322 THE ANTIQUITIES 



his having published it as required, dated Newton Valence, 

 May I St, 1468. This certificate being read, the four 

 canons of Selborne appeared and required the election 

 to be confirmed ; et ex super ahundanti appointed William 

 Long their proctor to solicit in their name that he might 

 be canonically confirmed. John Morton also appeared, 

 and proclamation was made ; and no one appearing against 

 him, the commissary pronounced aU absentees contu- 

 macious, and precluded them from objecting at any other 

 time ; and, at the instance of John Morton and the proctor, 

 confirmed the election by his decree, and directed his 

 mandate to the rector of Hedley and the vicar of Newton 

 Valence to install him in the usual form. 



Thus, for the first time, was a person, a stranger to 

 the convent of Selborne, and never canon of that monastery, 

 elected prior ; though the style of the petitions in former 



elections used to run thus, — " Vos rogamus quatinus 



eligendum ex nobis unum confratrem de gremio nostro, — 

 licentiam vestram — nobis concedere dignemini.'* 



LETTER XX 



Prior Morton dying in 147 1, two canons, by themselves, 

 proceeded to election, and chose a prior ; but two more 

 (one of them Berne) complaining of not being summoned, 

 objected to the proceedings as informal ; till at last the 

 matter was compromised that the bishop should again, 

 for that turn, nominate as he had before. But the circum- 

 stances of this election will be best explained by the 

 following extract : 



Reg. Waynflete, tom. II. pars \^^^ fol. 7. 



Memorandum, a.d. 147 i, August 22. 



William Wyndesor, a canon-regular of the Priory of 

 Selborne, having been elected prior on the death of brother 



