PRIORY OF ST. DYONISIUS. of Gaufridus Hule, who was bound to pay it as a yearly rent in Etlinton. A bezant was a coin, so called from its being originally struck at Constantinople; called, likewise, Byzantium. It seems to have been a general name for a piece of money, without any determinate value: according to Du Cange, there were bezants of gold and silver; and Blount, in his Law Dictionary, notices copper ones, of the value of 2s. "Godfrey, bishop of Winchester, confirmed to them the gift of William Aeliz, of the tithes of his rent in Aldenton, of 5s. arising from his mill at the same place, and the tenths of his paunage, and also the privilege of quit paunage for thirty hogs, in his woods. "By the charter of the sixth of Edward III. these canons were entitled to a pipe of red wine, for the celebration of mass, to be delivered to them by the king's butler at Southampton. They were likewise exempted from contribution to the repairs of the bridge of Kingsmill. "In a parliament held by Edward III. in the year 1339, · a writ of respite was granted to the prior and canons of this convent of the tenths that were due at the Purification of the Virgin last past, and also those that they were bound to pay between that time and the Michaelmas next ensuing, on account of their houses and other edifices, which were the greatest part of their subsistence, being burned and destroyed. This was PRIORY OF ST. DYONISIUS. done by the French, in their invasion the preceding year.' "Prynne, from Mathew Paris and other monkish writers, mentions one Odo, whom he calls abbot of this house, about the year 1245, who gave great gifts of the goods of the community to the pope, whereby he obtained the archbishopric of Rohan, which he did not enjoy above a year, being suddenly struck dead. This was considered as a judgment from Heaven, for his fraud and simony." |