MUGIIELNEY ABBEY. 103 



honestas ab hac hora in antea honesti' obseruet', nc de 

 p'sona v'ra obloquens suspicio vbilibet deleat', vobis in 

 virtute sancte obedi'e ac sub pena Status v'ri firmiter iniun- 

 gendo niandam', qua'ti' a locis illis campestrib' ignominioso 

 fetore suspicionis sinistre non carentib' ad monasteriu' 

 v'r'm suavissi'e contemplacionis florib' redolens & amenu' 

 visis presentib' reu'tamini, infra decendiu' a temp'e recep- 

 cionis p'senciu', absq' mora inibi p'ut teneinini de cetero 

 residentes. Vt conf'r'ra v'ror' insolencias, de quib' hijs 

 diebus laborat in partibus plus solito pu ca vox & fama, 

 amodo purificet integritas vite v're ; ac mor' v'ror' maturi- 

 tas tanq' luc'na sup' candelabru' posita taliter de cetero 

 fulgeat & clarescat, vt lux v'ra cora' ho'ib' clare lucens tarn 

 verbo q'ni op'e honestioris conuersaco'is exemplum eisd'm 

 v'ris conf 'rib' vndiq' subministret : ne forsitan in futuru' 

 al' cont' vos hijs n'ris l'ris amicabilit' premunitos, v'ris 

 culpa & mora p'cedentib', nob' det' occasio seuei'i' p'cedendi. 

 In d'no valeat'. Sc'pt' &c." * 



Translated, it may stand in English as follows : 

 " A letter of the Lord Bishop of Bath, addressed to the 

 Lord Abbat of Muchelney, of his diocese, too long absent- 

 ing himself from his monastery, commanding hini to 

 return, and there reside, &c. 



" Dearest friend, — He is deservedly named a good shep- 

 herd and father Abbat whose meritorious work really exhi- 

 bits itself conformable to so great a name. Nor do we hold 

 him to be deservedly elevated to the summit of paternal or 

 pastoral honour,who, neglecting the government of the flock 

 committed to him, or forgetfully winking at the discipline 

 of his sons in Christ, forsaking his own eure and at his 

 fancy roving out of the way, lurks afar off in secret, 

 •where neither the grave face of a correcting father can 



* MSS. Mar?. 431, f. 31. 

 VOL. VIII., 1858, PART II. O 



