c. 1600.

back of wood ioyned to ye said stoole wch was maid fast in Roll, ye wall for ye porter to sytt on wch did keape ye cloister doure. And before the said stoole it was bourded in vnder foote for warmenesse: and he that was ye last porter ther was called Edward Pattinson; And fro ye said stoole westward on ye south syde there was a faire longe bench of Stone* almost to ye frater hous dour, where on dyd syt certen Childrin a Row* from ye one end to ye other, vpo Maundy thursdaie before easter, being maide for that purpose: Where all ye whole covent of Mounck at that same present tyme had euy one of them a boy appointed them sytting vpō ye saide bench, wher ye said monk dyd wash ye said childryns feete, & dryed them wth a towell wch being done they dyd kisse ye said childrins fete euy one of those he washed, giving to euy childe xxxa in mony and vijo redde hering & iijo loves of bread, and euy one certaine wafercakes, [a wafer Cake, H. 44] the monckt Svinge euy childe wth drinke them selues, ye godly ceremony thus endyd after certaine pers* said, by ye por & ye whole covent they dyd all dept in great holynesse./

And at ye end of ye said bench betwixt it & ye frater house dour, ther was a fair almerie Joyned in ye wall* & an other of ye other syd of ye said dour, & all ye forept of the almeries was thorowgh carved worke [for to geve ayre to the towels], & iijo dors in ye for pt of either almerie, & a locke on euy doure and euy mounke had a key for ye said almeryes wher in did hinge in euy almerie cleane towels for ye mounk to drie there hand on when they washed & went to dyn. And the stoole & bench* Tobie (68) Mathewe dean of Durham caused to be taiken downe and maid as playne as is ye rest of ye floore of the Cloyster./

(XXXIX.) The frater house.

In ye said south allie of ye cloysters is a faire larg hall* called ye frater house* wherein ye greate feaste of Sacte Cuthb: daie in lent was holden,

Interlined in a contemporary hand, but in different ink. In L., C., but not in Cos,

MS. L., [In the South Alley of the Cloysters is a fair large Hall 1656. called the Fraterhouse which is finely wainscotted* both on

*

the North and Southside thereof, and in the West and neither [nether, C.] part* of the Fraterhouse there is a fair long bench of hewen stone, Mason work to sitt on which is from the Seller door to the Pantry or Covey door* and above the Bench is wainscotted work two yards and an half of height, which is finely carved and sett with Imbroidered work* of wainscott and guilted under the carved work, and above the Wainscott, there was a goodly fair great picture of our Saviour Christ and the blessed Virgin Mary and St John in fine guilting work, and most excellent coloures, which pictures have been washed over wth Lime, and yet do appear through the Lime, this Wainscott work hath engraven* in the top of it Thomas Castell Prior Anno Dni 1518 Mensis Julii, so it is manifest that Prior Castell did wainscot the Fraterhouse round about, and within the said Fraterhouse door on the left hand as one goeth in, there is a very strong Ambry* in the stone wall where a great Mazer* called the grace cup* did stand in, which did serve the monkes every day after grace was said to drink in throughout the table, which cup was largely and finely edged about with silver and double guilt with gold and many more large and great Mazers after the same sort, amongst whom was a goodly great Mazer called Iudas Cupp, which was also edged largely and finely about with silver and double guilt with gold with a foot underneath it to stand on of silver and double guilt with gold which was never occupied but on Maunday Thursday at night in the Fraterhouse, where the Prior and all the whole Covent did meet and kept their Maundy as that day at night evermore, and also there did lie in that same Ambry the goodly Cup called St Beedes Bowl, the outside whereof was of black Mazer,* and all the Bowl within the Mazer was all of silver, and double guilt with gold, and in the midst of it, was the picture* of that holy man St Beede, sitting as if he had been writing at the foot of the said bowle, was all of silver and double guilt with gold, with four joynts of silver* coming down, on every side one (double guilt with gold) from the edge to the

*

foot to be taken a sunder, and (69) all the cheif plate did MS. L., 1656. lie onely in that Ambry, that served the whole Covent in the said Frater house on the festival dayes, and a fine work of carved wainscott before it, which had a fine strong lock on the said Ambry, that none could percieve that there was any Ambry at all, for the hole of the lock where the key went in, was under the carved work of wainscott, also there is another fair large Ambry* within the said Frater house door, on the right hand as you go to the Cellar adjoyning to the door, a goodly fair large Ambry of wainscott having diverse Ambry's within it, finely wrought and varnished all over with red varnish, wherein did lie all the Table clothes, and also the Salts and Mazers, a bason and Ewer of Latten wth other things did stand within the said Ambry pertaining to the Frater house and to the Loft where all the Monkes did dine & sup in, and every Monke had his Mazer* severally by himself that he did drink in, and had all other things that served for the whole Covent, and the Fraterhouse in their dayly service at their dyett, and at their table, and all the said Mazers were all largely and finely edged about with silver, and double guilt with gold, and also a very fair bason and Ewer of Latten, the Ewer purtrayed like unto a horse and a man sitting on his back as if he had been riding a hunting which served the Sub Prior to wash at the aforesaid table, where he did sitt as chief,* the bason and Ewer were a very fine piece of work.

