<County: Kent>
<Code: L5900>
<MS reference: Cambridge University Library, Add. 6845>
<Text: Ordinance>


<fol. 15r><line 16><lat></lat> Discrete ordynaunce3 of seynt laurencis . besyde Cannterbury
Thys+is the ordinaunce & the custume . whych is nyed
ful þat euery <add>man &</add><later hand> womman þat is oþer schal be <add>mad brother
other</add><different hand> sustyr at þe hows of Seynt laurens . knawe and
do þeraftyr . ¶ For the ooth is þis þt is y-maad whanne
a <add>man other</add><later hand> a+womman schal be maad <add>brother</add><later hand> oþer sostyr
at þe same place The ferste ooth is þis ; who þet
be þeer <gap> sostyr ; <add>hy</add><later hand> schulle swer~ at þe cherch
dor~ þat hy sculle kepe hen<?> <the last letter looks like two minims> chaast yn her~ body . also
longe as hy dwellyth at þat same place ¶ Also þt hy
schullyþ be obedyent & buxam to the abbot of seynt+Austyns
& to oþere abbottes þt comyþ after hym in all thyngges þt be-longgyþ
to his iurisdictioun ¶ And also hy schulleþ swer~ þt hy schall
be obedient to her~ wardeyn & to her~ prioresse ¶ The secunde is
þt hy schull cunne & knowe her~ Pater noster . and Aue maria & Credo
which Pater noster hy beth y-holde to syngge euerych day . twoo
hundred sythe . And euerych day Fyfty sythe Aue maria<asterisk and comment at the bottom of the page in modern hand>
For all þe foundours & þe benefactours qwyke & dyede
of þe hows of seynt laurens ¶ Also hy beth y-hoolde . to
come to-geder~ in-to þe cherch & þere sygge+her~ bedys togeder~
owt-take hem þat beth seke & ham þat habbeth lyeue of
þe wardeyn . þt travaylyþ oþer beth y-ocuped for profyt
of þe hows . And who þt deth ellys . þe wardeyn ys be
holde to amendy ham & vpnyme ham ther-of <gap>
<fol. 15v>¶ Also hy beth J-holde alle to gwo to bedde to-gedr~
þat is to sygge yn o tyme and ryse an o tyme
and for to holde þe sylence whanne hy gooth to bedde
& whanne hy aryseth bote 3ef any of ham be open
liche seek . why þat he mot be excusyd ¶ Also þer
ne schal no <gap> sostyr be schryue to non
othyr preest ne frer bote to her~ owene preest of
þe place bote 3ef hy habbe leue of the abbot oþer
of her~ wardeyn ¶ Also as ofte ase the wardeyn
wyle holde Chapytle hy beth y-holde to come þerto .
and be amendyd of hym ther~ 3ef hy habbyth
y-trespacyd ¶ Also whanne hy walkyth yn the
cowrt oþer gooth out atte gate . þer schal non of ham
gwo alone wyth-owte a felaghe bote be leue of
her~ mayster the wardeyn . whanne he sent ham
for eny gret nyede othir profyt of the hows
¶ And also four tyme a 3er hy beth y-holde be schry
ue to her~ oghene preest yn the same place and
four tyme a 3er to be houslyd . & four tyme a 3er to be
y-schor~ . ¶ Forther more 3ef eny <gap> soster . be founde
wyth eny thefthe oþer blood-schedynge . othir putrie
er lecherye . he oþer hy schal be potyd out of þe hous
for euere of seyn Laurens ¶ And who so yt euer~ be
of ham þt potyth eny desclaundr~ oþer eny fals fame
vpe here mayster þe wardeyn othir vp eny <gap>
<gap> soster of þe same hous . he schal be denouncyd a
cursyd thre tymes a 3er ¶ Forthir-mor~ for the
profyt of þe <gap> sostren the Abbat hath
y-ordeynyd . þt whanne eny goodis beth by-quethe
to þe hous of seynt laurens þt thilke goodis turne to
the vus & profyt of <gap> sostren þt ther~ beth
& to þe profyt of þe hous after the dyscretioun & orde
naunce of the wardeyn & of her~ Prioresse ¶ And þe
wardey & the prioresse schulle ordeyny of þe melle
and other~ hows þt beth wyth-oute þe gate and
othr~ smale rentys & profytys how hy schulle be
turnyd to þe profyt of þe sostren <gap>
¶ Also þe wardeyn ys y-holde to begge wode and
coles þt yn certeyn tymes of þe 3er : whanne it is
wonder coold . <gap> the sostren mowwe
habbe veer ; als þe olde costome was y-wonyd to be
<fol. 16r>Also whanne þer is eny nyede to make othir to amen
de þe commune hows þe wardeyn schal clepe alle
þe <gap> sostren to-geder~ and aske here consayl .
