OF SELBORNE 317 



Little had lords to done, to give lands from her heirs, 

 To religious that have no ruth if it rain on her altars. 

 In many places ther they persons be, by himself at ease : 

 Of the poor they have no pity, and that is her charitie ; 

 And they letten hem as lords, her lands lie so broad. 

 And there shal come a king, 1 and confess you religious ; 

 And beate you, as the bible telleth, for breaking your 



rule, 



And amend monials, and monks, and chanons, 

 And put hem to her penaunce ad pristinum statum ire"' 



LETTER XVIII 



WILLIAM of Waynflete became bishop of Winchester in 

 the year 1447, and seems to have pursued the generous 

 plan of Wykeham in endeavouring to reform the priory 

 of Selborne. 



When Waynflete came to the see he found Prior Stype, 

 alias Stepe, still living, who had been elected as long ago as 

 the year 1411. 



Among my documents I find a curious paper of the 

 things put into the custody of Peter Bernes the sacrist, 

 and especially some relics : the title of this evidence is 

 " No. 50, Indentura prioris de Selborne quorundam tradit. 



Petro Bernes sacristae, ibidem, ami. Hen. VI. una cum 



confiss. ejusdem Petri script." The occasion of this cata- 



1 F. I. a. "This prediction, although a probable conclusion concerning 

 a king who after a time would suppress the religious houses, is remark- 

 able. I imagined it might have been foisted into the copies in the reign 

 of king Henry VIII. but it is to be found in MSS. of this poem, older 

 than the year 1400." Fol. 1. a. b. 



"Again, where he, Piers Plowman, alludes to the Knights Templars, 

 lately suppressed, he says, 



" Men of holie kirk 



Shall turn as Templars did ; the tyme approacheth nere." 

 " This, I suppose, was a favourite doctrine in Wickliffe's discourses." 

 Warton's Hist, of English Poetry, Vol. I. p. 282. 



