Item, Because both men and women that are received
into religious orders after the expiring of their
noviciate or probation year were constrained and forced
perpetually to stay there all the days of their life,
it was therefore ordered that all whatever, men or
women, admitted within this abbey, should have full
leave to depart with peace and contentment whensoever
it should seem good to them so to do.
Item, for that the religious men and women did ordinarily
make three vows, to wit, those of chastity, poverty,
and obedience, it was therefore constituted and appointed
that in this convent they might be honourably married,
that they might be rich, and live at liberty.
In regard of the legitimate time of the persons to
be initiated, and years under and above which they
were not capable of reception, the women were to be
admitted from ten till fifteen, and the men from twelve
till eighteen.
How the abbey of the Thelemites was built and endowed.
For the fabric and furniture of the abbey Gargantua
caused to be delivered out in ready money seven-and-twenty
hundred thousand, eight hundred and one-and-thirty
of those golden rams of Berry which have a sheep stamped
on the one side and a flowered cross on the other;
and for every year, until the whole work were completed,
he allotted threescore nine thousand crowns of the
sun, and as many of the seven stars, to be charged
all upon the receipt of the custom. For the
foundation and maintenance thereof for ever, he settled
a perpetual fee-farm-rent of three-and-twenty hundred,
three score and nine thousand, five hundred and fourteen
rose nobles, exempted from all homage, fealty, service,
or burden whatsoever, and payable every year at the
gate of the abbey; and of this by letters patent passed
a very good grant. The architecture was in a
figure hexagonal, and in such a fashion that in every
one of the six corners there was built a great round
tower of threescore foot in diameter, and were all
of a like form and bigness. Upon the north side
ran along the river of Loire, on the bank whereof
was situated the tower called Arctic. Going towards
the east, there was another called Calaer,—the
next following Anatole,—the next Mesembrine,—the
next Hesperia, and the last Criere. Every tower
was distant from other the space of three hundred
and twelve paces. The whole edifice was everywhere
six storeys high, reckoning the cellars underground
for one. The second was arched after the fashion
of a basket-handle; the rest were ceiled with pure
wainscot, flourished with Flanders fretwork, in the
form of the foot of a lamp, and covered above with
fine slates, with an endorsement of lead, carrying
the antique figures of little puppets and animals
of all sorts, notably well suited to one another, and
gilt, together with the gutters, which, jutting without
the walls from betwixt the crossbars in a diagonal
figure, painted with gold and azure, reached to the
very ground, where they ended into great conduit-pipes,
which carried all away unto the river from under the
house.
