RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



eighteen persons, $d. a week each for victuals, 

 and 6s. a year each for clothing. From the 

 entries already cited in the registers of Orlton 

 and Wykeham, it would seem that four of 

 these portions were allotted to the master, and 

 that would reduce the other inmates to four- 

 teen, or seven of each sex. It is quite clear 

 from this and other documents that the epis- 

 copal founder of this house originally designed 

 it for eighteen inmates, nine of each sex, and 

 that by the fourteenth century a reduction to 

 fourteen, in addition to the master, had been 

 accomplished. 1 The sum from St. Swithun's 

 was assigned to ten persons, 3^. a week for 

 each, namely three farthings on Sunday and 

 on three week days, and nothing for clothing 

 unless the convent, for love of God, gave 

 them some old clothes. It would seem as if 

 this pension, when originally granted, was 

 intended for the partial relief of ten persons 

 outside the bishop's eighteen. From the 

 same source were supplied four flitches of 

 bacon, namely one on each of the eves of 

 Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Easter and 

 Pentecost. The money from the bailiffs and 

 from Hyde Abbey was for the general sup- 

 port of the brethren and sisters. There were 

 also for the support of the house 14 acres of 

 land, and pasturage for 101 sheep in the 

 pasture of St. Swithun. The oblations 

 received at the chapel on the festival of St. 

 Mary Magdalen were reserved for the repairs 

 of the house and the walls, save 13*. 4^., 

 which was assigned for the reaping and carry- 

 ing of their corn. Offerings made at other 

 times were divided equally among the inmates. 

 The warden's stipend is named as consisting 

 of four of the greater portions, that is of those 

 provided from the Wolvesey bequest, and 

 came to 5 15*. 4^. 



The ornaments of the chapel included in 

 addition to chalices, crosses, vestments, etc., a 

 rochet for (the image of) Magdalen ; an old 

 missal ; a new one worth ioos., the gift of 

 William Basinge, a former master ; a great 

 noted portifer, worth 6oj. ; two old anti- 

 phonars ; a legendary of the saints ; a calendar 

 (tempcraF) ; three psalters ; a collectary ; a 

 hymnary ; a manual and three graduals ; a 

 green carpet powdered with birds and roses ; 

 and five banners for carrying at Rogation-tide. 

 The inventory of the brass and pewter in the 

 domestic buildings mentions six houses, besides 

 the master's house. 



1 It is not a little curious that Wavell, Milner 

 and Woodward (as well as, of course, their mere 

 copyists) all went wrong about the numbers, and 

 have assumed that the total of poor inmates was 

 nine instead of eighteen. 



The visitor, according to the list of ques- 

 tions, was to inquire if the chaplain (master) 

 duly celebrated and said the canonical hours ; 

 if he lived chastely and soberly and visited the 

 sick and punished delinquents ; if he wasted 

 the hospital's substance, or allowed any 

 destructions of houses or trees ; and if he 

 reproved evil livers ; whether husbands and 

 wives were cohabiting in the hospital or had 

 a house there ; if the clerk served the church 

 and chaplain with due obedience ; whether 

 there were any living in common, or in 

 separate houses using their portion in any bad 

 or extravagant way ; if there was any one 

 disobedient, or quarrelsome, or wandering 

 contrary to the statutes ; whether the goods 

 of a deceased inmate went to the works of the 

 church after the payment of debts ; whether 

 any one was unwilling to submit to the justice 

 and discipline of the master ; whether any 

 brother or sister was not living in Christian 

 peace ; and finally whether any one entered 

 into the house save through the treasurer of 

 Wolvesey. 



It seems highly probable, as the rest of this 

 MS. book pertains to Wykeham, that these are 

 the very list of questions drawn up for the 

 guidance of his commissaries in 1400. From 

 a study of them it seems obvious that there 

 were at that time six houses, in addition to 

 the master's house, in which lived those in- 

 mates who drew major portions, as well as 

 others, namely the ten provided for by the St. 

 Swithun's pension, who lived in a common 

 hall and dorter. 



The exact issue of Wykeham's inquiry and 

 correction cannot be now ascertained ; but it 

 is fair to assume that the condition of the 

 hospital was materially improved, otherwise 

 he would scarcely have made the hospital a 

 bequest in his will, which was drawn up 

 about two and a half years after the inquiry 

 had been held. 



Among testamentary bequests to this hos- 

 pital may be mentioned 6s. 8d. in 1420, by 

 John Fromond, steward of Winchester Col- 

 lege under Wykeham, the words of whose 

 will are : Lego ad distribuendum inter leprous 

 B. Marie Magdalene, Wynton? This need 

 not however be taken to prove that the 

 brothers and sisters were all, or even any of 

 them, lepers. Like many another hospital 

 founded for the relief of lepers, as the disease 

 disappeared the inmates were selected from 

 other poor and impotent folk. 3 The Valor 



2 Arch. 'Journal, xvi. 170. 



3 Hist, of Winchester (i/73) " '77- Th e 

 two small volumes under this title were published 

 anonymously, but they are known to have been 



199 



