THE ABBOTS OF DALE. gi 
_ by his prudence and labour got possession of certain lands and 
tenements lost of old time, and laudably ruled the flock com- 
mitted to him 22 years, and afterwards he passed to the Lord. 
From the Visitations of Richard Redman, Bishop of St. Asaph, 
and Visitor-General of the Order at the close of the fifteenth cen- 
tury, we learn many particulars of Abbot John and his successor. 
In 1478, the Bishop, in noticing favourably the provisions for 
the internal welfare of the Monastery, and the condition of the 
__ buildings, mentions those of the “newly-begun cloister” (caustri 
_ -noviter incepti), which, in a later visitation—that of 1482—are 
noted as almost finished. 
I am of opinion that the Late Perpendicular windows, with the 
remains of the old glazing, which were removed from Dale to 
Morley Church, where they now form the whole of one side of the 
north aisle, and which are said to have formed part of the fratry 
of the Abbey, are not the windows of the fratry at all, but a portion 
_ of Abbot John de Stanley’s cloister. Methinks that if the fratry 
had been so adorned at such a late period it would have been duly 
chronicled. I am unable to find any confirmation of the received 
notion respecting the original position of the Morley windows. 
The earlier Visitations are unanimous in commending the laud- 
able circumspection and prudence of Abbot John. In 1491, 
however, a change is apparent, which foreshadows the close of his 
tule. The Visitor then noticed “ that on account of the imbecility 
} and impatience of the Abbot, the rules for the observance of our 
‘religion are disappearing, wherefore we strictly enjoined on the 
Lord Abbot, by commands in virtue of salutary obedience, to the 
end that silence be observed in the four accustomed places, under 
pain ofstatute, without any remission, and divine service sung more 
| devoutly, with the rest of the regular observances of our Order 
q professedly due and accustomed.”* 
- ***Quod propter imbecillitatem et impatientiam Abbatis regulares ob- 
servancie evanescunt nostre religionis quare domino Abbati in mandatis 
districte in virtute salutaris obedientie dedimus quatenus silenium iiij® locis 
debitis sub pena statuti sine remissione remittend’ observetur et divinum ser- 
Vicium devocius cantetur cum ceteris regularibus observanciis ordinis nostri 
_ profess’ debitis et consuetis.” 
