County: Kent
Code: L5900
Reference: Cambridge University Library, Add. 6845
Function: Ordinance
[fol. 15r][line 16]Discrete ordynaunceȝ of seynt laurencis . besyde Cannterbery
Thys is the ordinaunce & the custume . whych is nyed-
ful þat euery [addition: man &] womman þat is oþer schal be [addition: mad brother
other] sustyr at þe hows of Seynt laurens . knawe and
do þeraftyr . ¶ For the ooth is þis þt is y-maad whanne
a [addition: man other] a womman schal be maad [addition: brother] oþer sostyr
at þe same place The ferste ooth is þis ; who þet
be þeer sostyr ; [addition: hy] schulle swer~ at þe cherche
dor~ þat hy sculle kepe hen chaast yn her~ body . also
longe as hy dwellyth at þat same place ¶ Also þt hy
schullyþ be obedyent & buxam to the abbot of seynt Austyns
& to oþere abbottes þt comyþ after hym in alle thyngges þt be-longgyþ
to his iurisdictioun ¶ And also hy schulleþ swer~ þt hy schalle
be obedient to her~ wardeyn & to her~ prioresse ¶ The secunde is
þt hy schulle cunne & knowe her~ Pater noster . and Aue maria & Credo
whiche Pater noster hy bethe y-holde to syngge eueryche day . twoo
hundred sythe . And eueryche day Fyfty sythe Aue maria
For alle þe foundours & þe benefactours qwyke & dyede
of þe hows of seynt laurens ¶ Also hy beth y-hoolde . to
come to-geder~ in-to þe cherche & þere sygge her~ bedys togeder~
owt-take hem þat beth seke & ham þat habbeth lyeue of
þe wardeyn . þt travaylyþ oþer beth y-ocuped for profyt
of þe hows . And who þt deth ellys . þe wardeyn ys be-
holde to amendy ham & vpnyme ham ther-of
[fol. 15v]¶ Also hy bethe J-holde alle to gwo to bedde to-gedr~
þat is to sygge yn o tyme and a-ryse an o tyme
and for to holde þe sylence whanne hy gooth to bedde
& whanne hy arysethe bote ȝef any of ham be open-
liche seek . why þat he mot be excusyd ¶ Also þer
ne schal no sostyr be schryue to non
othyr preest ne frer bote to her~ owene preest of
þe place bote ȝef hy habbe leue of the abbot oþer
of her~ wardeyn ¶ Also as ofte ase the wardeyn
wyle holde Chapytle hy beth y-holde to come þerto .
and be amendyd of hym ther~ ȝef hy habbyth
y-trespacyd ¶ Also whanne hy walkythe yn the
cowrt oþer gooth out atte gate . þer schal non of ham
gwo alone wyth-owte a felaghe bote be leue of
her~ mayster the wardeyn . whanne he sent ham
for eny gret nyede othir profyt of the hows
¶ And also four tyme a ȝer hy beth y-holde be schry-
ue to her~ oghene preest yn the same place and
four tyme a ȝer to be houslyd . & four tyme a ȝer to be
y-schor~ . ¶ Forther more ȝef eny soster . be founde
wyth eny thefthe oþer blood-schedynge . othir putrie
oþer lecherye . he oþer hy schal be potyd out of þe hous
for euere of seyn Laurens ¶ And who so yt euer~ be
of ham þt potyth eny desclaundr~ oþer eny fals fame
vpe here mayster þe wardeyn othir vp eny
soster of þe same hous . he schal be denouncyd a
cursyd thre tymes a ȝer ¶ Forthir-mor~ for the
profyt of þe sostren the Abbat hath
y-ordeynyd . þt whanne eny goodis beth by-quethe
to þe hous of seynt laurens þt thilke goodis turne to
the vus & profyt of sostren þt ther~ beth
& to þe profyt of þe hous after the dyscretioun & orde-
naunce of the wardeyn & of her~ Prioresse ¶ And þe
wardey & the prioresse schulle ordeyny of þe melle
and other~ hows þt beth wyth-oute þe gate and
othr~ smale rentys & profytys how hy schulle be
turnyd to þe profyt of þe sostren
¶ Also þe wardeyn ys y-holde to begge wode and
coles þt yn certeyn tymes of þe ȝer : whanne it is
[nota] wonder coold . the sostren mowwe
habbe veer ; als þe olde costome was y-wonyd to be
[fol. 16r]Also whanne þer is eny nyede to make othir to amen-
[nota] de þe commune hows þe wardeyn schal clepe alle
þe sostren to-geder~ and aske here consayl .
