ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 305 



Among many useful repairs he new-roofed the body of the 

 vicarage-house ; and wainscoted up to the bottom of the win- 

 dows, the whole of the chancel ; to the neatness and decency of 

 which he always paid the most exact attention. 



On September 25th, 1784, Christopher Taylor, B.D., was inducted 

 into the vicarage of Selborne. 



LETTER VII. 



I SHALL now proceed to the priory, which is undoubtedly the 

 most interesting part of our history. 



The priory of Selborne was founded by Peter de la Roche, or de 

 Rupibus,* one of those accomplished foreigners that resorted to the 

 court of King John, where they were usually caressed, and met 

 with a more favourable reception than ought, in prudence, to have 

 been shown by any monarch to strangers. This adventurer was a 

 Poictevin by birth, had been bred to arms in his youth, and dis- 

 tinguished by knighthood. Historians all agree not to speak very 

 favourably of this remarkable man ; they allow that he was 

 possessed of courage and fine abilities, but then they charge him 

 with arbitrary principles, and violent conduct. By his insinuating 

 manners he soon rose high in the favour of John ; and in 1205, 

 early in the reign of that prince, was appointed Bishop of Win- 

 chester. In 1214, he became lord chief justiciary of England, the 

 first magistrate of the state, and a kind of viceroy, on whom 

 depended all the civil affairs in the kingdom. After the death 

 of John, and during the minority of his son Henry, this prelate 

 took upon him the entire management of the realm, and was soon 

 appointed protector of the king and kingdom. 



The barons saw with indignation a stranger possessed of all the 

 power and influence, to part of which they thought they had a 

 claim ; they therefore entered into an association against him, and 

 determined to wrest some of that authority from him which he had 

 so unreasonably usurped. The bishop discerned the storm at a 

 distance ; and, prudently resolving to give way to that torrent of 

 envy which he knew not how to withstand, withdrew quietly to the 

 Holy Land, where he resided some time. 



* See "Godwin de Prsesulibus Angliae." Folio. London, 1743, p. 217. 



