tody of the temporalties; and, in virtue of them, Waynflete on the 14th presented to the church of Wytteneyh. At Winchester, on the 12th of April, the day after the decease of the cardinal, and perhaps before the arrival of the letter from the king, the monks of the convent of St. Swythin, Benedictines, assembled in their chapter-house, and deputed the sub-prior with one of the brethren to notify the vacancy by an instrument under their common seal, and to desire the royal permission to elect a bishop. The king answered them on the 13th, and renewed his solicitations that they would choose Waynflete without delay. His letter was received on the 14th by William Aulton the prior, master Stephen Wilton doctor of decrees and archdeacon of Winchester, and the whole brotherhood; when they determined not to postpone their compliance even to the time named by the king, but were unanimous in fixing on the 15th, which was Saturday, for the election. The congé d'élire or licence under the privy seal is dated the same day at Canterburyi. h Registr. Lincoln. ult. April. 1447. MS. Harl. 6952, p. 167. 1 Rymer, t. xi. p. 162. After the mass de Spiritu Sancto had been solemnly performed at the high altar in the church of St. Swythin, and a bell tolled according to custom, the prior, the sub-prior, the archdeacon of Winchester, and that of Surry by his proxy, with thirty-seven brethren, all professed monks and in holy orders, except three, who were young, met in the chapter-house. The word of God was then propounded, and they implored devoutly the divine grace by singing the hymn "Veni, Creator Spiritus." A protestation against the presence or voting of any unqualified person was read by the prior, and the constitution general "Quia propter" by Dr. Wilton. Im-' mediately when this was done, they all without any debate, on a sudden, with one accord, the Holy Ghost, as they firmly bclieved, inspiring them, directed their suffrages to Waynflete, and elected him, as it were with one voice and one spirit, for their bishop and pastor; and instantly singing Te Deum, and causing the bells to ring merrily, they went in procession to the high altar of the church, where Dr. Wilton, by their order, published the transaction in the vulgar tongue to a numerous congregation of the clergy and people. The sub-prior and an other other monk were deputed to wait on Waynflete at Eton college with the news of his election. From sincere reluctance, or a decent compliance with the fashion of the times, he protested often and with tears, and could not be prevailed on to undertake the important office to which he was called, until they found him, about sunset, in the church of St. Mary; when he consented, saying, he would no longer resist the divine willk. The king was formally apprized of all these proceedings by an instrument under the common seal of the convent dated the 17th, and the sub-prior attended as before, with an humble request that he would vouchsafe to confirm their election. The chapter sent likewise to Rome a narrative of the steps they had taken after the delivery of the body of the deceased cardinal, as was fitting, to ecclesiastical sepulture; and the prior declares, in his own name and that of the whole convent, that, their unanimous suffrages having fallen on Waynflete, he elects and provides him to be bishop and pastor of their church. They request his Ledger Book I. fol. 74. holiness holiness to confirm their choice, and impart to their new bishop his free gift of consecration!. The disposal of all ecclesiastical preferments in England, even of rectories and vicarages, had been claimed by the Roman pontiffs. They had relinquished the privilege in a treaty which was not observed, and in which mention of the bishoprics was omitted. It had been their custom to nominate before the vacancy, and to fill the sees by provision". Several acts of parliament were passed, forbidding any person to receive the benefit of a dignity so conferred. The pope however had continued his pretensions; and the bulle of consecration, without which that ceremony could not be performed, was always preceded by one of 1 See Appendix, N° V. Budden, p. 61, 62, 63, 64, 65. The convent consisted of a prior and forty-two monks. Lowth A. D. 1447.“ Expens." fact. circa M Willm Wanflett electu "Wynton. M- Will m Say, Danyell, tres alios armigeros de fa"milia Dai Regis Vice-custodem Oxon Radulph- Lye Blacman "Precentor" de Cicestr Boston Precentor de Coll. Regali Can"tabrigie Digleys Crosby et alios generosos ac familiares venientes "ad Collegium mense Maii ad diversas refectiones xxxi3. ijd.” m Gilpin. Wickliff. p. 19. See Lowth, sect. ii. Computus Coll. Wynton. provision. provision. When Wykeham was made bishop, both bulles were issued on the same day. In his room the convent of St. Swythin elected their prior; but Innocent the Third declared that his predecessor had reserved the provision of the church for that turn, and therefore he appointed Beaufort to ito. At this time the pope was Nicholas the Fifth in his first year, afterwards famous as an encourager of learning, and a lover of Homer (whose poems he caused to be translated into Latin verse P) and of the Muses. He was under obligations to Henry for his mediation between him and Amadeus the duke of Savoy, who retired to a monastery on the lake of Geneva, and became one of the popes or antipopes, by the name of Felix the Fifth, during the schism which had so long afflicted the catholic church. Nicholas was willing to gratify the king, and did not defer his compliance with the request of the convent. A bulle' dated so early as the 10th of May • "Pro apostolicæ sedis providentia." Ledger Book I. ▸ Budden, p. 59. • Budden, p. 65. He cites Fabian. "Nos decernentes per prefate sedis providentiam utilem et " idoneam presidere personam provisione" sexto id. Maii etc. Budden. p. 66. Ex Archiv. |