ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 345 



his free license to elect, deliberated awhile, and then, by way of 

 compromise, as they affirmed, unanimously transferred their right 

 of election to the bishop 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 

 Johannem Morton, priorem ecclesie eonventualis de Reygate dicti 

 ordinis S t; . Augustini Wynton. dioc. in priorem vice et nomine 

 omnium et singulorum canonicorum predictorum elegit, in ordine 

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

 in the same place, and before the same witnesses, John 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 tanti reverendi 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 chapel at Farnham on the 

 second day of May next. The dean of the deanery of Aulton then 

 appeared before the chancellor, 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 ist, 1468. This certificate being read, the four 

 canons of Selborne appeared and required the election to be 

 confirmed ; et ex super abundanti appointed William Long their 

 proctor to solicit in their name that he might be canonically con- 

 firmed. John Morton also appeared, and proclamation was made ; 

 and no one appearing against him, the commissary pronounced all 

 absentees contumacious, and precluded 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 fonn. 



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

 of Selborne, and never canon of that monastery, elected prior ; 

 though the style of the petitions in former elections used to run 

 thus, " Vos - - - - rogamus quatinus eligendum ex nobis unum 

 confratrem de gremio nostro, licentiam vestram nobis concodere 

 dignemini." 



