III. BOOK quasi oneris levatio nullum vel incommodum, vel periculum, videtur allatura. Contrà vero, impositio et prædicationi divini Evangelii, et bonis literis valde veremur, ne nimis adversaria futura sit. Quare de communi sententia placuit ad tuum patrocinium in hac causa confugere; eam si tu solita prudentia et humanitate expediveris, non solum nobis, verum etiam reipub. hoc dedisse beneficium putabere. Dominus Jesus Honorem tuum nobis et patriæ quam diutissimè conservet Anno 1565. incolumen. 26 die Novemb. Honori tuo deditissimi, Robert. Beaumont. Matth. Hutten. Ri. Longworth. MSS. penes me. Number XL. For orders in apparel, and other things at Oxford. IMPRIMIS, Every Hedde of college, hal, or house of study, shal goo apparelled in such sorte as ys fitte to hes vocation; that is to seye, scholer lyke; to weare when they goo abrode, longe gownes, or hodes, or typetts, and square or four cornered capps, as the lawdable custome hathe bene heretofore. Item, Such Heddes as have taken degree of schole shal prepare themselfs to the takynge thereof, in suche sorte, that hee or they bee Master of Arte, or Batchelor, or Doctor of Divinitye, or Doctor of Physicke, or Lawe, within the space of two yeres. Item, No Hedde, or other Graduate or Scholer, havinge anye lyvinge in anye college, or anye other spiritual lyvinge, shal weare anye shirte with a ruffe at the sleave, neyther with anye ruffe at the collar, aboue the bredethe of one finger, and that without ony work of sylke. Item, No Scholer, Graduate, Fellowe of onye college, or III. having onye other spirituall lyvinge, shal in onye of his hose BOOK weare aboue a yarde and three quarters in the outside of the same; and without slyppe, cut, pownce, welte, or sylke, savynge the stytchynge of the stocks, or the clocks of the same; neyther lyne them with onye other stuffe to make them swelle or puffe out, more then one lyninge. Item, That no Graduate go out of hes college or halle in the day-time into the towne, but in hes gowne and hode, or gowne and typpet, (if it bee lawful for him to weare a typpet by the lawes of the realme,) and that no Scholer, Graduate, Fellowe, or Probationer, havynge onye lyvynge of onye college, weare upon his hedde in the seyd Universitye in the time of hes helthe, anye other cappe then square. Item, That all Graduates cumynge to common exercise or disputations in ther faculties in the scholes, common prayers in Seynt Maryes church, or sermons ad Clerum, come in ther habyts and hodes, according to ther degrees in the scholes. Item, That everye one of them that offendethe in onye of thes premisses, shal paye, so often as he offendethe therin, vis. viiid. The which seyd vis. viiid. shal bee levyed by the Proctors for the tyme beynge, to the use of the Universitye. Item, That no Scholer under the degree of a Master of Arte, or a Bachelor of Lawe or Physycke, comme at the sessions, without special leave of the Vice-Chancellor, upon the peyne of xs. to bee levyed by the Proctors or ther deputies, to the use of the Universitye. Item, That all Heddes, and all other Scholers, of what 71 degree soever they bee, shal weare in ther cherches or chappels, at the tyme of common-preyer, surplesses and hodes, according to ther degree. Item, That on the next workynge-daye, before the first day of everye terme, ther be had a solempne Communion, and common-preyer in Seynt Maryes cherche at ix. of the clock, wherat the whole Universitye shalbee bounde to bee present. Item, Wheras the old statutes do grawnte to everye Mas III. BOOK ter of Art Regent, a negative voice in graces, it is decreed, that what tyme anye grace shal chance to be denyed three tymes in the whole, by anye one or more, at the third tyme the cause of that grace so denyed shal bee given to the Commissarye and Proctors; and then that cause, without onye mention or signification of the partye or partyes denying, that shal bee signifyed the next Congregation; and if then it shal bee thought sufficient by the Commissarye, Proctors, and the more part of the Regents present, then that grace so denyed before, to remayne as denyed still : yf not, then to bee taken as grawnted, and so to bee pronounced. And if no cause bee shewed, then if it pass by the more part, to bee taken as grawnted. MSS. Guil. Petyt. Armig. Number XLI. The Chancellor of Cambridge to the Vice-Chancellor, directing him how to proceed against certain preachers, and many others in St. John's and other colleges, that had in a tumultuous manner preached against and cast off the orders established. AFTER my very harty commendations. Wher at the tyme of the wryting of my former letters to yow, I was much perplexed with the insolency of the rash attempts of so great a nombre, as was reported to have manifestly invaded the authority of the Prynce, by wilful breaking of common orders in