and her~ help ¶ Also yt is y-ordeynyd þat þer schulle
be tweye keyes of þe gernere & þat on schal þe
wardeyn habbe & þt oþer þe prioresse þet euerych of ham
mowe bere wytnesse what oþer doothe // wh Ne the
wardeyn ne schal habbe stondyngge ther~ . bote on pal-
frey ne there ne schulle stonde there non other~ hors
þane hors of þe place bute ȝef þe wardeyn habbe sum
on colt oþer two . hwiche mowe after-ward torne to þe
vus oþir profyt of þe place ¶ Also þer ne schal be bote
on ploghe to þe place . & ȝef þer be moo ; hy schulle be potid
& tornyd to þe profit of þe place ¶ Ne the wardeyn ne
schal habbe none houndis at the place bote tweye othir
three mastyuys for help & surte of þe place ¶ Ne the
wardeyn ne schal habbe no seruaunt yn the place bote
he mowe be sykyr þt he be trewe ¶ And ȝef þer be eny
seruaunt þer-ynne þat habbe be founde fals yn a-n other war-
deynys tyme þe wardeyn schal pote hym away ¶ Also
ȝef þer be eny womman þat wile be maad
[margin: [nota]]
soster at the hows of seynt laurens . and hy
wyle ȝeue eny gwod to þe same place thanne þe wardeyn
wyth assent of alle þe sostren . schulle ordeyne
how thylke goodys mowe best best be torned to the profit
of the place ¶ Forther . who so euere be prioresse hy is y-holde
euerych woke þe wodenesday to clepe to-gedre alle the
sostren & halde here chapitle after þe olde custome
of þe hous : bote eny of ham habbe a skelful cause why
he mote be excused and there þe prioresse ȝef hy vynt eny
Smale trespas oþer defaute yn eny soster oþer eny
of þe mayne ; hy is þer holde to amende . & vpnyme ham
þer of skelfullyche / Saue þe grete defautys schullyþ be re-
seruyd & y-kept to þe wardeyns correctyoun oþer ellys to þe
abbot ¶ Also as ofte as eny chapitle ys y-holde whanne
þe chapitle is y-do . euerych suster ys y-holde to
sygge thre sydys þe Pater noster. & þre sythe þe Aue maria
for the Abbot & þe Couent of seynt austyns & alle her~
foundourys & for alle cristyne saulys ¶ Also yn absence
of þe wardeyn þe prioresse yn þe wardeynys name
yn skelful cause may ȝeue leue to sustren
to go out at te gate yn to diuerse places wher~ hy habbe
[fol. 16v]to done & ȝef eny of ham þat askethe leue wile aleg-
ge eny cause to the prioresse ; yt langethe to þe prioresse for
to deme ȝef þe cause be skelful oþer nay ¶ Ȝef eny
sustren asketh leue to speke be ham-selue to
the Abbot othir to þe priour of seynt Augystynes ; þe wardeyn
ne þe prioresse ne schulle naȝth warne hem leue ¶ Also
ther schal no prioresse be maad ne potyd adoun . bote
onlyche be the Abbot ; Save whanne þe abbot ys deed .
& þe cherche of Seynt austynes is vake . þe priour wythe
counsayl of þe wardeyn may pote adoun þe prioresse
¶ Also þe Abboth heth y-ordeynyd þt who swo euere be
prioresse schel habbe alle her~ lyuerees Als yt was
y-woned to be yn olde tyme ¶ And þe Abbot wil noȝthe
ther the wardeyn do a-doun þe prioresse wyth-oute hym
other hes assent ; And ȝef þe Abbot be deed ; þe prioresse
ne schal naȝthe be potyd do adoun ; wythowte þe priour
of seynt Augustines ¶ Ne ther ne schal no
womman ; be maad þer soster wythe-owte the
assent of þe Abbot othir ellys of þe priour whanne þe
Abbot ys deed ¶ Thanne þe prioresse ys y-holde whanne
eny womman schal be maad soster there ; for to make
her~ cunne wyth-ynne þe ferste ȝyer . þe bedyngge whiche
is wonyd for to be pronunced othir y-sayd a-lowde
yn the cherche other yn the dortoure of som soster
Also þe Abbot wyle þt the olde numbr~ of
sostren be fulfeld . yn as moche ase the gwodys
of þe hospital . wylleth strecche to ¶ Also þe Abbot
hath y-ordeynyd þt euery soster þt beryth þe abyt
oþer clothyngge of soster . schal twyes a ȝyer
receyuy of the wardeyn syx pans for schoon . And
a palmsonnene : syx pans . And þis payengge . ne
schel strecche to noon oþer man þt heþ þer . eny lyueree
¶ Also þe sostren schullyþ take for her~ lyuer~
of þe beste ale þt is y-maad a maugham . And eftyr-
waard ȝyef þer be eny seculeris a maugham ; hy schulleþ
habbe of þt other Ale thet leueth ¶ Also þe Abbot
hath y-ordeynyd . þt þer ne schel no lyueree be soold out
of þe hous of seynt laurens to noon seculeer .
[fol. 17r]man ne womman ; for get harm / þt ∧ to þe hows . myȝghte
falle aftyr yt ¶ Further moore euery preest þat
schal seruy at seynt laurens schal doo obedyence
to þe Abbot . And schel be y-broght yn by þe wardeyn
& yn hes presence & also yn þe prioresse He schal be
swor~ to be trewe And soo schal also þe sergeaunt
be swor~ of þe place ¶ And also the prioressis seruaunt . &
who so seruyth ther~ . schel be swor~ to þe counseyl of þe
hous & also for to be trewe ¶ Also þe preest & whet
seruaunt hit be þt dwellythe ther~ . schel doo duwe reuerence
& worschype to þe prioresse & to þe sostren .
¶ Also þe wardeyn schal naȝth soffre . þt eny man othir
womman þt there dwellyth . to despyse þe prioresse oþer
eny othir soster . And ȝef he bynt eny
swyche : he schel be bysy to enquere ther of and
amende hyt ¶ Also þe Abbot heth y-ordeynyd . þet
[margin: [nota]]
ther schel be a clerk to kepe þe chapel . & alle þe olde
custumes yn lyuerees yn breed & ale . & oþer thynggys
þt hy wer~ y-wonyd to haue be olde tyme ¶ the Abbot
wyle þt þe sostren / habbe hollyche ȝyef
þe gwodis of þe hospital whyllyth strecche ther-to
¶ Also þer ne schal no wardeyn . of his oghene heef-d
make noþer broþer ne soster . wyth-oute þe Abbottes wyl
& his assent Nether schel no broþer . be receyuyd þere
with his wyf ¶ Also þe Abbot Raaf Radulfus
ordeynyde þt euerych soster . þt beryth þe abytes /
A monethe efter her~ deeth schullyth habbe here
corredye ful . þet is to sygge her~ lyuerees whiche
hy hedde ther~ . whylys hy wer~ o-lyue /