especially the abbey of Tavistock, which attempted to throw obstacles in the way of episcopal visitations, were, both in a spiritual and a temporal point of view, the worst regulated communities in the diocese of Exeter. It appears also, from the registered acts of the Bishops, that corrodies could not be granted without the episcopal licence, and that, in several instances, the revenues were sequestered during long vacancies, or in consequence of the improvident administration of the acting Superiors: indeed, if the Diocesans had not occasionally interfered, to preserve the property of certain monasteries, the whole must have been squandered away by the prodigality or the carelessness of the persons who were charged with its administration. Some of the Abbots had private seals, and an Abbot of Tavistock* is charged with the most crying injustice, in signing away the property of the community.

In the registers above mentioned are several episcopal mandates, directed to different monasteries. In these, the Bishop points out the irregularities which had been discovered during the course of the visitation. They chiefly relate to breaches of regular discipline, or of the vows of poverty and obedience. Perpetual silence is strongly enforced in the dormitory, where a lamp was to be kept burning the whole of the night, as enjoined in the 22d chapter of the rule of St. Benedict. In the cloisters, rigid silence was to be observed at certain hours, "certis horis," but not perpetually, as some writers have contended. I am happy to find, that the grosser immoralities (I mean against the virtue of chastity) were very far from being common; and if it be a proof of innocence, as even Bishop Burnet acknowledges, when the Monks received pensions at the dissolution of the religious houses, we may fairly conclude, that our Devonshire communities must have been eminently virtuous; since the

* Vide fol. 160, vol. 1. Reg. Grandissoni A. D. 1348.

N. B. Generally speaking, the common seal and all the public muniments and records of the monasteries, were kept under three different locks and keys. This seal could not be validly used without the consent of the majority and more respectable part of the community, "majore & saniose parte conventus."

Crown granted an annuity to almost every individual member.

As far as I can collect, the average fee payable to the Bishop, at the visitation, was 20s.

Of the state of learning in our Devonshire monasteries, I regret to have found so few materials to enable me to form a satisfactory opinion. If Leland's Collectanea (where some account is given of the books that he found in the conventual libraries) were made the criterion, we should be inclined to think unfavourably of their application to literature. But the impartial observer would not be precipitate în deciding: he would recollect that Leland's plan was vastly too extensive, even for his industry and extraordinary ability that it is but a rapid sketch* of what he saw and heard. Again, that Leland was no friend to the monasteries, and that he had an interest in their suppression. Besides, it is reasonable to suppose, that the religious themselves, seeing the storm ready to burst on them, and conscious that their houses were devoted to pillage and destruction, would secrete or remove their most valuable manuscripts and records. Again, we must take into our consideration the spirit of havoc and fanaticism that stalked abroad at the period of the Dissolution.† We may also form some estimate of what literary treasures may have existed in our Devonshire monasteries, by what we know did actually exist in some other religious houses in other parts of England. In Peterborough Monastery the books amounted to two thousand; in Glastonbury Abbey the manuscripts were almost innumerable. I must not omit stating, that Ford Abbey, in this county, was in high repute for learning; that Tavistock could boast of its

Compare his jejune account of the MSS in the library of St. Paul's Church, London, with the catalogue given by Dugdale.

The Reformation gave a sudden check to the progress of literature. Wood, in page 265, lib. 1. Hist. et Antiqu. Universitatis Oxoniensis, describes the state of that University, in the year 1546, as truly deplorable. He says, that formerly there were three hundred halls, or more, in Oxford, but were then reduced to eight; and he adds, "Sane quidem literatorum studia tam penitus restinxit Cœnobiorum eversio, ut juvenes artes omnes ingenuas perdendas iri suspicati, ad munera civilia, vel etiam mechanica sese converterint."

A printing press was erected in this abbey at a very early period. Ames, in p. 430-468 of his History of Printing, mentions Walton's

Saxon school; and that I find no complaint of a deficiency of books in the account of the episcopal visitations, except in one instance-viz. Hartland Abbey. Now the silence of such a sagacious and very learned Prelate, as Bishop Stapeldon undoubtedly was, may be construed into an argument in favor of the other provincial monasteries: in fact, it was a considerable employment of the Monks to transcribe manuscripts; and it was very usual for the Clergy and others to bequeath their collections to the conventual libraries. In the course of this work the reader will find an Archdeacon of Exeter, A. D. 1266, granting his library to the Franciscan convent in Exeter, and a Clergyman leaving 136 books to the library of Ottery College, A. D. 1445.

