of the reader. But we have been fo powerfully impreffed by certain parts of this work, by the ftrong and manly fpirit of the author's remarks, and the value and curiofity of circumftances which his refearches have brought to light, that we cannot deny,ourfelves the pleafure of inferting the following fpecimen, containing the exact regulations of the Convent of Evesham. They conclude the fourth chapter. p. 122, &c. "Thefe are the customs and regulations of the Evesham Convent, as appointed in ancient times, and to be enforced by the cellarer general. This official ought every day to furnish for the refectory feventy-two loaves of bread for the monks, each of which is to be of the weight of five fhillings *, and of which every monk is to have one. The prior is to have two, (except at thofe times when he shall eat with the Abbot,) and one alfo at fupper, together with a measure [jufta] of ale, unless he fhall fup with the Abbot, or in the refectory. Nevertheless he that shall fit at the high table as guardian of the order fhall have two, one of the fame fort as those provided for the Abbott, and one cup of the Abbot's wine. He who fhall have celebrated the greater mafs fhall have two. The reader alfo, the manciple, and fervants, fhall have one mixed, and in winter a whole measure. Eleemofinarius autem feptem pro decima, et tres ad mandatum, et duos ad tricennales currentes percipiet. Each of the fraternity fhall every day receive two measures of ale, each of which fhall contain two pittancies; of which pittancies fix make up a pint ‡ royal. Befides this the prior fhall have one ad novum tractum, and he who fhall fit at the difh § one cup at dinner, and another in the evening. The cellarer mut alfo fupply falt, fuel for the fire, materials both for the food and beverage of the monks, and likewife for two puddings, viz. one of them to be made of a ftrike of dried or a full meafure of new beans from the granary, and another to be made of twelve loaves of monk's bread, or of one ftrike of wheat from the granary; and this for every day, except in the time of Quadragefima, when the monks are to be allowed two femes of beans from Huniburne, to make puddings throughout all Lent; as alfo twelve femes of oatmeal to make gruel * As told in copper money doubtless. +"Scilicet unam de pasta Abbatis, et unum cyphum vini de Abbate." 1 Sextarium regis. Probably to carve for the reft, if difcus the word in the original may here be rendered dish. It might however, I believe, be rendered d: as it was ufual for fome one to read portions of fcripture during their meals. Summagium:-a word that feems to be in thefe old writings ufed in a very extended fenfe. Summagium facere, and fummagiant, are words that frequently occur in the account of the tenants and their tenures, in the foregoing chapter; but I muft confefs myself ignorant of their exact meaning, both here and in the prefent instance. оп on the fourth and fixth holiday throughout the feafon; and meal for pottage every day in the fame feafon. The monks ought, moreover, to have at the feven principal feftivals feven cyffolles of wheat from the granary, ad waftellos; and on the tranflation of St. Egwin an eighth, as well for fupper as for dinner; and one fciffol ad waftellos at the feaft of St. John before the Latin gate; one on the feast of St. Odulf; one on the day of All Souls; one on the anniversary of the bleffed Wifin; one on the anniversary of the kings Ethelred, Kenred, and Offa; one on the anniversary of Abbot Reginald. One on the anniversary of Abbot Adam; and one on the anniversary of Abbot Randulf. On the advent of our Lord, the monks fhall be allowed fourteen femes, ad for mittas; as many against Christmas; and the fame quantity in Lent, at Eafter, Pentecoft, the affumption of the bleffed Mary, and the tranflation of St. Egwin: all to be received from the granaries, The monks ought alfo to have from the cellar, on every Sabbath-day, a pittance for their collation, ad mandatum; as alfo for every collation at the feftivals, as well those that are celebrated in copes, as in albs*; and that * The following account of the various dreffes worn at different fervices in Evesham Abbey, is among the curiofities obtained from the British Mufeum. [Harl. MS. 3763. p. 115. b.] "Mem. That the cuftom of this church is, in all the feftivals of the bleffed Mary, to ufe a white vestment. On the eve of All Saints, of the nativity of our Lord, in the fupper of our Lord, and on the eves of Eafter and Pentecoft, a red one. On the nativity itself we use a large black chefable at