MONASTIC aARDEXIXG. 15 



Receiver's account (a.d. 1334J as well as charges for mowing 

 the Almoner's garden, and besides these the 'bustos operum " 

 defrayed the expenses of a garden called " Le Joye." The 

 Infirniarian's garden was usually an important one, as in it he 

 grew healing herbs for the sick of the monastery, and for con- 

 venience this plot was, as a rule, placed near the infirmary or 

 hospital. 



In all countries, heathen and Christian, and in all ages, 

 flowers have pla3-ed an important part in ceremonies, such as 

 funeral rites and marriage feasts. England in the Middle 

 Ages was no exception ; and the use of flowers in the services 

 of the Church, in crowning the priests, wreathing candles, or 

 adorning shrines, was very general. 



The gardens within the monastery w^alls for providing these 

 flowers were under the care of the Sacristan. At Abingdon, he 

 paid the gardinarius four bushels of corn for the rent of his 

 garden."^ At Norwich, the Sacristan seems to have had more 

 than one garden, as a very cursory glance at the MS. accounts 

 of that office shows the names of both "St. Mary's" and the 

 "green garden." t There was a " gardina Sacristas " at Win- 

 chester as early as the ninth century, + and to this day a piece 

 of ground on the east side of the north transept of the cathedral 

 bears the name of " Paradise," and marks the site of the 

 Sacrist's garden. The fifteenth century doorway, which w^as 

 the entrance to the enclosure, is still standing. 



Such a garden as this is referred to when the Abbot of Ramsey, 

 between 1114-1130, had to come to some agreement about certain 

 pieces of land in London w^hich adjoined the property of the 

 Priory of the H0I3" Trinity ; and the Prior consented § "to give 



* Abingdon Accounts. R. E. G. Kirk : 

 1388-9, et de iiij hussellis frumenti de Sacrista pro orto suo, nicliil hie in 

 denarijs quise recipuntur in sua specie ut patet extra. 



f Sacrist Account, MS. Norwich : 

 143 1. " In weeding in the garden of St. Mary, 2s." 

 1428. " For weeding in the ' green garden.' " 



1489. " Received for the trunk of a pear-tree blown down by the wind, iid." 

 Gardener's account, 1472. " For farm of the garden of the Sacrist, 2s." 



X Wharton, Anglia Sacra. Part I., p. 209. 



§ Cartulariitm Moiiasterii de Rai)icsia. Vol. I., p. 133. 



