Chapter I: Front Matter

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THE CHRONICLE OF JOCELIN OF BRAKELOND: A PICTURE OF MONASTIC LIFE IN THE DAYS OF ABBOT SAMSON.

Newly Edited by

SIR ERNEST CLARKE M.A. F.S.A.

THE CHRONICLE OF JOCELIN OF BRAKELOND: A PICTURE OF MONASTIC LIFE IN THE DAYS OF ABBOT SAMSON

Newly Edited by

SIR ERNEST CLARKE

Alexander Moring The De La More Press 298 Regent Street London W 1903

"A VERITABLE MONK OF BURY ST. EDMUND'S: WORTH LISTENING TO, IF BY CHANCE MADE VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE. HERE HE IS; AND IN HIS HAND A MAGICAL SPECULUM, MUCH GONE TO RUST, INDEED, YET IN FRAGMENTS STILL CLEAR; WHEREIN THE MARVELLOUS IMAGE OF HIS EXISTENCE DOES STILL SHADOW ITSELF, THOUGH FITFULLY, AND AS WITH AN INTERMITTENT LIGHT."

_Carlyle: Past and Present._ Chapter 1.

LIST OF CONTENTS

SEAL OF ABBOT SAMSON. _Frontispiece_

_EDITOR'S PREFACE._

Page
Samson and his arch-eulogist--The Chronicle--Previous
Editions of the Chronicle--The Chronicler--The Central
Figure of the Chronicle--Samson in Subordinate
Offices--Samson as Abbot--Relations with Church and
State--Samson as an Author--Samson's
Masterfulness--Samson as an Administrator--Epilogue xv.-xliii.

CHAPTER I.

_BURY ABBEY UNDER ABBOT HUGH._

The last years of Abbot Hugh--The monastery under a load of
debt, and in the hands of Jew money-lenders--Inquiry by
the Royal almoner--Caustic comment by Samson, master of
the novices--Exemption obtained by Hugh from visitation
by the Legate--Jocelin's reflection thereon--The Convent
debt--Entertainment of strangers--Samson in various
offices, but disliked by the Abbot--Accident to Hugh at
Canterbury--His death--His house despoiled by his
servants 1-11

CHAPTER II.

_THE MONKS DISCUSS THE VACANCY._

Wardens of the Abbey appointed by the King--Culpable
Weakness of the Prior--William the sacrist--Activity of
Samson as subsacrist--Jealousy of him--The Wardens stop
further building operations--Much discussion by the
monks as to the qualifications needed in the new
Abbot--Samson silently notes all that is said--Jocelin's
indiscretion in blurting out his private opinion 12-23

CHAPTER III.

_THE CHOICE OF A NEW ABBOT._

Henry II. orders the Prior and twelve delegates from the
Abbey to attend him to make choice of a new
Abbot--Selection of the twelve--Six electors appointed
to choose three names to be given under seal to the
delegates--The journey to the Court--Gossip and telling
of dreams amongst the monks left behind--The delegates
before the King at Bishop's Waltham--The sealed paper
opened--Samson eventually selected--Approval of the
King, and his comment on Samson's demeanour 24-35

CHAPTER IV.

_SAMSON'S INSTALLATION._

Reception of the news at the Monastery--Samson blessed by
the Bishop of Winchester--He journeys to Bury, and is
welcomed by the Convent on Palm Sunday--His address in
the chapter-house--Answer of Wimer the Sheriff--Jocelin
made Abbot's Chaplain--New Seal struck with mitre graven
thereon--Samson sets his household in order--General
Court summoned--Demand of aid from his knights 36-42

CHAPTER V.

_THE NEW ABBOT'S REFORMS._

Prepares an estate book--Buildings and repairs--Enclosure
of parks--Hunting and dogs--Land
improvements--Management of manors--General
survey--Makes a kalendar--New regulations made in
Chapter--Amount of the convent debts and their
discharge--Dismissal of William the sacrist--Samson
visits all the Abbey manors--His anxieties about the
debts--His skill and energy in managing the
estates--Appointed judge in ecclesiastical
courts--Jocelin's excuse for Samson's fondness for
betaking himself to his manors--The Abbot's complaint at
the burden of his charge--His dream as a child--His
control of temper--Order for production of convent
seals--Thirty-three given up, all retained by the Abbot,
except the prior's--Entertainment of guests 43-59

CHAPTER VI.