With respect to the mode of electing the Superiors of religious houses, it appears, from the registers, to have been conducted with great regularity and solemnity. The canont law had determined that no vacancy should continue beyond the space of three months. As soon then, as the body of the deceased Superior was consigned to ecclesiastical burial, the convent made application to the patron‡ of their house, i. e. to the founder, or the representative of the founder's family, for permission to proceed to the election of a successor. When this permission was obtained, the Mass de Spiritu Sancto was celebrated at the high altar, on the day appointed for the election, and afterwards the signal was given for repairing to the chapter-house. Here a short instruction was delivered, suitable to the occasion, by one of the community, and the names of the members who had voices at the election were called over

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translation of Boetius de Consolatione, "enprented in the Exempt Monastery of Tavystoke in Denshere, by me Dan Thomas Rychard; Monke of the said Monastery, 1525," 4to, and "The Confirmation of the Tynners Charter, 26, Hen. 8," in 16 leaves, 4to.

Vide Bp. Stapeldon's Reg. fol. 147 ad an 1319.

3

"Conditores Canonum providâ deliberatione statuerunt quod ultrà tres menses vacare non debeant."-Registt. passim. N. B. All public business was transacted in the chapter-house, and even before dinner, unless something urgent required the contrary.-Vide fol. 423, vol. 3. Lacy's Reg. Patrons of abbeys shall have the custody of them during a vacancy." See Magna Charta, 9. Hen. 3. N. B. If the vacancy exceeded the period fixed by the canons, the collation devolved on the Bishop, "per lapsum temporis."

by the President of the Chapter. The hymn Veni Creator was then intoned, after which, the President charged, in the name of God, every person that was excommunicated, suspended and interdicted; every one, in fine, that was not concerned in the election, to depart forthwith, that the community might proceed with perfect freedom. The patron's letter of permission was then read, and the Constitution Quapropter. Each one then declared his choice; and when the majority of votes was collected, Te Deum was solemnly chaunted, and the elect was conducted to the high altar, where his election was proclaimed to the assembled multitude. The consent of the elect was then demanded; and as soon as it was obtained, an official account of the proceedings was drawn up by an apostolic notary, who was always an assistant on these occasions, and by him was forwarded to the Bishop. Soon after, the elect repaired to the Bishop for confirmation in his new dignity, which of course was granted, (if nothing uncanonical had transpired in the election) on his taking the oath of obedience to the See, and affixing his signature to this formulary, which was generally deposited on the high altar.

"I

I think I cannot conclude this Preface better, than by transcribing the opinion of Thomas Hearne, A. M. on monastic institutions, premising that this profound scholar and very staunch antiquary was a steady and sincere friend to the Church of England."* cannot but publicly declare, that I think it would have been more happy for the Church of England, as well as for the nation at large, if Henry VIII. had only reformed, and not destroyed, the abbeys and other religious houses. Monastic establishments are very ancient; and it had been very laudable had he reduced the manner of worship to the primitive form. But then this would not have satisfied the ends of himself and his covetous and ambitious agents. They all aimed at the revenues and riches of the religious houses. For which reason, no arts nor contrivances were to be passed by, that might be of

See his Preliminary Observations to Browne Willis's History of Mitred Abbeys,

use in obtaining those ends. The most abominable crimes were charged upon the religious, and the charge was to be managed with the utmost industry, boldness, and dexterity. This was a powerful argument to draw an odium upon them, and to make them disrespected and ridiculed by the generality of mankind. And yet, after all, the proofs were so insufficient, that, from what I have been able to gather, I have not found any direct one against even a single monastery. The sins of one or two particular persons do not make a Sodom; neither. are violent or forced confessions to be esteemed as the true result of any one's thoughts. When, therefore, even these artifices would not do, the last expedient was put in execution, and that was ejection by force." So far Mr. Hearne, to whose observations I may add the following extract from Mr. Burke's Reflections on the French Revolution, p. 207, 6th edit.

"It is not with much credulity I listen to any, when they speak ill of those whom they are going to plunder. I rather suspect that vices are feigned or exaggerated, when profit is looked for in the punishment. An enemy is a bad witness-a robber is a worse."