Archaeological Journal/Volume 8/Original Documents: Extracts from the Bursars' Accounts preserved amongst the Muniments of Winchester College
Original Documents.
EXTRACTS FROM THE BURSARS ACCOUNTS, PRESERVED AMONG THE MUNIMENTS OF WINCHESTER COLLEGE.
The rolls of accounts of the household expenditure of the nobles, and of Monastic and other institutions of the middle ages, which have come down to us, contain most valuable information relating to the mode of the daily life, and habits, and customs of our forefathers. Uninteresting and forbidding as they may at first appear to be, the Archaeologist, who wishes to become acquainted with the inner and more private life of the times which fall within the scope of his inquiry, should by no means neglect them; and if undeterred by their forbidding aspect, he will have patience to proceed, he may find much to interest him and to reward his labour. My attention was first drawn to the very valuable series of Bursarial Rolls, preserved among the Muniments of Winchester College, by the Rev. Dr. Rock, who requested me to verify a quotation made from one of them by the learned Thomas Warton, in his "History of English Poetry." In searching for the extract in question, I jotted down in my note book many things which excited my interest; and was led on to continue my investigation, which has now extended from the seventeenth of Richard II., to the eleventh of Henry VI., during which period the series, with a few exceptions, is tolerably perfect.
The expenditure is arranged under the heads of the cost of the various departments, such as the Chapel, Hall, Library, Kitchen, Stable, Legal Proceedings, Gifts, Forinsec Expenses, &c, and the cost of the commons of all the members of the house arranged in weeks.
The following extracts are taken incidentally from various rolls, and selected as touching upon subjects of more general interest. The first extract which I shall cite, is the one quoted by Thomas Warton, and is taken from the earliest of these rolls, which is thus endorsed,—Collegium beatæ Mariæ prope Winton, anno VIIIvo ab inceptione operis. Computus primus post ingressum in idem Collegium, anno reg. Ric. 2ndi post conquestum XVIIo. It is interesting, as showing that the practice of writing on waxen tablets was not wholly disused even at a period comparatively late.
Et in i. tabula ceranda cum viridi cera pro intitulatione capellanorum et clericorum capellæ, ad missas et alia psallenda viiid.
The following extracts are selected, as showing the cost of making books for the services of the chapel:—
19, 20 Ric. II.- Item computat pro quatuor doseyn septera pellibus de velym emptis pro uno graduali inde facto, quod incipit secundo folio, "et dicatur," continenti septem et viginti quaternos cum custodiis,[1] pretium doseyn de velym, vs, pret. pellis, vd
xxiis xid
- Et in scriptura ejusdem gradualis
xviis
- Et in notatione ejusdem
xiiis iiiid
- Et in illuminatione et ligatione ejusdem
xiiis iiiid
- Item in II dozevn, II pellibus de velym emptis pro i. collectario, quod incipit secundo folio, "Vicio," continenti XIII quaternos, pretium doseyn, iiiis pretium pellis, iiiid
viiis viiid
- Et in scriptura notatione, illuminatione et ligatione ejusdem
xxis
- Item in XI dozeyn. IIII pellibus empt. pro legenda Integra, quæ incipit sec. folio, "quia dixerunt," continenti XXXIII quaternos, pretium dozeyn, iiiis vid, pret' pellis. iiiid, ob.
lis
- Et in scriptura ejusdem legendæ
lxxiis
- Et in ilium. et ligat. ejusdem
xxxs
- Item in sex dozeyn de velym emptis pro factura sex processionalium, quorum quodlibet continet XV quaternos, pretium dozeyn, iiiis vid
xxviis
- Et in scriptura notatione, illuminatione, et ligatione eorumdem
xxxiiis
- Item in VII pellibus cervinis emptis pro libris prædictis cooperiendis
xiiis iiiid
The following are specimens of the cost of other books for the use of the library and school.
10, 11 Henry IV.
