ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 353 



Thus did the bishop of Winchester a second time appoint a 

 stranger to be prior of Selborne, instead of one chosen out of the 

 chapter. For this seeming irregularity the visitor had no doubt 

 good and sufficient reasons, as probably may appear hereafter. 



LETTER XXI. 



WHATEVER might have been the abilities and disposition of Prior 

 Fairwise, it could not have been in his power to have brought 

 about any material, reformation in the priory of Selborne, because 

 he departed this life in the month of August, 1472, before he had 

 presided one twelvemonth. 



As soon as their governor was buried the chapter applied to their 

 visitor for leave to choose a new prior, which being granted, after 

 deliberating for a time, they proceeded to an election by a scrutiny. 

 But as this mode of voting has not been described but by the mere 

 form in the Appendix, an extract from the bishop's register, repre- 

 senting the manner more fully, may not be disagreeable to several 

 readers. 



WAYNEFLETE REG. torn. II. pars. i ma ., fol. 15. 



" Reverendo, &c., ac nostro patrono graciosissimo vestri humiles, 

 et devote obedientie filii," etc. 



To the right reverend Father in God, and our most gracious 

 patron, we, your obedient and devoted sons, William Wyndesor, 

 president of the chapter of the priory of Selborne, and the convent 

 of that place, do make known to your lordship, that our priorship 

 being lately vacant by the death of Thomas Fairwise, our late 

 prior, who died August nth, 1472, having committed his body to 

 decent sepulture, and having requested, according to custom, leave 

 to elect another, and having obtained it under your seal, we, 

 William Wyndesor, president of the convent on the 2Qth August, 

 in our chapter-house assembled, and making a chapter, taking to 

 us in this business Richard ap Jenkyn, and Galfrid Bryan, chaplains, 



