ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE 297 



8 April 3rd, ibid. Richard, bishop of Chichester, in the I3th century; 

 his surname De la Wich, in 1245. 



Junctorium, perhaps a joint or limb of St. Richard ; but what particular 

 joint the religious were not such osteologists as to specify. This barbarous 

 word was not to be found in any dictionary consulted by the author. G. W. 



4 " Pecten inter ministeria sacra recensetur, quo scil. sacerdotes ac clerici, 

 antequam in ecclesiam procederent, crines pecterent. E quibus colligitur 

 monachos, tune temporis, non omnino tonsos fuisse." Du FRESNE. 



The author remembers to have seen in great farmhouses a family comb 

 chained to a post for the use of the hinds when they came in to their meals. 

 G. W. 



LETTER XIX 



STEPE died towards the end of the year 1453, as we may 

 suppose pretty far advanced in life, having been prior forty- 

 four years. 



On the very day that the vacancy happened, viz., January 

 26th, 1453-4, tne sub-prior and convent petitioned the visitor 

 " vos unicum levam en nostrum, et spem unanimiter roga- 

 mus, quatinus eligendum ex nobis unum confratrem de gremio 

 nostro, in nostra religione probatum et expertem, licenciam 

 vestram paternalem cum plena libertate nobis concedere dig- 

 nemini graciose." Reg. Waynflete, torn. I. 



Instead of the license requested we find next a commission 

 " custodie prioratus de Selebourne durante vacatione," ad- 

 dressed to brother Peter Berne, canon regular of the Priory 

 of Selborne, and of the order of St. Augustine, appointing 

 him keeper of the said Priory, and empowering him to collect 

 and receive the profits and revenues and " alia bona " of the 

 said Priory ; and to exercise in every respect the full power 

 and authority of a prior ; but to be responsible to the visitor 

 finally, and to maintain this superiority during the bishop's 

 pleasure only. This instrument is dated from the bishop's 

 manor-house in Southwark, March 1st, 1453-4, an d 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 there- 



