OF SELBORNE. 541 



stand, withdrew quietly to the Holy Land, where he 

 resided some time. 



At this juncture a very small part of Palestine re- 

 mained in the hands of the Christians : they had been 

 by Saladine dispossessed of Jerusalem, and all the 

 internal parts, near forty years before ; arwj with diffi- 

 culty maintained some maritime towns and garrisons : 

 yet the busy and enterprising spirit of de Rupibus 

 could not be at rest; he distinguished himself by the 

 splendour and magnificence of his expenses, and amused 

 his mind by strengthening fortresses and castles, and by 

 removing and endowing of churches. Before his expe- 

 dition to the east he had signalized himself as a founder 

 of convents, and as a benefactor to hospitals and 

 monasteries. 



In the year 1231 he returned again to England ; and 

 the very next year, in 1232, began to build and endow 

 the PRIORY of SELBORNE. As this great work fol- 

 lowed so close upon his return, it is not improbable 

 that it was the result of a vow made during his voyage; 

 and especially as it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 

 Why the bishop made choice of Selborne for the scene 

 of his munificence can never be determined now : it can 

 only be said that the parish was in his diocese, and lay 

 almost midway between Winchester and Farnham, or 

 South Waltham and Farnham; from either of which 

 places he could without much trouble overlook his 

 workmen, and observe what progress they made ; and 

 that the situation was retired, with a stream running by 

 it, and sequestered from the world, amidst woods and 

 meadows, and so far proper for the site of a religious 

 house 2 . 



2 The institution at Selborne was a priory of Black Canons of the order 

 of St. Augustine, called also Canons Regular. Regular Canons were 

 such as lived in a conventual manner, under one roof, had a common 

 refectory and dormitory, and were bound by vows to observe the rules 

 and statutes of their order: in fine, they were a kind of religious, whose 

 discipline was less rigid than the monks'. The chief rule of these canons 

 was that of St. Augustine, who was constituted Bishop of Hippo, A.D. 



