TAUNTON TRIORY. 109 



to enter further into their horror. The Iieart slckens 

 wlille tlie blood boils at the imaginatlon of tlie scene. 

 Such, doubtless, were the last hours of Taunton Priory. 

 The pittances which were ordered for each of the Com- 

 munity are stated in a Pension Book, still existing among 

 the documents of the Augmentation Office. The very 

 grant of these pensions may be accepted as positive proof 

 that the vices charged against the inmates of the Eeligious 

 Houses were not only most grossly exaggerated, but were 

 known by their accusers to be mere fabrications. Had the 

 sufFerers been really guilty, populär opinion would have 

 allowed them to be sent adrift, evcn without this miserable 

 concession to the known excellence of their lives and 

 characters. 



The entry referred to is as follows : — 

 "Tawneton. — Herafter ensuyth the namys of the late 

 p'or and Covente of Tawneton in the countie 

 of Som's' with the annuall pencons assigned 

 vnto them by vertue of the Kinges highnes 

 com'ission, the xij daye of iFebruary in the 

 xxx'' yere of the reigne of o'' sou'eigne 

 Lorde Kynge henry the viij'^ the fürst pay- 

 ment of the saide pencons & eu'ry of them 

 to begynne at the fFeaste of th' annunciacon 

 of o"" blessid lady next comyng for one hälfe 

 yere, & so to be paide from hälfe yere to 

 hälfe yere durynge ther lyffes — 



that is to saye, 

 Will'm Will'ms p'or . . Ix" 



Will'm Gregory . . x*' 



Will'm Baylye . . vj'' xiij^ iiij^ 



Nicholas Berame . . vj" 



