cured an act to be passed by which the secular arm was empowered to support the corrupt doctrines of the church; but the first lollard was not burnt until the year 1401. The wits also of those times did not spare the gross morals of the clergy, but boldly ridiculed their ignorance and profligacy. The most remarkable of these were Chaucer, and his contemporary, Robert Langelande, better known by the name of Piers Plowman. The laughable tales of the former are familiar to almost every reader; while the visions of the latter are but in few hands. With a quotation from the Passus Decimus of this writer I shall conclude my letter; not only on account of the remarkable prediction therein contained, which carries with it somewhat of the air of a prophecy; but also as it seems to have been a striking picture of monastic insolence and dissipation; and a specimen of one of the keenest pieces of satire now perhaps subsisting in any language, ancient or modern. "Now is religion a rider, a romer by streate; A heape of hounds at his arse, as he a lord were. And but if his knave kneel, that shall his cope bring, He loureth at him, and asketh him who taught him curtesie. And put hem to her penaunce ad pristinum statum ire.” F. 1. a. "This prediction, although a probable conclusion concerning a king who after a time would suppress the religious houses, is remarkable. I imagined it was foisted into the copies in the reign of king Henry VIII. but it is in MSS. of this poem, older than the year 1400." "Again, fol. lxxxv. a. where he, Piers Plowman, alludes to the Knights Templars, lately suppressed, he says, LETTER XVIII. WILLIAM OF WAYNFLETE became Bishop of Winchester in the year 1447, and seems to have pursued the generous plan of Wykeham, in endeavouring to reform the priory of Selborne. When Waynflete came to the see he found prior Stype, alias Stepe, still living, who had been elected as long ago as the year 1411. Among my documents I find a curious paper of the things put into the custody of Peter Bernes the sacrist, and especially some relics: the title of this evidence is "No. 50. Indentura prioris de Selborne quorundam tradit. Petro Bernes sacristæ, ibidem, ann. Hen. VI. ... una cum confiss. ejusdem Petri script." The occasion of this catalogue, or list of effects, being drawn between the prior and sacrist does not appear, nor the date when; only that it happened in the reign of Hen. VI. This transaction probably took place when Bernes entered on his office; and there is the more reason to suppose that to be the case, because the list consists of vest ments and implements, and relics, such as belonged to the church of the Priory, and fell under the care of the sacrist. I shall just mention the relics, although they are not all specified; and the state of the live stock of the monastery at that juncture. "Item 2 osculator. argent. "Item 1 osculatorium cum osse digiti auricular.St. Johannis Baptistæ1. Men of holie kirk Shall turne as Templars did; the tyme approacheth nere”. "This, I suppose, was a favourite doctrine in Wickliffe's discourses." -Warton's Hist. of English Poetry, vol. i. p. 282. How the convent came by the bone of the little finger of St. John the Baptist does not appear; probably the founder, while in Palestine, purchased it among the Asiatics, who were at that time great traders in " Item 1 parvam crucem cum V. reliquiis. "Item 1 anulum argent. et deauratum St. Edmundi?. "Item 2 osculat. de coper. "Item 1 junctorium St. Ricardi3. " Item 1 pecten St. Ricardi1." The staurum, or live stock, is quite ridiculous, consisting only of "2 vacce, 1 sus, 4 hoggett. et 4 porcell." viz. two cows, one sow, four porkers, and four pigs3. relics. We know from the best authority that as soon as Herod had cruelly beheaded that holy man, "his disciples came and took up the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.”—Matt. xiv. 12.—Farther would be difficult to say. 2 November 20, in the calendar, Edmund king and martyr, in the ninth century. See also a Sanctus Edmundus in Godwin, among the archbishops of Canterbury, in the thirteenth century; his surname Rich, in 1234. 3 April 3, ibid. Richard, Bishop of Chichester, in the thirteenth century; his surname De la Wich, in 1245. Junctorium, perhaps a joint or limb of St. Richard; but what particular joint the religious were not such osteologists as to specify. This barbarous word was not to be found in any dictionary consulted by the author. 4 “Pecten inter ministeria sacra recensetur, quo scil. sacerdotes ac clerici, antequam in ecclesiam procederent, crines pecterent. E quibus colligitur monachos, tunc temporis, non omnino tonsos fuissi.”