of going, shaven Heads, and such other marks; nor in silence, fasting, up-rising in the night, singing, and such other kind of Ceremonies, but in cleanness of mind, pureness of living, Christ's Faith not feigned, and brotherly Charity, and true honouring of God in Spirit and Verity: And that those above-said things were instituted and begun, that they being first exercised in these, in process of time might ascend to those as by certain steps, that is to say, to the chief point and end of Religion: and therefore let them be diligently exhorted, that they do not continually stick and surcease in such Ceremonies and Observances, as tho they had perfectly fulfilled the chief and outmost of the whole true Religion; but that when they have once past such things, they endeavour themselves to higher things, and convert their minds from such external Matters, to more inward and deeper Considerations, as the Law of God and Christian Religion doth teach and show. And that they assure not themselves of any Reward or Commodity any wise, by reason of such Ceremonies and Observances, except they refer all such to Christ, and for his sake observe them; and for that they might thereby the more easily keep such things as he hath commanded, as well to them as to all Christian People. Also, that the Abbot and President of this Place shall make a full and true reckoning and accompt of his Administration every year to his Brethren, as well of his Receipts as Expences; and that the said Accompt be written in a great Book remaining with the Covent. Also, that the Abbot and President of this House shall make no waste of the Woods pertaining to this House, nor shall set out unadvisedly any Farmes or Reversions, without the consent of the more part of the Convent. Also, that there be assigned a Book and a Register that may copy out into that Book all such Writings, word by word, as shall pass under the Convent-Seal of this House. Also, that no Man be suffered to profess, or to wear the Habit of Religion in this House e'er he be 24 years of Age compleat: And that they entice nor allure no Man with suasions and blandyments to take the Religion upon him. Item, that they shall not shew no Reliques, or feigned Miracles, for encrease of Lucre, but that they exhort Pilgrims and Strangers to give that to the Poor, that they thought to offer to their Images or Reliques. Also, that they shall suffer no Fairs, or Markets, to be kept or used within the limits of this House. Also, that every Brother of this House that is a Priest, shall every day in his Mass pray for the most happy and most prosperous estate of our Sovereign Lord the King, and his most noble and lawful Wife Queen Ann. Also, that if either the Master, or any Brother of this House, do infringe any of the said Injunctions, any of them shall denounce the same, or procure to be denounced, as soon as may be, to the King's Majesty, or to his VisitorGeneral, or his Deputy. And the Abbot, or Master, shall minister spending Mony, and other Necessaries, for the way to him that shall so denounce. Other Spiritual Injunctions may be added by the Visitor, as the place and nature of the Comperts shall require, after his discretion. Reserving Power to give more Injunctions, and to examine and discuss the Comperts, to punish and reform them that be convict of any notable Crime, to search and try the Foundations, Charters, Donations, Appropriations, and Muniments of the said Places; and to dispose all such Papistical Escripts as shall be there found, to the Right Honourable Mr. Thomas Cromwell General Visitor to the King's said Highness, as shall seem most expedient to his high wisdom and discretion. III. Some Particulars relating to the Dissolution of Monasteries. SECTION I. The Preamble of the Surrender of the Monastery of Langden. OMNIBUS Christi fidelibus, &c. Willielmus Dyer, Abbas Monasterii Beatæ Mariæ Virginis et S. Thomæ Martyris de Langden, in Com. Kent, et ejusdem loci Conventus, Ordinis Præmonstrat. capitulum dictæ domus plene facientes, ejusdemq; domus (quæ in suis