In I libro grammaticali voc' "Papiæ"[2] empto hoc anno de Magistro Joanni Melton[3] in festo Sc'e Katerinæ et A.D. MCCCCIX, xxxiiis iiid
In dicto libro et I altero libro voc. "Hugonis"[4] pelle vitulina cooperiendis cum clapsula ad idem, xxd.
1 Henry V.
In soluto cuidam scriptori de Abbatia Sc'e Marie pro scriptura II quaternorum de libro Moralium abbreviato per Magistrum Joannem Elmer:[5] capienti pro scriptura cujuslibet quaterni, iis iiiid.
In soluto eidem scriptori pro scriptura XVI quaternorum et dimidii de libro prædicto Moralium et al': qui capit pro quolibet quaterno, iis; simul cum vs, pro IX quaternis pergameni ab eodem emptis pro dictis libris, xxxviiis.
The date of the roll, from which the following extracts on the same subject are taken, is obliterated ; but it belongs to the reign of Henry V.
In soluto dño Joanni Smyth pro duobus partibus de Lira[6] abbreviatis per magistrum Job. Elmer, ixl vis viiid. In una alia parte de Lira super quatuor evangelistas non abbreviata : emp. liiis iiiid. In uno libro decretalium emp. hoc anno xxxiiis iiiid. In uno alio libro voc. "Innocens cum duobus doctoribus," xiiis iiiid. In uno libro vocato "Magister Sententiarum," cum I quaterno continenti "Speculum penitentiæ,"[7] xxiiis iiiid. In uno alio libro voc. "Soliloquium;"[8] cum altero libello vocato "Dialogus," viis. In uno libro[9] de sex verbis Dñi in cruce empt. vis xd. In uno missali empt. apud Seinte Cros Juxta Wynton, xxxs. In uno manuali empt. quod liberatur ad ecclesiam de Titteley, xis iiiid. In soluto pro scriptura XIII quaternorum de libris moralium abbreviatis per magistrum Johannem Elmer, xxvis. In soluto pro scriptura VII quaternorum et dimidii unius libri vocati, "Angelicus super Joannem" abbreviati per dictum Mag. Joh. Elmer una cum XV pellibus vitulinis empt. ab eodem, xviis viid ob. In soluto pro notatione cujusdam manualis simul cum crucifixo in eodem faciendo, iiis.
The next extracts which I shall give, relate to the costs incurred in providing materials for, and in the sculpture, painting, &c., of a set of images for the rood loft of the chapel, in the 3 & 4 Henry IV.
In soluto pro sculptura imaginum Crucifixi B. Mariæ et Sci Joannis una cum meremio empt. pro eisdem London,' quæ stare debent in Capella, lxviiis iiiid.
Et pro factura patibuli Crucifixi, et pro meremio empt. pro eodem, xxiis.
Et pro pictura imaginum et patibuli sive crucis prædictæ, iiiil xs iiiid.
Et pro portatione prædictarum imaginum et crucis ad manus artificum ad diversa loca London,' una cum expensis unius hominis—pro dictis operibus, viis.
Et pro una dome conducta ad conservandas dictas imagines post depictionem, xiid.
Et in tribus cases factis de tabulis ad imponendas dictas imagines cum clavis pro eisdem empt. et pro panno lineo pro eisdem involvendis pro eorum (sic) indempnitate tempore cariagii, xiiiis iid.
Et pro cariagio prædictarum imaginum et crucis a London' usque Wynton, xvis iiiid.
Et in soluto Will'mo Ikenham pro factura trium bases ligneorum pro dicta cruce et prædictis imaginibus ponendis, una cum positione earundem super dictas bases, xxs.
I shall confine the extracts from the Custus Capellæ to one or two items relating to a few matters required for the services; after noticing one which satisfactorily fixes the date of a portion of the buildings of the College, which, on very insufficient grounds, have sometimes been assigned to a later period, and other benefactors than the sole and munificent Founder of the two St. Mary Winton Colleges. It runs thus:—
18, 19 Ric. II.