the greater mafs. On the fame day we go to mafs at cock-crowing. On Eafter-day, Afcenfion-day, and the day of Pentecoft, for the greater mafs, a white chefable embroidered with gold is to be used. On the feaft of St. Egwin, on the day of All Souls, and on the anniversary of St. Wlfin and of the kings, a Leffer black chefable is to be worn. Another memorandum that follows, relating likewife to the customs of this Abbey, I muft infert in the original language, for reafons that will be evident to those who may peruse it. "Cum olim pro ufu fuerit obfervatum quod Ebdomadarius Evangelium ad magnam miffam, quicunque effet in ebdomada proxima ante Pafcha, omnes paffiones, omnia evangelia ipfius ebdomadæ, lettom (SIC) in capitulo feria quinta, ac benedictionem cerei in vigilia Paschæ, per feipfum legeret vel fumptuofe per alium legi procuraret :-Frater Petrus de Wyk Prior cum confilio Conventus in Capitulo inter eos celebrato, die dominica proxime ante feftum S. Gregorii A. D. 1338, pie confiderans ipfius ebdomadarii, aliis deoneratis, laborem, juvamen et hoc foli poffe contingere cafualiter, multis annis, benigne conftituit et rationabiliter ordinavit, quod ebdomadarius Evangelii ad magnam miffam in ebdomada predicta, paffionem indoca. (SIC) Ramis Palmarum, evangeliam feriis fecunda, quinta, et fabbato, ac lettor (81C) in Capitulo feria quinta. Senior vero Diaconorum, excepto ebdomadario prædicto, paffionem feria tertia. Secundus fenior paffionem feria quarta, Tertius paffionem feria fexta, et quartus benedictionem cerei in fabbato Pafchæ per feipfos legant, vel per alios faciant legi competenter; ut fic alter alterius onera portatis, et lex Chrifti impleatur." both both on the eve and the day itfelf: excepting only the collations of the feven principal feafts, for then the pittanciary is to furnish them. They ought moreover to have a pittance allowed from the cellar for dinner, on each of the octaves of the principal feftivals, at least of fuch as have octaves; excepting however thofe days on which we wear our copes, for then they are found by the pittianciary. But for their collation on each day of the above octaves they fhall receive it from the cellar; and this from Christmas to the Epiphany. On every day in mifericordiis regularibus every two brethren fhall have one measure from the cellar; but after being let blood they fhall have one for dinner, and another at fupper. He who shall have been cupped [ventofatus] fhall have on that day only one measure from the cellar. The fervant who fhall let the monks blood fhall have both bread and ale from the cellar, if he have blooded more than one. As often as the napkins fhall be washed the washers fhall receive from the refectorer a loaf of monk's bread from the buttery. The fervants who attend on the monks while bathing shall have from the buttery bread, and a meafure of ale from the cellar, on each day for three weeks before the nativity, and for three weeks before Palm Sunday.-The Abbots and alfo the monks of Evesham fhall have their corredy (or allowance) for a whole year after their death, in the same proportion as while they lived; and this to be bestowed on fome poor perfon for the good of their fouls. The fervants who watch with any brother near his departure ought to be provided with bread and ale from the cellar.-When the death either of the Abbot or of any monk of another foundation fhall happen, provided they were members of the Evesham chapter, ad annale pro Abbate et tricennale pro monacho, bread and beer may be by any poor perfon demanded from the cellar in the fame proportion which a monk enjoys while living.-The cellarer ought to allow to each poor perfon who fhall have been in the chapter-houfe at the Lord's Tupper, one loaf and three falted fishes, and as much ale as may be neceffary. If any one fhall preferve or add to thefe regulations, may the Lord increase his days upon earth, and preferve him to eternal life; but if any one shall destroy or detract from them, may the Lord diminish his days, and destroy his existence from off the earth. Amen. Amen. Amen. In these minute regulations there is doubtlefs much matter for wonder, fome for praife, and a little for laughter. The former must be excited by the tedious mummery they contain; many charitable provifions for the poor will demand reverence; and fome of the more trivial institutions will probably provoke a smile. How much muft a poor novice have had to learn before he could look forward with any certainty to the day when he might eat and drink his belly-full! Yet, upon the whole, it will not be eafy to find any record that admits a reader more completely into the interior of an ancient English monaftery, than the above paper of Institutes *. But In Stevens's Appendix [p. 146.] is a Latin epiftle of confolation addreffed to the monks of Evesham during the abfence of their Abbot, It was written by Peter Blejenfis, (or de Blois,) who was archdeacon of But will not fome pedantry and fome fuperftitious regard for these monaftic mummeries be attributed to the recorder of them ?