The Durham Rites

The "Durharn Rites" speakof a great store of ancient naauuscripts possessed by the hoTise to help the monks in their study. The "Rites" go on to say how the store included "the old anncient writteu doctors of th,e church, as other profane authors, with divers other holie men 's wourks, so that every one dyd studye what Doctor pleased theru best, havinge the Librairio at all times to go and stadye in, besydes their carrells. " Froin the same "Rites" we Jearn that in the dormitory eachmonk had a little chamber to himself with a window, or a bit of a wndow, and in the window a desk for books, so that he could study, if he pleased, in the hours spent in the dormitory. Special directions were given that the monks and novices were not to be disturbed in their "carrells" while they were studying. In their care for education in daya ■when all training for the young, save in arms and field sports, was comparatively little thought of, the record of the monastic orders is an honorable one. Besides maintaining a "song school," the more important houses regularly trained their novices in other learning ; and again, to use the words of the "Dnrham Rites," "yf the Maister dyd see that any of them weare apte to learnynge and dyd applie his booke, and had a pregnant wyt withall, then. the Maister dyd let the Prior have intelligence. Then streighteway after, he was sent to Oxford to school. " Other people, too, sent their sons to the monks for education, which was sometimes given freely and sometimes paid for. Mention has been made of Oxford. The "Durham College," besides the pupils sent up from the abbey, admitted regular students. A purely monastic college as early asA. D. 12S3 was founded in Oxford for 13 monks of St. Peter 's abboy, Gloucester. This, before the end of the thirteenth century, developed into a great Bénédictine house oí learning, and a long list of abbeys tmited togethe,r to maintain this BeneJictine college at Oxford, which