ANTIQUITIES. 



911 



any other foreign prince or person. 

 And, nevertheless, let it be enjoined 

 to them, that they shall not promise 

 or give such oath or profession to 

 any such foreign potentate hereafter. 

 And if the stauites of the said order 

 religions, or place, s:^em to bind them 

 to obedience or subjection, or any 

 other recognizance of superiority to 

 the said bishop of Rome, or to any 

 other foreign power, potentate, per- 

 son, or place, by any ways, such 

 statutes by the king's grace's visi- 

 tors be utterly annihilate, broken, 

 and declared void and of none effect; 

 and that they be in no case boiinden 

 or obligate to the same ; and such 

 I statutes to be forthw ith utterly put 

 forth and abolished out of the books 

 ormuniipents of that religion, order, 

 or place, by the president and his 

 brethren. , 



Also, that no monk or brother of 

 this i}ionaslerv by any means go forth 

 of the precinct of the same. 



Also, that women, of what state 

 or degree soever they be, be utterly 

 ex«cluded from entering into the li- 

 mits or circuit of this monastery or 

 place, unless they first obtain li- 

 cence of the king's highness, or his 

 visitor. 



Also, that there be no entering 

 into this monastery but one, and that 

 by the great fore-gate of the same, 

 which diligently shall be watched 

 and kept by some porter, specially 

 Appointed for that purpose, and 

 shall be shut and opened by the 

 same, both day and night, at con- 

 venient and accustomed hours; 

 which porter shall repel all manner 

 of women from entrance into the 

 said monastery. 



Also, that all and singular bre- 

 thren and monks of this monastery 

 take their refections altogether, in 

 a place called thu Misericorde, such 



days as they eat flesh, and all other 

 days in their refectory : and that at 

 every mess there sit four of them, 

 not of duty demanding to tiR-m any 

 certain, usual, or accustomed duty 

 or portion of meat, as they were 

 wont to do ; but that they be con- 

 tent with such victuals as is set be- 

 fore them, and there take their re- 

 fections soberly, without excess, 

 with giving due thanks to God ,• and 

 that at every such refection, some 

 chapter of the New Testament, or 

 Old, by some of the said brethren, 

 be read and recited to the other, 

 keeping.silence and giving audience 

 to the same. 



Also, that the abbot and presi- 

 dent do daily prepare one table for 

 himself and his guests thither resort- 

 ing, and that not over-sumptuous, 

 and full of delicate and strange dish- 

 es, but honestly furnished with com- 

 mon meats : at which table the said 

 abbot, or some senior in his stead, 

 shall sit to receive and gently enter- 

 tain the strangers, the guests. 



Also, that none of the brethren 

 send any part of his meat, or the 

 leavings thereof, to any person ; 

 but that there be assigned an almo- 

 ner, which shall gather the leavings, 

 both of the covent and strangers 

 tables, after that the servants of Hie 

 house have had their convenient re- 

 fections, and distribute the same to 

 poor people ; among whom special 

 consideration be had of such, before 

 other, as be kinsfolk to any of the 

 said brethren, if they have like pow- 

 er and debility as other bo ; and 

 also of those which endeavour them- 

 selves, with all their will and labout^ 

 to get their living with their hands, 

 yet cannot fully help themselves, 

 for their chargeable houshold and 

 multitude of children : yet let not 

 them be so cherishpd, that they shall 



leave 



