III.—Injunctions of John Longland, , to certain Monasteries in his Diocese. Communicated by EDWARD PEACOCK, Esq. F.S.A., in a Letter to C. KNIGHT WATSON, Esq. Secretary.

Read February 13, 1879.

Bottesford Manor, Brigg, 31 December, 1878. DEAR MR. WATSON, The accompanying documents, which have been transcribed from the register of John Longland, who was Bishop of Lincoln from 5 May 1521 until 7 May 1547," will not, I think, be without interest for some of our Fellows, throwing as they do a clear though but feeble light on the manner of life in certain monastic houses immediately before the Dissolution. In case you agree with me in this, I shall be obliged to you if you will read them at any meeting of the Society when it may be convenient for you to do so. I am indebted for the transcript from which my copy is taken to the Reverend A. H. Maddison, M.A., F.S.A. Believe me, dear Mr. Watson, most truly yours,

EDWARD PEACOCK. To C. Knight Watson, Esq. Sec. Soc. Ant.

Elstow, Elnstow, or Helenstow, was a Benedictine nunnery near Bedford, founded in the reign of William I. by Judith, wife of Waltheof, Earl of Huntingdon, and dedicated to the Holy Trinity, our Lady, and Saint Helen. A very imperfect list of the abbesses of this house may be seen in the JHonasticon.h

a Le Xeve and Hard}-, Fasti Eccl. Angl. ii. 21. b iii. 411. VOL. XLVII. H 50 Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. We find Elizabeth Starkey succeeding in 1529, and Elizabeth Boyvill in 1530. That Elizabeth Boyvill was the last head of this house seems certain from the fact that she was the person who surrendered it on the 27th August, 31 Henry VIII., 1539, and her name as abbess occurs in the list of pensions. " Dame Katheryne Wingate the ladye abbesse her chapleyn " was a nun in the house at the time of the Dissolution, and had a pension of 21. 13*. 4id. granted to her.a Stodely or Studley, a Benedictine nunnery in the parish of Beckley, Oxford- shire, was founded in the reign of Henry II. by Bernard de Saint Walery in honour of our Lady.b There are no means of identifying the prioress to whom these injunctions were directed. Alice Whygill was elected to that post on the 20th December 1529. It is not improbable that she may have been the person to whom they were addressed, and that Marten Whighill, who is described as not being a "prouffitable seruante," and putting the house in "many wayes to hinderaunce," may have been a kinsman of hers. Nun Cottam, Cottum, Cotton, or Cotham, in Lincolnshire, in the parish of Keel by, not far from Grimsby, was founded in the reign of Henry I. or Stephen by Alan de Munceaux. Johanna Tompson, the last prioress, relatives of whom are mentioned in these injunctions, was the person to whom they were addressed. She had a pension of 61. after the Dissolution.0 "We learn, by a letter from Dr. John London to , Earl of Essex, that he took the surrender of this nunnery at about the same time with those of the Lincolnshire monastic houses of Kyme, Irford, Posse, and Heynings. The custody of the house and records was given to a member of the Lincolnshire family of Skipwith.d Missenden Abbey was a house of Augustinian canons in Buckinghamshire, founded, as some say, by Sir William de Missenden in 1133, or, according to another authority, by one of the d'Oyley family. The former statement is in all probability the correct one.' The date of these injunctions shows that they were addressed to the last abbot, John Otewell or Westwick, who succeeded on the death of John Fox in 1528, and who was pensioned after the Dissolution. It is a strong evidence of the decay of monastic discipline that an important house of a learned order like that of the Au°;ustinians should have elected as its ruler a o

a Mon. Ang. iii. 415. b Ibid. iv. 218. c Ibid. v. 675. d Tho. Wright, F.S.A. Suppression of the Monasteries (Camd. Hoc), 21-i. c Mon. Aug. vi. 547. Pro. Soc. Ant. 2nd Series, vi. 26G. Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. 51

man with whom it was necessary for his bishop to communicate in " our vulgare Englishe" on account of his ignorance. Otewell was probably one of those whose views were in accord with the teaching of the Reformers, for we learn from his will, dated 1558, referred to in the Monasticon, that he made his wife Margaret sole executrix, and left legacies to his son Samuel and his daughter Lettice.

[INJUNCTIONS TO VLNESTOWE.]

