Page:St. Botolph's Priory, Colchester (1917).djvu/12

6 such faults, and even to report them to the convent. No one is to receive letters or gifts. All clothes are to be kept in one place, and if any one receives clothes belonging to another he is not to complain, as everything is to be in common. Clothes are only to be washed as the superior decides, and baths are to be allowed in case of need. On the other hand when a bath is ordered it is to be taken without grumbling. When a brother says that he is in pain he is to be believed, but for his treatment a physician is to be consulted. Books are only to be given out at a particular hour, but garments and shoes when they are needed. There are to be no quarrels; but if they occur they must be ended at once, forgiveness being granted and amends made. The bead of the house is to be obeyed as a father, and is himself to be a pattern of good works, not considering himself fortunate in power that governs, but in charity that obeys. Let him be more anxious to be loved than feared, so that the brethren may feel compassion not only for themselves but for him, "for the loftier his station the greater his danger."

The actual details of the everyday life of the canons, with the duties and responsibilities of the officers, or Obedientiaries, are set forth in the Observances. The matter on which everything turned was the round of Services in Church, the Opus Dei, to which all else was subordinate. There were seven services, distributed over the twenty-four hours of a day and night. The monastic day, it must be remembered, though always divided into twelve hours, varied in length according to the season, as it began at sunrise and ended at sunset: an hour in the summer was therefore much longer than an hour in the winter. At midnight the convent rose and went to the church for Mattins and Lauds, which was considered as one service, after which they returned to their dormitory, or dorter as it was called, and slept till sunrise, when they returned to church for Prime, followed by the morning Mass, with private Masses and Confessions. All then went to the Chapter-house, where the private affairs of the house were discussed, everything connected with discipline and organization, spiritual or temporal, dealt with, all elections to office held, and all letters read and external business transacted. When Chapter was over, work of various descriptions followed, till it was time for the next service, Terce. This round, from Prime to Terce, took up the first three "hours" of the day. After Terce came High Mass, followed immediately by Sext. While dinner was preparing, the brethren read in the cloister, and at midday came dinner, completing the second three "hours." After dinner all went to take the midday rest in