In expensis suffraganei dñi Episcopi Wynton', existentis in Collegio cum familia et equis suis per quinque dies tempore consecrationis Capellæ et Cimiterii et Claustri Collegii Winton, die Sabbati in festo Sc'i Kenelmi (July 17, 1396); una cum expensis aliorum extraneorum supervenientium per vices, et pro die principali confectionis specialiter invitatis, una cum donis datis diversis de familia prædicti suffraganei, xlixs vd ob.
The suffragan, to whom William of Wykeham gave his commission to consecrate the Chapel, Cloister, and Cemetery of his newly finished College at Winchester, was Simon, bishop of Aghadoe, in Ireland. The late Bishop Milner, Vicar-Apostolical, in his History of Winchester, as also the anonymous author of an older history, have supposed that the Cloisters of Winchester College were not the work of Wykeham, and have assigned them to Fromond, the founder of the Chantry Chapel, which stands within them: they were probably misled by the terms of the commission issued to the bishop of Aghadoe, a copy of which is preserved in Wykeham's Register, and the original itself in the muniment room of the College. In this no mention is made of the Cloisters, and the Cemetery is spoken of as "locus in Cimiterium destinatus." They inferred from this that the Cloisters had not yet been built. The extract given above, with many others in these rolls, relating to repairs done to the Cloisters anterior to the time of Fromond's building, prove beyond a doubt that the Cloisters are the work of Wykeham himself.
The following charge occurs in the roll of 12, 13 Henry IV.
In rewardo dato Joanni Berton pro scriptura historiæ Corporis Christi, et Sce' Anne, et pro duplicatione eorumdem, una cum ympnis, et aliis correctionibus factis per eundem in diversis libris, iiis iiiid
In the 2 & 3 Henry V., we meet with the cost of some beautiful frontels for the high, and the two inferior altars of the Chapel.
In soluto Joanni Halle Mercier, London' pro duobus frontellis de albo fustian pro summo altari' operatis in medio imagine Crucifixi, Marie et Joannis, et pulverizatis cum rosis rubris ; ac quatuor frontellis de eodem panno simili modo operatis et pulverizatis, pro altaribus inferioribus, lxvs.
In the 4 Henry VI., the following charges occur under this head.
In cordulis et splintris emp. pro sepulchre Dñico, vid.
In solut. pro factura quatuor amiciarum, cum iiiid datis clerico Prioris Sci' Swithini temp, benedictionis earumdem, vid.
In solut. pro I cressant de argento deaurato pro eucharistia supportanda in pixide de crystal, habente in pondere, xiiid, cum viiid pro factura, xxiid.
In solut. Thomæ Smyth pro XXIII pynnes ferreis pro cruce triangulari ordinat. pro candelis infigendis tribus noctibus ante Pascha, xiid.
The charges under the head of the Cost of the Hall contain nothing that need be cited, except the following, which occurs twice in the 8 and 9 of Henry IV., and 3 of Henry VI.
In viridibus candelis et ramis arborum empt' erga festum Nat' Sc'i Joannis Baptistæ xiiid.
I have not met with anything that throws light upon the practice of burning green candles on this festival.
