THE ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE 289 



John Ashton, presbyters, and Henry Canwoodf in chapter 

 assembled ; and after singing the hymn " ' Veni Creator 

 SpirituSy cum versiculo et oratione ' Deus qui corda ; ' 

 declaratque licentia Fundatoris et patroni ; futurum priorem 

 eligendi concessa, et constitutione consilii generalis que in- 

 cipit, ' Quia propterj declaratis : viisque per quas possent 

 ad hanc electionem procedere," by the decretorum doctorem, 

 whom the canons had taken to direct them they all and 

 every one "dixerunt et affirmarunt se nolle ad aliquam 

 viam procedere ; " but for this turn only, renounced their 

 right, and unanimously transferred their power to the 

 bishop, the ordinary of the place, promising to receive 

 whom he should provide ; and appointed a proctor to 

 present the instrument to the bishop under their seal ; and 

 required their notary to draw it up in due form, &c. sub- 

 scribed by the notary. 



After the visitor had fully deliberated on the matter, he 

 proceeded to the choice of a prior, and elected by the 

 following instrument, John Sharp, alias Glastenbury. 



Fol. 56. PROVISIO PRIORIS per EPM. 



Willmus, &c., to our beloved brother in Christ, John 

 Sharp y alias Glastenbury, Ecclesie conventualis de Bruton, 

 of the order of St. Austin, in the diocese of Bath and Wells, 

 canon-regular salutem, &c., " De tue circumspectionis 

 industria plurimum confidentes, te virum providum et 

 discretum, literarum scientia, et moribus merito commen- 

 dandum," &c. do appoint you prior under our seal, Dat. 

 in manerio nostro de Suthwaltham, May 20," 1478, "et 

 nostre Consec. 31." 



Thus did the bishop, three times out of the four that 

 he was at liberty to nominate, appoint a prior from a 



1 Here we see that all the canons were changed in six years ; and that there 

 was quite a new chapter, Berne excepted, between 1472 and 1478 ; for, instead of 

 Wyndcsor, London, and Stratfeld, we find Ashford, Clydgrove, Ashton, and Can- 

 wood, all new men, who were soon gone in their turn off the stage, and are heard 

 of no more. For, in six years after, there seem to have been no canons at all. 

 [G. W.] 



VOL. II. 2 O 



