the life was intensely communistic ; no man had a corner to himself, unless it were the Prior, or, perhaps, a few of the Obedientiaries, who, like the Sacrist, might have a garden of their own. For the dull men the Cloister was rest and a haven of peace, very much to be preferred to the rough life of the world outside; for the social men it secured a sense of comradeship and club-life, nowhere else to be found; for the few clever men it provided active careers, in the Hordarian's office, or the Receiver's, or in the Schoolroom with the Choir-boys, or in the Scriptorium, where MSS. had to be copied or carefully and minutely illuminated. Many an artistic monk contentedly spent the best part of a lifetime bending over a single important manuscript, sometimes (as we see in the case of the beautiful Cathedral Bible of the twelfth century) leaving behind him after all an unfinished work, which has remained ever since with the blank spaces calling for the master-hand, or has been disfigured by the rash efforts of some later and inferior artist.

2.-The Precentor, the officer in highest authority in the Church itself, next demands our attention. He was apparently selected by the Prior, with advice of the SubPrior and other Priors, together with the older men of the Convent, who formed, as we learn elsewhere, a Council to aid the Prior in his judgments [Winchester Cath. Arch. No. cccxxiii," Prior cum avisamento consilii sui"]. Consent was also given in full Chapter, so as to secure the participation of the whole body of brethren. Thus appointed, the Precentor undertook the arrangement of all services in the Church, and presided over the singers, leading them by hand and voice. In processions he marched at the head, wearing a special cap, and carrying a staff in his hand, "richly arrayed, and to be likened to a General at the head of his troops." The Alphonsine Laws, I. tit. 6., 1. 5, thus describe his duties:-"He must lead, or begin, the responses, hymns, and other canticles, in processions or in Church; he must order what each man has to read or sing; to him shall Acolytes, Lectors, and Psalmists be obedient." The Pre

centor had also sharp disciplinary powers, as we learn from the De Obedientiariis Abbendonia (p. 370), where we read that "if he find the boys fibbing, or notices carelessness in the Choir, he shall tweak the boys' ears, shall pluck their hair, shall smite them with the fist!"

The Precentor was often a man of poetic and literary temperament; such was Wolstan or Wulfstan, Precentor of St. Swithun's in the days of St. Ethelwold, who wrote a marvellous account of the tenth century organ in very tolerable hexameters. As he had to arrange the Service-books, he often was also Armarius or Librarian ; he also wrote out the "Tables" whether for the Mass, or for the Lections in Refectory. And for all these labours he not only had much honour and praise, but also on his feast-day kept a very special and magnificent O. Thus we read in the Consuetudines that at St. Swithun's "the Precentor, and his comrades, who make the O, sit at the second collation near the entrance to the Refectory, and have a pitcher of wine and a 'punchard' full of good sound beer wherewith to refresh themselves." In some Houses, as the man of letters, the Precentor had care of the "brevia defunctorum," and, in fact, acted as "Brevitor" to his Convent, as we find was the case at Canterbury.

3. While the Sacrist had to see that all was in order with a view to Divine Service, and the Precentor to take care that the services were duly and musically performed, there appears to have been a third officer, a large part of whose duties lay in Church. We have no trace of him at St. Swithun's, though it is more than probable that he existed there, for the framework of all Benedictine Houses was the same, or almost the same, whether in the matter of buildings or officials. This personage had the curious title of the "Circa," the "Roundabout," who patrolled Cloister and Church. In St. Dunstan's Concordia Regularis (quoted in Dugdale's Monasticon, Ed. 1846, I, p. xli) we read that this officer is to have charge "under the Dean" of the whole Cloister, and is named "Circa" "ab officio circuitus," his duty of patrol. He was bound to go round.

the life was intensely communistic; no man had a corner to himself, unless it were the Prior, or, perhaps, a few of the Obedientiaries, who, like the Sacrist, might have a garden of their own. For the dull men the Cloister was rest and a haven of peace, very much to be preferred to the rough life of the world outside; for the social men it secured a sense of comradeship and club-life, nowhere else to be found; for the few clever men it provided active careers, in the Hordarian's office, or the Receiver's, or in the Schoolroom with the Choir-boys, or in the Scriptorium, where MSS. had to be copied or carefully and minutely illuminated. Many an artistic monk contentedly spent the best part of a lifetime bending over a single important manuscript, sometimes (as we see in the case of the beautiful Cathedral Bible of the twelfth century) leaving behind him after all an unfinished work, which has remained ever since with the blank spaces calling for the master-hand, or has been disfigured by the rash efforts of some later and inferior artist.

