English Wayfaring Life in the Middle Ages (XIVth Century) — John Shaqi
English Wayfaring Life in the Middle Ages (XIVth Century)Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)
History
English Wayfaring Life in the Middle Ages (XIVth Century)
Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)
Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- England; England -- Social life and customs -- 1066-1485; Travel, Medieval
fine fourteenth-century bridge at Orthez, the two at Limoges, of the
thirteenth century, one of them with its chapel, the beautiful bridge
at Cahors, where even the machicolated turrets which formerly served
to defend it are still preserved, restored, it is true, by the clever
but strong hand of Viollet Le Duc.[10]
[Illustration 5. THE OLD BRIDGE AT AVIGNON.
(_Twelfth Century; present state._)]
In England, as in France, wooden bridges had in most cases preceded
stone ones. The former were built of oak, like the one over the
river Lune, in the city of Lancaster, for which we find John of
Gaunt writing to “monsire Adam de Hoghton, nostre chief forestier de
Wyresdale,” to hand to John Ermyte of Singleton, who had actually
paid for them, one hundred and twenty oak trees from the said forest
of Wyresdale, “selected among the properest and aptest, such as the
said John will designate. And {36} mind not to fail to act thus,
nor cause that the before mentioned work be thereby delayed in any
way.”[11]
There is no trace in England of establishments founded by the Bridge
Friars, but it is certain that there, as elsewhere, the works for
constructing bridges and highways had a pious character. To encourage
the faithful to take part in them, Richard de Kellawe, Bishop of
Durham from 1311 to 1316, remitted part of the penance for their
sins. The registry of his episcopal chancery contains frequent
entries such as the following: “Memorandum . . . his lordship grants
forty days indulgence to all who will draw from the treasure that God
has given them valuable and charitable aid towards the building and
repair of Botyton bridge.” Forty days are allowed on another occasion
for help towards the bridge and the highroad between Billingham and
Norton,[12] and forty days for the {39} great road from Brotherton
to Ferrybridge. The wording of this last decree is characteristic:
“To all those, &c. Persuaded that the minds of the faithful are more
ready to attach themselves to _pious works_ when they have received
the salutary encouragement of fuller indulgences, trusting in the
mercy of God Almighty and the merits and prayers of the glorious
Virgin his Mother, of St. Peter, St. Paul, and of the most holy
confessor Cuthbert our patron, and all saints, we remit forty days
of the penances imposed on all our parishioners and others . . .
sincerely contrite and shriven of their sins, who shall help by their
charitable gifts, _or by their bodily labour_, in the building or in
the maintenance of the causeway between Brotherton and Ferrybridge on
which _a great many people pass_.”[13]
[Illustration 6. THE VALENTRE BRIDGE AT CAHORS.
(_Thirteenth Century; photographed by Mr. Enlart, director of the
Trocadero Museum._)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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