minuendi, corrigendi, put Deo acceptabile et sibi pcessu temporis Dat. et acc. Lichef. die veneris prox. ante

videbitur oportunum.
festum natiuitatis beate Marie virginis anno dñi supradicto.

Et quia ista ordinatio facta p dñum Walterum de Langeton de
portionib3 dicte vicarie fuit nimis excessiua, Ideo dño
Rogero de Northburgh Couentr. et Lich. episcopo successori
eiusden Walteri p moderatione dicte vicarie facta fuit
suggestio in hec verba.

Iste sunt petitiones seu rationes Abbatis et Conuentus de Whalley exposite dño Episcopo contra Vicarium de Whalleye, videl. quod occupat nimiam partem bonorum ecclesie de Whalley, contra voluntatem donatoris et contra formam et tenorem priuilegii p dñum Bonif. papam octauum eis concessi. Imprimis videl. quod cum dñus H. de Lascy eis concessit ecclesiam de Whall. in pprios usus p sustentatione xx. monachorum, nouo monasterio construendo, et p hospitalitate tenenda, non erat de intentione eiusdem quod vicaria esset situata in januis monasterij, nec quod aliqua diminutio fieret de bonis eiusdem ecclesie extra usum dicti monasterij. Item cum istud negotium erat coram dño Papa Bonif. deuolutum, voluit idem dñus papa vicario in dicta ecclesia puidere, statuit congruam portionem p Abbatem et conuentum ordinatam vicario assignari quem duxerint presentand. Unde postmodo cum ptractatum fuerat de portionib3 dicto vicario assignand., magister Robertus de Radeswell et magister Walterus de Thorp tunc Offic. dñi episcopi aliquib3 de causis versus Abbatem et conuentum de Whall. commoti statuerunt et pcurarunt plures et nimias portiones vicario assignari, nec habebat respectum ad magna onera que dicto monasterio incumbunt. Quare cum in fine ordinationis vicarie predicte talia verba inserantur, reseruata dicto patri et successorib3 suis potestate augendi, minuendi et corrigendi dictas portiones, petunt dicti Abbas et Conuentus quatinus portiones superfluas vicario assignatas et contra tenorem priuelegij a prefato dño Bonif. papa eisdem et concessi, et in detrimentum dicte

domus diminuatis ac etiam ordinetis, desicut extra sustentationem xx. monachorum et monasterium de nouo construend. et multa alia onera ordinaria et extraordinaria, videlicet de xv. libris annuatim soluendis capitulis Couentr. et Lich., et Archid. Cestrie onerati existunt.

XXII. Ordinatio domini Rogeri de Northburgh, Couentrensis et Lichfeldensis episcopi, de moderatione* vicarie de Whalleye nobis facta.

NIUERSIS sancte matris ecclesie filijs presentes literas inspecturis, Rogerus pmissione diuina Couentr. et Lichef. episcopus salutem in amplexib; saluatoris. Noueritis quod cum in visitatione nostra quam in decanatu de Blak., Archidiaconatus Cestrie, anno dñi m.ccc. tricesimo exercuimus compertum extitisset quod vicarius ecclesie de Whall. dicti decanatus sub colore ordinationis sue pcipit et pcepit de obuentionib3 dicte ecclesie immoderatam quantitatem in tantum quod residuum obuentionum dicte ecclesie non sufficit ad onera que religiosi viri Abbas et conuentus

* This was a most unfavourable change for the vicar from the endowment by Bishop Langton, ante, p. 215. He ordained the endowment of the vicarage to be a competent manse and thirty acres of land, housebote and haybote, and common of pasture; the altarage of Whalley and its chapels, with the exception of Altham, and the demesne lands of Burnley and Churche; and only charged the vicar with one-third of the extraordinary, and all the ordinary expenses. This, on the contrary, confines the endowment to a competent manse and a yard within the close of the monastery, a yearly stipend of sixty-six marks, hay sufficient for one horse, and four quarters of oats; and decrees that he should not only defray all the ordinary expenses of Whalley, Altham, and the other chapels, and find a priest and provide bread and wine for each chapel; but, in addition, should pay the synodals and the visitation money, and distribute 13s. 4d. yearly, at Michaelmas, as a pittance at the monastery. No wonder that a succeeding vicar should quote with ill dissembled glee the character given by Godwyn of Bishop Northburgh, "sedit annos 38, nec tamen in tam diuturno temporis spatio aliquid perpetrauit memoria dignum, (quod saltem ad meam notitiam peruenerit,) nisi forte hoc ab illo recte factum dicamus,- quod mortuus est."

