Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/200

174 rules of the Order were very strong as to the free exercise of this virtue, and it seems clear, on studying the accounts, that they were always most rigidly and liberally complied with. In fact, the various commanderies seem to have partaken very much of the character of houses of public entertainment, where both rich and poor might feel certain of a hospitable reception. Of course no charge was made for this service. It seems, however, probable that the item of co,fraria, which has been already alluded to, had its proportions considerably swelled by the donations of such among the better class of travellers as had experienced the hospitality of the fraternity. How far this claim to reception and maintenance on the part of the wayfarer may have extended it is difficult to determine, but there must have been a limit somewhere, since, unless the fourteenth century differed widely from the present day, an unrestricted system of open housekeeping would have entailed the maintenance of all the idle vagabonds in the country. The Anglo- Saxon law limited the claim in the case of monasteries to three days; probably, therefore, the same restriction was made at the commanderies. It may also be assumed that in the case of the poorer class of wayfarers a good day’s work on the farm was extorted in return for the day’s keep, thus, in a measure, deterring the idler from seeking a shelter, the sweets of which could only be purchased by the sweat of his brow.

This wholesale system of hospitality was not to be traced purely to a pious motive; there were many sagacious reasons of policy which much encouraged the practice. It must be borne in mind that in those days newspapers did not exist, the majority of men travelled but little, and information was slow in spreading from one point to another. We may readily conceive, therefore, what a vehicle for the collection and distribution of important intelligence the table of the commander must have been. The grand-prior, in his head-quarters at Clerkenwell, might be regarded somewhat in the light of the editor of a metropolitan journal receiving constant despatches from his correspondents at their provincial commanderies. These would contain a digest of all the gossip, both local and general, which may have enlivened the meals of the preceding week. This information could, of course, be collated and