OF SELBORNE. 467 



holy vestments, and books of religious houses, are forbidden 

 by canonical institutes to be pledged or lent out upon pawn ; 

 yet, as the visitor finds this to be the case in his several 

 visitations, he therefore strictly enjoins the prior forthwith 

 to recall those pledges, and to restore them to the convent ; 

 and orders that all the papers and title deeds thereto 

 belonging should be safely deposited, and kept under throe 

 locks and keys. 



[Item 34th. That as religious men ought continually to 

 be advancing in holiness, he enjoins them when they have 

 performed the observances of their order and regular disci- 

 pline, to frequent the cloisters for the reading of the holy 

 scriptures and for devout contemplation.] 



[Item 35th. A special injunction to the prior, exempli- 

 fying the hospitality that prevailed in monastic establish- 

 ments. That when any relation of any of the canons should 

 come on a visit to him, his reception should be liberal 

 according to his condition : suggesting, however, that the 

 brethren should avoid being overburthensome to the Priory 

 in such matters.] 



[Item 36th. It avails but little to make laws unless atten- 

 tion is paid to their execution. In order that they may by 

 frequent hearing be impressed on the most treacherous 

 memories, and that no one may pretend ignorance of them ; 

 enjoins and orders that these injunctions and the before- 

 mentioned decrees shall be written in a volume, and all and 

 singular of them be read fully in the province of the whole 

 convent twice in every year. Eequires observance of all 

 of them under penalties. Finally, reserves to himself the 

 power of altering in any way either the injunctions or the 

 penalties.] 



In the course of the Yisitatio Notabilis the constitutions 

 of Legate Ottobonus are frequently referred to. Ottobonus 

 was afterwards Pope Adrian Y. and died in 1276. His 



the other the communion-cloth soiled with cabbage and the greasy 

 drippings of a gammon of bacon. The good dame at the great farm- 

 house, who was to furnish the cloth, being a notable woman, thought it 

 best to save her clean linen, and so sent a foul cloth that had covered 

 her own table for two or three Sundays before. G. W 



