ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 251 



John Winchester, [Wynchestre] 1410 



[Elected by Bishop Beaufort " per viam vel fonnam 

 simplicis compromissi."] 



[John Stype, alias Stepe, in 1411] 



Peter Bene [alias Berne or Bernes, appointed keeper, 



and, by lapse to Bishop Waynflete, prior] in . . 1454 



[He resigns in 1468.] 

 John Morton [Prior of Reygate] in . . . .1468 



[The canons by compromise transfer the power of 



election to the bishop.] 

 Will. Winsor [Wyndesor, prior for a few days] . . 1471 



[But removed on account of an irregular election.] 

 Thomas Farwill [Fairwise, vicar of Samborne] . .1471 



[By compromise again elected by the bishop.] 

 [Peter Berne, re-elected by scrutiny in . . . . 1472] 



[Resigns again in 1478.] 

 John Sharper [Sharp], alias Glastonbury . . . 1478 



[Canon-reg. of Bruton, elected by the bishop by 



compromise.] 

 [Thomas Ashford, canon of Selborne, last prior elected 



by the Bishop of Winchester, some time in the year 1484 



And deposed at the dissolution] 



LETTEE XXIV. 



BISHOP WATNEPLETE'S efforts to continue the Priory still proved 

 unsuccessful ; and the convent, without any canons, and for some time 

 without a prior, was tending swiftly to its dissolution. 



When Sharp's alias Glastonbury's priorship ended does not appear. 

 The bishop says that he had been obliged to remove some priors for 

 mal-administration ; but it is not well explained how that could be the 

 case with any unless with Sharp, because all the others chosen during 

 his episcopate died in their office, viz., Morton and Fairwise ; Berne 

 only excepted, who relinquished twice voluntarily, and was, moreover, 

 approved of by Wayneflete as a person of integrity. But the way to 

 show what ineffectual pains the bishop took, and what difficulties he 

 met with, will be to quote the words of the libel of his proctor, 

 Rudolphus Langley, who appeared for the bishop in the process of the 

 impropriation of the Priory of Selborne. The extract is taken from an 

 attested copy. 



" Item that the said bishop, dicto prioratui et personis ejusdem pie 

 compatiens, sollicitudines pastorales, labores, et diligentias gravissimas 

 quam plurimas, tarn per se quam per suos, pro reformatione premissorum 

 impendebat ; et aliquando illius loci prioribus, propter malam et 

 inutilem administrationem, et dispensationem bonorum predict! 

 prioratus, suis demeritis exigentibus, amotis ; alios priores in quorum 

 circumspectione et diligentia confidebat, prefecit; quos tamen male 