Amongst the charges, which occur under the head of Gifts, are many items, constantly recurring, for presents given to the officers of justice, and administrators of the law, in order to secure their friendship and goodwill in matters affecting the interests of the College. The recipients of these gifts are generally the sheriff, or his deputy, or the jury; but sometimes offerings are made to persons far higher than they. The Admiral of England, the King's justices, and even, in one instance, the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, deigned to accept gifts offered to secure their good offices. It may be observed that these gifts are certainly not mere fees of office, for they are generally not sums of money, but gloves, wine, fruit, fish, or other delicacies; and they are always entered as given to such and such a person "ut favorabilis esset," or "pro amicitia sua habenda." The Admiral accepted vis viiid as his douceur. The undersheriff of Berkshire on one occasion seems to have been very hard to buy. In the 6 and 7 Henry IV., in a matter concerning the Manor of Shawe, then the property of the College, he received first a pair of gloves, price viiid, "ut favorabilis esset;" a little after, vis viiid was paid him, "pro amicitia sua habenda;" again he received the same sum, "ut favorabilior esset;" then another pair of gloves and wine, which cost xiid, "pro amicitia sua;" and yet again vis viiid for the same object. The favour and friendship of this officer had to be purchased at the cost of a mark and a half in money, a large sum for those days. But the friendship and favour of the Archbishop of Canterbury was rated at a much higher value. I will quote the item, which is as follows:—
In quodam dono dat. Dño Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi pro bona adjuvatione sua habenda de exoneratione decimæ concessæ Dño Regi per clerum in convocatione celebrata London' dec' oct' die Nov. una cum xs dat' cuidam clerico die' Dñi Archiepiscopi pro sollicitatione sua habenda ad prædictum Dñm Archiep'm, cxs. (4 Henry V.)
This was Archbishop Chichele, himself a son of Wykeham, and an imitator of his munificent example. We can scarcely suppose that it was necessary to secure by a bribe the friendship and influence of one who had been himself a recipient of Wykeham's bounty, in a matter affecting the interests of one of his colleges. We must rather believe that it would have been thought discourteous to refuse, what was offered as a compliment. Nor, indeed, ought we to judge of these gifts in general, according to our modern notions of what is becoming to the character of public officers. It is well, indeed, that such practices have been done away; but it is probable that, when they were in vogue, they did not much interfere with the due course of justice. Gifts, no doubt, were offered by both sides in a suit, and were considered rather as matters of courtesy and compliment, than as likely to bias the minds of public officers; though, at the same time, it would probably have been very impolitic in either party to withhold them.
The gifts charged under the various items of this head are of a very miscellaneous character. There are frequent payments made to minstrels, dancers, and players, for entertaining (solaciantibus) the members of the college on some of the great festivals of the Church. Sometimes these persons are described as the minstrels, or players of the city of Winchester, and other places; sometimes they appear as attached to the suite of some great person visiting Winchester, for instance, 4 Henry V., occurs the following:—
In dato IIII ministrallis Dñi Humfredi ducis Gloucestrie ven' ad Collegium xiiiito die Feb., iiis iiiid.
The minstrels of the Lord Cardinal Beaufort, and of his sister, the Countess of Westmoreland, were hired in the same manner. The feast of the holy Innocents was usually enlivened in this way; on which occasion the boys of the school took part in the entertainment, under their Boy Bishop. As an instance of this, the following item occurs, in the time of Henry V.:—
In dato diversis hominibus do Ropley, in festo Sc'or' Innocentium tripidiantibus, et cantantibus cantilenas in Aula coram Episcopo Scolarium xxd.
The Bishop of Winchester was a frequent recipient of presents from the College. Possibly the countenance and protection of so powerful a prelate as Henry Beaufort was of great service to the foundation of his munificent predecessor; and he seems to have felt an extraordinary degree of interest in its welfare, and to have befriended and supported it with all his influence. It is clear that he maintained the most friendly intercourse with the College, which was acknowledged by liberal presents. Charges very frequently occur for the purchase of dainties for the Bishop's table while he sojourned at Wolvesey. Fish, salted and fresh, meat, fowls, fruits, and preserves, all procured at a great expense by means of special messengers from the markets which were in best repute for any particular article;[10] while the most sedulous attention seems to have been given to ascertain what delicacies would be most acceptable to the Bishop. Occasionally his cook, John Rymayn, is consulted on this point, and he has a fee for his advice. On one occasion the Bishop is presented with hunting gear, the cost of which is found in the undated roll of t. Henry V. The items are as follows:—
In XII arcubus empt. apud London. mense Maio pro dño Epo' Wynton, et familia sua, ad dandum inter eosdem temp. venationis in diversis parcis suis comitatus Suthamptoniæ, xxiis viiid. In VI duodenis sagittarum pennis pavonum et aliarum volucrum pennatis, emptis eodem tempore pro dño Epo', xviiis iid. In VI duodenis capitum barbillatorum, emptorum pro dictis sagittis eodem tempore, viiis viiid. In uno Wardebras argenteo et deaurato, pendente duas uncias, unum quartron: una cum factura et deauratione ejusdem, xis vid. In uno lase serico viridis coloris cum uno knapp de goldwyr, iiiid. In XII huyres emptis ibidem ad dandum inter clericos suos ibidem eodem tempore, viiis vid. In cistis et coffyns empt. pro dictis donis emptis London. imponendis et cariandis de London' usque Wynton, xxiiid.
