sts, deacons, sub-deacons,
acolytes, exorcists, readers, door-keepers, confessors, virgins, widows,
and all the holy people of God."

In the pontifical of Bishop Lacy of Exeter may be found the office of
the Benediction of a Widow. The ceremony was performed during mass, and
prefixed to the office is a rubric directing that it shall take place on
a solemn day or at least upon a Sunday. Between the epistle and gospel
the bishop, seated in his chair, turned towards the people, asked the
kneeling widow if she desired to be the spouse of Christ. Thereupon she
made her profession in the vulgar tongue, and the bishop, rising, gave
her his blessing. Then followed four prayers, in one of which the bishop
blessed the habit, after which he kneeled, began the hymn "Veni Creator
Spiritus," and at the close bestowed upon the vowess the mantle, the
veil, and the ring. More prayers were said, wherein the bishop besought
God to be the widow's solace in trouble, counsel in perplexity, defence
under injury, patience in tribulation, abundance in poverty, food in
fasting, and medicine in sickness; and the rite ended with a renewed
commendation of the widow to the merciful care of God.

It is worthy of note that in these supplications mention is made of the
sixty-fold reward which the widow is to receive for her victory over her
old enemy the Devil; and also, that the postulant is believed to have
made her vow with her hands joined within those of the bishop, as if
swearing allegiance.

Several witnesses were necessary on the occasion. When, for instance,
the widow of Simon de Shardlowe made her profession before the Bishop of
Norwich, as she did in 1369, the deed in which the vow was registered,
and upon which she made the sign of the cross in token of consent, was
witnessed by the Archdeacon of Norwich, Sir Simon de Babingle, and
William de Swinefleet. In the same way the Earl of Warwick, the Lords
Willoughby, Scales, and others, were present at the profession of
Isabella, Countess of Suffolk. This noble lady made her vow in French,
as did also Isabella Golafre, when she appeared for the purpose on
Sunday, October 18, 1379, before William of Wykeham, Bishop of
Winchester. Notwithstanding the direction in Bishop Lacy's pontifical,
the vow was sometimes spoken in Latin, an instance of which is the case
of "Domina Alicia Seynt Johan de Baggenet," whose profession took place
on April 9, 1398, in the chapel of the Lord of Amberley, Sussex.