that Universite; now uppon more certenty receaved, as wel by your letters, as by others of credit ther, I am recomforted, in that I see the elders and fathers of that Universitie, with others of approved lerning and godlynes, remayne untouched with this leud leprosy of libertines; and most of al to understand, that among so many societies in colleges, none, that have bene stablished in orders, have thus riotously shaken off the yoke of obedience and ordre, but onely one. And yet in that I perceave an untrew or unadvised wryting of the Master, (for yet I wil use no worse word,) alledgyng, that al his company, accompting them three hundred in nombre, had throwen off surplises: BOOK this amazed me more then, now that I understand the truth, I neded. Now therfore, consideryng I understand upon how light occasions this disorder hath begon, and how easy and nedeful it is in tyme to staye and reform it, I have thought mete to gyve to yow, as to the principal officer in that Universitie in my absence, knowledg; that though I thynk myn own authoritie in that Universitie as Chancellor, or otherwise, as I am called into the service of the Prynce, though unworthy, in any part of the realme, wold serve me to direct a reformation of disordered and disobedient persons; yet, I have, for discharge of my duty, imparted to the Quenes most excellent Majesty some part of this late disorder, in violation of hir ordonances, grounded upon the lawes of the realme. Whose Majesty, beyng indede therwith much provoked to offence, charged me to use al severitie expedient to punish the authors and maintainers hereof; and offered to me such furder ayde of hir pryncely authoritie, to chastise the same, for example, as I shuld thynk requisite. But my regard to the good fame of that Universite was such, as I wold nether express to hir Majesty the greatness of the offence, nor seme to have nede of furder authorite, than alreddy, as Chancellor, I had: meaning indede to cover the greatnes of the fault, as I might, and to heal it with the help of you, and other the grave men of that Universite 72 as I ought. And I require yow to cal together al the Heads of colledges, and other the grave Graduates of that Universite, whom this leprose infection hath not touched, and to recommend my most harty and earnest desyre to every of them, that as they intend the honor of God, the preservation of Christian unity, the good name of that honourable and famose Universite, the favor of our soveraine Lady the Quenes Majesty towards the same; and lastly, which is of lest estimation, as they regard my poor good-wil towards the whole boddy, and every good member of the same; wherof I have gyven some testimony; so they wil persist and continew in the observation of uniform order in these III. BOOK external thyngs; which of themselves are of no other valew, but to make a demonstration of obedience, and to render a testimony of unite; and being broken and neglected, argue a manifest disobedience, and gyve occasion of no smal offence to many good and godly men; to the decaye of the estymation of the ministery. As it is dayly seene in what sort the estymation of the Ministers of the Church doth decaye. And to th'yntent ther may insew by al your concurrency, a playn way to withstand these fanatical devises, I thynk it good, under your corrections, that such as of late have, in place of preaching, ryotosely rayled ageinst these orders, were playnely inhibited, for some convenient tyme, by good authorite, to preach or to read publickly. And that also such as have bene vantcurrors in private colleges, to enter into this apostacy, shuld have some reasonable tyme to reform themselves, upon payne to be excommunicat out of the Universite. Which two means, if they shall seme to yow and your associates over dulce, then I allow very wel of any sharpar meane, whatsoever ye shall devise. For beside the offence committed against the law, and against hir Majesty, I thynk sondry of them may be manifestly convinced of perjury, in breaking the peculiar statutes of ther colleges. And thirdly, I thynk it good, that as many as wil, voluntarily, or upon gentle admonition, reform themselves, ought to be gently used, and born withal: for that I think many were carried with the course of the stream of a hasty company. And this I am bold to shew yow my opinion for the present concerning the publick procedyng. As for S. John's college, of whose infelicite I have conceaved a particular inward sorrow, I have sent for the Master, and do now also send a special commandment to a young prechar, called Fulkes. With which two I meane so to procede, as I dout not but such in that college, as upon a general warning to be gyven by yow to the President, (to whom also I have wrytten,) wil not reform themselves, shal fynd no comfort to persist in their wan tonnes. |