Mention occurs elsewhere of arrows feathered with peacock's plumage, probably esteemed as more choice than common feathers. John Palman, in 1436, bequeaths to his son "j. arcum optimum cum j. sheef arrowys de pecok." Wills and Invent. Surtees Soc. vol. 1, p. 87. Amongst the stores of Bp. Waynflete, at Farnham Castle, 1471, were "sagittæ magnæ barbatæ cum pennis pavonum." Lydgate mentions such arrows, Chron. of Troy, B. iii., C. 22. The green silk lace, with a knop of gold wire, was possibly the "arrow girdle," by which arrows were carried at the left side. The Bishop's silver-gilt "wardebras," the gardebras, or bracer, to protect the left arm, was of singularly costly material. Its form is well shown by a drawing in the Louterell Psalter, copied in Vetusta Monum. vol. vi., pl. 24. These items recall Chaucer's description of the Squire's "Yeman:"—
"A shefe of peacock arwes bright and kene,
Under his belt lie bare ful thriftily;
Upon his arme he bare a gaie bracer."
The prelate's clerici received some kind of cap as a gratification on this occasion. The term "huyre " is of uncommon occurrence. A Petition of the Commons, 22 Edw. IV., 1482, may be found in the Rolls of Parliament, respecting the deterioration of the quality of "Huers, bonettes and cappes," alleged to have arisen from the use of fulling mills.[11] A cap, or a livery hood, it will ho remembered, was a customary present at the period, a little gratuity or annual retaining gift, as appears by the various Statutes against Maintenance.
Proofs are found in these rolls of the excitement, in which the country bordering on the sea coast of the south of England was kept by alarms of attacks from the French, during the wars of Henry V. The College was often obliged to incur the expense of sending men-at-arms to assist in the defence of the country, in their Manor of Hamble, now known as Hamble-le-Rice, situate at the mouth of the Southampton Water. I may cite as an instance the following, which occurs in the 4th of Henry V.:—
In expensis dñi Willelmi Hayne, Walteri Harley, Magistri Will'mi Grover, et aliorum de Collegio equitantium et peditantium ad Hamele in le Rys, et ibidem existentium per IIII dies pro defensione patriæ contra inimicos dñi Regis et regni sui et totius patriæ, una cum expensis Walteri Wallyngford et aliorum hominum secum peditantium ad Hamele prædictam pro simili causa, alia vice, et ultra expensas factas et solutas per Rob. Tichfeld firmarium ibidem, xs ixd ob. In cordulis et capitibus sagittarum empt. cod. temp, xiid. In dato III tenentibus de Roppele existent. apud Hamele prædicta, per unum diem et unam noctem post recessum hostium, pro majore securitate, &c., xiid.
In the same year, the following liberal gratuity was given to the messenger, who brought to the College the tidings of the glorious victory of Agincourt. It will be observed that the terms, in which the entry is made, show the astonishment excited in England at the vast number of prisoners taken in that battle. It is as follows:—
In dato Joanni Coudray, filio Edw. Coudray, armigero Dñi Epo' Wynton: deferenti novos rumores ad Collegium de ultra mare, de ducibus, comitibus, baronibus, militibus et aliis generosis de Francia captis per Dñm Regem nostrum nunc Angliæ, in quodam bello facto apud Agyncourt in Picardia in festo Sc'orum Crispini et Crispiniani, anno regni sui 3tio et usque in Angliam postea cum dicto Dño Rege duetis, vis viiid.
