** admit any person to the habit of the order, until he was at least seventeen years old. Their first and principal establishment in this country was at Canterbury; and at Rome, in the monastery of St. John de Lateran, in the cloisters of which used to hang the rules of the order in Latin verse, † enforcing, what they no doubt exemplified in ancient times, learning, regularity, and holiness of life. The conventual superior was styled the Prior, not as of less dignity than an abbot, for abbots and priors, as heads of houses, were usually considered (except in cathedrals, where there are no abbots, on account of the bishop) as synonymous terms. It has been supposed that the superior should only bear the title of prior, unless the king granted his charter of liberties and protections, then the superior should have the style of abbot. The Worksop house, although distinguished by royal immunities, is excepted from the application of this rule, as the Augustine order, it has been said, had no abbot till the 15th century, during the papacy of Eugene IV.‡ The reader will have observed, in connection with the recital of Conventual property, that according to the notion and phraseology of the times, the grants were generally made for the health of the souls of the donors, and commonly including their ancestors and successors. Consequently masses for the dead, as well as the living, constituted no small part of the monastic service, and in many instances priests were appointed to celebrate perpetually for individuals: but besides such clerks as had chantries in the nature of benefices, there were others who were mere itinerants, wandering about the kingdom, and seeking employment by singing mass for the souls of the founders. Fuller says, that the ordinary price for a mass sung by one of these clerks, was fourpence; but that if they dealt in the gross, it was forty marks for two thousand. Next to the celebration of religious services: the monks applied themselves to pursuits of literature; and to their industry and opportunities in this respect, Europe and the world stand immensely indebted. It may indeed be contended, that learning has suffered irreparably from the chilling influence of claustral impropriation, not to mention the number of invaluable manuscripts which the monks have either erased, or over-written with their impertinent legends; but even this allegation must be qualified, by the absence of all proof, that the art of printing would have been sooner invented, or that the materials of literature would have been respected, had they been confided to a custody less inviolate than the sacredness of a monastery. Pope Benedict the Twelfth, expressly enjoined reading, writing, correcting, illuminating, + Weever's Funeral Monuments, p. 129. The regular habit was a long black cassock, with a white rochet over it, and over that a black cloak and hood. The monks were always shaved, but these canons wore beards, and caps on their heads. There is a draught of an Austin canon in Dugdale's Warwickshire; and of a canoness in Stevens, vol. ii. p. 68. The engraving in this work is copied from the Monasticon, and will convey a distinct idea of the dress of the order. Fosbrook's British Monachism, vol. i. p. 73, 8vo. edit. § Worthies in Essex, p. 339. or binding books, as an avocation of monks; which had, however, been practised by them long before his time.Nor did these scribes merely confine themselves to the inscription of the subject in hand. Before the time of Alfred, elaborately flourished initial letters, as well as ornamental sketches began to be in vogue. The annexed engraving represents one of these ancient penmen in the exercise of his vocation, and is moreover itself a curious specimen of the art alluded to. It is a fac-simile of a drawing in a MS. life of Paul the Hermit, executed sometime during the eighth century, and originally belonging to the monastery of St. Augustine, at Canterbury. In almost every monastery there were writing rooms, called Scriptorium, or domus antiquariorum,t in which some of the members were constantly engaged in literary labours.To neatness of execution and splendour of decoration, they often paid no little attention: many of the AngloSaxon chalcographers especially, are known to have • In Bibliotheca Coll. Corp. Christi Cantab. G. 2. ↑ Archæologia, v. i. Introd. iii. possessed eminent skill in the execution of their books; and it is affirmed, that the character which they used, had the honour to give rise to the modern small beautiful Roman letter.