MONASTIC GARDENING 19 



When such decorating of churches was considered unlawful 

 after the Reformation, these gardens would naturally fall into 

 disuse, even where the lands they covered were not at once 

 appropriated for other purposes. 



In 1618 James I. set forth a declaration permitting certain 

 " lawfull recreations . . . after divine service,^ and allowed 

 that women should have leave to carry rushes to the church for 

 the decoring of it according to their old custome." These 

 rushes may have been simply for the floor, and not for the 

 altar or walls, as, for example, when in 1580 churchwardens at 

 Wing, in Buckinghamshire, spent id. for " one burden of roshes 

 to strewe the church howse agaynst the comyssyoners sate 

 there."^ In the vestry book of the Parish of St. Nicholas, 

 Durham, 1665-1703, there are several entries of the purchase of 

 rushes for the floor as well as for birch for decorating. " For 

 Birkes for the church at Whitsontide, is. 8d. To Lancelot 

 Dunn for the pewes of the church dressing, and for rashes laying 

 in every pew the 21st of July 1670. 8s."^ 



Coles, writing as late as 1656, says : " It is not very long since 

 the custome of seting up garlands in churches hath been left off 

 with us : and in some places setting up of holly, ivy, rosemary, 

 bayes, yew, &c., in churches at Christmas, is still in use."^ 

 This, however, is looking too far ahead, and at the time we are 

 considering, the monks within the quiet cloister, week by week 

 and year by year, supplied the best flowers their skill and 

 knowledge could produce to adorn their churches and chapels. 



But to return to the consideration of the department of the 

 gardinarius. He had more than the garden under his care, for 

 his jurisdiction extended over both the orchard and vineyard. 



The orchard, or " pomerium," suppUed not only apples and 

 pears for eating and cooking, but apples for cider also. Large 

 quantities of cider were made each year, except when in an 

 unusually bad season the apple crop failed. This was the case 

 in 1352, when the Almoner at Winchester made the following 

 note in his accounts, " Et de ciserat nihil quia non fuerunt 



^ Fuller, Church History, London, 1655, Book X., p. 74. 



^ Archcsologia, vol. xxxvi., p. 238. 



' Durham Parish Books, Surtees Society. 



* The Art of Simpling, by W. Coles, 1656. 



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