I shall conclude with a few extracts taken from a roll, headed, Expensa ultra onera consueta ab anno Regni Rie. 2ndi, xviiio usque annum Regni Hen. 4ti. 4tum. The first item which I shall cite is the cost of a pair of Organs:—
In I pari organorum emptorum anno Reg. Hen. 4to cum cariagio a London, vilib iiis iiiid.
There is nothing in the cost of such organs to put them out of the reach of many a church, and religious house. Yet it would seem that such instruments in those days were either not to be met with everywhere; or that there must have been something peculiarly good in the College organs, for they were frequently borrowed by the Bishop of Winchester, and sent to him at his residence at Waltham, and even so far as Farnham and High Clere. In the 8th of Henry IV., the following charge occurs in the Bursar's roll:—In expensis VI scolarium deferentium organa de Collegio usque hospitium dñi Epi' de Waltham, ixd ob. In 2nd of Hen. V. they had been sent to the Bishop at Farnham, as appears by the following:—
In expensis clericorum et puerorum Collegii cariantium organa Collegii de Farnham usque Collegium Wynton, iis iiiid. The following extract, from the undated roll of Henry V., shows us how they were carried, and protected during the carriage:—
In panno lineo erupto pro organis Collegii cooperiendis cariandis usque Clere xxd. In dicto panno incerando xxd. In II baculis fraxineis pro eisdem organis portandis viiid.
The following extracts from this roll of extraordinary expenses would be of considerable value, if the churches, to which they refer, had not subsequently undergone, as I fear is the case with most of them, very considerable alterations, and in some cases total destruction. In order to explain how these charges occur among the expenses of Winchester College, I may observe that the Founder, when he transferred to his Colleges the rectories and manors, which he had purchased of certain foreign abbeys, with a view to their endowment, required of them that they should put the chancels of the churches into thorough repair, and even rebuild them if necessary. This was accordingly done at Harmondsworth, Isleworth, Heston, Hampton, and Twickenham, in Middlesex; and at Hamble and Hound in Hampshire. The five first mentioned places ceased to be the property of the College in the time of Henry VIII., who took them in exchange for other properties, which had belonged to suppressed monasteries:—
In soluto pro operibus novi (sic) cancelli (sic) ecclesiæ de Harmondsworth factis annis prædictis, (scil. 20, 21, Ric. II.) una cum vitriatione IIII fenestrarum, et cum expensis dedicationis ejusdem cancelli lxviiili iiis ob.
Item solut' pro operibus cancellarum (sic) novarum (sic) de Heston et Iselworth cum vitriatione IIII fenestrarum et dedicatione earumdem, præter cs receptos de Cotfre dñi, ut patet in computo de annis xxiido et xxiiitio iiiixx xiiiili.
Item solut' pro operibus murorum cancelli novi (sic) factis apud Hampton in Com' Middlesex' una cum expensis factis pro materia providenda pro cancello de Twickenham ut patet, &c. (1, 2, Hen, IV.), lxvili. iiiis viid.
Item in nova constructione tecti ejusdem cancelli de Hampton et vitriatione v fenestrarum ejusdem (3, 4, Hen, IV.), xiili: xiiis: vid.
Item in nova constructione cancelli de Twickenham præter vitriationem fenestrarum, quæ adhuc non est facta, ut patet, &c., xxxiili: xiis: viid.
Item solut' pro operibus factis in Ecclesia de Hamele, et in nova constructione tecti ecclesiæ ibidem, ut patet in computo de annis reg' Hen, 3o et 4o præter expensas novi columbarii ibidem facti, quod computatur inter opera dñi, xviili viis id.
