Royal MS 12 E XIV

DICTAMINAL FORMULARIES, pertaining to the Cistercian Abbey of Hayles, co. Glouc., with several visitations of the abbey, in Latin. Art. 1 is of the early part of the 14th cent., but the other articles are 15th cent. additions. Contents:

1. Formulary, with rubric explanations. The documents are not dated, but nearly all, except a few at the beginning, refer to Hayles, and the abbot's name is J., perhaps the John of Gloucester who occurs in 1305, 1333 (Vict. County Hist. ii, p. 99). One formula (f. 9b) is noted as 'editum a mag. Iohanne de Cornubia'. The collection beg. 'Procuratorium rectoris absentis generale. Uniuersis pateat per presentes quod ego W. de Gloucestria'. f. 4.

2. 'De officio iudicis circa inquisissiones et forma procedendi' : part of the anonymous tract noticed in two other Cistercian collections above, 8 A. XVIII, art. 7, 11 A. XIV, art. 1. Beg. 'Videamus qualiter et quando debet iustus iudex procedere'. Imperf. at end. f. 16 b.

3. Letter of Laurence Kolyns, commissary for the archdeaconry of Oxford, to the rector of Borton, al. Boorton [Bourton, co. Oxon.] directing him to solemnize the marriage of Ralph Lanson, of S. Mary's parish in Oxford, and Isabella Taylour, of Bourton. Dat. Oxford, 15 Jan. 147⁴/₅. Latin. f. 19 b.

4. Miscellaneous letters and documents relating to Hayles. Mostly dated, but the dates (1318-1478) are not all trustworthy. Beg. 'Venerabili viro predilecto perpetuo vicario ecclesie parochialis de le Dydebroke' [Didbrook, co. Glouc.]. ff. 20-72b.

Interspersed with these are several legal notes, viz. artt. 5-8.

5. 'Articuli super quibus inquirendi sunt a reformatore ordinis Cisterciensis in suo reformacione'. Beg. 'In primis an aliqua sint exercita'. f. 43.

6. 'De statu monachorum et canonicorum regularium': quaestiones in canon law with references to the texts. Beg. 'An monachus ab episcopo possit excommunicari'. f. 48.

7. Constitution of Gregory IX (sic, for XI), concerning papal chaplains, promulgated 1 Dec. 1373. Beg. 'Ad Romani pontificis prouidenciam'. f. 61 b.

8. List of causes for invalidating an election. Beg. 'Primo si fiat eleccio ad clamorem populi'. f. 62 b.

9. Visitations and similar ordinances for Hayles, viz.:-(a) Visitation by Dionysius, Abbot of Beaulieu [co. Southt.] 1261. f. 73;-(b) Visitation by John, Abbot of Beaulieu, 1270. f. 75 b ;-(c) Ordinances of William [Henley], Abbot of Hayles, on departing for Rome and leaving John Alcestre, the prior, in charge, 1437. f. 79,-(d) Visitation by John, Abbot of Waverley, and Richard, Abbot of Beaulieu, 1442. f. 81 b;-

(e) Visitation by Hermann, Abbot of Stratford [-Langthorne, co. Essex], 1394. f. 84b;-(f) Visitation by John [Gloucester], Abbot of Beaulieu, 1398. f. 89 b.

The fly-leaves (ff. 1, 2), in a 14th cent. hand, are from some collection of brief excerpts (analogous to the Scintillae) from the Fathers, including S. Bernard, followed (f. 2 b) by notes on the ages of the world and man, &c. Ff. 92, 93, from the same MS., contain part of a tract on the calendar. The mnemonic verses for saints' days beg. ' Circumcisus Adam facit Ephiphania feritur' (cf. 12 F. XIX, f. 182).

Vellum; ff. 93. 6¹/₂ in. x 5¹/₄ in. Early XIV and late XV centt. Gatherings (excl. fly-leaves), i¹⁵, ii¹², iii-v¹⁰, vi⁸, vii⁶, viii¹², ix⁷. Sec. fol. 'ad quos peruenerit'. Initials to art. 1 flourished in red and blue. Belonged to John Theyer. Theyer sale-cat. no. 258; CMA. 6563 (?).