John Longlond by the sufferaunce of god bishope of Lincoln to our wel- beloued susters in charite the abbesse and covent of Vlnestowe of our dioces of lincoln sendeth greting grace and our blessing and forasmoche as in our ordynarye visitation of late exercised within that monasterye diuerse thinges appered and were detected worthy reformacon we therefore, for the honour of god, and redresse off the same and mayntenaunce of good religion ther, send to you thies Inunctons folowing whiche we will and commande you to kepe undre the paynes ensewing. ffirste forasmoche as the very ordre off sainct benedicte his rules ar nott ther obserued in keping the ffratrye att meale tymes, where the susters shuld be aswell fedde spiritually with holy scripture as bodyly with meate, butt customably they resorte to certayn places within the monasterye called the householdes, where moche insolncy is use contrarye to the good rules of the said religion by reason of resorte of seculars both men women and children, and many other inconvenyents hath thereby ensewed, In consideracon whereof and for that we will the said religion to prospere according unto the foundacon of the house, and the rules of the same, we inioyne and straytely commaunde undre the payne of disobedyence that ye lady abbesse and your successours see that noo suche house- holdes be then kepte frome hensforth butt oonly oon place which shalbe called the mysericorde where shalbe oon sadde lady of the eldest sorte ouersear and maistres to all the residue that thidre shall resorte, whiche in nombre shall nott passe fyve att the uttermoost, besides ther said ladye ouersear or maistres and those fyve wekely to chaunge and soo all the covent have kepte the same, and they agen to begynne and the said gouernour and ouersear of them contynally to contynue in thatt roome by the space of oon quarter of a yere, and soo quarterly to chaunge att the nominacon and plesure of the ladye abbesse for the tyme being. H2 52 Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln.

Ouer this itt is ordered undre the said payne and Iniunction that the ladye abbesse haue no moo susters from hensforth in hir householde butt oonly foure with hir chapleyn and likewise wekely to chaunge till they haue goon by course thrugh the hole nomber off susters, and soo a3en to begynne and contynue. And we will and chardge undre lik payne that all the sayd ladyes bothe off the abbesse side and of the misericorde doo obserue and kepe the quere att matens, masse, and all other dyvyne seruice, as those that be called the cloystrers without ther be any lawfull impedyment, and that noo ladye of the said twoo places remayne longer in eny of the same, then halff houre after seven of the clock att night and that noo man, preeste ne other, come into the said place called the misericorde without speciall lycence of the lady abbesse for the tyme being, and yett thes to make noo long aboode nether ther to be without honest testymonye of his or ther honeste conuersacon, and this the lydye abbesse to see obserued and kepte undre the payne off contemte, and all the residue of the ladyes daily to sitt in the ffratrye according unto ther rules att ther meales. And forasmoche as the more secrete religious persones be kepte from the sight and visage of the world and straungers the more close and entyer ther mynd and deuocon shalbe unto god, we ordeyn and Inioyne to the lady abbesse that before the natiuyte of our lorde next ensewing she cause a doore with twoo leves to be made and sett upp att the lower ende off the quere, and that doore to be fyve foote in hight att the ieaste, and contynually to stand sbitt the tymes off dyvyne seruice excepte itt be att comming in or out off eny off the ladyes and mynystres off the said churche. And under lik payne as is afore we chardge the said ladye abbesse that she cause the doore betwene the covent and the parishe churche contynually to be shitt unles itt be oonly the tymes of dyvyne service, and likewise she cause the cloistre door towardes the outtward court to be continually shitt unles itt be att suche tymes as eny necessaryes for the covent shalbe brought in or borne out att the same, and that she suffre noo other back doures to be opened butt upon necessarye grett and urgent causes by her approved. Also we Injoyne to the said ladye abbesse that suche reparacons as be neces- sarye in and upon the buildinges within the said monasterye, and other houses, tenements and fearmes thereto belonging, be suffycyently doon and made within the space of oon yere immedyately after the date of thies iniuncons. Moreover forasmoche as the ladye abbesse and covent of that house be all oon religious bodye unite by the profession and rules of holy sainct benedicte, and is nott conuenyent ne religious to be disseuerd or separate, we will and Inioyne Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. 53 that frome hensforth noon of the said abbesse seruauntes nor no other seculer person or persones what soeuer he or they be, goo in eny procession before the said abbesse betwene hir and hir said covent undre payne of excommunycacon, and that the ladye abbesse ne noon of hir suecessours hereafter be ladde by the arme or otherwise in eny procession ther as in tymes paste hath been used undre the same payne. Also we will command and inioyne to dame Katheryne Wingate the said ladye abbesse her chapleyn undre payne of contempte that nightly she rise and be att matens within the said mon. with her other religious susters ther and that from hensforth she do nott suppe ne breke her f aste in the buttry of the said abbesse, nether with the stuard nor eny other seculer person or persones undre the said payne and likeuise we Inioyne to all them that hereafter shalbe in the said office or roome of the ladye abbesse her chapellyn undre the payne aboue expressed. Ouer this we ordeyne and by way of Iniuncon commande undre payne off disobedyence from hensforth that noo ladye ne eny religious suster within the said monasterye presume to were ther apparells upon ther hedes undre suche lay fashion as they haue now off late doon with cornered crests nether undre such manour of hight shewing ther forehedes moore like lay people then religious, butt that they use them without suche crestes or secular fashions, and off a lower sorte and that ther vayle come as lowe as ther yye ledes, and soo contynually to use the same unles itt be at suche tymes as they shalbe occupied in eny handy crafte labour, att whiche tymes itt shalbe lefull for them to turne upp the said vayle for the tyme of suche occupacon. And undre like payne inioyne that noon of the said religious susters doo use or were here after eny such voyded shoys, nether crested as they have of late ther used butt that they be of suche honeste fashion as other religious places both use, and that ther gownes and kyrtells be closse afore and nott soo depe voyded att the breste and noo more to use rede stomachers but other sadder colers in the same. In witenes whereof hereunto we haue putte our seale. Geven att our manor off Wooborn the first daye off October in the yere of our lord god a thousand fyve hundrede and thirty, and undre payne of contempte chardge you ladye abbesse and your suecessours that ye and everye of them oones in euery moneth doo rede or cause to be redde this our iniuncons openly in the chaptour house before all the ladyes, that ye and they may the better remembere the observances of your holy religion. 54 Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln.

