A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



summoned the men of the St. Albans juris- 

 diction outside the liberty, and imposed a fine 

 of ;^ioo for non-attendance, but the abbot 

 brought his cause before the King's Council and 

 the judgement was reversed.*^ The point at issue 

 between the abbot and the Bishop of Durham 

 in 1248 and 1256-8 ^^ seems to have been of this 

 kind. Archbishop Boniface in 1258 had to be 

 reminded that the abbey was not subject to 

 Lincoln.^ 



Of the convent at this time little but praise 

 is recorded. The choice in 1247 of one of the 

 monks, the celebrated Matthew Paris, to reform 

 and instruct in the Benedictine rule the monas- 

 tery of St. Benet Holm, Norway,** is testimony 

 of the widespread relations and high reputation 

 of St. Albans.*^ 



At the end of October 1 25 1 a visitation of the 

 abbey was made by the Prior of Hurley and the 

 Sub-prior of St. Augustine's, Canterbury, who, 

 after a careful inquiry lasting four days, found 

 nothing amiss.** The replies of the abbot and 

 convent on the subject of the reformed Bene- 

 dictine statutes in 1253 give the same good 

 impression.*' 



Artistic and literary activity here was at its 

 highest point in the abbacies of William de 

 Trumpington and John de Hertford. Walter 

 de Colchester died in 1248,** but seems to have 

 had a worthy successor in his nephew Richard 

 the Painter,*' who in 1250 already had a long 



*i Gesta Abbat. i, 338-46. After a gift of ^^loo 

 to Earl Richard. 



*^ Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. v, I 1-12 ; vi, 327-30, 

 379-80. 



^ During the vacancy of that see he tried to 

 celebrate orders at St. Albans (ibid, v, 718-19). 



** Matt. Paris, Chron. MaJ. v, 42-5. 



*' The monks of St. Benet's asked for Matthew 

 because he was a monk of the best regulated house in 

 England and a great friend of their king's. 



*^ Ibid. 258-9. It is remarked, however, that 

 the abbot did not keep a promise made just before 

 the visitation that he would restore the pittances of 

 the sick converted by his predecessor to his own use, 

 and would remit his allowance and pittances unless 

 he dined in the refectory or oriel. 



^" Ibid, vi, 235-47. They observed the rules as to 

 attendance at services, general confession, communi- 

 cating and silence, the disposal of offices, care of the 

 sick, that requiring the abbot and prior to remain in 

 the cloister with the brothers and to be present at 

 service, chapter and collation, those prohibiting monks 

 to have property and to go out as they pleased, and 

 the abbot to give the church's property to his kinsfolk, 

 those also forbidding the diverting of alms and the 

 giving of leave to monks to talk alone with women ; 

 they observed too the rules regarding dress, a common 

 table, borrowing and rendering of accounts, with im- 

 material modifications, and that concerning novices 

 with the addition that profession was allowed within 

 the term of probation. 



«* Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. vi, 278. 



*3 Gesta Abbat. i, 233. 



list of works to his credit.'" Master Simon, 

 Richard's father," also painted at St. Albans, 

 and there is mention of another painter here, 

 Alan, a lay brother.*" 



The house was strong on the literary side 

 during this period. Roger of Wendover, the 

 Prior of Belvoir recalled to the abbey by Abbot 

 William, '^ found there occupation better suited 

 to his gifts in the compilation of a chronicle." 

 When he died in 1 236 his place as historiographer 

 was taken by Matthew Paris, who continued the 

 Chronica Majora and wrote also the Historia 

 Jnglorum. Matthew was the author too of the 

 Vitae Abbatum S. Albatii and several other 

 works. '^ 



To a man endowed with the faculty to observe 

 and record, life at St. Albans afforded great 

 opportunities. Visitors of all kinds came to the 

 abbey, mendicant friars, for whom special 

 quarters were set apart,** strangers from the 

 East,*' princes and kings,** some to remain a 

 night or two, others, like the dispossessed 

 Bishop of Ardfert, to stay for years.** 



Abbot John's principal work in building, it 

 may be noted, was a beautiful guest-hall,^*'' and 

 he devoted the revenues of Hartburn Church 

 to the increase of hospitality ,1 in the exercise of 



^ Matt. Paris, CAron. Maj. vi, 202. In Abbot 

 Roger de Norton's time he was warden of the altar 

 of St. Amphibalus (Cott. MS. Jul. D iii, fol. 27). 



" He was Walter's disciple or pupil {Gesta Abbat. 

 i, 233). It is improbable, however, that he was one 

 of the convent {Arch. Iviii, 280). 



*2 He died in 1245 {Chron. Maj. vi, 277). 



" See above. 



** He continued a work begun in the time of 

 Abbot Simon or John de Cella (Hardy, Descriptive 

 Cat. of Hist. Materials [Rolls Ser.], iii, Introd. p. xxxiv ; 

 Luard, Chron. Maj. i, Introd. p. Ixxvi). The latter 

 believed John de Cella to be the author of the earliest 

 compilation (op. cit. ii, p. ix). 



*' Hardy, op. cit. iii, pp. xlvii-xlviii. 



*' Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. iv, 600. 



" The Archbishop of Greater Armenia in 1228 

 (ibid, iii, 161) and Armenians again in 1252 (ibid. 

 V, 340-1). Other interesting visitors were the chap- 

 lain of the Emperor Baldwin (ibid, iii, 80-1) and 

 the English monk from the valley of Jehosaphat, who 

 came to sell relics {Gesta Abbat. i, 291). 



^* Henry III came several times, twice in 1 244 

 {Chron. Maj. iv, 358, 402), in 1251 (ibid, v, 257), 

 1252 (ibid. 319), 1255, 1256, 1257 (ibid. 489, 

 574, 617) and 1259 {Flor. Hist. [Rolls Ser. 95], i!, 

 431), and made many offerings, especially of silk 

 hangings (C/^run. Maj. vi, 3 89), to the church. Visits 

 are recorded of the Earl of Cornwall (ibid, iv, 43), 

 Queen Eleanor (ibid, v, 653), and the King and 

 Queen of Scotland {Flor. Hist, ii, 459). 



** Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. iv, 501-2. The prior 

 and some monks of Coventry received hospitality 

 here for over a year (ibid, iv, 17 1-2), and Richard 

 Bishop of Bangor came in 1248, intending to stay 

 for some time (ibid, v, 2). 



^^ Gesta Abbat. \,-i,\ if. MbiJ. 321. 



82 



