RELIGIOUS HOUSES 1474 he was consecrated bishop of Hereford. He was succeeded by John Eastney, who, like Norwich, was appointed by papal provision.^" Several slight indications point to a decaying vigour in the monastery at this time. That the abbey should surrender its cherished privilege of free election to the pope twice within a period of twelve years was without precedent; in 1478 moreover, the king complained to Sixtus IV that the house was going to decay on account of the civil war and floods,^ and though the expression was doubtless an exaggeration, yet the pope thought the situation sufficiently grave to warrant him in absolving future abbots from going to Rome for confirmation.'*^ The numbers of the brethren, moreover, during the fifteenth and six- teenth centuries show a steady decline. In the eleventh century Abbot Gilbert had made pro- vision for eighty monks," and about the year 1260 there is said to have been an increase in the community ; at the election of Abbot Islip in 1500, however, there were but forty-six monks present, in 1528 there were forty-four, in 1534 there were forty-three, and the follow- ing year forty-one, while the deed of surrender was signed only by the abbot, prior, and twenty- three others.^ But if numbers were declining the old splendour of ceremonial was still maintained. The funeral of Abbot Islip in 1532 must have been one of the most impressive scenes ever witnessed at Westminster. The abbot had been an energetic statesman, an able administrator, and a great builder,^ and he was mourned with extraordinary pomp. The magnificent obituary roll which was circulated amongst the religious houses of England announcing his death has an interest apart from the beauty and skill of its workman- ship, due to the fact that it commemorates the last Englishman who died as abbot of this most national of English monasteries, and perhaps it is not altogether without significance that while the four pictures of the roll are mediaeval in character the drawing of the initial letter of the brief shows signs of renaissance influence.* Not very much is known of William Boston, the last abbot. He seems to have acquiesced '*' Cal. of Pat. 1467-77, p. 472. '«« D and C. Westm. 'Abbots' (28). '*' Ibid. See above, note 112. "° See above, note 29. '" D. and C. Westm. Book No. 1 1, fol. 662 d. "' D. and C. Westm. ' Abbots' (30) and ' Monks ' <47) ; Dep. Keepei's Rep. viii, App. ii, 48. Probably some of the monks had died of the plague which was rife in the abbey in 1536; L. ani P. Hen. Fill, xi, SOI. '" Diet. Nat. Biog. "* See Vctusta Monumenta, vii, pt. iv, ' The Obituary Roll of John Islip ' (ed. W. H. St. John Hope). These notes also contain extracts from the contempo- rary account of Islip's funeral, for which cf. also Widmore, Hist. 206 et seq. without much question in the dealings of Henry VIII and of Cromwell, and to have felt that private judgement was no match for authority. At the examination of Sir Thomas More in 1534 he said that however the matter seemed to the prisoner he had reason to think he was wrong seeing that the Great Council had determined otherwise ; More, he argued, ought to * change his conscience."" The following year he wrote to Cromwell asking him to secure him the free bestowal of his bailiwick of Westminster, and stating that he would be glad to appoint Cromwell himself to the office."* His compliance, however, did not save his house from a visit from Dr. Legh, which, to judge from Ap Rice's report to Crom- well, was by no means respectful."' This was in October, 1535 ; in July of the following year the king issued royal injunctions to Westminster ; the abbot was to administer the monastery ac- cording to the rule of St. Benedict and the custom of the house, ' notwithstandmg any injunctions' given by the vicar-general or his commissaries ; the monks were to be allowed to leave the mon- astery, with permission, for honest recreation ; they might occasionally entertain women of upright life at their table, and when they were sick they were to be kept by the infirmarer, with help, in cases of need, from the abbot himself. The injunctions stated that the abbot was to render an account to the vicar-general as often as it seemed good, but Boston erased the entry, adding at the side ' oute w' this elles he and hys deputys may call me weeklye to accept."'* By the beginning of the year 1540 Boston was anxiously pleading to 'be delivered from the governance of this house' and seeking to avoid the king's indignation. He seems to have been thoroughly afraid of incurring Henry's wrath, for he wrote to someone in authority — probably Cromwell — ' As for my pension, I pass not how little soever it be, so I may have the King's Highness my gracious lord.' Possibly this seem- ing pusillanimity was accounted for by the fact that he was suffering from a painful disease, and expected but 'a very short painful bodily life." However this may be he seems to have obtained favour, but not the retirement he coveted ; his convent was dissolved on 16 January, 1540, pensions of from ^^lo to 56^. 8^. being granted to seven of the brethren,'*" but in the following December the new cathedral church was erect- ed. Abbot Boston being appointed dean of the new foundation."' With this point the history of Westminster as a religious house practically ends. There is no lack of information as to the ad- ministrative details and daily life of the abbey. '"L. and P. Hen. Fill, vii, 575. '"Ibid, ix, 237. '"Ibid. 622. '"D. andC. Westm. 'Jurisdictions,' 36, 43, 29 (13). "L. and P. Hen. Fin, -av, JO. '» Ibid. 69. • Ibid, xvi, 3.33 447