_SAMSON'S PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS._

His personal appearance--His temperance and
diligence--Abhors liars, drunkards and talkative
folk--His eloquence--Preaches to the people in the
Norfolk dialect--Management of his household--Strict
regulation of expenses--Appoints none but fit persons to
office--His treatment of his relatives--Gratitude for
past kindnesses--Provides free lodgings for poor
scholars--Expulsion of Jews from Bury--Purchase of the
Manor of Mildenhall--Giving up of King Henry II.'s cup
and its restoration--Samson's generosity--The Woolpit
living--Samson recounts his visit to Rome in his early
days, and his adventures 60-75

CHAPTER VII.

_THE ABBOT AS PEER OF PARLIAMENT._

Dispute with Archbishop of Canterbury as to jurisdiction
over manor of Eleigh--Quarrel with the Bishop of Ely,
the Chancellor--Samson wishes to take the cross: the
King refuses permission--Goes to siege of Windsor in
martial array--Visits Richard I. in
Germany--Excommunication by him of a company of
roystering young knights--Embassies to Rome--The claim
of the Earl of Clare to carry the Standard of St. Edmund
in battle--Adam of Cockfield's inheritance--Herbert the
dean and his windmill--Jocelin's New Year's gift--The
Abbot's struggle with his rebellious knights 76-100

CHAPTER VIII.

_THE CASE OF HENRY OF ESSEX._

Excesses of Henry of Essex--His cowardice in Wales--The
wager of battle on the island near Reading--Henry's
vision--His recovery and repentance 101-105

CHAPTER IX.

_TROUBLES WITHOUT._

The Bishop of Ely outwitted as to timber asked for by
him--Dispute as to town bailiffs--Murmurings of the
monks--Toll-right dispute with London merchants--Dues of
the burgesses--Samson grants a charter to the town 106-117

CHAPTER X.

_TROUBLES WITHIN._

Inefficient cellarers--New arrangements criticised--The
Archbishop of Canterbury claims authority to visit the
Abbey as legate--Samson's successful appeal to the Pope 118-127

CHAPTER XI.

_SAMSON'S CONTESTS WITH KNIGHTS, MONKS AND TOWNSMEN._

King Richard's levies--The abbot's difficulties in making
his knights comply--Goes to Normandy and arranges
matters with the King--Samson's generosity to the
abbey--He takes the cellarer's department into his own
hands--Consequent discontent--Hamo Blund's will, and
Samson's comments thereon--Riots in the
churchyard--Rioters reduced to submission 128-141

CHAPTER XII.

_THE CARES OF OFFICE._

Restoration of the Coventry monks--Samson's hospitality at
Oxford--His endowment of the Bury schools--Abbey
improvements--The Abbot withstands King Richard over the
wardship of Nesta of Cockfield--The King appeased by a
present of horses and dogs 142-149

CHAPTER XIII.

_THE CUSTOMS OF THE TOWNSHIP._

Old oppressive customs changed or abrogated by Samson--The
Cellarer's difficulties in collecting _rep silver_--The
hard case of Ketel--The Cellarer's dues--Lakenheath
eels--Samson's reforms and his critics 150-161

CHAPTER XIV.

_THE SHRINE OF ST. EDMUND._

Fire around the shrine--The shrine unhurt--Vain attempts to
hush up the scandal--Samson dreams of St. Edmund
despoiled--The saint's body uncovered--Samson and
certain of the monks view the sacred relic 162-177

CHAPTER XV.

_THE MONASTERY IN REVOLT._

Death of King Richard--King John visits the Abbey--Samson
supports Ralph the porter against the monks--He
withdraws from the convent--Disturbances in his
absence--The monks submit--Reconciliation--Marshalling
of the Knights--Further troubles about the manors and
cellary 178-189

CHAPTER XVI.

_ELECTION OF A NEW PRIOR._

Death of Robert the Prior--Herbert the chaplain and Hermer
the sub-prior candidates for the post--Through the
Abbot's influence Herbert is elected--Jocelin
moralizes--The gibes of the unlearned 190-199

CHAPTER XVII.

_THE ABBOT'S FOIBLES._

Samson's faults--The dam at Babwell--Trouble with the Ely
monks--The Abbot summoned over sea to the King--Sets his
house in order--His unfulfilled promises--The story
breaks off 200-211

APPENDICES.

I. SAMSON AS AN AUTHOR 215-221

II. NOTES TO TEXT OF CHRONICLE 222-256

III. TABLE OF CHIEF DATES IN THE HISTORY OF
THE ABBEY OF ST. EDMUNDSBURY, A.D.
870 TO 1903 257-278

_GENERAL INDEX_ 279-285