and her~ help ¶ Also yt is y-ordeynyd þat þer schulle
be tweye keyes of þe gernere & þat on schal þe
wardeyn habbe & þter þe prioresse þet euerych of ham
mowe bere wytnesse what oþer dooth // wh Ne the
wardeyn ne schal habbe stondyngge ther~ . bote on pal
frey ne there ne schulle stonde there non other~ hors
þane hors of þe place bute 3ef þe wardeyn habbe sum
on colt oþer two . hwich mowe after-ward torne to þe
vus oþir profyt of þe place ¶ Also þer ne schal be bote
on plogh to þe place . & 3ef þer be moo ; hy schulle be potid
& tornyd to þe profit of þe place ¶ Ne the wardeyn ne
schal habbe none houndis at the place bote tweye othir
three mastyuys for help & surte of þe place ¶ Ne the
wardeyn ne schal habbe no seruaunt yn the place bote
he mowe be sykyr þt he be trewe ¶ And 3ef þer be eny
seruaunt þer-ynne þat habbe be founde fals yn a-n+other war
deynys tyme þe wardeyn schal pote hym away ¶ Also
3ef þer be eny <gap> womman þat wile be maad <gap>
<gap> soster at the hows of seynt laurens . and <gap> hy
wyle 3eue eny gwod to þe same place thanne þe wardeyn
wyth assent of all þe <gap> sostren . schulle ordeyne
how thylke goodys mowe best best be torned to the profit
of the place ¶ Forther . who so euere be prioresse hy is y-holde
euerych woke þe wodenesday to clepe to-gedre alle the
<gap> sostren & halde here chapitle after þe olde custome
of þe hous : bote eny of ham habbe a skelful cause why
he mote be excused and there þe prioresse 3ef hy vynt eny
Smale trespas oþer defaute yn eny <gap> sosterer eny
of þe mayne ; hy is þer holde to amende . & vpnyme ham
þer of skelfullyche / Saue þe grete defautys schullyþ be re
seruyd & y-kept to þe wardeyns correctyouner ellys to þe
abbot ¶ Also as ofte as eny chapitle ys y-holde whanne
þe chapitle is y-do . euerych <gap> suster ys y-holde to
sygge thre sydys þe Pater noster. & þre dsythe þe Aue maria
for the Abbot & þe Couent of seynt+austyns & alle her~ foundourys & for all cristyne saulys ¶ Also yn absence
of þe wardeyn þe prioresse yn þe wardeynys name
yn skelful cause may 3eue leue to <gap> sustren
to go out at te gate yn to diuerse places wher~ hy habbe
<fol. 16v>to done & 3ef eny of ham þat asketh leue wile aleg
ge eny cause to the prioresse ; yt langeth to þe prioresse for
to deme 3ef þe cause be skelful oþer nay ¶ 3ef eny
<gap> sustren asketh leue to speke be ham-selue to
the Abbot othir to þe priour of seynt Augystynes ; þe wardeyn
ne þe prioresse ne schulle na3th warne hem leue ¶ Also
ther schal no prioresse be maad ne potyd adoun . bote
onlyche be the Abbot ; Save whanne þe abbot ys deed .
