The dress of the lepers is laid down in regulations equally precise. “The brothers are to have a tunic and upper tunic of russet, with a hood cut from the same, so that the sleeves of the tunic be closed as far as the hand, but not laced with knots or thread after the secular fashion. They are to wear the upper tunic closed down to the ankles, and a close cape of black cloth, of the same length with the hood, as they have been accustomed of old.” A particular form of shoe was also ordered, and if the order was disobeyed, the culprit was “condemned to walk daily barefooted until the Master, considering his humility, said to him—enough.”—P. 168.
The diet-roll of the large hospital at Sherburne is still more complex than that of St. Julian’s. I extract the heads of it, and of some other particulars with regard to the internal economy of the house, from Surtees’ elaborate work, in which copies of the original documents are given at full length.
The daily allowance of the lepers of Sherburne was a loaf weighing five marks, and a gallon of ale to each; and betwixt every two, one mess or commons of flesh three days in the week, and of fish, cheese, or butter, on the remaining four; on high festival, a double mess; and, in particular, on the feast of St. Cuthbert, in Lent, fresh salmon (salmones recentes), if it could be had; if not, other fresh fish; and on Michaelmas day four messed on one goose. With fresh fish, flesh, or eggs, a measure of salt was delivered. When fresh fish could not be had, red herrings (allecia rubea) were served three to a single mess; (and it was specially enjoined that they, or aught that was served up, was not to be putrid, nor corrupt, nor from animals that had died of disease)[98]; or cheese and butter by weight; or three eggs. During Lent each had a razer (rasarium) of wheat to make furmenty (simulam), and two razers of beans to boil; sometimes greens or onions; and every day, except Sunday, the seventh part of a razer of bean meal, but on Sunday a measure and a half of pulse to make gruel. Red herrings were prohibited from Pentecost to Michaelmas, and at the latter each received two razers of apples. The lepers had a common kitchen, and a common cook, fuel, and utensils for cooking, etc.—viz. a lead, two brazen pots, a table, a large wooden vessel for washing or making wine, a laver, two ale vats, and two bathing vats.
The sick had fire and candle, and all necessaries, until they either convalesced or died; and one of the chaplains was assigned to hear the confessions of the sick, to read the gospel to them on Sundays and holidays, and to read the burial-service for the dead. The old woman who attended on the sick had every week three wheaten loaves, and one mess of flesh or fish; and when a brother or sister was buried, the grave-digger had his meat and drink. Each leper had a yearly allowance for his clothing of three yards of woollen cloth, white or russet, six yards of linen, and six of canvass, and the tailor had his meat and drink the day on which he came to cut out their clothes. Four fires were allowed for the whole community. From Michaelmas to All Saints they had two baskets of peat on double mess days, and four baskets daily from All Saints to Easter. On Christmas eve they had four yule logs, each a cart-load (“unusquisque erit unius quadrigatae”), with four trusses of straw; four trusses of straw on All Saints eve and Easter eve; and four bundles of rushes on the eves of Pentecost, St. John Baptist, and St. Mary Magdalene; and on the anniversary of Martin de Sancta Cruce, every leper received five shillings and fivepence in money.
The good food, lodging, and raiment provided by the rich endowments of Sherburne were not without some alloy. The rules of the house were strict, and the religious duties enforced upon the inmates were of an austere character. “All the leprous brethren, whose health permitted, were every day expected to attend matins, nones, vespers, and complines. The bed-rid sick were enjoined to raise themselves, and say matins in their bed; and for those who were still weaker, let them rest in peace, et quod dicere possint dicant.” During Lent and Advent all the brethren were required to receive corporal discipline three days in the week, and the sisters, in like manner, donec omnes vapulent. And all these, and other laws, Bishop Kellaw “did by his charter confirm and order ever thereafter ‘inviolabiter observari.’”[99]
On the Continent the lazar hospitals partook of the same differences in regard to poverty and wealth as we have traced in Britain. In France, some of them, however, had become so very amply endowed by the commencement of the fourteenth century that they at last excited the avarice of Philip V., who subjected many of their inmates to the flames.[100] “They were burned alive” (on les bruloit tout vifs), says the historian Mezeray, “in order that the fire might purify at one and the same time the infection of the body and that of the soul.”[101] The ostensible cause for this act of fiendish barbarity was the absurd allegation, that (as the original ordonnance of Philip bears[102]) the lepers of France and other parts had been bribed to commit “the detestable sin and horrible crime” (detestabile flagitium et crimen horrendum) of poisoning the wells, waters, etc., used by the Christians. The real cause, there is little doubt, was a desire, through this flimsy excuse, to rob the richer hospitals of their funds and possessions; and this appears only too strongly in the anxiety displayed in the special wording of Philip’s original edict, that all the goods of the lepers be lodged and held for himself, (ordinavimus, inter alia, quod omnia bona eorum ad manum nostrum ponerentur et tenerentur.)[103] The persecution of them was again temporarily renewed in 1388, under Charles VI. of France.[104]
Dates of the Appearance and Disappearance of Leprosy in Great Britain.
Much has been written regarding the date of the first appearance of Leprosy in western Europe.
By Astruc,[105] Bach,[106] and others, it has been averred that the leprosy of the middle ages was introduced from the East by those who returned from the crusades. Some of our own historians, as Fuller[107] and Heron,[108] allege that by this means it first reached Great Britain. It is quite possible, allowing the disease for the sake of argument to be contagious, that through the increased international intercourse of that period, it may have been propagated more rapidly and widely than would otherwise have occurred; but there are ample reasons and proofs for believing that it existed on the continent of Europe, and even as far westward as England, before the crusade fanaticism had drawn any converts from this country.
The first relay of Englishmen engaged in the crusade left in 1096, and returned two years afterwards. Several English leper-houses were founded before that period.