292 THE ANTIQUITIES 



of election to the bishop before witnesses. In consequence of 

 this the bishop, after full deliberation, proceeded, April 7th, " in 

 "capella manerii sui de Waltham," to the election of a prior: "et 

 "fratrem Johannem Morton, priorem ecclesie conventualis de 

 " R^Hgo-te 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 Fam- 

 ham on the second day of May next. The dean of the deanery 

 of Aulton then appeared before the chancellor, his commissary, 

 and returned the citation or mandate dated April 22d, 1468, 

 with signification, in writing, of his having published it as re- 

 quired, dated Nemton Valence, May 1st, 14168. This certificate 

 being read, the four canons of Selborne appeared and required the 

 election to be confirmed ; et ex super abundanti appointed William 

 Long their proctor to solicit in their name that he might be 

 canonically confirmed. John Morton also appeared, and pro- 

 clamation was made ; and no one appearing against him, the 

 commissary pronounced all absentees contumacious, and pre- 

 cluded them from objecting at any other time ; and, at the 

 instance of John Morton and the proctor, confirmed the election 

 by his decree, and directed his mandate to the rector of Hedley, 

 and the vicar of Newton Valence to install him in the usual form. 

 Thus, for the first time, was a person, a stranger to the convent 

 of Selborne, and never canon of that monastery, elected prior ; 

 though the style of the petitions in former elections used to run 



thus, — " Vos rogamus quatinus eligendum ex nobis unum 



" confratrem de gremio nostra, — licentiam vestram — nobis con- 

 " cedere dignemini ". 



LETTER XX. 



Prior Morton dying in 1471, two canons, by themselves, pro- 

 ceeded to election, and chose a prior ; but two more (one of them 

 Berne) complaining of not being summoned, objected to the 



