Royal Winchester: Wanderings in and about the Ancient Capital of EnglandL'Estrange, A. G. K. (Alfred Guy Kingan)
History
Royal Winchester: Wanderings in and about the Ancient Capital of England
L'Estrange, A. G. K. (Alfred Guy Kingan)
Winchester (England) -- Description and travel
We were not aware that there was one, but found that it consisted of
some upper rooms for three nurses. On asking what there was to see in
it, and being told, “Well! there is a floor,” none of us felt very
enthusiastic about it. And so I left this interesting spot--not to
return for fifteen years. Farewell, most conscientious of guides! I am
afraid, alas! that thou art “not sitting anywhere now.” I hope thou too
art in heaven.
On this, my next visit, our conductor was a man of the modern school,
intelligent and energetic, but not so humorous. I went the same round,
and heard little more--except that an American gentleman, who had
been two months in England studying stained glass, had heard of the
ancient windows here just as he was going on board the steamer to
return, had retraced his steps, and said when he saw them that he was
well repaid for his journey. Our guide also spoke of the silver cross
the brethren wear. It seems when any one of them dies it is put on a
red velvet cushion, which is laid on his breast in the coffin, and then
before burial it is taken off and the Master fastens it to the gown
of the next brother. Instances have been known where, by mistake, the
cross has been left on the corpse, and there was a brother who was now
wearing one which had been exhumed.
[Sidenote: The Brew.]
Only when we came to look at the black jacks and talk of the beer
was our informant slightly at fault. The founder, thinking that his
bedesmen would be thirsty souls, ordered each to have daily with
his meat and salad mortrell (bread and milk) a gallon and a half of
good small beer. Considering this and the free drinks given at the
lodge--now reduced to two gallons a day--we may suppose that brewing
was a principal industry in the hospital. No beer is now made here or
supplied to the men. Our guide told us that about seven years ago the
brethren’s wives lived in the village, and that a question was asked,
which they preferred--their beer or their wives. To some this might
have been puzzling; but the gallant Knights of St. Cross answered
without hesitation in favour of their better halves. This raised them
greatly in my estimation; but it appears that, in truth, their wives,
or in default of them, housekeepers, have been allowed to live here
as far back as most people can remember, and the allowance of beer
was stopped, because some of the men took too much of it, and others
preferred stronger stuff, being of the monkish opinion that--
“Drinkere stalum
Non fecit malum”--
and exchanged it in the village. So they were glad to take money
instead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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