2.-The Precentor, the officer in highest authority in the Church itself, next demands our attention. He was apparently selected by the Prior, with advice of the SubPrior and other Priors, together with the older men of the Convent, who formed, as we learn elsewhere, a Council to aid the Prior in his judgments [Winchester Cath. Arch. No. cccxxiii, “Prior cum avisamento consilii sui"]. Consent was also given in full Chapter, so as to secure the participation of the whole body of brethren. Thus appointed, the Precentor undertook the arrangement of all services in the Church, and presided over the singers, leading them by hand and voice. In processions he marched at the head, wearing a special cap, and carrying a staff in his hand, "richly arrayed, and to be likened to a General at the head of his troops." The Alphonsine Laws, I. tit. 6., 1. 5, thus describe his duties:-"He must lead, or begin, the responses, hymns, and other canticles, in processions or in Church; he must order what each man has to read or sing; to him shall Acolytes, Lectors, and Psalmists be obedient." The Pre

centor had also sharp disciplinary powers as we learn fo the De Obedientiariis Abbendera, viere we read that "if he find the boys fbbing, or notices caresses I the Choir, he shall tweak the boys' ears shall puck their hair, shall smite them with the Est.”

The Precentor was often a man of poetic and literary temperament; such was Wolstan or Walstam. Precemen of St. Swithun's in the days of St Ettevaid vic wrote a marvellous account of the tenth century organ in very tolerable hexameters. As he had to arrange the Service-books, he often was also Armaris or Librarian: he also wrote out the Tables whether for the Mass or for the Lections in Refectory. And for all these labous be act only had much honour and praise, but also on his feart-day kept a very special and magnificent O. Tus we read in the Consuetudines that at St Swithus the Precensor. and his comrades, who make the 0. sit at the second collation near the entrance to the Refectory, and have a pitcher of wine and a 'punchard of good sound beer wherewith to refresh themselves, some Houses, as the man of letters, the Precentor had care of the *brevia defunctorum," and, in fact, acted as "Ecevitor to his Convent, as we find was the case at Canterbury,

3.—While the Sacrist had to see fall was in order with a view to Divine Service, and the recentor to take care that the services were duly and masically performed, there appears to have been a third for a large part of whose duties lay in Church. We are a trace of him at St. Swithun's, though it is more than probable that he existed there, for the framework of a Benedictine Houses was the same, or almost the same whether in the matter of buildings or officials. This personage had the curious title of the "Circa," the "Roundabout who patrolled Cloister and Church. In St. Dunstan Concordia Regularis (quoted in Dugdale's Monasticon. Ed 16. I, p. xli; we read that this officer is to have charge under the Dean" of the whole Cloister, and is named Circa ab officio circuitus," his duty of patrol. He was bocad to go round

the premises and act as policeman to the brethren; “ne fuerint accidiosi aut alicui vanitati dediti." This curious word "accidiosus" from accidia or acedia, is like a window through which we can look into a gloomy chamber. It is a Greek word, åkŋdía, åkýdeia, slothfulness, indifference ("incuria" is the proper Latin for it), "Est tædium et anxietas cordis, quæ infestat Anachoretas et vagos in solitudine Monachos." Prior Guy of the 'Chartreuse' says "Apprehendit te multoties, cum solus es in cella, inertia quædam, languor spiritus, tædium cordis quoddam, et quidem valde grave fastidium sentis in teipso; tu tibi oneri es; interna illa qua tam feliciter uti solebas suavitas jam defecit tibi; dulcedo quæ tibi inerat heri et nudiustertius, jam in magnam amaritudinem versa est, etc." In the Regula S. Benedicti (c. 48), the point of it is touched, "Ne forte inveniatur Frater accidiosus, qui vacet otio et fabulis, et non sit intentus lectioni." We see why the "tristitia and tædium" of the Accidiosus is coupled in St. Dunstan's "Concordia," with "alicui vanitati deditus." The danger of this unwholesome state of spirit and mind was of course much greater in the hermit-like life of the Carthusian, than in the social life in community practised by the Benedictine.

In some of the Houses there were several of these internal policemen, "so many," say the Constitutions of Archbishop Lanfranc, "as may be needed, of the better and more prudent sort chosen out of the whole convent." They were never to step outside the Convent walls, only to glance and peep through the doors, in order to see if any of the monks were lounging about outside, gossiping and chattering; they were specially ordered to go round the Crypts, to see if anyone were sleeping quietly there by himself alone, and if so, to wake him and make him rejoin the community, for the Convent dreaded nothing more than the solitary life. They were also instructed to do a little eavesdropping; if they saw any knot of monks, two or more, in earnest conversation together, they were to pass by them without a word, but with ears pricked up and senses all alert to catch the tenour of their talk.