The meritorious aspect of almsgiving was sometimes uppermost. Hugh Foliot, Bishop of Hereford, in founding his hospital at Ledbury, sets forth the importance and advantage of exercising hospitality. He illustrates the point by the case of the patriarchs, who were signally rewarded for their hospitality:—
“Bearing in mind therefore that . . . almost nothing is to be preferred to hospitality, and that so great is its value that Lot and p088 Abraham who practised it were counted worthy to receive angels for guests . . . we have built a certain hospital for strangers and poor people.”
The Church continued to teach the imperative duty of almsgiving. It is stated in the will of Henry VII that in the one act of establishing a hospital the Seven Works of Mercy might be fulfilled:—
“And forasmuch as we inwardly consideir, that the vij. workes of Charite and Mercy bee moost profitable, due and necessarie for the saluation of man’s soule, and that the same vij. works stand moost commonly in vj. of theim; that is to saye in uiseting the sik, mynistring mete and drinke and clothing to the nedy, logging of the miserable pouer, and burying of the dede bodies of cristen people. . . . We therefor of our great pitie and compassion . . . have begoune to erecte, buylde and establisshe a commune Hospital in our place called the Sauoie . . . to the laude of God, the weale of our soule, and the refresshing of the said pouer people, in daily, nightly and hourely exploytyng the said vj. works of Mercy, Pitie, and Charity.”
To the hospital which he had provided, the founder looked not only for spiritual and temporal profit in this life, but above all for help to his soul in the world to come. The desire for the prayers of generations yet unborn was a strong incentive to charity. The bede-houses testify to a purposeful belief in the availing power of intercession. Thus the patrons of Ewelme speak in the statutes of “prayoure, in the whiche we have grete trust and hope to oure grete relefe and increce of oure merite and joy fynally.” The same faith is expressed by the action of the merchants and mariners of Bristol in 1445. Because
“the crafte off maryners is so auenturous that dayly beyng in ther uiages ben sore vexed, trobled and deseased and p089 distried, the which by gode menys of the prayers and gode werkes might be graciously comforted and better releced of such trobles,”
they wished to found a fraternity to support, within the old hospital of St. Bartholomew (Fig. 13), a priest and twelve poor seamen who should pray for those labouring on the sea, or passing to and fro into their port.
[♦ ] 13. ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S HOSPITAL, BRISTOL
(Called in 1387 the Domus Dei by Frome Bridge)