& þe cherche of Seynt+austynes is vake . þe priour wyth
counsayl of þe wardeyn may pote adoun þe prioresse
¶ Also þe Abboth heth y-ordeynyd þt who swo euere be
prioresse schel habbe alle her~ lyuerees Als yt was
y-woned to be yn olde tyme ¶ And þe Abbot wil no3th
ther the wardeyn do a-doun þe prioresse wyth-oute hym
other hes assent ; And 3ef þe Abbot be deed ; þe prioresse
ne schal na3th be <exp>potyd</exp> [do] adoun ; wythowte þe priour
of seynt+Augustines ¶ Ne ther ne schal no <gap>
womman ; be maad þer <gap> soster wyth-owte the
assent of þe Abbot othir ellys of þe priour whane þe
Abbot ys deed ¶ <exp>Thanne</exp> þe prioresse ys y-holde whanne
eny womman schal be maad soster there ; for to make
her~ cunne wyth-ynne þe ferste 3yer . þe bedyngge which
is wonyd for to be pronunced othir y-sayd a-lowde
yn the cherche other yn the dortoure of som soster
Also þe Abbot wyle þt the olde numbr~ of <gap>
sostren be fulfeld . yn as moche ase the gwodys
of þe hospital . wylleth strecche to ¶ Also þe Abbot
hath y-ordeynyd þt euery <gap> soster þt beryth þe abyt
er clothyngge of <gap> soster . schal twyes a 3yer
receyuy of the wardeyn syx pans for schoon . And
a palmsonnene : syx pans . And þis payengge . ne
schel strecche to noon oþer man þt heþ þer . eny lyueree
¶ Also þe <gap> sostren schullyþ take for her~ lyuer~
of þe beste ale þt is y-maad a maugham . And eftyr
waard 3yef þer be eny seculeris a maugham ; hy schulleþ
habbe of þt other Ale thet leueth ¶ Also þe Abbot
hath y-ordeynyd . þt þer ne schel no lyueree be soold out
of þe hous of seynt laurens to noon seculeer . <gap>
<fol. 17r>man ne womman ; for gret harm / þt ˆ [to] þe hows . my3ghte
falle aftyr yt ¶ Further moore euery preest þat
schal seruy at seynt laurens schal doo obedyence
to þe Abbot . And schel be y-broght yn by þe wardeyn
& yn hes presence & also yn þe prioresse He schal be
swor~ to be trewe And soo schal also þe sergeaunt
be swor~ of þe place ¶ And also the prioressis seruaunt . &
who so seruyth ther~ . schel be swor~ to þe counseyl of þe
hous & also for to be trewe ¶ Also þe preest & whet
seruaunt hit be þt dwellyth ther~ . schel doo duwe reuerence
& worschype to þe prioresse & to þe <gap> sostren .
¶ Also þe wardeyn schal na3th soffre . þt eny man othir
womman þt there dwellyth . to despyse þe prioresse oþer
eny othir <gap> soster . And 3ef he bynt eny
swyche : he schel be bysy to enquere ther of and
amende hyt ¶ Also þe Abbot heth y-ordeynyd . þet
ther schel be a clerk to kepe þe chapel . & alle þe olde
custumes yn lyuerees yn breed & ale . & oþer thynggys
þt hy wer~ y-wonyd to haue be olde tyme ¶ the Abbot
wyle þt þe <gap> sostren / habbe hollyche 3yef
þe gwodis of þe hospital whyllyth strecche ther-to
¶ Also þer ne schal no wardeyn . of his oghene heefd
make+noþer broþer ne soster . wyth-oute þe Abbottes wyl
& his assent Nether schel no broþer . be receyuyd þere
with his wyf ¶ Also þe Abbot Raaf Radulfus
ordeynyde þt euerych <gap> soster . þt beryth þe abyt /
A monethe efter her~ deeth schullyth habbe here
corredye ful . þet is to sygge her~ lyuerees whiche
hy hedde ther~ . whylys hy wer~ o-lyue / <gap> <rest of page in Latin>