fructibus, redditibus, provenien. even. et emolumen, non mediocriter deteriorata est, et quasi in totum diminuta, ingentiq; ære alieno obruta, oppressa, et gravata extitit) statum usq; adeo matura deliberatione, et diligenti tractatu, considerantes, ponderantes, et pensantes, quod nisi celeri remedio, regia provisione huic Monasterio sive Prioratui (quippe quod de ejus fundatione et personatu existit) brevi succuratur et provideatur, funditus in Spiritualibus et Temporalibus annihiletur, per præsentes damus et concedimus, &c. The rest follows in the ordinary form of Law: but the ordinary Preamble in most Surrenders is, Omnibus Christi fidelibus, &c. Nos-Salutem. Sciatis quod nos, deliberate, certa scientia, et mero motu, nostris, ex quibusdam causis, justis, et rationabilibus, nos, animas et conscientias nostras, specialiter moventibus, ultro et sponte dedisse et concessisse, Domino Regi, &c. But it seems some few Houses, though they were prevailed with to surrender, yet would not do it with such a Preamble, for there are about twenty Surrenders without any Preamble at all, made to John London Clerk, ad usum Domini Regis. SECTION II. A List of Religious Houses, which by the King's Letters Patents were of new founded and preserved from the dissolution of Lesser Monasteries. (Anno Regni 28.) ST. MARY of Betlesden, Buckinghamshire, St. Mary of Huntington, Augustinians 17 Aug. 27. 28. 2 Sept. 9. Grace-dieu, Leicester-shire, August. Nuns. De-la-val, York-shire, Carthus.. St. Mary Newstead, Nottinghamsh. Aug. Nuns. 16. 27. 13 Dec. 14. 19. 2 Jan. 2. 27. St. Mary of Alnewick, Northumb. Præmonst.. 30. Bellalanda, Yorksh. Cisterc... St. John Bapt. Egglestone, Yorksh. 30. 30. 30. 30. St. Mary de Nith, Glamorgansh. Cisterc.. ........... St. Mary of Dale, Derbysh. August St. Katharine of Polesloo, Devon. Ben. Nuns.. 30 Jan. ...... 30. 30. 30. St. Mary of Studley, Oxfordsh. Nuns.. 12 Feb. 30. April. The Grants for these Houses are all in the 28th year of the King, to be held in perpetuam eleemosynam, and are enrolled in the 1st, 2d, 4th, and 5th parts of the Patent Rolls for that Year. SECTION III. A List of all the Surrenders of Abbies, which are yet extant in the Augmentation Office. (Regni 27.) LANGDEN, Præmonst. signed by the Abbot and 10 Monks, Com. Kent. Folkeston, Benedict. the Prior, Kent 13 Nov. 15. 16. Merten, August. the Prior, and 5 Friers, Yorksh. These are all enrolled Rot. Claus. Part 1st. (Regni 28.) Furnesse, the Abbot and 30 Monks, Lancashire. 9 April. Bushlisham, Bp. of St. David's, Commendator, I June. 5 July. The Originals of these two last are lost, but enrolled Rot. (Regni 29.) Lanthony, August. the Prior and 21 Monks, Abbington, Bened. the Abbot and 25 Monks, 29. 10 May. 10 June. Chertsey, the Abbot and 14 Monks. 6 July. R Charterhouse, the Prior, London. Wardon, Cisterc. the Abbot and 14 Monks, St. Austins Canterb. the Abbey-Seal. Westacre, August. the Prior and 8 Monks, Kingswood, Cisterc. Gloucestsh. the Abbot and Coxhall, Cisterc. the Abbot, Essex St. Andrew, Bened. Northampt. the Prior and 12 Fr.... Holmcultrin Cumberland the Abbot and 25 Monks, Butley, August. the Commend. and 8 Monks, Stradford-Langthorn, Cisterc. the Abbot and Southwick, August. Hampsh. Kennelworth, Bened. the Prior and 16 Monks, Merton, August. the Abbot and 14 Monks, 4 Dec. 5. 14 Jan. 1 Feb. 5. 2 March. 6. 7. 8. 7 April. 14. 16. Pont-Robert, Cisterc. the Abbot and 8 Monks, 16. 17. Belloloco, Cisterc. the Abbot and 19 Monks, Besides these, the following Surrenders are enrolled. Lewes, Cluniac. Sussex, the Prior. Castle-Acre, Cluniac. Norfolk, the Prior.. Titchfield, Præmonst. the Commend. Southamptsh.. 16 Nov. 22. 18 Dec. Muchelling, Bened. Somersetsh. the Abbot 22. Almost all these Abbies were above the value of two hundred pounds, so that they were not within the Statute for suppressing the lesser Abbies, but the Abbots were prevailed on by other Motives to surrender their Houses to the King. (Regni. 30.) Batle, Bened. Sussex, the Abbot and 16 Monks 27 May. Frat.. Bushlisham, Bened. Berksh. the Abbot and 15 14 June. 19. |