OP MONASTERIES, &C. 131 



in Gaul. His funeral is said to have been attended 

 by two thousand monks. From Gaul, this nionas- 



Preceptories, were manors, or estates, of Knights 

 Templars ; where erecting charches f<;r the seivice of 

 God, and convenient houses, they placed someof their fra- 

 ternity under the government of one of those more eminent 

 Templars, who had been, by the grard master, created 

 'preceptores templi,' to take care of the lands and rents 

 in th* place and neighbourhood ; and so were only cells 

 to the principal house in London. 



Commanderies, were the same amongst the Knights 

 hospitallers, as preceptories were amongst the Templars; 

 Socisties of these knights were placed upon some of their 

 estates in the country, under the government of a com- 

 mander, who was allowed proper maintenance put of the 

 revenues under their care; and accounted for the rest to 

 the grand prior at London., 



Hospitals, were houses for the relief of the poor and 

 impotent, in which were generally two or three religious ; 

 one to be master, or prior, and one or two to be chaplains 

 aad confessors. They observed the rules of St. Austin, 

 and were incorporated by royal patents, and were made 

 capable of gifts and grants iu succession. 



Friaries, were houses erected for the habitation of 

 Friars. They were Tory seldom endowed, the Friars 

 being by their profession, mendicants, and to have no 

 property: yet many of them were large and stately 

 buildings, and had noble churches, in which many great 

 persons chose to be buried. 



Hermitages, were religious cells, erected in private 

 and solitary places, for single persons or communities. 

 They were endowed, and sometimes annexed to large 

 religious houses. The hermits of cells not endowed, 

 are spoken of as common beggars. 



Chantries, were endowments of lands and other revenues, 

 for one or more priests to say daily mass, for the souls of 

 the founder, and his relations and benefactors; sometimes 

 at a particular altar, and often in little chapels, added to 

 the cathedral and parochial churches, for that purpose. 



Free Chapels, were places of religious worship, exempt 

 from all jurisdiction of the ordinary, except that the 



