342 ANTIQUITIES 



manor-house in Southward, March 1, 1453-4, and the seventh 

 of his consecration. 



After this transaction it does not appear that the chapter of 

 the Priory proceeded to any election : on the contrary, we 

 find that at six months end from the vacancy the visitor 

 declared that a lapse had taken place ; and that therefore he 

 did confer the priorship on canon Peter Berne. f( Prioratum 

 " vacantem et ad nostram collationem, seu provisionem jure 

 " ad nos in hac parte per lapsum temporis legitime devolutu 

 " spectantem, tibi (sc. P. Berne) de legitimo matrimonio 

 u procreate, &c. conferimus," &c. This deed hears date 

 July 28, 1454. Reg. Waynflete, torn. I. p. 69. 



On February 8, 1462, the visitor issued out a power of 

 sequestration against the Priory of Selborne on account of 

 notorious dilapidations which threatened manifest ruin to the 

 roofs, walls, and edifices of the said convent ; and appointing 

 John Hammond, B.D. rector of the parish church of Hetlegh, 

 John Hylling, vicar of the parish church of Newton Valence, 

 and Walter Gorfin, inhabitant of the parish of Selborne, his 

 sequestrators, to exact, collect, levy, and receive, all the pro- 

 fits and revenues of the said convent : he adds " ac ea sub 

 " arcto, et tuto custodiatis, custodirive faciatis;" as they 

 would answer it to the bishop at their peril. 



In consequence of these proceedings prior Berne, on the 

 last day of February, and the next year, produced a state of 

 the revenues of the Priory, N. 381, called " A paper con- 

 " teyning the value of the manors and lands pertayning to 

 " the Priory of Selborne. 4 Edward III. with a note of 

 " charges yssuing out of it." 



This is a curious document, and will appear in the Appen- 

 dix. From circumstances in this paper it is plain that the 

 sequestration produced good effects ; for in it are to be found 

 bills of repairs to a considerable amount. 



By this evidence also it appears that there were at that 



juncture only four canons at the Priory ; u and that these, and 



u If bishop Wykeham was so disturbed (see Notab. Visitatio) to find 



the number of canons reduced from fourteen to eleven, what would he 



havo said to have seen it diminished below one third of that number ? 



