MUCHELNEY ABBEY. 95 



to ignominious flight, by the servants of the Bishop of 

 Winchester, for opposing the presentation of a favourcd 

 ecclesiastic to the Hospital of S. Thomas, in Southwark. 

 The unhappy official, after suffering some further indig- 

 nities, was driven away like a criminal, heartily rejoiced 

 that he had escaped from their crooked and hooked Lands, 

 " quod manus aduncas et hamatas evasisset," and without 

 ever daring to look behind bim, lest be should suffer the 

 doom of Lot's wife. Although an old man, he flew away 

 like a bird, "licet senex avolavit," to Waverley Abbey, 

 causing no little wonderment to the good monks that wel- 

 comed bim there, and not able to draw breath freely tili 

 some comfort had been administered to bim ! * 



It is probable that for some time subsequent to the chap- 

 ter to which I have referred, other chapters and the Visita- 

 tions which they decreed were holden at regulär intervals. 

 But I see no reason to suppose that this State of things was 

 of long continuance ; for in the episcopal registers mention 

 is made of Visitations being ordered in the instance of par- 

 ticular Houses, which would not seem to harmonize with the 

 fact of such examinations being general. For example, and 

 that strictly connected with our present locality, there is, 

 in Harl. BIS. 6964, p. 28, being extracts from the register 

 of Bishop John de Drokensford, previously quoted, the fol- 

 lowing entry : — 



" 6 Id. Jul. 1315. Commissio facta mag'ris Tho'e de Di- 

 litone, S. T. D. & Ric'o de Forde, juris canon. professori, 

 ad visitand. Abbatiam de Mochelney et conv." 



This would hardly have been the case if such investiga- 

 tions had been of periodical and regulär occurrence. 



The Benedictine Articles of Visitation which have come 

 down to us may be allowed to be not a little inquisitorial, 

 * Matt. Paris, sub ann. 1252, ed. Wats, fol., Lond., 1684, p. 739. 



VOL. VIII., 1858, PART II. N 



