138 St. Nicholas’ Hospital, Salisbury. 
Nicholas do not permit or allow any of the brothers and sisters to go begging 
through the villages or parishes; but that he support them or have them sup- 
ported with the goods which they brought at their first entrance into the said 
house, as far as they are able to do it, and, when distress is upon them, with 
clothes and other necessaries. 
“3.—Also, it is ordained that every day within the said hospital the master 
sing or say, if he be present, the canonical hours, or if he be lawfully hindered 
get them said by another. 
“4,— Also, it is ordained that the brothers and sisters do not behave in their 
rooms or in hidden places so as to rouse suspicion, or dwell together in one room 
unless they have been lawfully married before their admission, under a penalty 
to be inflicted by the master in proportion to their deserts. 
“5.—Also it is ordained that the master of the house of St. Nicholas receive 
no persons to be entertained within the hospital, except such as have added to 
the possessions of the said house, or given any great gift or present whereby the 
house can be better supported. 
“6.—Also, it is ordained that the master of the house of St. Nicholas, and 
his successors for ever, shall pay yearly to the brothers and sisters there serving 
God as alms each week seven shillings and sixpence for their commons. And 
also the said master shall find for the said brothers and sisters of the said house 
sixteen waggon loads of wood yearly to be taken from the wood of The Howe 
and one waggon load of coals each year. 
* Also, it is ordained that the master of the house of St. Nicholas shall find 
for the said brothers and sisters a barber and a washerwoman, and all the 
utensils necessary and convenient for the said brothers and sisters.” 
There are two or three obvious remarks to be made upon these 
statutes—which, by the way, are still in force, and by which the 
master is bound as well as the inmates. And yet so much are the 
times changed that I think they would be much astonished were I 
to propose to cut down their allowance to 7s. 6d. a week, and find 
a barber and washerwoman and the other toilet-necessaries ! 
1. The brothers and sisters are obviously by this time pensioners, 
without a thought of their ever having been anything else. But 
note that they are still described as ‘ the brothers and sisters there 
serving God”—the very words which had been applied to the 
nursing brothers and sisters. The question is, how long had they © 
been pensioners? Did Beauchamp make them such? or had they 
been such for an indefinite number of years previously? I confess 
to being strongly of opinion that Beauchamp made them pensioners : 
and took the hint from the one pensioner brother, appointed by the 
dean and chapter, who had always existed since 1261. As to their 
