ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 329 



As the bishop was so much in earnest, we may be assured that he 

 had nothing in view but to correct and reform what he found 

 amiss ; and was under no bias to blacken, or misrepresent as the 

 commissioners of Thomas Lord Cromwell seem in part to have 

 done at the time of the Reformation.* We may therefore with 

 reason suppose that the bishop gives us an exact delineation of 

 the morals and manners of the canons of Selborne at that juncture ; 

 and that what he found they had omitted he enjoins them ; and for 

 what they have done amiss, and contrary to their rules and statutes, 

 he reproves them ; and threatens them with punishment suitable to 

 their irregularities. 



The visitatio is of considerable length, and cannot be introduced 

 into the body of this work ; we shall therefore refer the reader to 

 the Appendix, where he will find every particular, while we shall 

 take some notice, and make sOjjrne remarks on the most singular 

 items as they occur. 



In the preamble the visitor says "Considering the charge lying 

 upon us, that your blood may not be required at our hands, we 

 came down to visit your priory, as our office required : and every 

 time we repeated our visitation we found something still not only 

 contrary to regular rules but also repugnant to religion and good 

 reputation." 



In the first article after the preamble "he commands them on 

 their obedience, and on pain of the greater excommunication, to 

 see that the canonical hours by night and by day be sung in their 

 choir, and the masses of the Blessed Mary, and other accustomed 

 masses, be celebrated at the proper hours with devotion, and at 

 moderate pauses ; and that it be not allowed to any to absent them- 

 selves from the hours and masses, or to withdraw before they are 

 finished." 



Item 2nd. He enjoins them to observe that silence to which 

 they are so strictly bound by the rule of Saint Augustine at stated 

 times, and wholly to abstain from frivolous conversation. 



Item 4th. " Not to permit such frequent passing of secular 

 people of both sexes through their convent, as if a thoroughfare, 

 from whence many disorders may and have arisen." 



Item 5th. " To take care that the doors of their church and 

 priory be so attended to that no suspected and disorderly females, 

 1 suspects et aliae inhonestas,' pass through their choir and cloister 

 in the dark ; " and to see that the doors of their church between 



* Letters of this sort from Dr. Layton to Thomas Lord Cromwell are still extant. 



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