statutes on disturbers of the peace, think it a small matter to disturb the peace, or are not afraid to go about with weapons contrary to the statutes of the said University:for these reasons it was, by consent of the greater and more discreet part of the regents and non-regents, on the 26th day of March in the year of our Lord 1507, enacted and provided, that no person, not being a graduate or holder of a benefice or annual stipend or patrimony of the yearly value of one hundred shillings as aforesaid, shall in future, even though he be purely a layman, presume to disturb the peace of the said University, or to go about armed for any purpose, by night or by day, under penalty of twenty shillings, to which the breaker of this law shall be ipso facto liable.

(8.) 26 Mar. 1507. The penalty on those who refuse to attend on funerals, or to be leaders in their turn.

Since it is right, for the sake of the honour of our University, to celebrate the funerals of the dead with more than usual solemnities for the increase of benefactors to the said University, it was enacted and ordained by the greater and more discreet part of the regents and nonregents of the said University, on the 26th day of March, in the year of our Lord 1507, that every person who is appointed (provided it be in the usual course) to execute an office, such as leader of a choir, as deacon or subdeacon, unless he performs the duty himself or provide a substitute, shall be bound to pay eightpence to the common chest.

(9.) 3 Aug. 1507. Of the election of the taxors.

On the 3rd day of the month of August, A. D. 1507, in a full congregation of the regents and non-regents, held by the venerable father and lord in Christ, John lord bishop of Rochester, chancellor of this University, it was enacted

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and ordained by the consent of the greater and more discreet part of the regents and non-regents and by authority of the same, that in every future year before the election of the new taxors, six regent masters of arts shall be nominated to the office of taxors by the majority of the doctors and masters of colleges, or in their absence, of their deputies, and from those six persons so nominated the regent masters in arts shall be bound to choose two of the most discreet, whomsoever the said regent masters shall in their conscience judge to be best qualified for the said office, according to the form of the ancient statute regarding the election of taxors, nor shall they choose nor have it in their power subsequently to choose any person or persons other than from among those six nominees :-nevertheless all the ancient statutes regarding the office of taxors except as respects the above-mentioned mode of electing are to remain in full force.

(10.) 28th of June, 1511. Of licences to preach.

Since in the ordination of bad men, as Saint Jerome saith, he who appoints such is the author of their offences, and in the ordination of good men, he who chooses them is the author of their just conduct; and no one ought to be chosen to the office of preaching, as Saint Peter says in the election of Clement, unless he be a man of eminent learning, irreproachable conduct, mature age, and fearful of offence :— therefore, in order that we, to whom the power is given of choosing every year twelve preachers qualified to preach the word of God through the whole of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, may not by the choice of bad men (which God forbid) become partakers in their crimes, nay rather, which is worse, be constituted prime movers in all their iniquity, we do, for the sake of keeping our conscience clear as respects the election of the aforesaid persons annually chosen, as far as is compatible with human frailty,

will and ordain that the following form be observed, to wit, that no one in future who has not first preached publicly in some place within our University shall be chosen to the office of preaching the word of God for the term of his life through the whole of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, according to the apostolic privilege granted to us in this respect. Nevertheless other scholars distinguished by an aptitude for preaching may, although they have never before preached publicly in our University, be chosen and appointed by the University to preach the word of God throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, for two years only immediately following such appointment: concerning which two years we will that special mention be made in their letters patent, sealed with the common seal of the University. But if in the meanwhile, that is, within the aforesaid two years immediately following on their election, they shall have openly preached in their proper persons in any language, in any place of the aforesaid University, then, after such sermon so preached, the aforesaid preachers shall come to the keepers of the common seal of our University and shall shew to them their letters patent by which they have received licence from the University to preach the word of God for two years only; on view of which the said keepers shall, by virtue of their former election and without any new appointment, give them fresh letters patent, to last for the term of their life, at the pleasure of the University. But if the said preachers shall not have preached in their own proper persons in some public place of our University within the two years immediately following their election, then after the expiration of the said two years they shall no longer enjoy the privilege of preachers, nor the apostolic indulgence before granted to them. These enactments were made by authority of the regents and non-regents of the University on

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the 28th day of the Month of June, in the year of our Lord 1511.

(11.) 28th of May, 1512. Declaration of the statutes regarding disturbers of the peace.

In the name of God, Amen. In the year of our Lord 1512, on the 28th day of May, to wit, on the Friday before Whitsunday, we being by the University chosen judges for the interpretation and declaration of the statutes regarding disturbers of the peace, do hereby, from a careful examination of their literal meaning and from information furnished to us respecting the ancient and approved customs about which we have made enquiries from elder men of credible authority and from fathers speaking from their own knowledge, decree and define by the unanimous voice of all, that the chancellor or his locum tenens, and his assessors, have no lawful power to moderate, mitigate, or in any way diminish the penalty limited by the University in the aforesaid statutes, to wit, the moiety due to the University: and we decide and acknowledge that this must be understood according to the strict literal meaning of the statutes, always keeping in view custom, which is the best interpreter of laws. They shall, however, have it in their power to mitigate and diminish the penalty for carrying arms, as we find by examination of the statutes.

(12.) 31 October, 1513. Declaration of the statute respecting the election of proctors.

By the authority and consent of the greater and more discreet part of the whole body of regents and non-regents of the University of Cambridge, in the year of our Lord 1513, on the 31st day of October, a declaration was put forth, that the statutes concerning the election of proctors, as far as regards the scrutiny and the manner of voting in such elec

tions, and who and what description of man is to be chosen proctor, and which is to be the senior, shall remain for ever inviolable in their full force: also that the statute providing that no person shall have a vote in the election of chancellor, proctors, or bedells, who being not resident in the University, has come thither for the sole purpose of voting in such election, as to which he shall pledge himself if required, does not appear to be repugnant to the statutes providing that the election of proctors is to be held by the chancellor or his locum tenens and all the regents of any faculty then present at such election, &c.

(13.) 31 Oct. 1513. Of avoiding corruption in voting. Whereas those who make canvassing compacts under pretence of some favour, with a view to making University offices a matter of bargain, are by our constitution liable to various penalties: whereas all are aware that a person elected by means of bribery will be useless to the community and appears unworthy to discharge a public office: whereas such person is disqualified by the laws, denounced by the canons, and condemned by the sacred Scriptures: whereas lastly, in free and canonical elections, even those in which each regent is bound by oath to choose the fittest person and prefer such in the election, many in our times, which we relate with grief, led astray by persuasion of the old serpent, and blinded by avarice the root of all evil, do not shrink from giving and receiving money for votes in elections, depositing securities or giving indentures, which is expressly prohibited in the ancient statutes, and do this not only secretly, but so openly that it turns not only to the damage and scandal of our University, but even to its infamy; so as to arouse the indignation of the good, the derision of laymen, and the talk of the vulgar: in order then that these abominations may be cut down and rooted up by as speedy a remedy as can be found, it was decreed and