THE COMING OF THE FRIARS (1224).
Source.—Monumenta Franciscana, vol. i., pp. 5 et seqq. (Rolls Series.)
In the year of our Lord 1224, in the time of the lord Pope Honorius, and in the same year in which the Rule of the Blessed Francis was confirmed by him, in the eighth year of the reign of King Henry, son of John, on the third day after the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, which fell that year on a Sunday, the Minorite Brethren first landed in England at Dover; there were four clerks and five laymen. The following were the clerks:—First, Brother Agnellus of Pisa, a deacon of about thirty years old, who had been appointed by the Blessed Francis in the last general chapter, Provincial Minister in England.... The second was Brother Richard of Ingworth, an Englishman, a priest and preacher somewhat more advanced in years, who was the first to preach to the people beyond the mountains.... The third was Brother Richard of Devon, also an Englishman, a young acolyte, who left us divers examples of longsuffering and obedience.... The fourth was Brother William Ashby, a youthful Englishman, still a novice wearing the garb of probation.
The laymen were these:—First, Brother Henry of Ceruise, a Lombard, who, on account of his sanctity and great discretion, was made warden of London, and who, when his period of labour in England was completed, after the numbers of the brethren had been increased, returned to his own country. The second was Brother Laurence, from Beauvais, who was engaged at the beginning in uncompleted work, according to the injunctions of the Rule; afterwards he journeyed to the Blessed Francis, whom he was favoured to see frequently, and by whose conversation he was comforted; finally, the holy Father freely gave him his robe, and with a most pleasant benediction sent him back joyful to England.... The third was Brother W. of Florence, who returned to France, soon after the reception of the brethren (in England). The fourth was Melioratus; the fifth, Brother Jacobus Ultramontanus, still a novice in the garb of probation.
These nine, who had been brought across for charity to England and freely supplied with necessaries by the monks of Fécamp, came to Canterbury and abode at the priory of the Holy Trinity for two days; then four of them, to wit, Brother Richard of Ingworth, Brother Richard of Devon, Brother Henry, and Brother Melioratus, proceeded to London. The five others went to the Hospital of Poor Priests, where they remained until they had prepared a place of residence for themselves; soon after, a small room within the school was given to them, where they remained from day to day, shut up almost constantly. When the scholars returned home in the evening, the brethren entered the house where the scholars had been seated, made themselves a fire, and sat near it; sometimes, when they wished to drink, they placed on a fire a pot with the dregs of beer, and put a dish in the pot, and drank in turn, speaking each some words of pious instruction; and as he bears witness who shared in their real simplicity, and was a participator in their holy poverty, their drink was often so thick that, when the pots came to be heated, they poured in water, and so drank with pleasure....
The four brethren, of whom I have spoken above, when they came to London, betook themselves to the Friars Preachers, by whom they were kindly received, and with whom they remained for two weeks, eating and drinking what was set before them, like intimate friends. Afterwards they hired a house in the village of Cornhill, where they constructed cells, stuffing the interstices between the cells with grass. They remained until the following summer in their early simplicity, without a chantry, because they had yet no privilege to erect altars and celebrate divine service in their house. Just before the Feast of All Saints, and before Brother Agnellus had come to London, Brother Richard of Ingworth and Brother Richard of Devon came to Oxford, and there also were most kindly received by the Preaching Brothers, in whose refectory they ate, and in whose dormitory they slept, for eight days. Afterwards they hired for themselves a house in the parish of S. Ebba, and there remained without a chantry until the following summer. There the Blessed Jesus sowed a grain of mustard-seed, which afterwards became the greatest among herbs. From that place Brother Richard of Ingworth and Brother Richard of Devon set out to Northampton, where they took up their abode in the hospital. And afterwards they hired for themselves a house in the parish of S. Egidius, where the first warden was Brother Peter of Spain, who wore an iron corselet next his body and furnished many other examples of perfection. The first warden of Oxford was Brother William Ashby, hitherto a novice; he was now given the dress of the Order. The first warden of Cambridge was Brother Thomas of Spain; of Lincoln, Brother Henry Misericorde, a layman. The lord John Travers first received the brethren at Cornhill, and gave them a house; a certain layman from Lombardy was appointed warden, who first taught letters by night in the church of the Blessed Peter at Cornhill, and afterwards became Vicar of England, while Brother Agnellus went to the general chapter. In the vicarate he had as his associate Brother Richard of Ingworth; in the end, being unable to endure such heights of prosperity, and being weakened by so many honours, he became insane, and apostatised from the Order. It is worthy of note that in the second year of the administration of Brother Peter, fifth Minister of England, that is to say, in the thirty-second year after the arrival of the brethren in England, the number of brethren living in the province of England, in forty-nine places, amounted to MCCXLII.