INITJNCIONES PRIORATUS DE STUDLEY. Ffirste we inioyne undre payne of the lawe that euery nunne and mynchin a of this house doo kepe and obserue ther deuyne seruice according unto ther rules with humble deuocon, and that euery nunne immedyately after that compleyn is ended doo repaire together into the dortorb and ther to remayne till mattens tyme and likewise after males into ther dortor and nott to goo out of the same till pryme tyme without speciall licence axid and obteigned of ther president, and the president not to be to light to graunt suche lycence unles itt be upon grete consideracon, as she will make answere therunto. We inioyne also to you ladye priores to prouide for a sufficient ordinall within this yere whereby the ladyes may be more ripe and redy in the seruice of god and with the better deuocon to sing or say the same, and chardge you undre payne of disobedyence that frome hensforthe ye give noo more licence, ne suffre eny of your susters to be godmother unto eny child nither at the christening nother at the confirmacon, and undre like payne chardge you nott to be godmother to eny child in christening nor confirmacon. Item we inioyne you undre payne of the lawe that ye lycence not eny of your ladyes to passe out of the precinte of your mon. to visite ther kynsfolks or frendes, onles it be for ther comforte in tyme of ther sikenes, and yett nott than onlesse itt shall seme to you ladye priores to be behouefull and necessarye seing that undre suche pretence moche insolency haue been used in religion. We will also that ye suffre not eny your suster ladyes to comen with eny straunger within your monasterye or without excepte itt be in presence of some other sadd ladye of your house that soo oon may be testymonye of the conuersacon and liffe of another. And forasmache as it apperithe that your monasterye is in grete dette, and muste bestowe lardge money upon suche reparacons as are to be doon upon your churche, quere, dortor and other places whiche ar in grete decaye, we inioyne and chardge you lady priores under payne of contempte, that ye frome hensforth make noo graunt of fee, corrody0, or other to eny person or persones under covent seale or otherwise without our speciall licence obteigned, and to bring your said house a3en into prosperous estate wee doo councill and aduertise you all to be con- tented to lyue under a scarcer manour for a tyme then ye haue doon in tymes past,

a This word commonly means nun, A.-S. Minicen. Here, however, it probably signifies a lay sister. b Dormitory. c " Corodie is an allowance of meate, bread, drinke, money, cloathing, lodging, and such like things necessarie for substance."—Les Termes de la Ley, 1624, f. 102. Injunctions of John JLongland, Bishop of Lincoln. 55 that soo ye may the rather be brought a3en into wealthynes, and farther aduerty3e you nott to ouer chardge your selues with so many seruants, and those that you doo kepe to be of honeste conuersacon, true and iuste in ther labour, and foras- moche as itt doth appere by detecon that Marten Whighill is not prouffitable seruante to your house but putteth the same many wayes to hinderaunce, we chardge you to avoyde him out of your seruice and no longer ther to and likewise chardge you to see or cause your susters when they ar syke and diseased to be honestly kepte and to haue holsome meates and drinks and other necessaryes to sike folkes belonging, likewise at all other seasons to see they haue holsome meates and drinks. And that ye cause your cloistre doore to be contynually lokked onles itt be att suche necessarye tymes as of congruens itt must of necessite stand open, and that you susters sitt att the leaste thre dayes in the weke att ther meales in the refectory, and that ye augment your nombre of ladyes within this yere. Efurthermore we doo inioyne and command undre payne of contempte that euery ladye and nunne within this monasterye doo use and were ther vaile, thedge thereof to come as lowe as ther yye leddes. In all other thinges to use your selves according unto good and vertuous true religious women, wherein ye shall nott oonly please almighty god, butt also doo that shalbe to your grete meryte and heuenly rewarde, and chardge you ladye priores that thies our Iniuncons may be kepte in such place as euery of your susters may haue recourse unto them often to rede them whereby they may the better obserue and kepe them.