And within the aforesaid Fraterhouse the Prior and the whole Covent of the Monkes held their great feast of St Cuthberts day in Lent,* having their meals served out of the Dresser Window of the great Kitchin* into the Fraterhouse, and their drink out of the great Cellar. L., C., Dav.]

& in ye est end being ye hiest pte of ye fraterhouse, & Roll, adioyni'ge to ye deanes house was taiken downe by deane c. 1600. Whittingham ye hie roufe of lead, & enclosed it to his house & vse, and maid it a flatt roufe of lead, whereby ye said deane Whittinghā gayned at ye leaste xxii by

c. 1600.

Roll, taikei'g downe ye said hie roufe of leade, also in ye said east end of ye fraterhouse stoode a fair table wth a decent skrene of wainscott où it, being keapt all ye rest of ye yere for the mr of the novicies,* & ye novicies to dyn & sup in [having their meat served in to them in at a dresser window from the great kitchin into the Frater house and their drink out of the great Cellar.* L., C.] at wch tyme ye m' observed thes holsome and godlie orders for ye Contynewallie instructing of ther youth in vertew & lerning that is one of ye novicies, at ye electio & appoyntment of ye m', dyd reade sume pte" of ye old & new test'ment, in latten in dyn tyme, having a convenyent place at the southe end of ye hie table wth in a faire glasse wyndowe invyroned wth Iron, and certaine steppes of stone, wth Iron rayles of thone syde to goe vp to it, and to support an Iron deske there placed, vpo wch laie ye holie bible. Where one of ye novicies elected by ye m1 was (70) appointed to read a chapter of ye old or newe testemt in latten as aforesaid in tyme of dyn: wch being ended, the m dyd toule a gilden Bell hanging ou his hed therby givinge warnyng to one of ye Novicies to cume to ye hie table & saie grace and so after grace said, they depted to ther bookes.* /

*

(XL. THE LAVER OR CONDUIT.)

Within ye cloyster garth ou against ye fraterhouse dour, was a fair laver or counditt* for ye mounck to washe ther hand & faces at, being maid in forme Round* couled with lead and all of mble saving ye [verie] vttermost walls. Wthin ye wch walls yow may walke rownd about ye laver of mble having many litle Cunditt or spout of brasse* wth xxiiijo Cockes of brasse Rownd about yt, havinge in yt vijo faire wyndowes* of stone woorke, and in the Top of it a faire dovecotte, a faire dovecotte, coued fynly où aboue wth lead, the workmanship both fyne & costly as is appar'nt till this daie.* And adioyninge to ye est syde of the counditt dour, ther did hing a bell to geue warning, at a leave of ye clock, for ye mounck to cume wash and dyne, having ther closett or almeries* on either

This word interlined in a hand of the same date, but in different ink,

C. 1600.

syde of ye frater house dour keapt alwaies wth swete and Roll, clene towels as is aforesaid to drie ther hand.*/

(XLI. THE CLOISTER.) The Northe Alley.

In the north syde of ye cloister from ye Corn ou against ye Church Dour to ye corner ou againste the Dorter dour was all fynely glased* from ye hight to ye sole within a litle of ye grownd into ye cloyster garth, & in euy wyndowe iijo pewes or carrells* where euy one of the old monkt had his Carrell seuall by him selfe, that when they had dyned they dyd resorte to that place of cloister, and there studyed vpō there book, euy one in his carrell all ye after noñe vnto evensong tyme, this was there exercise euy daie all there pewes or Carrells was all fynely wainscotted, and verie close all but ye forept wch had carved wourke yt gave light in at yer carrell doures of wainscott and in elly Carrell was a deske to lye there bookes on; and ye (71) carrells was no greater then from one stanchell of the wyndowe to another. And over against the carrells against the church wall did stande staine great almeries* [or Cupborde, H. 45] of waynscott all full of bookes [wth great store of antient Manuscript to help them in ther studdy, H. 45], wherein dyd lye as well the old auncyent written Docters* of the Church as other pphane authors,* wth dyuse other holie mens wourkt, so that euy one dyd studye what Docter pleased them best, havinge the librarie at all tymes to goe studie in besydes there Carrelle.

(XLII. THE CLOISTER.) The Weaste Alley.

In ye weast alley of ye cloysters toward ye northe ende, vndernethe ye Dorter and adioyning vnto ye staires that goe vp to ye Dorter is ye Threserhouse* (where there besst evidence & ye chapter seale* ar keapt) of verie strong and perfect workmanshippe belonginge to ye por and

Covent.

The West Angle.

In yt Angle on ye south side of ye Dormiter doore ther is MS. H. 45, c. 1655. a stronge howse called ye treasure howse where all ther tresure was kept. And in ye Midst of itt was a great of