The charges of the repairs of this church, with its dependent chapels of Hound, Bursledon, and Letley, hodie Netley, extend over several years, and are accounted for by the Bursar among the ordinary expenses. In 12 and 13 of Hen. IV., there is a charge of xiiis, paid to the suffragan of the Bishop of Winchester for the consecration of the altars of the chapel of Bursledon, and Letley; and a similar charge in the undated roll of Henry V. for the consecration of altars at Hound and Bursledon.
In the same year the bell tower of the church of Hamble-le-Rice underwent very considerable repairs, if, indeed, it was not entirely rebuilt, the materials for which were provided at the following cost:—
In III duodenis de bordes, et tribus plankes emp' per Willm Ikenham apud Allyngton pro campanili de Hamele xiiis, cum cariagio. In soluto Waltero Leeche de Wathe pro batillagio XXV ponderum dolii do Greneston de Wathe prædicto usque eaiam[12] de Hamcle pro campanili ibidem, continentium CXXXVIII pecia, quæ continent de pedibus CCC pedes, pretium pedis quadrati iid, ultra xxvis viiid receptos per Will' Mason de Roberto Tichefeld anno proxime præterito, xliiis.
The bells for this tower had been provided before, in the 1st of Henry V., as appears by the following:—In denariis liberatis Rie' Brasier de Wykeham pro tribus novis campanis factis pro ecclesia de Hamele, ultra tres veteres campanas, ut in partem solut', xls.
- ↑ The fly-leaves, probably, or as might now be said, the guards. Custodia is used in this sense in a description of Books in Visit. of Treas. St. Paul's, London, in 1295. (Dugdale.)
- ↑ This was probably the "Elementarium doctrinæ, sive vocabularium" of Papias the Grammarian, a native of Lombardy, called Vocabulista, from this work. He flourished about the middle of the 11th century.
- ↑ John Melton was the first Head Master of the School.
- ↑ Probably a work of Hugo de Sancto Victore.
- ↑ John Elmer was deputed, together with Dr. Nicholas Wykeham, A.D. 1402—3, to administer the affairs of the See of Winchester, which the age and infirmities of Wm. of Wykeham rendered him unable to attend to. He was also one of the executors of the Bishop's Will.
- ↑ Nicholas de Lira, born at Lire, in the diocese of Evreux, of Jewish parents. On his conversion to Christianity, he assumed the habit of the Minorites in the convent of Verneuil. He was afterwards appointed a Professor of Theology in the University of Paris, where be delivered lectures on the Holy Scriptures, in the Franciscan convent, and afterwards published two commentaries, one on the text of Scripture; the other, practical. He was selected as one of the executors of Joan of France. He died A.D. 1340. Cave. Hist. Lit.
- ↑ This may have been a tract written under this title by William de Monte, or Montibus, a native of Leicester, Professor of Theology at Oxford, and Canon and Chancellor of Lincoln, where he died, and was buried in the cathedral, Reg. Joh. He seems to have been a voluminous writer. A work of his called "Summa brevis," and another called "Summa numerorum," in twelve books in MS., were once in the Library of New College, Pitseus, p. 285.
- ↑ Two treatises under these titles, once assigned to St. Augustine, were rejected as spurious by the Benedictine editors, and placed by them in the Appendix of the 6th Vol. of his Works.
- ↑ Arnold Abbat of Bonneval, diocese of Chartres, wrote a tract under this title. Flourished A.D. 1162.—Cave. Hist. Lit.
- ↑ Ex. gr. salted lampreys, and salmon, were procured from Gloucester; perch and tench from Oxford; crabs from Salisbury. Horses for the use of the College were purchased at the fair of Amesbury.
- ↑ Parl. Rolls, vol. vi., p. 223. The Promptorium Parvulorum gives—"Huwyr (al. Hurwyr,) Tena." In the Bursar's Roll, 12, 13 Hen. IV., above cited, with gloves and purses bought at London for presents, is the item—"In vi. huyres cappes empt', pro donis dandis, iiiis."
- ↑ Kaia, or Caia, Sax. cæg, a quay (Spelman). Hamble is situate near the mouth of a small æstuary, on the N. side of the Southampton Water.