- Du Fresne. The author remembers to have seen in great farm houses a family comb chained to a post for the use of the hinds when they came in to their meals. -- 5 (No. 50.) INDENTURA PRIORIS de SELBORNE quorundam tradit. Petro Barnes sacristæ LETTER XIX. STEPE died towards the end of the year 1453, as we may suppose pretty far advanced in life, having been prior forty-four years. On the very day that the vacancy happened, viz. January 26, 1453-4, the sub-prior and convent peti II aubas cum paruris II manipul II stolas et I casulas pertinentes ad altare sancti Petri de dono patris Ricardi holte. Item de dono ejusdem II tuella vid. I cum fruictello et 1 canvas pro eodem altare Item I tuellum pendentem ad terram pro quadragesima Item vi tuell cum ffruictibus xv tuell sine ffruictell. Item ш tuell pro lavatore Item v corporas Item II ffruictell pro summo altare sine tuellis Item 11 coopertor pro le ceste Item I pallias de serico debili Item I velum pro quadragesima Item 1 tapetum viridis coloris pro summo altare II ridell cum I ridellis parvis pertinent. ad dict. altare Item vi offretor vid. v debit. Item 1 vexilla Item I pelves II quessones vid. I de serico Item II super altaria Item quinq; calices vid. I de auro Item II cruettes de argento de dono dni Johannis Combe capellani de Cicestre Item VIII cruettes de peuter Item 1 coupam argent. et deaur. Item II osculator argent. Item 1 osculatorium cum osse digiti auricular St. Johannis Baptiste Item 1 crux argent. et deaur. non radicat. Item turribulum argent et deaur. Item I anulum cum saphiro Item I aliud anulum I politum aureum Item I anulum argent. et deauratum St Edmundi. Item I concha cum pereo infixo Item I cistam argent. et deaur. Item I imaginem beate Marie argent. et deaurat. Item I parvam crucem cum v reliquiis Item 1 junctorium S“. Ricardi Item I tecam pro reliquiis imponend Item 1 calefactor Sti. Ricardi Item ш candelabra vid. II de stagno et II de ferro Item 1 pecten S. Ricardi Item II viell de cristall In parte fract Item I pelvim de coper ad lavator Item II osculat. de coper Item I parvum turribulum de latyn Item I vas de coper pro frank et sence consecrand Item I pixidem de juery pro corpore Christi Item II vasa de plumbo pro oleo conservando Item 1 patellam eneam ferro ligat. Item I tripodem ferr. Item 1 costrell contum 11 lagen et I potrell. Item II babyngyres Item I botelles de corio vid. I de quarte et 1 de pynte Item III anul. arg. et I pixidem Ste Marie de Waddon Item ( ) Instrumenta pro Sandyng Item 1 ledbnyff Item 1 shasshobe Item I securim Item II scabell. de ferro pro cancell Item 1 plane Item I cistam sine cerura Item XIIII sonas Item XIX taperes ponder x II torches ponder xx 1b Item xi b cere et dimid. cera ponder vi fb Item 1 tb de frank et sence Item IX pondera de plumbo fb et dimid. Item Item de candelis de 1 lagenam olei Item (Vide de stauro in tergo) et in tergo scribuntur hæc, vacce I sus in hoggeu et m porcell" tioned the visiter-" vos unicum levamen nostrum et spem unanimiter rogamus, quatinus eligendum ex nobis unum confratrem de gremio nostro, in nostra religione probatum et expertum, licenciam vestram paternalem cum plena libertate nobis concedere dignemini graciose."-Reg. Waynflete, tom. i. Instead of the license requested we find next a commission "custodie prioratus de Selebourne durante vacatione," addressed to brother Peter Berne, canonregular of the Priory of Selebourne, and of the order of St. Augustine, appointing him keeper of the said Priory, and empowering him to collect and receive the profits and revenues, and "alia bona" of the said Priory; and to exercise in every respect the full power and authority of a prior; but to be responsible to the visiter finally, and to maintain this superiority during the bishop's pleasure only. This instrument is dated from the bishop's manor-house in Southwark, March 1, 1453-4, and the seventh of his consecration. After this transaction it does not appear that the chapter of the Priory proceeded to any election: on the contrary, we find that at six months end from the vacancy the visiter declared that a lapse had taken place; and that therefore he did confer the priorship on canon Peter Berne.-" Prioratum vacantem et ad nostram collationem seu provisionem, jure ad nos in hac parte per lapsum temporis legitime devoluto spectantem, tibi (sc. P. Berne) de legitimo matrimonio procreato, &c.-conferimus," &c. This deed bears date, July 28, 1454.-Reg. Waynflete, tom. i. p. 69. On February 8, 1462, the visiter issued out a power of sequestration against the Priory of Selborne on account of notorious dilapidations which threatened manifest ruin to the roofs, walls, and edifices of the said convent; and appointing John Hammond, B. D. rector of the parish church of Hetlegh, John Hylling, vicar of the parish church of Newton Valence, and Walter Gorfin, inhabitant of the parish of Selborne, his |