Chapter II: Monastic Life
These, with their deputies, were the chief officials of the Abbey. After them came the great body of the monks, the novices, and the lay brothers and servants, or as they were called at Paisley, “men” (homines). The number of monks varied in different monasteries. Paisley began with thirteen, but there is reason to believe this number was largely increased afterwards. The duty of the Monk is too well known to need any description. He was a man who had left the world behind him, and who had dedicated himself to the service of God, taking certain vows upon him, obeying those set over him in his Monastery, walking by its rules, and so training himself for the eternal crown, of which his shaven head was the symbol. The .Novices were those who were preparing for the monastic life. They were often children who had been dedicated to this vocation from their infancy, and who received fitting education, learning the psalms by heart, and being instructed in all parts of the rule to which they intended to conform. The lay brothers wore the habit of the order; they were employed constantly at the granges and in manual labour, working under the charge of the bailiff when beyond the convent, and when within its walls under a master of their own.
The religious services of the church varied according to the season of the year, and on certain religious festivals there were devout observances held of a very intricate and imposing character, which broke the monotony of the daily round. Day and night there were seven special services —matins, prime, tierce, sext, moues, vespers, and compline or completorium. Matins began at midnight, prime at six a.m., tierce at nine a.m., sext at twelve o'clock, nones at two or three, vespers about four, compline at seven. This was the last service of the day, after which the monks retired to rest about eight o'clock. This programme was broken up into a great variety of ceremonials, and there were nights upon which none of the inmates went to bed at all, passing the hours in fasting and prayer.
Nor must we forget that amusement was not shut out altogether from the cloister; there were scripture plays acted,—there was the “Feast of Fools” and the “Abbot of Misrule.” Parties of jugglers exhibited their tricks; a bear was occasionally baited in the church yard; the minstrel was always welcome, and sung in the guest hall the ballads of the time; and pilgrims from other lands rehearsed the wonders of their travels.
The food of the monks was plain enough. It varied with the season of the year, and consisted chiefly of fish, with bread and vegetables, ale, and occasionally wine. With the Paisley monks beans were in great request, and from the Cart, from Lochwinnoch, and the “Crooket shot” on the Clyde, their table must have been plentifully supplied with fish. At Christmas and the great feasts there were many offices, some of them performed with great splendour. Between the various services the monks retired to Cloister, Dormitory, and Refectory, or the Chapter was held, when business was transacted, confessions were made, sermons were preached, and monks were punished for their offences. There were also intervals when the studious could retire to the library or the writing room, and others to their daily manual labour.