BOOK said hospital, goe abroad without the precincts and limits of H. the same, except he first shew to the Prior a just cause of

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his going, and the Prior do allow the same: the sisters in like sort shall not goe forth without a just cause first shewed to the Prioresse, and by her allowed. Whosoever shall do contemptuously to this order, shall (after three monitions given him by the Prior, if it be a brother, and by the Prioress, if it be a sister) be punished in the stocks at the discretion of the Prior. Provided, That no brother or sister being in house, dwelling, be absent more than two months in the year jointly or severally, except in common causes of the house, &c. and that the Prior do make a note of their going and returning again, for the more certainty. Also wee will and ordain, That there be a Prior chosen yearly within one month next before the feast of All Saints, or within one month next, and immediately following the said feast, in such form and order as of an old custome hath been used and as the bretheren do chose their Prior, so wee will and ordain, that the sisters shall chose a Prioress. At which day the Prior is chosen, shall be allso chosen four of the most skillfull, sober, and discreet bretheren, to be assistants and counsells to the Prior that year, as well in things appertaining to the state of the house, concerning the lands, tenements, and reparations, as also in the due execution of the statutes.

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Also we will, That the Prior shall understand, that his office is to see that his bretheren keep and observe the statutes and ordinances of the house; as of the Prioresse, to call upon her sisters in like manner to do the same. The Prior and one of the bretheren with him, or else two of the four bretheren, shall every year twise at the least, that is to say, at Easter and Michaelmas, see and view their church, their houses both at home and abroad otherwayes, that, where need is, reparations may be done in time; and to take diligent heed, that neyther any of their lands be changed, nor stript, ne wast upon their grounds, nor in their houses, be made by any of their tenants. The Prior himselfe, or some one of his bretheren, must have from time to time a

II.

diligent eye to the woods which serve for provision of the BOOK house, that no spoil ne wast be made of them; and that the spring be sufficiently fenced and kept from cattle.

Also we will and ordain, That the Prior and one of the bretheren, as hath been aforetime accustomed, shall faithfully collect and gather up the rents and sums of money 23 due to the house: and every year once, in the presence of all the bretheren, or of ten at the least, make a true, and perfect, and plain accompt of the same, in such form and order as shall be prescribed by us, and in the end of the accompt shall deliver up there that money, which shall be found to be in his or their hands, which money shall be layd up in a treasury-house, in a coffer, with three several keys and locks: in which coffer we will the foundation of the house, the charters and grants, and confirmations of charters, their statutes, all leases, and the common seal, be warily kept: and the Prior to keep one of the three keyes, and two of the bretheren the other two, and no one man to have two of those keyes in his custody at one time, but if any of the keepers go from home, he shall leave his key with a brother that hath no key; and the Prioresse shall keep the key of the treasure-house door.

Also we will and ordain, That if any brother shall, by the testimony of six of the bretheren, or any sister, by the testimony of six of the sisters, be convict before the Prior to be a common drunkard, a quarreller, a brawler, a scold, or a blasphemous 'swearer, every such offender, so convict, shall for the first time sit in the stocks one day and a night with bread and water; and offending in that fault again, shall the second time be punished in the stocks two days and two nights; and for the third offence in the same crime, three days and three nights with bread and water only; but if, after the third punishment, he or she do eftsoones offend in the like offense, then to be expulsed and driven out of the house for ever.

Also we ordain, That if a brother or sister be accused before the Prior, of fornication or adultery, or that he or she receiveth or maintaineth fornicators, adulterers, or any

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BOOK such leud persons, he or she, whither it be, shall within one II. month next after any such accusations, make his or her

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purgation, before the Prior and his four bretheren, after this manner. The brother accused shall bring six of his bretheren, who shall depose upon a book before the Prior, that in their consciences they think that man not faulty in that crime that he is accused of. The sister shall bring six of her sisters, which by virtue of an oath shall testifie, that in their consciences they think she is not faulty in the crime objected against her; which if they do, the Prior shall pronounce the party accused to be clear and free from that fault. But if either brother or sister faileth in his or her purgation, then the Prior shall pronounce that person to be faulty and convict of the crime, and immediately for the same expulse that person out of the house.