INIUNCIONES MONASTEMI DE NUN COTTAM. John Longlond by the sufferaunce of god Bushope of Lincoln to our welbeloued susters in christe the prioresse and covent of Nun Cottam of our dioces of Lincoln sendeth greting grace and blessing and forasmoche as in our ordynary visitacon of late exercysed within ]?at house dyuerse thinges apperyd and were detected worthy of reformacon we therefore for the honour of god and redresse of the same and mayntenaunce of good religion ther send to you theis Iniuncons folow- ing, whiche we will and comaund you to kepe undre the paynes ensewing. ffyrste forasmoche as all religion is grounded and ordeyned principally to honour and serve god aswell by night as by daye and namely the dyuyne seruice in the quere to be honourably and treateably song and said, soo that by the hering of the same deuocon may encrease aswell in the singers and sayers as in the herers and for that itt doth appere by the detecons in myn ordynary visitacon that itt hath nott soo bene used with you, but doon with grete festinacon, haste 56 Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. and without deuocon, contrarye to the good manner and ordre of religion: In consideracon of all thies premysses & for the more honour of god and encrease of vertue in religion I chardge you lady priores and all the ladyes susters of your monastery and your succours hereafter to come in the vertue of obedyence and the payne of contempte that from hensforth ye doo and cause to be doon all your dyvyne seruice to be treateably song undre sobre & deuoute manner with good pause and punctuation and without eny haste or festination And that ye kepe your due houres and tymes of your said dyvyne seruice with all other your obseruances and your ceremonyes as well in the cloistre chaptour house fratry and dorter as in the quere And that ye kepe fyrme love and charyte emong you, without whiche charyte noo vertue can prevaile no religion prosper nor be acceptable to almighty god, nor merytoryous to the doer. And chardge you lady priores ther sett in the roome as hede ruler and gouernour to use your self as a good modre lovingly, charitably and indifferently to all your susters and spirituall children and soo doing ye shall best please god and noryshe charyte emonge them And that ye give nott to light credence to euery tale, which light credence is the norysher of debate and waryaunce and likewise chardge you lady priores that ye suffre nomore hereafter eny lorde of mysrulea to be within your house, nouther to suffre hereafter eny suche dis- gysinge as in tymes past haue bene used in your monastery in nunnes apparell ne otherwise. And that frome hensforth ye do nomore burden ne chardge your house with suche a nombre of your kynnesfolks as ye haue in tymes past used. Your good mother itt is meate ye haue aboute you for your comforte and hirs bothe And oon or ij moo of suche your saddest kynnesfolke whome ye shall thynk mooste conuenyent but passe nott. And frome hensforth that ye suffre noon of your chapeleyns to haue in their keping eny keye of the ehurche or cloistre dores butt that the president of your religion or sextene kepe them and open and shitt the same dores att houres con- uenyent, that is to say vij of the clock in the morning. And after masse your churche dores to be shitt till evensong be doon and straight after euensong to shitt them for all night. And forasmoche as by your negligent sufferaunce dyuers of your susters hath wandred a brode in the world, some undre the pretense of pylgrymage, some to see ther frends, and otherwise whereby hath growen many Inconuenyences insolent behauiours and moche slaunder aswell to your house as to those susters, as by the texte of my said visitation doth euydently appere,

a See paper on this sport by William Bray, F.S.A. in Archceol. XVIII. 313—335. Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. 57

