51)8 ANTIQUITIES 



The bishop accepted of this offer before witnesses ; 

 and on September 27, in an inner chamber near the 

 chapel above-mentioned, after full deliberation, chose 

 brother Thomas Fairwise, vicar of Somborne, a canon- 

 regular of St. Augustine in the Priory of Bruscough, in 

 the diocese of Coventry and Litchfield, to be prior of 

 Selborne. The form is nearly as above in the last elec- 

 tion. The canons are again enumerated ; W. Wynde- 

 sor, sub-prior, P. Berne, T. London, W. Stratfeld, 

 J. Bromesgrove, who had formed the chapter, and 

 had requested and obtained license to elect, but had 

 unanimously conferred their power on the bishop. In 

 consequence of this proceeding, the bishop taking the 

 business upon himself, that the Priory might not suffer 

 detriment for want of a governor, appoints the aforesaid 

 T. Fairwise to be prior. A citation was ordered as 

 above for gainsayers to appear October 4th, before the 

 bishop or his commissaries at South Waltham ; but 

 none appearing, the commissaries admitted the said 

 Thomas, ordered him to be installed, and sent the usual 

 letter to the convent to render him due obedience. 



Thus did the Bishop of Winchester a second time 

 appoint a stranger to be prior of Selborne, instead of 

 one chosen out of the chapter. For this seeming irre- 

 gularity the visiter had no doubt good and sufficient 

 reasons, as probably may appear hereafter. 



LETTER XXI. 



WHATEVER might have been the abilities and dispo- 

 sition of prior Fairwise, it could not have been in his 

 power to have brought about any material reformation 

 in the Priory of Selborne, because he departed this life 

 in the month of August, 1472, before he had presided 

 one twelvemonth. 



As soon as their governor was buried, the chapter 

 applied to their visiter for leave to choose a new prior, 