F F

de Whall. dictam ecclesiam in usus pprios obtinentes iuxta intentionem fundatoris eiusdem domus tenentur supportare et maxime onera imposita p ipsum fundatorem dicte domus in fundatione et in concessione iuris patronatus ecclesie predicte dictis religiosis facte repetita. Nos ipsum vicarium ad respondendum, compertis hijs, ac etiam Abbatem prefate domus, si sua videretur expedire, ad certos diem et locum fecimus ad iudicium euocari. Quib3 iuxta formam vocationis huius psonaliter coram commissario nostro in hac parte speciali comperentib3, premissa comperta eis exponi fecimus, ut superius est narratum. Idemq. vicarius coram dicto commissario nostro fatebatur premissa sibi exposita p omnia continere veritatem. Sicq. idem commissarius noster super confessatis hiis volens certiorari p informatione in hac parte pleniori sup veritate compertorum predictorum inquirend. fore decreuit, presentib; Abbati et vicario memoratis. Pendenteq. inquisitione hac Abbas nomine suo psonaliter, et Conuentus p pcuratorem sufficienter in hac parte constitutum, ac vicarius coram nobis psonaliter comperentes, nostre ordinationi de nouo faciende in hac parte se pure et simpliciter submiserunt. Dictiq. Abbas et vicarius psonaliter ac conuentus p pcuratorem suum predictum, tactis p eosdem sacrosanctis evangelijs, iuramentum prestiterunt corporale, se ordinationem in hac parte p nos faciendam in omnib3 et p omnia de cetero fideliter custodire. Nos attendentes quod augmentatio siue diminutio dicte vicarie episcopo Couentr. et Lich., qui p tempore fuerit, in prima ipsius ordinatione ppter incertitudinem onerum vicarijs futuris incumbentium extitit reseruata, put in literis autenticis bone memorie Walteri predecessoris nostris plenius vidimus contineri. Considerantesq. quod ipsa domus de Whalleye in loco sterili est situata, ac p concursus hospitum non modicum oneratur, quodq. ijdem Religiosi ad sustentationem viginti monachorum iuxta dispositionem fundatoris eorum, ratione appropriationis dicte ecclesie eis facte, ultra numerum quem habere solebat apud Stanlawe, a quo loco fuerant translati, onerati existunt, ac quod Abbathia sua de nouo

construere inceperunt, non sine magna sarcina expensarum. Cupientesq. eorum indigentie subuenire, et ipsius domus fundatoris piam in hac parte intentionem quatenus cum Deo possumus adimplere. Habito tractatu cum consilio nostro saniori sup ipsa vicaria et perceptione vicarij eiusdem, qui pro tempore fuerit, vocatis vocandis, sic duximus ordinand., videl. quod vicarius dicte ecclesie, qui p tempore fuerit, habeat de cetero competens mansum, cum arca infra septa monasterij antedicti, sumptib; ipsorum Abbatis et conuentus construenda, prima vice tantum ibidem ppetuo moraturus. Percipiat etiam singulis annis sexaginta et sex marcas tam de prefatis religiosis in pecunia numerata pcipiendas in festis sancti Michaelis et Pasche, P equales portiones. Ad quarum solutionem eosdem religiosos compelli posse p nos et successores nostros episcopos ordinamus. Percipiat etiam annuatim ab eisdem fenum sufficiens p uno equo, et quatuor quarteria auenarum. Omnia vero onera ordinaria eidem ecclesie et capelle de Aluetham ac ceteris capellis, ab eadem ecclesia dependentib3, incumbentia, subeat vicarius antedictus. Insuper idem vicarius in qualiter capella unum sacerdotem, vinum et panem, senagia et pcurationes consuetas, singulis annis sumptib3 ppriis inueniet, una cum solutione xiij. solidorum et iiij. denariorum conuentui dicte domus p pitantia singulis annis in crastino sancti Michaelis p ipsum vicarium

* The author of the interesting life of our countryman St. Stephen, (Harding,) the founder of the Cistercian order, points out the difference between the general and the pittance. "The Cluniacs,” he says, divided their messes into two parts, one called the generale, which was allowed by the rule, another was pitantia, and beyond it. The regular cooks had nothing to do with the pittance, which was always distributed by the cellarer, the theory being that it was benevolently allowed beside the rule; again, it was never blessed. The general was given separately to each monk; the pittance was in one dish between two brethren. The common food of the brethren were beans and other vegetables; minute directions are given "that the beans be stirred from the bottom with a spoon," lest they be scorched. Also they are to be boiled with grease, and one of the cooks, it is specially provided, may taste the water of the beans, that he may prove if they be

faciend. Quo die de consensu nostro et religiosorum predictorum nobis vite cursu agentib3 p nostra salute officium solempne in dicta ecclesia conuentuali volumus celebrari, et cum ab onere carnis exui nos contigerit, eodem die nostrum anniuersarium statuimus obseruari. Quo ad extraordinaria vero onera prefatam ecclesiam et capellas ab eadem dependentes qualitercuncq. contingentia prefatos religiosos de cetero volumus onerari. Idemq. vicarius nomine suo et vicarie sue predicte, prime ordinationi dicte vicarie eiusq. effectui quatenus istam nostram ordinationem excedit, aut eidem in aliquo contrariatur, expresse et ex certa scientia renunciauit. In quorum omnium testimonium sigillum nostrum presentib3 duximus apponendum. Dat. apud Mamcestr. xij. kalend. Aprilis anno dñi m° ccc tricesimo et consecrationis nostre nono.

XXIII. Confirmatio Prioris et conuentus Couentrensis de ordinatione ricarie de Whalleye per dominum Rogerum de Northburgh

episcopum, nobis facta.

MNIBUS Cristi fidelib3 presens scriptum visuris vel

audituris, ffrater Henr. prior Couentr. et eiusdem Loci conuentus salutem in dño. Noueritis nos literas venerabilis patris dñi Rogeri dei gratia Couentr. et Lich. episcopi inspexisse in hec verba. Uniuersis sancte matris ecclesie filijs (&c. ut supra usq.

well seasoned." On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the general consisted of beans and vegetables, besides which there was a pittance, which might be four eggs or cheese. On other days, the general, besides the vegetables, might be fish or five eggs." And the author adds, "No one can accuse this diet of excess, yet it was beyond the rule of St. Benedict, ..... and it is known that Stephen de Alberic succeeded in establishing a much more strict rule than that at Cluney. They rejected dishes of divers kinds of food in the refectory, grease also, and whatsoever was opposed to the purity of the rule. It is known that they did not eat fish, even eggs seem to be excluded, and milk was only used at the season of harvest, and that not as a pittance, but as one of the two dishes allowed by the rule."