I chardge you lady priores therfore and all your successours that frome hensfortbe ye neyther Jicence ne suffre eny your susters to goo out of your monastery without a grette urgent cause by you knowen and ij of your seniour susters approved afore your said licence soo given and that they tary nott out of the monastery in the nighte tyme; And to haue in company oon other wise, sobre and discrete suster, that soo the oon may testifye of the other honest con- uersacon and that hereafter ye nomore tak noo money nor other thing by waye of paction or covenante for receyving of eny nunne or nunnes in to the habytt. Ytt shalbe laufull for you to tak that ther frendes will give you of ther own free wills and deuocon, butt nott by the way of demaunde, pact nor covenaunte. And that ye see your susters to haue ther mete & drynk holsome and honestly dressed. And that ye lady prioresse cause and compell all your susters (those oonly excepte that be seke) to kepe the quere and nomore to be absent as in tymes past they haue been wont to use, being content yf vj haue been present, the residue to goo att lybertie where they wold, some att thornton,a some att Newsom,b some at hull some att other places att their pleasures, which is in the sight of good men abhomynable, high displeasur to god, rebuke shame and reproache to religion and due correction to be doon according unto your religion frome tyme to tyme. Also we chardge you lady prioresse undre payne of excommunicacon that ye from hensforth nomore suffre Sir John Warde, Sir Richard Caluerley, Sir William Johnson, nor parson ne the parson of Skotton, ne Sir William Sele to come within the precincts of your monasterye, that if they by chaunce do vnwares to you that ye streight banishe them and suffre not theme ther to tary, nor noone of your susters to comune with them or eny of them. And that ye voide oute of your house Robert laurence and he nomore to resorte to the same. Ouer this I chardge you lady prioresse undre the said payne that ye yerely make your accompte openly and truely in your chaptour house afore the mooste parte and the senours of your susters that they may knowe frome yere to yere the state of said house, and that ye streight upon sight herof dymynishe the nombre of your seruants as well men as women, whiche excessyve nombre that ye kepe of them bothe is oon of the grette causes of your miserable pouertye, and that ye are nott liable to mayntene your household, nouther reparacons of the same by

a Canonry of Augustinians at Thornton-upon-Humber. Mon. Ang. vi. 324. b Newhouse or Newsome, a Premonstratensian house near Thornton. Mon. Ang. vi. 8G5. VOL. XLVII. I 58 Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. reason whereof all falleth to ruyne and extreme decaye. And therefore to kepe noo moo thenne shalbe iuged necessarye for your said house, and that ye suffre nott eny men children to be brought upp, nor taught within your monastery, nor to resorte to eny of your susters, nouther to lye within your monastery, nor eny person young ne old to lye within your dorter butt oonly religious women, And that euery suster doo lye alone according unto the lawes, And the doore of the said dorter nightly to be shite, and light nightly to brenne in the same. And forasmoche as graunting of corrodyes and lyveryes hath bene chargiouse burdynouse and greuouse unto your monastery, as itt apperithe by the graunte made to Agnes Mosse, Janett bynbrok, Elizabeth todde, and other whiche hath right soore hyndrede your place, In consideracon therof I charge you lady priores upon payne ot contempte and of the lawe, that ye give noo moo lik graunts, and that ye joutt a way Elizabeth Todde hir seruant, and that ye give nomore soo lyberally the goods of your monastery as ye haue doon to your brother george thomson and your brodres children, with grasing of catell, occupy, ing your lands making of Irneworke to pleugh and carte, and other like, of yaur stuff and in your forge. And that fromehensforth ye suffre noo moo freers to serve within your monastery butt suche vertuous honest seculer preestes as my commissary doctor pryna shall iuge mete for you And that ye latt nott your lands to ferme butt by the consent of the mooste parte of the seniours of your house, and nott beyond v yeres as ye will answere thereunto att your chardge and that Elizabeth todde haue noo kowe going nor other bestes within eny of your grownds, and he that shalbe your confessour oonly to be lycenced by myn officer in Lincolnshire. And forasmoche as ye haue in tymes past sold the goods of your house viz. a bolle ungilte playn with a couer, oon nutt gilteb with a couer, ij holies white

a Probably John Prynn, Sub-Dean and Treasurer of Lincoln and Prebendary of Ketton and Saint Martin's.—Le Neve and Hardy, Fasti Eccl. Angl. vol. ii. pp. 40, 90, 158, 186. A brass to his memory formerly existed in Lincoln Cathedral, inscribed " Hie jacet Johannes Prynn, utriusq. legis doctor, quondam subdecanus istius ecclesie, cathedralis Lincolnie, et canonicus residentiarius in eadem; qui obiit vicesimo nono die mensis Aprilis, anno Domini m° ccccc0 lviij0. Cujus anime propitietur Deus, amen. Expecto misericordiam tuarn Domine."—Mon. Inscrns. in Lincoln Cath. in 1641. Coll. by Rob. Sanderson, 1851, p. 34. b A cocoa-nut mounted in silver, forming a cup. " Four nuts with three covers" were preserved in the cathedral of Winchester at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries.—Mon. Ang. i. 203. " One nut without a cover" was among the Abbot's plate at Peterborough at the same period.—Ibid. i. 367. "A nutte sylver and gylte with a cover xv. oz." was kept at Sawtre Abbey, Hunts, 30th May, 28 Henry VIII. 1536—Archceol. XLIII. 239. Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. 59

