A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



ecclesiastical discipline seems probable, for in April 1541 measures were 

 taken in the diocese of London to discover those who had failed to make the 

 usual confession to their parish curate during Lent." The Government 

 attitude towards religious observances at this time may be judged from the 

 injunctions to the clergy issued by Bonner in 1542." One article deals with 

 the habit of ' persons of naughty life ' of confessing to priests who had no 

 cure of souls ; henceforth no testimonials of confession issued by unbeneficed 

 clergy were to be accepted, and the delinquents were to be refused the 

 communion until they had made confession to their own curates. Other 

 clauses forbade privy contracts of marriage, and this must have formed the 

 basis of one of the articles in the diocesan visitation of the following year, 

 when two persons at Graveley were presented for having married ' de verbo.' " 

 The injunctions also provided that the marriage of persons previously married 

 should only be performed on the production of a certificate of the death of 

 the former spouse, and for the teaching of children ' to reade Englysshe.' 

 No plays or interludes were henceforth to be given in a chapel or other 

 place where the sacraments were administered, and information was to be 

 given to the bishop's official if any parishioners should enforce such games, 

 interludes or plays. The people were also warned against indulgence in 

 fleshly sins, against swearing and slandering, and ■• from talking and Jangelinge 

 in the churche specyally in the tyme of dyvine servyce.' This last fault 

 seems to have been not uncommon. In 1518— 19 the churchwardens of 

 Kimpton had actually complained at the visitation that many babies ' laugh, 

 cry and sing in church ' in service time," and in 1543 three men of Stevenage 

 were presented as common chatterers in church." Finally, the injunctions 

 declared that there was ' a detestable and abhomynable custume universally 

 Reynyng in your parysshes the younge people and other yll desposed personnes 

 dothe use upon the Sondayes and hollydayes in tyme of dyvine service and 

 preaching the worde of God to resorte unto Alehouses, and theyre exercyseth 

 unlawfull games with greate swearyng, blasphemye and drunkennes and other 

 enormyties.' Persons were not to be admitted to taverns at such seasons 

 nor ' to bouUing and drynking.' While the conduct of the laity was thus 

 passed in review, that of the clergy was also prescribed. Priests were not to 

 go in unseemly habit ' with unlawful tonsures, wearing armour and weapons,' 

 nor were they to play unlawful games or frequent alehouses with light 

 company. Every week the curate was to study a chapter of the New 

 Testament,^" and he was also to 'exercise himself in the 'Institutions of a 

 Christian Man.' The non-resident incumbent was required to procure royal 

 licence for plurality and non-residence, and no unlicensed priest might keep 

 the cure in his absence. 



The Government was having ample demonstration of the power of the 

 pulpit in London," and the regulations now laid down were particularly 

 stringent as to preaching. Every preacher must have royal or episcopal 

 licence. Twice a quarter curates were to declare what were the seven 

 deadly sins and the nature of the Ten Commandments, The injunctions 



S' Lond. Epis. Reg. Bonner, fol. 19. *^ Ibid. fol. 38 ; this is partially printed in Wilkins, Concilia, iii, 864. 



w Visit, of Archd. of Huntingdon, 1543 (Line. Epis. Reg.). 



•8 Atwater's Visit. 15 18-19 (Line. Epis. Reg.). 



89 \isit. of Archd. of Huntingdon, 1543 (Line. Epis. Reg.). '<" cf. below, p. 323. 



" See F.C.H. London, i, 283, &c. 



312 



