All round this quadrangle ran a covered arcade, whose roof,
leaning against the high walls, was supported on the inner side by an
open trellis work in stone--often exhibiting great beauty of design
and workmanship--through which light and air was admitted into the
arcade. [Footnote: In other words the thirteenth-century monk passed
far the greater portion of his time in the open air, except that
there was a roof over his head. As time went on, and monks became
more self-indulgent, they did not by any means like the draughts and
exposure in the cloister, and the old-fashioned open arcades were
glazed, and the old open walks were turned into splendid lounges,
comfortable and luxurious, such as the cloisters of Gloucester could
be made into at a small outlay at the present day.] The open space
not roofed in was called the _garth_, and was sometimes a plain
grass plat and sometimes was planted with shrubs, a fountain of
running water being often found in the centre, which afforded a
pleasant object for the eye to rest on. The cloister was really the
living-place of the monks. Here they pursued their daily avocations,
here they taught their school, they transacted their business, they
spent their time and pursued their studies, always in society, co-
operating and consulting, and, as a rule, knowing no privacy.
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