THE MONKS OF MARMOUTIER. 
76 
possessions began to dwindle from manifold causes. They 
had to send money to Rome, they had to make annual pay¬ 
ments to the parent Abbey at Marmoutier, frequent calls were 
made upon them to carry on the wars with Scotland, with 
France, and w r ith English rebels ; in the time of a quarrel with 
France the Priory was invariably seized by the king, who 
would appoint a guardian for the time being, and then when it 
was restored to the Prior it was often on condition of an annual 
payment being made to the Exchequer; on one or two 
occasions they had to contribute pretty freely to the expenses 
connected with royal marriages; and waste was sometimes 
caused by misrule and extravagance. Frequent journeys were 
made by some of the Priors “ beyond seas,” and sometimes, in 
the long absences, the monastic emoluments suffered con¬ 
siderably. Then, naturally, 'Holy Trinity was occasionally 
placed in a very unenviable position when we were at war 
with France ; and the unpopularity of a Priory belonging to 
an abbey in the enemy’s country, and sending supplies across 
the Channel, would not help to mitigate their pecuniary 
embarrassments. 
In the year 1258, there was- considerable disturbance at the 
Priory. For some reason or other a number of men had made 
an assault upon the House, doing great damage, breaking into 
the Priory, carrying off the doors and windows, and abusing 
the monks. It looks as if it were because of some temporary 
unpopularity of the Monastery. A trial ensued which lasted 5 
vears, but what was the issue we do not know. The disturb- 
ance may have been caused by the fact that at this time there 
was friction in the Priory itself, rival Priors claiming to rule. 
Some were appointed by the Abbot of Marmoutier, and others 
were irregularly appointed, being backed by the King, and by 
the Archbishop of York, who would naturally be glad to be 
called upon to exercise jurisdiction over this Alien House, 
which must have been something of a thorn in his side. 
This was the first quarrel with Marmoutier, but it was by 
no means the last, and the unrest and unpopularity caused 
from time to time by the fact that Holy Trinity was an alien 
House must have contributed towards the impoverishment of 
the Priory. In the year 1292, however, notwithstanding the 
