury : not so the Durham copyist, who adds a qualifying illius to the word " capituli." F. MS. Cotton, Faustina, A II (fo. 95-7). Part of this MS. (fo. 13-97) is a book from Sherborne Abbey, in several hands, from the"late fourteenth century. The contents are partly historical, lists of English Kings, and Bishops of Sherborne, and partly memoranda dealing with the monastic estates. Fo. 93-7 are the remains of a gathering, all in one hand, opening with part of a document dated 1387, then giving the statutes of the Canterbury province, D

34 THE ENGLISH BLACK MONKS, 1215-1540 1279 (fo. 93-5), then those of 1249, and, on fo. 97, the record of a homage in 8 Ric. II. It is difficult to imagine what can have induced the compiler to include these two thirteenth-century documents, by that time long obsolete: and it must be confessed that, whatever his motive, he has not taken much trouble about the work. Quite apart from the loss of leaves, for which of course the original writer was not responsible, there are the most extraordinary lacuna, whole sentences and paragraphs omitted; and the most preposterous example is the transition from paragraph 17 to paragraph 30. At the same time, we owe something to the scribe of this MS. He gives the names of the presidents, and the correct date. He evidently had before him a version of the 1249 statutes similar to the additamenta (N), and in many cases he supports the readings of N against those of S. Thus it seems that there was an official Southern version, represented by N and F, as against the adapted version, S. The division into paragraphs, which is largely the same in both N and F, is interesting, as it seems to reflect the methoda nof the legislators. The earliest Southern Statutes (e.g. 1218-25), ( i the Northern Statutes practically throughout, consist of small paragraphs, added from time to time. The paragraphs of 1249 are much larger, and on examination prove to consist each of a number of clauses dealing with a particular subject: thus paragraph 1 includes the whole of the existing legislation on abbots. In fact, the paragraphs of 1249 foreshadow the division into chapters under subjectheadings, which we find from 1277 onwards (No. 28). Only here, there are as yet no rubrics (though there had been in 1219), no subdivisions, and a less logical arrangement. [13.

Statutes of the General Chapter at Southwark, or Bermundsey, 1249. 14 Oct. 1249.] MS. Cotton, Nero, D I, fo. 95 v , col. 2 (N), collated with MS. Stowe 930, fo. 74V (S) and MS. Cotton, Faustina, A II, fo. 95 (F). Statuta abbatum nigri ordinis anno grade M°CC°XLIX°.x 2 Universis et cetera. Ad hoc ex suscepti 3 regiminis officio nos 1 lxix0 MS. : obviously a scribe's blunder for xlix0. See date in text and2 entry in Matth. Paris' Chron. Maj. (No. 12). F begins : De Westmonasterio [Richard de Crokesley, 1246—58] et de Bello [Ralph de Covintre, 1235-61] Dei gratia abbates, universis abbatibus et prioribus proprios abbates non habentibus per Cantuar' 3 provinciam constitutis, salutem in Domino sempiternam. Ad hoc [etc."}. suspecti [sic] F.

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efficaciter obligatos esse reputamus, ut superiorum mandata benigne suscipere et suscepta humiliter adimplere teneamur. Cum igitur x die sancti Mathei 2 anno Domini M°CC°XLIX°3 apud Oxoniam ad capitulum generale illud i celebrandum una cum 5 venerabilibus patribus ordinis nostri essemus congregati, quia non nisi octo abbates nostri ordinis illuc convenerunt,6 celebrandum diem 7 capituli propter absenciam prelatorum provida deliberacione usque in crastinum sancti Edwardi, die scilicet sancti | Kalixti Pape, [F, fo_ 95v.] duximus prorogandam, locum ad hoc apud Suwerc 8 in ecclesia beate Marie 9 iuxta hondoniam assignantes. Ad quem 10 cum venerabiles patres nostri ordinis, prout ipsis a nobis fuerit iniunctum, 11 convenissent, de statu monastico salubriter tractaturi, de communi abbatum et priorum assensu nobis assidentium, de statutis capitulorum precedentium, quibusdam subtractis, quibusdam superadditis,12 certamformam elicientes, pro statu nostri ordinis reformando subscripta statuere duximus in hunc modum : 13 Inprimis dictante Spiritu Sancto statutum est, ut abbates et ^ j0 7 4 v] priores habitu et gestu regulariter se habentes, in capitulo, in 1 4 [ia.] claustro, pro audiendis confessionibus e t 1 5 fratribus exemplariter instruendis, in choro eciam16 pro divinis ofificiis, in refectorio pro fraternis solaciis, oportune studeant interesse,17 quociens nee 1 8 corporalis infirmitas sive 19 debilitas vel 20 ecclesie utilitas vel alia racionalis 21 causa fuerit22 impedimento,23 Nee 2 4 pro aliquo fide-[6.] iubeant, vel per cartam suam pro aliquo se vel monasterium suum psr, fo. 96, obli|gent: nee contra honestatem religionis vel utilitatem monas- col. 1.] terii sui aliquid facere presumant. De terris 2 5 vel redditibus 26 [