26 CHARTER OF PRIVILEGES. 



note, and the King's visits there seem to favour the Cornish 

 Mount : and as we learn from Dr. Oliver's Monasticon Exon : 

 that in 1135 a Church, then newly erected there, was consecrated 

 by Ware! wast, Bishop of Exeter, and an establishment of 13 

 brethen settled there shortly afterwards, with the approval of that 

 prelate, there was some reason for their obtaining through Becket, 

 (who was all-powerful with the King until his rupture with him 

 in 1163) the valuable privileges of the Charter, for their enlarged 

 establishment. On the other hand, Kobert de Torigny, who was 

 elected abbot of the Norman Mount in the very year that Henry 

 II came to the throne, is said to have been " a great favourite 

 with the King," and an " excellent scholar and encourager of 

 learning, and to him the abbey and convent were indebted," as 

 Dr. Oliver says "for the preservation of their most valuable 

 Charters and MSS." (Mon : Exon : fol. 30). Further, Mortain 

 being very near the Norman Mount, it would be reasonable to 

 suppose that Henry, who was frequently in Normandy, might 

 choose that place for seaUng a Charter to the favoured abbot of 

 the neighbouring Monastery. 



I had hoped that some Hght might be thrown upon the 

 question, by tracing the history of the document itself, but I have 

 searched in vain for a clue. When I first became aware of its 

 existence, it was in the same box with the earliest deeds of Car- 

 minow and Penrose Manors, and was wrapt in a small covering of 

 paper indorsed by my father " ancient deed," from which I infer 

 that he was ignorant of its contents. How it came there I know 

 not, nor how long it has been at Penrose. 



It might possibly have been presented to my father, as I 

 thought, by M. De Gerville, the late eminent antiquary of Nor- 

 mandy, with whom he corresponded for many years. I have 

 searched through a file of M. De Gerville's letters, but find no 

 trace of it, nor do I suppose that, if M. De G. had chosen to 

 part with a document connected with the history of Normandy, so 

 indefinite a memorandum of it would have been found upon its 

 cover. 



Indeed the determination of the question between the two 

 Monasteries depends upon the letter in the jAace of date to which 

 reference has been made ; and upon the best information that I 

 can obtain, it seems most probable that the Charter was sealed at 



