Original Documents.
EXTRACTS FROM THE BURSARS ACCOUNTS, PRESERVED AMONG THE MUNIMENTS OF WINCHESTER COLLEGE.
The rolls of accounts of the household expenditure of the nobles, and of Monastic and other institutions of the middle ages, which have come down to us, contain most valuable information relating to the mode of the daily life, and habits, and customs of our forefathers. Uninteresting and forbidding as they may at first appear to be, the Archaeologist, who wishes to become acquainted with the inner and more private life of the times which fall within the scope of his inquiry, should by no means neglect them; and if undeterred by their forbidding aspect, he will have patience to proceed, he may find much to interest him and to reward his labour. My attention was first drawn to the very valuable series of Bursarial Rolls, preserved among the Muniments of Winchester College, by the Rev. Dr. Rock, who requested me to verify a quotation made from one of them by the learned Thomas Warton, in his "History of English Poetry." In searching for the extract in question, I jotted down in my note book many things which excited my interest; and was led on to continue my investigation, which has now extended from the seventeenth of Richard II., to the eleventh of Henry VI., during which period the series, with a few exceptions, is tolerably perfect.
The expenditure is arranged under the heads of the cost of the various departments, such as the Chapel, Hall, Library, Kitchen, Stable, Legal Proceedings, Gifts, Forinsec Expenses, &c, and the cost of the commons of all the members of the house arranged in weeks.
The following extracts are taken incidentally from various rolls, and selected as touching upon subjects of more general interest. The first extract which I shall cite, is the one quoted by Thomas Warton, and is taken from the earliest of these rolls, which is thus endorsed,—Collegium beatæ Mariæ prope Winton, anno VIIIvo ab inceptione operis. Computus primus post ingressum in idem Collegium, anno reg. Ric. 2ndi post conquestum XVIIo. It is interesting, as showing that the practice of writing on waxen tablets was not wholly disused even at a period comparatively late.
Et in i. tabula ceranda cum viridi cera pro intitulatione capellanorum et clericorum capellæ, ad missas et alia psallenda viiid.
The following extracts are selected, as showing the cost of making books for the services of the chapel:—
19, 20 Ric. II.
- Item computat pro quatuor doseyn septera pellibus de velym emptis pro uno graduali inde facto, quod incipit secundo folio, "et dicatur," continenti septem et viginti quaternos cum custodiis,[1] pretium doseyn de velym, vs, pret. pellis, vd
xxiis xid
- Et in scriptura ejusdem gradualis
xviis
- Et in notatione ejusdem
xiiis iiiid
- ↑ The fly-leaves, probably, or as might now be said, the guards. Custodia is used in this sense in a description of Books in Visit. of Treas. St. Paul's, London, in 1295. (Dugdale.)
