596 ANTIQUITIES 



before witnesses. In consequence of this the bishop, 

 after full deliberation, proceeded, April 7th, " in capella 

 manerii sui de Waltham," to the election of a prior; 

 " et fratrem Johannein Morton, priorem ecclesie conven- 

 tualis de Reygate dicti ordinis S 11 Augustini Wynton. 

 dioc. in priorem vice et nomine omnium et singulorum 

 canonicorum predictorum elegit, in ordine sacerdotal i, 

 et etate licita constitutum, &c." And on the same day, 

 in the same place, and before the same witnesses, Jolm 

 Morton resigned to the bishop the priorship of Reygate 

 viva voce. The bishop then required his consent to his 

 own election ; " qui licet in parte renitens tauti reve- 

 rendi patris se confirmans," obeyed, and signified his 

 consent oraculo vive vocis. Then was there a mandate 

 citing any one who would gainsay the said election to 

 appear before the bishop or his commissary in his chapd 

 at Farnham on the 2nd day of May next. The dean 

 of the deanery of Aulton then appeared before the chan- 

 cellor, his commissary, and returned the citation or 

 mandate dated April 22nd, 1468, with signification, in 

 writing, of his having published it as required, dated 

 Newton Valence, May 1st, 1468. This certificate 

 being read, the four canons of Selborne appeared and 

 required the election to be confirmed ; et ex super abun- 

 danti appointed William Long their proctor to solicit 

 in their name that he might be canonically confirmed. 

 John Morton also appeared, and proclamation \\as 

 made; and no one appearing against him, the commis- 

 sary pronounced all absentees contumacious, and pre- 

 cluded them from objecting at any other time ; and, at 

 the instance of John Morton and the proctor, confirmed 

 the election by his decree, and directed his mandate to 

 the rector of Hedley and the vicar of Newton Valence 

 to install him in the usual form. 



Thus, for the first time, was a person, a stranger to 

 the convent of Selborne, and never canon of that monas- 

 tery, elected prior : though the style of the petitions in 



