undoubtedly have had a Battle Abbey Roll in the highest and best sense.
Of the general probability every one may form an opinion. That opinion in most minds would I think be unfavourable; but another ground might be taken. A religious service, in which every soldier of a large army was to be named, might be thought too ponderous a duty; but the monks might, out of respect to their founder and in regard to the object of their foundation, have thought it right to prepare such a list and to enter it in the books relating to their house. This, though such a roll would be of less authority than the former, would still be a most valuable document, answering well to the idea which people form of the Roll of Battle Abbey. Have we then reason to believe that such a catalogue as this was prepared by them?
And this leads at once to what belongs both to this question and the one which preceded it,—what evidence is there, as a question of fact and history, that any such list was ever prepared?
In answer to this question it will, I believe, be universally admitted, that there is no testimony from any early chronicler, to the formation of such a list in the monastery for any purpose or on any suggestion whatever; that no such list is to be found in any of the registers, or chartularies, or chronicles of the house that have descended to our times, and there are several of them; that no separate script containing such a list exists, and yet the existing documents relating to the Abbey and its possessions are exceedingly numerous: and further, that no antiquary or other person of credit pretends to have ever seen or heard of such a list. So that we are driven to this conclusion, that no proof exists that such a list ever was prepared, and if prepared, it has not descended to our time, either in the original or in any copy.
It may be said, indeed, that we cannot tell how much of historical evidence may have perished when the monastery was broken up at the Reformation. This is true; but if such a list had existed when Leland visited Battle and noticed the historical manuscripts in the library, I think he would hardly have omitted to take notice of it, if any such document had then existed; and when so many persons prepared lists of men or families who came in with the Conqueror, as we