without couers oon Agnus of gold, oon bocle of gold, oon chalice, oon maser, and many other things, I chardge and commaunde you undre payne of priuacon that ye noo moo sell plate nor Juells of your house fromehensforth without lycence of your ordinary. Item that ye cause your firmary, your chirche, and all other your houses that be in ruyne and dekaye within, your monastery to be suffycyently repayred within this yere if itt possible may. And that suche obytts and chauntrys as your house is bounden to kepe, as the chauntry of Juliane gaunte, dame margaret ounby hir kynswoman and other be suffycyently and accordingly mayntened, And suche porcions and dyuisions as haue be given heretofore emonge your susters be likewise obserued and employed emoyges them. And that ye cause the cloistre doores to be shite half houre before viij of the clock euery night att the uttermoste, and so to stand shitt and nott opened till vj of the clock in the mourning, and no seculer man to entre into the said cloistre without your especiall lycence, and that ye knowe them that soo shall entre. Item undre the payne of depriuacon I chardge you that frome hensforth ye graunte noo fees, pensions, nor corrodyes to eny person or persones for terme of liffe, nor perpetually undre your chaptour seale, nouther to latt your landes nor possessions to ferme above fyve yeres according to your othe given the tyme of your institucon without licence of your bushope for the tyme being, nouther to alienate your Juells moueable ne unmoueable without the said licence. Item I chardge you ladyes all undre payne of disobedyence and of the law that ye and euythe of you doo truely obserue your religion, serue god, kepe your dyvyne seruice deuoutely and all other rytes, obserunces and ceremonyes apper- teyning unto your said religion as well within the chirche, chapitour house fratry dortre, as cloistre, and that ye be obedyent in all lefull comaundements unto your lady priores, and obserue and kepe very charite emonges you, and to leve all discencon, rancor, malice and debate, and to unite your selves in god by clene, chaste, and religious lyving, and nomore to wander abrode in the countreth as ye haue used nouther by the pretence of pilgrimages, nor visitacon of your frendes, whereby moche slaunder hath risen to your house and many inconvenyences, and to occupye your selves whenne your seruice is doon in some good occupacons and labours, soo to avoide ydlenes the mother and norisher of all vice, and to flee all yll company, and noo suspecte persones to have eny resorte to you nor ye to them, and thus doing ye shall haue the blessing of god and myn. Item I will and commaund you lady prioresse that theis myn Iniuncons be euery monethe hereafter ones openly redde in your chapitour house in presence 12 60 Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. of all your susters undre payne of excommunicacon And chardge you ladyes all by the vertue of your obedyence fromehensforth nomore to write eny lettre or lettres or cause eny to be writen or sent to eny person or persons without spetiall licence of the lady priores for the tyme being. And she to see the contents of the same afore. In witenes whereof hereunto we haue putt our seale, when att our manour of Wooborn the last daye of aprill in the yere of our lord god a thousand five hundrede and oon and thirty.

TNJTJNCTIONES MONASTERII DE MESSENDEN. John Longlond by the sufferance of god Bushope of Lincoln, to our wel- beloved brederen the abbott and covent of Messenden, of our dioces and iuris- dicon sendeth greting, grace and our blessing: and forasmoche that aswell in our late ordynery visitacion exercised by our commissary as in our speciall visitacion also executed in our person in that monastery dyuerse thinges appered and were detected woorthy reformacion and punyshement. "We therfore for the honour of God, redresse of the said myslaundre, welthe of that house and mayntenaunce of good relgion there, give unto you thies Iniunctions folowing whiche we will and straytely commaunde you undre the paynes ensewing to kepe, and for that ye be ignorant and have small understanding of laten we haue drawen our said Iniuncions in our vulgare Englishe tong to the entent ye shuld the better undre- stand and knoue them, and soo see 'them more surely observed and kepte in euery parte. Pfirste we Inioyne to the Abbott as was afore inioyned by our chancelour that thou see the seruice of god duely obserued and kepte by thy religiouse brederen and in the houres and tyme to the same lymited according unto the holy rules of saincte Augustyne And that they kepe ther daily chapiters according to the same And euery day ther to rede oon chapitre of Saincte Augustyn his rules, and ther sittinge in the cloistre att ther due houres for ther study and contemplacon upon payne of contempte. Item we Inioyne to the abbott to see doon or cause to be doon thy chanons to sitt in the fratry all tymes aswell out of Advent and lente as in advent and lente att ther refections and butt twoo att mose att seuerall tables. And att the same refections oon of the said bredren to rede openly in the pulpitt a lesson of holy scripture or some holy doctour expounding the same, and the president to begynne the said meales with grace and soo to ende the same. And that they come all to gydres to the said refections, and likewise after the said refections togedurs to the churche saying the psalmes, miserere and other customable prayers, and then to return in to the cloistre and ther sitt in contemplacon and study by the space of oon houre att the Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. 6L

