2 8o NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



March 28, A.D. 1468. "In quadam alta camera juxta 

 magnam portam manerii of the bishop of Wynton de 

 Waltham coram eodem rev. patre ibidem tune sedente, 

 Peter Berne, prior of Selborne, ipsum prioratum in sacras, 

 et venerabiles manus of the bishop, viva voce libere 

 resignavit : and his resignation was admitted before two 

 witnesses and a notary-public. In consequence, March 

 29th, before the bishop, in capella manerii sui ante dicti 

 pro tribunali sedente, comparuerunt fratres" Peter Berne 

 Thomas London , William Wyndesor, and William Paynell, 

 alias Stretford, canons regular of the Priory, "capitulum, 

 et conventum ejusdem ecclesie facientes ; ac jus et voces 

 in electione futura prioris dicti prioratus solum et in 

 solidum, ut asseruerunt, habentes ; " and after the bishop 

 had notified to them the vacancy of a prior, with 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 yth, "in capella manerii sui de Waltham? 

 to the election of a prior ; " et fratrem Johannem Morton, 

 priorem ecclesie conventualis de Reygate dicti ordinis S^. 

 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 com- 

 missary, and returned the citation or mandate dated April 

 22d, 1468, with signification, in writing, of his having 

 published it as required, dated Newton Valence, May ist, 