* These writers were called antiquarii, "and were," says Mr. Astle,+ "industrious men, continually employed in making new copies of old books, either for the use of the monastery, or for their own emolument." And it is chiefly to the sedulous industry of these recluses, that we owe the preservation of so many of the antient fathers, the classics, and the compilations of the early history of our own country: indeed, the monks were the registraries of public events, of the age and succession of the king, and births of the royal family, as well as the legends, traditions, and foundation-histories of their respective houses. With so many collocations of subject, circumstance, and place, as must have existed under the conventual dispensation, it is not surprising that poetry should have engaged the attention of the monks; and, accordingly, there are still extant a considerable number of their metrical compositions, both in Latin, and in the vulgar English of the period. And, although from the study of music, in which they frequently engaged, as well as from the daily singing in their choir service, it might be supposed, that their attention would have been turned to lyrical compositions, yet, from the peculiar provisions of the church, this seems not to have been the case. As connected with this subject, it may be added, that, so early as the time of Charlemagne, that species of Latin poetry, called Leonine verse, (from Leo, the name of the inventor, himself a monk,) was the admiration and delight of men of letters; and several compositions in this, as well as the more legitimate modes of Latin verse, are extant. Of the latter description, the satirical poem, by Nigel Wireker, a monk of Canterbury, entitled speculem stultor, and reflecting severely on the monastical improprieties of the middle ages, is a striking specimen. In consequence, however, of an hereditary attachment to the blood and family of their founders, the poets of the cloister have not unfrequently opened a vein of poetry, of all others the most unpromising the Rhyming Pedigree. It was the luck of the Worksop house, to include amongst its members, a genius for this species of composition, in the person of a canon, named Pigot, who, in the reign of Edward IV., compiled a metrical chronicle of the benefactors to the foundation. At the dissolution, the chartularies and other documents fell into different hands, and were preserved, or destroyed from various motives: the poem in question was an ancient parchment manuscript, once in the possession of the Talbots of Grafton, where it was Fosbrook's Brit. Mon. v. ii. p. 178. In a rhyming pedigree of the Staunton family, one of the females is celebrated, because, among other virtues, "Both Boke and Needle she can use, And Romaine write full well." Of the person or family of this chronicler, we have no account. A clerk, of his name, Mr. Hunter observes, was presented to the rectory of Handsworth in 1318; but this could not be our author himself, though it might be one of his family. Pigot, indeed, is an old name in this county, as at Radcliff and Thrumpton. + Astle's Writing, p. 192. seen and copied by Dugdale, when compiling the Monasticon; in which work it is given entire. Although rather long, and, from the nature of the subject, very dull; yet as connected with this place, and as a literary curiosity, its local claims fairly entitle it to a place in these pages. STEMMA FUNDATORUM PRIORATUS DE WYRKESOPE. Which had that affiaunce and inspiration The monastery of Worssoppe first for to found Mortest therto goods thereupon Woodes, medues and moundes: to say a great ground, Therefore in speciall, certs we are bound To pray for his soule, and his successours This was founded in King Herrye dayes The first, as we rede after the conquest The third yere rennynge of Herry aforesayd The seventh yere and xxx. of William Conquerour Against Harrold King, the Cronicles accord, The yeres of our, that now present be, How many they are, sene he had the gree. Anno Milleno sexageno quoq; seno. Which Sr. William dicest and was tumulate On the nederest gree, for his hye estate, Tendyng to the hye Awter, and there doth abyde: • Lovetot. And Sr. Richard gate William Lovetoft also Apud Ebrard in Neustriá, Normandia vocata est, tumulatus in suo Domini, quod constat Fornevall, per rectum successionem; si patria cum Anglia Existeret pacificata. Which Gerard gate Thomas; and Gerard eke Then dicest Gerard the first Fournyvall And beryed was in Normandy, his own inheritance; Which this place indued with Lordships royall; And good Molde them confirmed with good affiance; Gave us more to withouten distaunce For his saule and hers as Monuments declare Under sure seals where so that they are. To report the good deedes, that they did to us Right long time and space they wold have, I write Bot in special: reward them our Lord Jesus Progenitours and successours, and in Heaven them quyte. And of their successors further to indite How they do succeed by noble yssue Good Molde was beryed most principall Above Sr. Thomas Nevill afore the high autere For a good doer most worthy of all That indued this place; and her husband in fere To reherse what she did, dyvers things sere As expressed is afore, it wolde take long space, |