ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 329 
As the bishop was so much in earnest, we may be assured that he 
had nothing in view but to correct and reform what he found 
amiss ; and was under no bias to blacken, or misrepresent as the 
commissioners of Thomas Lord Cromwell seem in part to have 
done at the time of the Reformation.* We may therefore with 
reason suppose that the bishop gives us an exact delineation of 
the morals and manners of the canons of Selborne at that juncture ; 
and that what he found they had omitted he enjoins them ; and for 
what they have done amiss, and contrary to their rules and statutes, 
he reproves them ; and threatens them with punishment suitable to 
their irregularities. 
The visz¢atio is of considerable length, and cannot be introduced 
into the body of this work; we shall therefore refer the reader to 
the Appendix, where he will find every particular, while we shall 
take some notice, and make some remarks on the most singular 
items as they occur. 
In the preamble the visitor says—‘‘ Considering the charge lying 
upon us, that your blood may not be required at our hands, we 
came down to visit your priory, as our office required : and every 
time we repeated our visitation we found something still not only 
contrary to regular rules but also repugnant to religion and good 
reputation.” 
In the first article after the preamble—“ he commands them on 
their obedience, and on pain of the greater excommunication, to 
see that the canonical hours by night and by day be sung in their 
choir, and the masses of the Blessed Mary, and other accustomed 
masses, be celebrated at the proper hours with devotion, and at 
moderate pauses ; and that it be not allowed to any to absent them- 
selves from the hours and masses, or to withdraw before they are 
finished.”’ 
Item 2nd. He enjoins them to observe that silence to which 
they are so strictly bound by the rule of Saint Augustine at stated 
times, and wholly to abstain from frivolous conversation. 
Item 4th. ‘ Not to permit such frequent passing of secular 
people of both sexes through their convent, as if a thoroughfare, 
from whence many disorders may and have arisen.” 
Item 5th. “To take care that the doors of their church and 
priory be so attended to that no suspected and disorderly females, 
‘ suspectz et aliz inhonestz,’ pass through their choir and cloister 
in the dark ;” and to see that the doors of their church between 
* Letters of this sort from Dr. Layton to Thomas Lord Cromwell are still extant. 
