be ledde in to the quoyre, and in theyr departyng and goyng, syng: Regnum mundi et omnem ornatum sæculi contempsi, propter amorem Domini mei Jesu Christi. Quem vidi, quem amavi, in quem credidi, quem dilexi. V. Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum: dico ego opera mea regi. Quem. And frome thensforth they must contynue. iij. days in extreme silence: noo worde to any person spekyng. And every oone of those thre dayes every of thyes newe professed virgyns, muste at the hye masse offre brede and wyne and also after masse be communed and howseld. And noo parte of theyr vestures, garmentys, or clothes, change or put of, day nother nyght: theyr choes, sokkys, and guyrdles oonly excepte: but contynually both day and nyght, excepte oonly the howres of refection, intende to the servyce of oure Lorde Christe Jesu, theyr spouse and avowrye: and that in lawdes and songs spirituall: and yet more in devotion of mynde and herte, then in thexquisite modulacion of theyr toyne and voyce. And all howres in the quoyre they must thes. iij. dayes stande in the lowghest place. And the thryd day shall be song masse of the resurrection, and before that they receave the blessyd sacrament, whyles that the, Agnus Dei, is a syngyng, they shalbe broght unto the abbasse. And she shall kysse them oone after an other. And then shall they retorne agayne unto the aulter and be howselde. When that is doon, then shall the abbasse lyfte up theyr veyles fromme theyr faces. And fromme that tyme forthe, they shall were and goo and cumme as other of the convent doth. Excepte that syxe dayes after thys, they muste kepe and observe moste strayghte silence. And the sexte day, when all the convent be in the chapitre, the abbasse there before them all, shall calle the newe professed mynchyns unto hyr, and commaunde them standyng before hyr to say, Benedicite. And fromme that tyme forthe she shall gyffe them licence to goo and cumme: and also to speke when nede shall requyre, after the custume of the place approvyde.25 . ¶. And over all thies, they may and muste observe both thys day of theyr profession and that others foloweng many other religyose cerimonyes and governancys after the custume of theyr places, soo that they be not contrary to the rewle or the lawe of holy churche, ne to goode maners, neyther to thies premisses. 25 Here I may add a form of consent to accept the office of Abbess, as entered in the register of Bishop Lacy, of Exeter. "I suster Johan Arundell, mynchyn of the monastery of Synt John the Apostell and Evangeliste, and Etheldrede the virgyn of Canonleigh and the order of Seynt Austeyn in the diocesis of Excet, order and rule of the holy Fader Seynt Austyn in the saide monastery expresse professid, yn lafull age ysette, electe yn abbasse of the said monastery, and ofte with instaunce and grete requeste yn the party of my susteryn and mynchyns of the saide monastery requirid that to the election of ham of me I made that I scholde yeve my consente, I the forsaide Johan willyng not to withstande ne contradie the will of Almyghty Godde, to the worshipp of the blessed Trinite, Fader, Sone, and Holy Gost, also to the worshipp of Seynt Johan Apostell and Evangeliste, and Seynt Etheldrede the holy virgyn, yn whos namys and worshypp oure conventuale churche abovesaide is worthily and holily is halwid, beyng yet yune the tyme of laws, as I am enformed, to yeve my consent aforesaide to the foresaide eleccyon by my susteris abovesaide of me made, I consente by this present wrytyng." A. D. 1449. Oliver. Monast. Exon. P. 225. Defensorium Directorii ad usum Sarum. HE "Defensorium Directorii" is a short tract which follows the Ordinal of the Church of Salisbury in the printed editions. I do not suppose that it will be so interesting to many readers as, I trust, much of the other matter which has preceded it in these volumes. But, independently of its extreme rarity, there is not a little in it which will repay an attentive examination. Allusions to contemporary practice and ritual observances: corrections and explanations of erroneous and doubtful rubrics in the Breviary and the Missal: the proofs which it affords of the extensive reception in England of the Use of Sarum, and the limitations which nevertheless were admitted in Churches by which that Use had been adopted: these, and much more, will furnish, I doubt not, ample reason with those who wish to enquire more exactly into the History of the Ancient Rituals and Services of the Church of England, why I have now edited the "Defensorium." I have taken the text of the (probably) first edition of the "Defensorium:" in the Ordinale or Directorium ad usum Sarum, printed at Antwerp by Gerard Leeu, 1488, 8vo. (In my possession.) This agrees, except a few verbal and unimportant variations, with the edition, undated, by Caxton: of which a copy is in the Library of the British Museum, and another in the Bodleian. |