336 THE ANTIQUITIES 



to take possession, &c." This libel, with the express con- 

 sent of the other proctors, we, the commissary admitted, 

 and appointed the sixth of August for proctor Preston to 

 prove the premisses. 



Preston produced witnesses, W, GyfFord, S.T.P., John 

 Nele, A.M., John Chapman, chaplain, and Robert Baron, 

 literatus, who were admitted and sworn, when the court 

 was prorogued to the 6th of August ; and the witnesses, 

 on the same 5th of August, were examined by the com- 

 missary, " in capella infra manerium de Essher situata, 

 secrete et singillatim." Then follows the " literae pro- 

 curatoriae " : first that of the college, appointing Preston 

 and Langport their proctors, dated August 30th, 1484 ; 

 then that of the prior and convent of the cathedral of 

 Wint5n, appointing David Husband and Michael Cleve, 

 dated September 4th, 1484 : then that of the bishop, 

 appointing W. GyfFord, Radulphus Langley, and Will. 

 Covvper, dated September 3rd, 1484. Consec. 38°. — 

 " Quo die adveniente in dicta ecclesia parochiali," appeared 

 " coram nobis " James Preston to prove the contents of 

 his libel, and exhibited some letters testimonial with the 

 seal of the bishop, and these were admitted ; and conse- 

 quenter Preston produced two witnesses, viz, Dominum 

 Thoman Ashforde nuper priorem died prioratus, et Willm. 

 Rabbys, literatum^ who were admitted and sworn, and 

 examined as the others, by the commissary ; " tunc & 

 ibidem assistente scriba secrete & singillatim " ; and their 

 depositions were read and made public, as follows : 



Mr. W. Gyfford, S.T.P., aged 57, of the state of Magd. 

 Coll. etc. etc. as before : 



Mr. John Nele, aged 57, proves the articles also : 



Robert Baron, aged 56 : 



Johannes Chapman, aged 35, also affirmed all the five 

 articles : 



Dompnus Thomas Ashforde, aged 72 years — " dicit i^"^ 

 ^um ^um articulos in eodem libello contentos, concernentes 

 statum dicti prioratus de Selebourne, fuisse et esse veros." 



W. Rabbys, aetat 40 ann. agrees with Gyfford, etc. 



Then follows the letter from the bishop, " in subsidium 



