Pembroke Castle.—“Of William Earl of Pembroke,” says Clarendon, “a short story may be here not unfitly inserted:—It being very frequently mentioned by a person of known integrity, whose character is here undertaken to be set down, and who, at that time, being on his way to London, met, at Maidenhead, some persons of quality, of relation or dependence upon the Earl of Pembroke. These were Sir Charles Morgan, commonly called ‘General’ Morgan, who had commanded an army in Germany, and defended Stoad; Dr. Field, then Bishop of St. David’s; and Dr. Chafin, the Earl’s then chaplain in his house, and much in his favour. At supper, one of them drank a health to the Lord Steward;[412] upon which another of them said, that he believed his lord was at that time very merry, for he had now outlived the day which his tutor, Sandford, had prognosticated, upon his nativity, he ‘would not outlive.’ But he had done it now, for that was his birthday, which completed his age to fifty years. The next morning, however, by the time they came to Colebrook, they met with the news of his death!” [He died “exceedingly lamented by men of all qualities, and left many of his dependents and servants owners of good estates, raised out of his employments and bounty.”]
Benedictine Rule.—The Abbot is presumed to represent Jesus Christ: he is authorised to summon all his monks to council in important affairs, and afterwards to adopt and carry into practice what he considers the best advice. He is entitled to obedience without delay; commands silence; permits no scurrility, idle or angry words, or such as tend to provoke unseemly mirth or laughter. The rule enjoins humility, patience, and forbearance, under all injuries and provocations; manifestation or confession of secret faults to be made to the Abbot; contentment with the meanest things in food, dress, and employments; not to speak unless when asked; to observe habitual gravity; to keep the head and eyes inclined downwards to the earth; to rise to church service two hours after midnight; the Psalter to be sung through once a week; to leave the church together, at a sign from the Superior; and in large abbeys every ten monks to be under the surveillance of a Dean.
Further: The Rule permits light in the dormitory; to sleep, young and old, in their clothes, with their girdles on, as servants ready to attend their Lord, come he at what hour he may. Upon cases of delinquency, where admonition has failed to produce reformation, public reprehension and excommunication are pronounced, and on failure of these also to effect a change, recourse is to be had to corporal chastisement.
For faults of a lighter nature, the offender is subjected to the smaller and temporary excommunication of eating alone, after the brotherhood have finished; but for graver offences, the delinquent is banished from the public table, excluded from prayer and society, neither himself nor his food to receive the benediction, and those who join or speak to him to be placed under the ban of excommunication. In the meantime the Abbot, with paternal solicitude for his penitence and restoration, deputes certain of the elder brethren to exhort him to humility, and to make such reparation and satisfaction as the infringement of the rule demands. The whole congregation meanwhile are to pray for him. If all these means should fail to attain the object in view, the last step to be taken is that of formal expulsion from the convent; and no person so expelled can be received back after the third expulsion. Children are to be punished by fasting or whipping.
The Cellarer is to do nothing without the Abbot’s order; and in large houses he is allowed to have assistants. Habits and goods of the house to be under the custody of proper officers, and the Abbot to have an account of them. There is to be no [private] property: distribution of things needful, to be made according to every one’s necessities. The monks are to serve weekly, and by turns, in the kitchen and at table. Upon having their weeks, both he that left it, and he that began it, to wash the feet of the others; on Saturdays, to clean all the plates, and the linen used in the washing of feet; to replace all the dishes clean and whole in the hands of the Cellarer, who is to give them to the new Hebdomadary. These officers are to have drink and food before the others, and above the common allowance, so that they may wait upon them with cheerfulness. On solemn days, both on entering and retiring from office, the Hebdomadaries are to continue till the masses. After matins on the Sunday, they are to kneel and beg the others to pray for them; those going out are then to say a certain prayer three times, and receive the benediction, whilst the one coming in does the same, and after benediction goes into office.
The Infirmary.—This department had its particular officer, who had the direction of the baths, and administration of the medicine and diet ordered for the sick. The rule was mitigated in favour of children and aged men, who had leave to anticipate the usual hours of eating. The refection, as already described, was conducted in silence—all listening to the Scripture-reader, whose voice alone was heard during the repast. Whatever was wanted, was asked for by sign. The reader was appointed weekly. The dinner consisted of two dishes only, with fruit; and to each monk, daily, one pound of bread was distributed, which was to suffice for both dinner and supper. No animal food was allowed, except to the sick and aged in the infirmary. The allowance of wine was three-quarters of a pint per day. From Holyrood-day to Lent, the dinner hour was at nones; in Lent till Easter, at six o’clock; from Easter to Pentecost, at sext; and all summer, except on Wednesdays and Fridays, at nones. The collation, or spiritual lecture, was given every night before complin—that is, after supper; and complin finished, they were enjoined strict silence.
Tardiness at church or table was punished with loss of rank, prohibition of wine, or their usual allowance, or sitting in the place of disgrace. The excommunicated were condemned to make prostration with the face toward the ground, and without the church gate, when the monks proceed to prayers. For any fault in the chant, he who made it was to ask immediate pardon; and in other places, breaking of any utensil, or neglect of duty, was to be spontaneously acknowledged before the Abbot and congregation. The signal for repairing to church was given by the Abbot; and nobody was to sing or read there without his leave.
Daily work was to be done from prime till near ten o’clock, from Easter till the kalends of October, and from ten till twelve o’clock was to be spent in reading. After refection at noon, the monks were allowed to take their meridian or siesta; but those who preferred reading were allowed to do so. After nones, labour was recommenced and continued until the evening, from the kalends of October until Lent, reading till eight A.M., then Tierce, and afterwards labour until nones. After refection they had reading or psalmody. In Lent they had reading until tierce; doing what was ordered [in the Ritual] until ten—with the delivery of the books at their season.[413] It was the duty of the Senior to go round the house, and see that the monks were not idle. On Sunday, all spent their time in reading—except the officers, and the idle and infirm, who had work given them. During Lent, abstinence from meat, drink, and sleep, with a grave, pious, and solemn demeanour, are more strictly enjoined, and, if need be, enforced. If engaged in a journey, the monks are to halt wherever they may happen to be at the time, and there say the canonical hours. [An instance of this punctuality has been given in our account of Tinterne Abbey.] Monks staying out of convent beyond a day, are not to eat in secular society without leave of the Abbot. The church was never to be used but for the solemnity of prayer: any other use was to be considered desecration in its gravest sense.