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Who stayed here?
The infirmary was potentially a relatively busy
spot, for it was home to elderly and sick monks, and, from at
least
the early thirteenth century, a temporary resting place for the
bloodlet. Contemporary anecdotes and satirical verse suggest that
in the twelfth / early thirteenth centuries distinguished visitors
may have been refreshed in the infirmary, presumably as meat was
cooked and served here, along with other delicacies. It is important
to note that sick monks did not necessarily go to the infirmary.
In the first instance the monk notified the chapter of his condition,
and, unless he was gravely ill, he remained in the cloister but
outside the choir. This meant that he followed the daily round
of services like the other monks, but was granted concessions,
depending
on the severity of his ailment, and celebrated in the retrochoir
of the church, situated directly behind the monks choir.
If after several days his condition had not improved and the abbot
deemed it necessary, the monk was sent to the infirmary.(4)
For those who stayed in the infirmary, life was
relatively comfortable. It was tranquil, airy and warm. The inmates
ate a more relaxed diet, including meat, which was otherwise forbidden
until the fourteenth century. They were also served a light breakfast,
the mixt. The inmates of the infirmary were not expected to follow
the full rigours of monastic life and concessions were made regarding
reading, working and spiritual observances. It was, however, important
that each monk did as much as he was able. Only the critically ill
were exempted from attending Mass
and the Canonical
Hours. Everyone else was expected to participate in these services
in the church and would have taken their place in the retrochoir,
the area directly behind the monks choir. They celebrated
the night office of Vigils
in the infirmary chapel which was easier to access in the early
hours of the morning. Moreover, Vigils here was shorter than in
the church. Whenever the inmates from the infirmary went to the
abbey church they were not to loiter in the cloister or attempt
to communicate with the other monks; they were outside the cloister
and had to observe this separation.
The infirmary complex essentially functioned
as a monastery in miniature, but whilst separate, it was connected
to and dependent on the abbey. It was reliant on the abbey for provisions,
for service books and even for bedding, but once these had been
received the infirmary could operate independently. Similarly, the
inmates here were first and foremost monks and as such expected
to follow the daily routine of conventual life as much as they were
able. Concessions were made to the inmates of the infirmary but
ultimately they were to observe the rules of the Order and were
subject to correction.
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