leste; the residue of the afternoon besides the tyme of keping of the quere euery Chanon to be occupied ether att his study in gramer ells to occupye them selfys in writing, paynting, kerving or some other honest study crafte soo to avoide ydlenes whiche is the mother of all mischeff and occasion of the breche of good religion. This see to be doon undre payne of disobedyence as well of thy parte, if thou see itt nott doon as of the priores, that now is or hereafter shalbe. Item we Inioyne to the abbott undre payne afore rehersed, that thou cause and prepaire oon honest, sufficient lerned man in gramer before the feaste of the assumpcion of our lady next comyng to instructe and teiche thy chanons in ther gramer, and that thou compell all the yong chanons and yong prestes to give diligent attendaunce and study unto his said instruccons; and that they haue oon houre att ther booke before pryme and after ther chapitour an other houre, and after nones and as the tyme shall give that they lose nott ther tyme. Item that thou undre like payne streight upon the sight herof do give chardge to the sextene of the churcbe that he continually kepe the doore shitt and lokked> that is betwene the body of the churche and the quere unles itt be att suche tymes as processions requireth to have them opened and then streight after the procession to locke the same a3en. Likewise the doore that goeth out of the body of the churche in to the cloistre to be likewise locked excepte onely the foresaid procession tymes. And likewise the doore of our ladye chapell con- tinually to be shitt unles itt be att our lady masse tyme. Item we chardge the abbott and the priour and yor successours undre the payne of excommunicacon that noo chanon of your house nor other person kepe or haue in keping eny keye of eny of the cloistre doores, nouther of eny of the back doores going in to the feldes butt oonly thou abbott or priour and your successours and that the said back doores going in to the feldes be nott opened but onely att suche tymes as the covent shalbe licenced to goo into the feldes to sporte togydre and att ther return streight to shitt the same and soo to be kepte; and that ye cause newe good and sure lockes to be sett upon the said doores for itt is thought that dyuerse chanons of your house hath keyes fer the said lockes by reason whereof they goo out att ther libertye day and night, whereof moche slaunder hath of late risen to that monastery and religion. Item we chardge thabbot undre payne of disobedyence that thou streight upon the receite hereof then oon sobre, sadde man of thy seruants to be porter of the grete gates of the monastery entring into the litle courte, and diligently to kepe the same, and that thou or he suffre eny woomen to come within the said gates, not launder nor other; and that ne persone to goo out of the said gates 62 Injunctions of John Jjongland, Bishop of Lincoln. with eny dishes or other thing that should he detrymentouse or hurtefull unta that monastery and that they he nott opened in the mourninge butt att due houres & not so long to stand open at nightes. Item we Inioyne the abhott to repaire thy churche, cloistre, dorter, firmary and other huildinges belonging to thy said monastery and especially the helfray and within the monastery soo that itt may appere to us that the thing is in hand and to be doon with effecte and that euery place of thy said house be more honestly kept from filthe and stenehe for the avoiding of sekenes and other daungers that may fcherofensewe . Item we Inioyne to the ahbott undre payne of the lawe that thou tak more diligent hede as thou art bounden to doo of thy self thy bredren and obseruances of religion, and also of the good ordre of all thy house and thinges apperteyning to the same, and that by thy negligence the said house fall not in dekaye as itt hath heretofore doon by the; and that thou be more ware in thy household keping, sparing some dishe from thyn own borde and likewise from thy chanons till tyme thou bring thy said house in state agayne as thou haste by thy negli- gency brought itt in dekaye ; And that thou frome hensforth nomore suffre thy kynnesfolke to hang upon the monasteryes chardge as they haue doon undre payne afore rehersed. Item that thou see better to the livelood of that house and to mak terries bookes and rentalls of the same that thy landes may be knowen and the sobrest chanons of thy house to haue knowlege therof, and thou from hensforth mak noo graunts of porcions, pensions or fees undre thy covent seale or thy seale of office nouther by worde promyse or otherwise whereby thou shuldest bynde the or thy house to the payment of eny suche thinges; And that thou latt no more thy landes to ferine and lese from hensforth passing ix yeres. Item forasmoche as we finde detecte in our late visitacon kepte by our chauncellour that John Gompton ruleth thabbott and that the abbott doth nott contrary hym in eny thing and that he cutteth down trees and woode of the monasteryes att his pleasur And that he ruleth the monasterye as he will and is nott proumtable to the house butt puttith the same to grete chargies and enricheth hym self: I chardge and commaund thabbott undre payne of con- tempte that thou suffre the said John Compton noo more to occupye nor meddle with eny thing apperteyning to that monastery, till tyme itt may appere unto us by his auditt and accompte that he doth use hym self accordingly and uprightly in that behalf. Item we chardge the abbott undre payne of the lawe that thou frome hensforth Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. 