was attended ori! this oceafion b y Thomas 'London- and John Bromef-
gra-ite, candns, who had elefted him. Peter 'Berne and William
StratfeU, canons,, dfct prefented themfelves; at the- fame time,
■ contplaitiisg that k this? bofinefe they had been overlooked, and
not fummonedand that therefore the validity of the eleftiora
might with reafon be called in queftion, and quarrels and diffen-
fions might probably arife between the newly chofen prior and
the parties thus neglefted.
After fome altercation and difpute they all came to an agreement
with the new prior, that'what'Bad" Been' done Ihould be rejected
and annulled ; and that they would again, for this turn,
transfer to the bilhop their power to eleft, order, and provide
them another prior, whom they promifed unanimoufly to admit.
The bifhop accepted of this offer before witnefics; and on
September 27, in an inner chamber near the chapel abovemen-'
tioned, after full deliberation, chofe brother Thomas Fair-wife, vicar
of Somborne, a Canon-regular of Saint Auguftine in the Priory of
Brufiougb, in the diocefe of Coventry and Litchfield, to be prior of
Selborne. The form is nearly as above in the laft election. The
canons are again-enumerated-; W. Wyrtdefor, fub-prior, P. Berne,,
T. London, W. StratfeU’, J . Bromefgrcrve, who had formed the.
chapter, and had nequefted and obtained licenfe to eleft, but had
unanimoufly conferred their power on the bifhop. In confequence
of this proceedkg, the bifhop taking the bufinefs upon himfelf,
that the Priory might not fuffer detriment for want of a governor,
appoints the aforefaid T. Fairwife to be prior. A citation was ordered
as above for gainfayers to appear Oftober 4th, before the
bifhop or his commifiaries at South Waltham; but none appearing.;
the commifiaries admitted the faid Thomas, ordered him to be inftalled,
flailed, and fent the ufual letter to the convent to render him due
obedience.
Thus did the bifhop of Winchejler a fecond time appoint a
ftranger to be prior of Selborne, inftead of one chofen out of the
chapter. For this feeming irregularity the vifitor had no doubt
good and fufficient reafons, as probably may appear hereafter.
L E T T E R XXI.
" W h a t e v e r might have been the abilities and difpofition of
prior Fairwife, it could not have been in his power to have brought
about any material reformation in the Priory of Selborne, beeaufe
he departed this life in the month of Augufi 1472, before he’
had prefided one twelvemonth.
As foon as their governor was buried the chapter .applied to
their vifitof for leave to chufe a new prior, which being, granted,
after deliberating for a time, they proceeded to an eleftipn by a
fcrutiny. But as this mode of voting has nqt been defcribed but
by the mere form in the Appetfdip, an extraft from the bifhop’s-
regifter, reprefenting the manner .more fully, may ...not be difa^
greeable to feveral readers.
WAYNBFtETE R eg. tom. II. pars im-*, fol. 15.
« Reverendo See. ac noftro patrono graciofiflimo veftti humiles,
** et devote obedientie filii,” 8cc.
T o