Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/284

 :^32 TUE ALIEN I'KIOKIES IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT. them, it was natural that the existence of these minor houses, dra^Ying their sustenance from the estates ^Yith uhich thej liad been endowed and transmitting it to a foreign land, should be regarded as a grievance. This feeling would be exasperated to one of decided hostility when the two countries were at war with one another. Our kings would most excusably look u])un it as an anomaly no longer to be tolerated, that the resources of their kingdom should be drained by these religious colonists for the benefit of their enemies, and would take measures to check so great an evil. The alien priories might not unreasonably be regarded with suspicion, as little nests of traitors, centres of sedition and disall'ection, availing themselves of their position to obtain and furnish information to the king's foes, and capable, when opportunity offered, of doing some serious mischief to the king and his realm. This suspicion might be often quite unfounded. Man}', perhaps the majority, of the alien priories were little humble establishments, — at Appuldur- combe there Avere but a prior and two monks, and only a prior and one monk at hit. Helens and St. Cross, — quietly tilhng their ground and performing their religious duties without thon":ht of consi)irinLr aiiainst the sovereign of the land, r.ut the apprehension awakened was so reasonable, and the (act of the revenues of Knglish estates being regularly sent to France to nourish the king's enemies so shocking to national feeling, that we cannot be surprised that among the first consequences of warlike relations between the two countries, was a sweeping edict relating to the.se alien prioiics. Their property was taken into the king's hands, their estates were managed by the king's ofiicers, and in the case of those whdsc houses were situated near the sea- coast, «ind who miglit, therefore, liold treasonable communi- cation with the enemy, or facilitate their descent on ilie country, the religious th(jmselvcs were removed to a less suspicious locality in tin' intciior. The documonts 1 have the jilcasure of introtlucing to your notice liavo i-eferenc-(^ to tho earliest instance of this stern dealing willi the alien priories. If such harsh measures were justifiable anywhere, they were certrunly so in the Isle of Wight. No part of our roasts needed moi-e careful guard- ing. In the occuj)ation of a liostile force the Island would ])rove a source of weakness and distress. The Danes had