Also we will and ordain, That no lease of any lands, houses, tenements, or stocks of cattle, shall pass under the common seal for term of years, without the assent of us, and our successors, first had and obtained to the same: and no reversion to be given before the lease be fully expired, or within one year of expiring.

Also we will and ordain, That every of the LX bretheren and sisters quarterly, out of the 6s. 8d. paid unto every of them by us and our successors, shall allow and leave in the Prior's hand 8d. amounting in the whole to the sum of 81. which shall be imployed to the stipend of an able Priest, to be nominated, appointed, and admitted by us and our successors, to be their Curate, to instruct them how to live in the love and fear of God, and to minister unto them Christ's holy Sacraments.

Also, If any brother or sister shall willingly or wittingly do contrary to the oath taken at his or her admission, for the due observation of these statutes; we will and ordain, that every such person, upon a sufficient proof thereof made, shall be accepted, reputed, and taken as perjured: and for his offense shall be expulsed out of the house, never after to enjoy any alms thereof.

Furthermore we will and ordain, That it shall not be

II.

lawful for the bretheren and sisters of the said hospital, at BOOK any time to abrogate or change, or by any means hereafter to alter these statutes, rules, and ordinances, or any of them, or any part of them, without our assent, in writing, under our signet first obtained and had.

And if any scruple or doubt shall hereafter arise about 24 the same, or any of them, we reserve the interpretation of 17. them to us and our successors. And that we during our life may (if we see just cause) put to, change, abrogate, and disannul them, and every of them, at our will and pleasure.

And for the more authority and better confirmation of these statutes, we the said Matthew have put to our seal; and the bretheren and sisters, for a sure band for the due observation of the same on their partie, have put to their common seal. Given in our manner of Lambeth, the 15th day of September, in the 2d year of our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God, Queen of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. and of our consecration the first.

Examined by N. Battely.

Additions to the former statutes, made by the said reverend

Father in God, August 20, 1565.

Item, We will that the Minister to whom we have committed the charge of your soule, shall be no underling to the Prior, or at his commandment, but for his office sake equal with the Prior; and the Minister to assist the Prior with counsel, and the Prior to assist the Minister in executing our statutes; that as in name ye be called, so in the whole conversation of your lives, ye may live together like bretheren and sisters before God and the world.

Item, We will that none, having our dispensation to be an out-brother or sister, be suffered to be an in-brother or sister, until he or she hath surrendred to us and our successors his or her dispensation: and then to have a new warrant from us, or our successors, to be received an inbrother or sister.

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Item, We do ordain, that all and every of the bretheren or sisters, being at home and in health, do go every Sunday together in seemly order, to hear the sermon at Christ's church.

Item, We will that every brother or sister do keep clean and sweet their dorter-chambers, and to lie in the same two weeks in the year at least, between the feast of the Annunciation of our Lady, and the feast of St. John the Baptist.

Item, We will the Prior to see from time to time, that the said dorters be sufficiently repaired, or else, after two admonitions given by the Prior before the bretheren and sisters in the common hall, and yet not amended, to stop so much of his or her wages, as he by the advice of two or three of the bretheren shall think reasonable for the sufficient repairing of the same.

Examined as above.

Matthew Cantuar.

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Additions again, May 20, 1574.

Item, We will and ordain moreover, that whatsoever brother or sister shall hereafter offer his or her corrody to sel, or shall lay the same to mortgage, the same person shall immediately for the same fault or offence, upon sufficient proof thereof by two witnesses, cease to be taken any longer for a brother or sister, and shall lose his or her living in this our hospital, by expulsion out of the same house, and be deprived from all the commodities of the same. And also, that he or she, which is not a brother or sister, and hath bought any such corrody, shall never have grant or other corrody to be admitted into any of the same rooms so bought and bargained for.

Item, We will and ordain, that every in-brother and insister, and so many of the out-brothers and out-sisters as be dwelling within the city of Cant', or near thereunto, and having the use of speech and reason, shall once every year in the time of Lent, before Easter, being called thereunto, come and say over the Catechisme, either before the Minister of your house, or before him, whom we or our successors