A brother or sister being admitted to St. John Baptist’s, Reading, was professed in the adjoining church. _Veni Creator_ and certain prayers were said as the candidate knelt before the altar; after the sprinkling with holy water he or she then received the habit or veil, a kiss of charity being bestowed by the rest of the household. A discourse followed upon the rules and benefits of the society. The Office for the admission of members to the staff of St. John’s, Nottingham, is given in the _Records of the Borough_. One prayer, at the benediction of the religious habit, shows the spirit in which hospital officials were expected to enter upon their duties:— “O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst deign to put on the covering of our mortality, we beseech the immense abundance of Thy goodness, that Thou mayst so deign to bless this kind of vestment, which the holy fathers have decreed should be borne by those who renounce the world, as a token of innocence and humility, that this Thy servant, who shall [use it], may deserve to put on Thee,” etc. [p129] [Illustration: _PLATE XV._ HOSPITAL OF ST. NICHOLAS, SALISBURY (_a_) SOUTH-EAST VIEW. (_b_) WEST VIEW] As the brother changed his dress, the Scripture was repeated concerning putting off the old man and putting on the new in righteousness. The versicles “Our help is in the name of the Lord,” “Save Thy servant,” etc., were also used, together with prayers for the Gift, for increase of virtue, for light and life. (_b_) Almsmen, too, were usually admitted by a solemn oath. That taken at Oakham is typical:— “I.—— the which am named into a poor man to be resceyued into this Hospital after the forme of the Statutes and ordanacions ordeyned . . . shall trewly fulfille and obserue all the Statutes . . . in as moche as yey longen or touchen me to my pour fro hensuorthwardys . . . without ony fraude soe helpe me God and my Holydom and by these holy Euangelies the whiche y touche and ley my honde upon.” At Sandwich, after being sworn in, the person was introduced by the mayor to the rest of the fraternity, and was saluted by them all; and after paying the customary gratuities, the new inmate was put in possession of his chamber. The ancient form of admission to St. Nicholas’, Salisbury, contains such injunctions as:— “N. thu shalt be trewe and obedient to the maistre of this place. “Item, thu shalt kepe pees yn thy self, and do thy deuoyrs that euery brother and sustre be in parfyte pees, loue and charite, eche with othre.” Few foundations have retained their religious and social life with less change than this hospital, of which Canon Wordsworth has given us a complete history. Following the old traditions, the present inmates give a new member the right hand of fellowship when he is duly installed. [p130]