OF SELBORNE 259 



particular expression, this grant runs much in the style of the 

 former ; " Dedit mihi episcopus predictus triginta quinque marcas 

 " argenti ad me acquietandum versus Judmos ". — That is, " the bishop 

 " advanced me thirty-five marks of silver to pay my debts to the 

 "jews," who were then the only lenders of money. 



Finding himself still streightened for room, the founder applied 

 to his royal master, Henry, who was graciously pleased to bestow 

 certain lands in the manor of Selhome on the new priory of his 

 favourite minister. These grounds had been the property of 

 Stephen de Lucy ; and abutting upon the narrow limits of the con- 

 vent, became a very commodious and agreeable acquisition. This 

 grant, I find, was made on March the 9th, in the eighteenth year 

 of Henry, viz. 1234, being two years after the foundation of the 

 monastery. The royal donor bestowed his favour with a good 

 grace, by adding to it almost every immunity and privilege that 

 could have been specified in the law-language of the times. — 

 " Quare volumus prior, &c. habeant totam terram, &c. cum omni- 

 "bus libertatibus in bosco et piano, in viis et semitis, pratis et 

 " pascuis ; aquis et piscariis ; infra burgum, et extra burgum cum 

 " soka et saca, Thol et Them, Infangenethef et Utfangenethef, et 

 " hamsocne et blodwite, et pecunia que dari solet pro murdro et 

 "forstal, et flemenestrick, et cum quietancia de omni scotto et 

 " geldo, et de omnibus auxiliis regum, vice comitum, et omn : 

 " ministralium suorum ; et hidagio et exercitibus, et scutagiis, et 

 " tallagiis, et shiris et hundredis, et placitis et querelis, et warda 

 " et wardpeny, et opibus castellorum et pontium, et clausuris par- 

 " coram, et omni carcio et sumagio, et domor : regal : edificatione, 

 " et omnimoda reparatione, et cum omnibus aliis libertatibus." 

 This grant was made out by Richard bishop of Chichester, then 

 chancellor, at the town of Northampton, before the lord chief 

 justiciary, who was the founder himself. 



The charter of foundation of the Priory, dated 1233, comes next 

 in order to be considered ; but being of some length, I shall not 

 interrupt my narrative by placing it here ; and therefore refer the 

 reader to the Appendix, N° I. This my copy, taken from the 

 original, I have compared with Dugdale's copy, and find that they 

 perfectly agree ; except that in the latter the preamble and the 

 names of the witnesses are omitted. Yet I think it proper to 

 quote a passage from this charter — " Et ipsa domus religiosa a 

 " cujuslibet alterius domils religiosce subjectione libera permaneat, et 

 " in omnibus absoluta " — to shew how much Dugdale was mistaken 

 when he inserted Selborne among the alien priories ; forgetting 



