THE ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE 261 



Notabilis Visitatio de Seleburne, held at the Priory of that 

 place, by Wykeham in person, in the year 1387. 



This evidence, in the original, is written on two skins of 

 parchment ; the one large, and the other smaller, and 

 consists of a preamble, 36 items, and a conclusion, which 

 altogether evince the patient investigation of the visitor, 

 for which he had always been so remarkable in all matters 

 of moment, and how much he had at heart the regularity 

 of those institutions, of whose efficacy in their prayers for 

 the dead he was so firmly persuaded. 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. 1 We may there- 

 fore 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 suit- 

 able 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 some 

 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 re- 

 quired 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 ex- 



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

 extant. [G. W.] 



