I forward this since the additional information which 
John now gives is likely to be of interest to everyone.
John's questions I answered privately, but if the thread
runs, I could post them too. 

Avril


--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1998 17:17:55 -0500 (EST)
From: John Shinners <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: John Shinners' books
Sender: John Shinners <[log in to unmask]>
To: Avril Henry <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To: John Shinners <[log in to unmask]>
Message-ID: 
<[log in to unmask]>


Hi Avril,
	Thanks for your welcome.  It's nice to join the group.  I haven't 
quite grasped group etiquette yet, so I'm replying to you offlist; 
if you think my answer has wider appeal, do pass it on.
	Yes, _Pastors and the Care of Souls in Medieval England_ eds. John
Shinners and William J. Dohar (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame
Press, 1998) [ISBN 0-268-03850-3] does indeed include a full translation
of the Exeter _Summula_.  It's a neat little piece, and it looks as if it
was being used around the diocese at least well into the 14th century.  We
agree with the argument that Joseph Goering and Daniel Taylor recently
made ("The _Summulae_ of Bishops Walter de Cantilupe (1240) and Peter
Quinel (1287)," Speculum 67 (July 1992), 576-94) that the _Summula_ was
originally written by Cantilupe and reissued by Quinel.  In the book, we
translate Quinel's preface to the piece and then give the full text of the
_Sum_.  Alas, we do not include the Exeter _Consitutiones._ In _Pastors,
etc._, the _Sum_ occurs at pp. 170-185.  
	Let me know if I can give you more information about the book.  It
just came out this Feb., and a production error held up the paperback
version, which is due out sometime this month.  One of the book's
strengths is, I think, the amount of materials from pastoral manuals we
include, either complete or excerpted.  Bill Dohar and I were both puzzled
why more of this stuff never made it into English--it's one of the main
reasons we wrote it. 
	I'm fascinated by your parochial itinerary.  Your idea that the
people in the tenements are "migrant workers" of a sort, working in the
royal mines makes sense.  It raises the question--something I've never
considered--of the parochial status of the workers.  Is there any hint
that the priest confessing them is their curate?  If not, then
techinically wouldn't they need to be dispensed by their own curates to
have an alien priest confess them, as per the terms of "Omnis utriusque
sexus"?  I guess there must be something in canon law that covers the case
of "extra-parochial" confessions in detail, but I'm not too versed in the
subtleties.
	I'm also curious about why he isn't hearing confessions in
church.  I've never really thought about it before, but I've always asumed
confession _in ecclesia_ was the norm; certainly it's the inconographical
convention.  The manuals I know, when they mention the site of
confession at all, seem to assume it's in church.  (I recall John Myrc's
advice about the proper demeanor of the confessor: among other things he's
to avoid spitting on the floor!)  I've always allowed that priests visiting
the dying would hear bedside confession, but otherwise I thought the
annual Easter confession was inside the church.  Why, then, is your priest
wandering from house to house?  (Or am I wrong here?)
	Still, it really is rare to have any sort of methodical account of
the mechanics of medieval confession.  Does the document suggest how many
people in these 48 tenements he confessed over the 2 weeks?  Is his
workload broken down by day?  It would be great to have a way to compute
how long the average confession took.  If priests were as methodical in
questioning penitents as the manuals recommend, it must have been a
time-consuming (and nerve-wracking!) process.  I'd be grateful if you'd
keep me up to date on what you find.  Forgive all my questions: you've 
whetted my appetite.
	Good to hear from you.
	Best regards,
	John


 --
John R. Shinners                      e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Associate Professor                   Phone (office): (219) 284-4494
Humanistic Studies Program            Phone (dept.): (219) 284-4485
Saint Mary's College                  Fax: (219) 284-4716
Notre Dame, IN 46556


--- End Forwarded Message ---


----------------------
Professor Avril Henry
School of English & American Studies
Queen's Building
Queen's Drive
University of Exeter
EXETER
Devon
UK
EX4  4QH

Tel: 01392-264252



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