j clothe of hear (_i.e._ hair) to laye upon an auter. xvij cosshens of sylke. ix candlesticks of latten smale and great. ij sencers of latten. iiij stoks of latten for water. j greate deske of latten. iiij rods of irone and a fier sholven (_sic_, _i.e._ shovell). Certayne olde leade iiij paxes. xx dieper towells and xv dieper auter clothes. x playn awter clothes. xi players cotts of lynnen cloth stayned. ij bere clothes to cast upon a coffyn the j bodkyn sylke and the other of lynen cloth stayned. xvij banners and strements of silke stayned. viij banners of cloth stayned. viij banner staves. j Bible. ij payer of organs.” Among the minor offices of the Church, that of the blessing of the widow may be mentioned. The _Benedictio Viduæ_ accompanied the vow of future chastity. Between the Gospel and the Epistle the widow knelt before the Bishop sitting on a fald stool. He asked her in the presence of the congregation if she were willing to become the spouse of Christ and to give up the lusts of the flesh. She then read, or caused to be read, the following profession:—“I, A. B., avow to God perpetual chastity of my body from henceforward, and in the presence of the Honourable Father in God, My Lord by the Grace of God, Bishop of C., I promise steadfastly to live in the Church a widow. Then the Bishop blessed the ring, sprinkled it with holy water, and put it on the widow’s finger as a sign of her marriage with Christ, saying:— “Accipe, Famula Christi, annulum Fidei signum, connubii indicium, quem devota deferas, casta custodias, quo ad amplexus divini sporsi coronanda perficias. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Oremus.” He then said certain prayers, and the ceremony was completed. Of this ceremony Furnivall quotes a remarkable instance. In the year 1231 Eleanor, sister of Henry the Third (and widow of William, Earl of Pembroke, who died 15th April 1231), took the vow before Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Richard, Bishop of Chichester. Seven years later, however, she married Simon de Montfort. The Archbishop protested, and a dispensation was obtained from the Pope. In 1351 Philippa, widow of Guy, son of Thomas, Earl of Warwick, took the vow in these words:— “En le nom de le Seint Trinitie, Piere, Fils et Seint Esprit jeo Philippa que fu la feme Sire Guy de Warwyst face puriment et des queor et voluntie entierement, avow a Dieu et Seint Eglise, et a la benure Virgin Marie et a tout le bel compaigne delestine et a vous reverent Piere en Dieu Sir Reynaud per le Grace de Dieu Evesque de Wircester que jeo ameneray ma vie en chastitee defoie en avant, et chaste ferra de mon corps a tout temps de ma vie.” CHAPTER III THE CALENDAR OF THE YEAR