63 oones in the yere betwene the feaste of all halowen and Xpenmesse declare and showe openly in the chapitour house the state of the same house drawen out & written by some wise man that shall here the auditt; and that frome hens- forth thou mak of councill of the ouersight of thy lands oon or twayn of the wisest brederen of thy house that they may haue knowledge and experience of the said lands and that thou chardge nott thy house with soo many seruants as ther ar nowe but to avoide suche as may be best spared, till that house be more aforehande. Item that from hensforth undre the said payne thou suffre noon of thy chanons to come within the towne of what degree that he be, unles itt be the vicar for dischardge of his cure in visitacon or otherwise. Item we chardge the undre payne of excommunicacon from hensforth nott to suffre eny child seculer nouther to lye, nouther to be famylyar with eny of thy chanons, nouther to come within eny of ther cells or chambers offices or other; nor in other secrete place with eny of them butt that they be diligently looked upon as well for ther bringing upp in vertue as in lernyng: And oon svbstanciall, honest, vertuouse man to haue the ouersight of the said seculer children for ther vertuous bringing upp and lerning, and nott to haue past the nombre of sixe to be within the said monastery: And noon of them to come within the cloistre unless itt be in procession tymes or doing some obseruances or seruice unto god. And forasmoche as we finde in our ordynary visitacion that thou prior art negligent in thyn office in looking upon thy bredren and remysse in correccion, nott regarding thobseruance of thy rules and good religion emong thy brederen, nouther of the ceremonyes nor other laudable customes of the said religion Butt doth suffre thy said brederen lasciuiously to lyve and to wandre abrode as well in the town as in the feldes both by day and by night, yee and alone to the grete slaunder and infamy of the hole habitt and place by reason of many other thy remisse dealinges and negligences I chardge the therfore and thy successors priours, undre extreme payne of the lawe that thou be more diligent frome hensforth in thy said office, and compell thy brederen to kepe within the said monastery and in noo wise to goo out of the same unles itt be in the sporting dayes, And then to goo all togidres having a president emonge them to see ther good rule and ordre and that they come nott within noo town nor village butt oonly in the feldes for ther recreacion, and this ther recreacion to be passe not twise in the weeke, att whiche tyme we will all to goo and come togydres euer in presence of the said president, And we commaund the priour and thy succes- sours undre lik payne to se all thinges as is here afore written concerning 01 Injunctions of John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln. religion and thordering of thy brederen keping of the doores and other thinges to them and religion belonging, well and substantially obserued and kepte according to theffecte of the same ; that if eny abusions hereafter doo chaunce we shall nott oonly lay itt to the doers, butt also to the for thy negligent sufferaunce and punishe the same. Item we Inioyne the abbott and the priour under payne of excommunicacon that from hensforth ye suffre not eny of your brederen to vse or were eny garded or welted hose or stuffed codpese or Jerkyn or eny other shorte or courtely fashioned garment: but that ye see your said brederen doo vse ther apparell on euery parte religiously and that ther kirtells be from hensforth in length att the leste down to the ancle, or longer. Item that ye committe to prison Dom. John Slithurse and soo saffely kepe hym till ye knowe our further mynde for suche transgressions as he hath com- mytted. And that he haue noo office nor other rule within the house without speciall licence of your ordinary the bushope. Item we commaund the vicar and thy successours after thy business is doon concerning thy cures, that thou resorte to the quere and ther serue god with the other chanons vnles eny plage or other visitacions or busynes belonging to the same cure doo lett. Item we chardge thabbott and the priour and your successours abbotts and priours vndre payne of excommunicacon that ye cause theis our Iniuncions and every oone of them ones in euery moneth hereafter to be rede openly emonge all the brederen in the chapitour house where all that tyme we chardge thabbott to be present. In witenes of all theis premisses we haue subscribed our hand, putt to our seale xxvij"1 daye of June In the yere of our lord god a thousand fyve hundrede thirty and oon.