Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/143

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OF THE MONASTERY OF ST. GALL.
101


aus ad calefaciendum," the chimney of which, "evaporatio fumi," as in the inner school and the infirmary, is represented, probably for the sake of symmetry[1], at a distance from the fire-place, and also in horizontal projection. The sitting room has two outlets, one leads by a short passage, "egressus de pi- sale," to a detached small building, in which, under one roof, are united the washing-house, "lavatorium," or "lavandi locus," furnished all round with benches, and in the centre with a large fire-place; and a bath-house, "balneatorium," with a stove or fire-place, and two boilers. Here probably was car- ried on the washing of the feet and cleansing of the linen prescribed by the rule of St. Benedict, occupations to which every monk was subjected in turn. Within the monastery there are several bath establishments, which were doubtless constructed on account of the leprosy which at that time pre- vailed amongst the upper as well as the lower classes. The other outlet from the pisalis, "exitus ad necessarium," leads to the necessarium, in the corner of which a light, "lucerna," is kept burning. The sleeping apartment occupies the upper story, "subtus calefactoria domus, supra dormitorium," in which are represented the bedsteads and benches, "lecti." It is not possible to say whether from this story the above-named light, which by the rules of the order must burn throughout the night in the sleeping room, could be reached, and also the necessarium, which is almost always connected with the sleeping chambers on the same level[2].

A building of two stories abuts against the south side of the cloister[3], which contains in the lower story the refectory,

    sar Polypt.") "Cœpit nde vir venerabilis Reginboldus cellam ordinare et construere ædificavitque primum dormitorium, subtus autem Pisalem," &c. (Acta Murensis Monasterii, p. 9.)In our monastery the Pisalis plainly coincides with the above definitions and quotations. It is a room warmed with a stove, and it is under the dormitory. In the abbey chronicles this chamber is termed the Pyrale, and it appears that the arrangement of the buildings differed here from the plan, for the scriptorium, the pyrale and the lavatorium were contiguous to each other. "Veniunt in pyrale et in eo lavatorium necnon et proximum pyrali scriptorium, et has tres regularissimas præ omnibus quas unquam viderint asserebant esse officinas." (G. p. 92. Ekkehardi Hist. S. Galli, cap. xi. See also cap. iii. of the same chronicle, G. p. 53.)

  1. ↑ I have explained the disconnection of the chimney and the fire-place in my introductory chapter, as proving the existence of a hypocaust.
  2. ↑ The staircases which led to the upper floors are omitted throughout the plan. In the usual monastic arrangements one leads from the dormitory to the transept, to enable the monks to attend the nocturnal services with ease and another leads from the dormitory to the cloister or elsewhere. The ascent to the dormitory, "e parte ecclesiae," is mentioned by Ekkehardus, cap. x. G. p. 83.
  3. ↑ The south walk of the cloister is in-
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