r cells of monks,
which you say are subject to you, even within the monastery of the
glorious proto-martyr, Alban himself. You have dilapidated the common
property; you have made away with the jewels; the copses, the woods, the
underwood, almost all the oaks and other forest trees, to the value of
eight thousand marks and more, you have made to be cut down without
distinction, and they have by you been sold and alienated. The brethren
of the abbey, some of whom, as is reported, are given over to all the
evil things of the world, neglect the service of God altogether. They
live with harlots and mistresses publicly and continuously, within the
precincts of the monastery and without. Some of them, who are covetous
of honour and promotion, and desirous therefore of pleasing your
cupidity, have stolen and made away with the chalices and other jewels
of the church. They have even sacrilegiously extracted the precious
stones from the very shrine of St. Alban; and you have not punished
these men, but have rather knowingly supported and maintained them. If
any of your brethren be living justly and religiously, if any be wise
and virtuous, these you straightway depress and hold in hatred....
You...."

But this overwhelming document need not be transcribed further. It
pursues its way through mire and filth to its most lame and impotent
conclusion. The abbot was not deposed; he was invited merely to
reconsider his conduct, and, if possible, amend it.

Offences similar in kind and scarcely less gross were exposed at
Waltham, at St. Andrew's, Northampton, at Calais, and at other
places.[489] Again, a reprimand was considered to be an adequate
punishment.

[Sidenote: Visitation of archbishop Warham in 1511.]

Evils so deep and so abominable would not yield to languid treatment;
the visitation had been feeble in its execution and limited in extent.
In 1511 a second was attempted by Archbishop Warham.[490] This inquiry
was more partial than the first, yet similar practices were brought to
light: women introduced to religious houses; nuns and abbesses accusing
one another of incontinency; the alms collected in the chapels
squandered by the monks in licentiousness. Once more, no cure was
attempted beyond a paternal admonition.[491] A third effort was made by
Wolsey twelve years later: again exposure followed, and again no remedy
was found.

If the condition of the abbeys had appeared intolerable before
investigation, still less cou