-Should this be the cafe, he knows not how he can ward off the imputation better than by quoting the lines of a genuine poet, who was himself a lover of antiquity; and who pleads with much candour, as well as with a truly poetic fpirit, in defence of a brother antiquary, in the following terms: "Deem not, devoid of elegance, the Sage*, Her mould'ring roll, the piercing eye explores [Warton, Sonnet III.] Befides this, which is chiefly matter of curiofity, it would be eafy to point many very important and interefting paffages in this volume. Among thefe we must especially refer to the clofe of the fifth chapter, where, from the faults and prejudices of the monks, the author is led to make reflections, in a nervous and animated ftyle, on the oppofite faults of those who affect to deftroy all prejudices, not sparing even those which are friendly to human happinefs; or, perhaps even those that cement the ties of affinity. See p. 144, &c. The narrative of the battle of Evesham, at p. 306, deferves alfo to be noticed. We certainly, fince the commencement of our labours, have not feen a topographical production, more calculated to enfure reputation to the author, and entertaining information to the reader, than this, of which we now take our leave, with the fincereft wishes for its fuccefs. of London, and vice-chancellor to Henry I. about the year 1117. Nothing but the great length of this and the foregoing chapter would have prevented my tranflating and inferting it here; as (although not ftrictly relating to the customs of this Abbey,) it is written in a pleasing, though rather enthufiaftic manner, and contains many excellent topics of confolation under real calamities, drawn from religion. It may be found in the Appendix in the original language. Dugdale :- -on a blank leaf of whofe Monafticon the above lines were written. ART. ART. IX. The Looker-on: a Periodical Paper. By the Rev TH 13s. 6d. HOUGH to strike out this fpecies of publication, and give animation to it by an entertaining, and well-fupported character of a fictitious author and his friends; and, by the admirable matter and management of the whole, to obtain for it complete popularity, required originally all the talents of a Steele and an Addifon united, yet, being eftablished, it is undoubtedly a mode of compofition very favourable to the writer. The shortness of each paper, the unbounded choice of fubjects, and the entire liberty of quitting any topic abruptly, as foon as it becomes difficult to fupport it with effect, are advantages not equally poffeffed in any other branch of authorfhip. Hence is it that of all the numerous writers who have undertaken periodical papers few have entirely failed, though, at the fame time, we must acknowledge that few have fucceeded better than Mr. Roberts *, the real perfon concealed under the imaginary Simon Olivebranch. But though the writers have done their duty, it has not been eafy, of late years, to attract the attention of the public to the numbers published separately. Accustomed to fee the Spectator, in the form of a book, from the variety of which they could always extract amusement, and fully fupplied with daily publications of news and politics, (the more immediate demand of Englishmen) interfperfed with miscellaneous matters, the very fame perfons who would admire the Looker-on, or any fimilar work in volumes, would neglect it as a periodical paper.Even the Rambler confeffes in his concluding number, "I have never been much a favourite with the public, nor can boast, that, in the progrefs of my undertaking, I have been animated by the rewards of the liberal, the careffes of the great, or the praises of the eminent." In fome instances, therefore, the form of periodical publication has been affumed without the attempt to circulate the fingle papers, as in the cafe of Mr. Cumberland's Obferver. The Looker-on ventured upon the regular method of publishing feparately, and then collecting; with what fuccefs in the firft inftance we can * William Roberts, A. M. F. A. S, Fellow of Corpus Chrifti College, Oxford. not |