Oxford, or in any other legitimate manner, that he is a malefactor and as such expelled from the University of Oxford. Burglars and assaulters of houses, ravishers of women, highway robbers, those who wander about armed, or otherwise carrying arms, or causing them to be carried by means of themselves or others, in the town or near about it, secretly or openly, nightly or daily, (except for a reasonable cause to be approved of by the chancellor), shall be ejected from the University without hope of return, or be imprisoned. It shall be lawful for the chancellor, for a reasonable cause to be left to the decision of his own conscience, to dispense for a time with the law concerning carrying arms.

(XLVI.) Rubric concerning those rejected from the acts in the schools.

It is is also decreed that no one, who in any acknowledged University has been rejected from any degree in any faculty, shall be admitted to the same degree in the same faculty, whilst the reason for his rejection remains; at least whilst, by means of letters from the chancellor of the said University, or in any other legitimate way, sufficiently certain evidence can be produced concerning this rejection made by the said University.

(XLVII.) Of dances and those taking part in them.

It is provided that no dances shall henceforth take place publicly in the streets, but be altogether prohibited, because it appears to the University that owing to such dances many dangers may ensue. It is also decreed that all who resist this probition shall ipso facto undergo sentence of excommunication; and that, therefore, the chancellor shall prohibit, on pain of anathema, such dances henceforth, by involving the transgressors in the same penalty or anathema, they at the same time being equally liable to the penalty of incarceration. Yet power is left to the chancellor to

dispense with the law as far as concerns dances in the presence of the inceptors on the day of their inception.

(XLVIII.) Of the punishment of those who offer contempt to the masters.

We enact that whatever scholar non-gremial, or servant of scholars, shall in church, in the schools, in the courts, or any where else in the University, publicly offer any mark of contempt to a regent or non-regent master of this University, contrary to the dignity of his mastership or office, or (utter) any words of defamation or open contempt of his character, he shall ipso facto be suspended from all benefits from and all communion with the University, until the offended party shall receive complete satisfaction.

(XLIX.) Clerks shall not be brought before a secular court.

We also enact, that if a clerk shall henceforth cause another clerk of our University to be summoned, dragged, or convened in a secular court, or shall convene him, or shall in any wise trouble him in this manner, thence forward he, and every clerk of the said University, of whatever rank he be, who gives him his advice, aid, or favour in the aforesaid acts, or any one of them, shall ipso facto incur sentence of excommunication, from which he shall by no means be absolved unless full satisfaction be made both to the aforesaid University, whose authority has been usurped or impeded, and to the party aggrieved by the prosecution, for injury, losses, expenses, and interest, by means of the chancellor or any president of the said University. But if such absolution be in any way granted, contrary to or in contempt of the above form, it shall be absolutely of no weight; and in addition every one offending in the way premised shall thenceforward be accounted alien and excluded from every doctoral, magisterial, or scholastic exercise or honour. And because the aforesaid statute speaks generally of a clerk, matter for doubt has

....

thence been taken, whether by the term clerk those clerks only who are scholars are intended in the said statute, or it is not declared what the aforesaid executive statute of common law [a blank in the MS.] . It shall be understood to comprise both clerks who are scholars and clerks who are not scholars, who in any way rebel against the said statute, if they are within the jurisdiction of the chancellor, or of the aforesaid University, as far as its penalties and censures are concerned.

(L.) of the oaths of scholars on the first admission: also of the election of the chancellor, and his prorogation.

To the praise of Almighty God, and for the glorious increase and most laudable fame of the University, and for its perpetual protection, peace, and tranquility, we decree and enact, by the consent and authority of the regents and non-regents, that the provosts, masters, presidents, and principals of colleges, halls, houses, and of all hostels, administer to every and each of their scholars being of the age of fourteen and above, within the term of their admission here to the University, the following oath, viz., concerning obedience to the most high chancellor and to his assignees, the heads, masters, presidents, and their principals; also concerning the preservation of the peace and honour of the University, resisting its adversaries and repelling injuries done to it. We moreover, decree and enact that no high chancellor of this University shall enjoy his office in any year except only the years allowed him by the regents, unless by the consent of the majority of the regents and non-regents, and that given by means of an election, as in the case of the proctors, proceeded with and held by a public scrutiny, at which the following persons must be present, the president or vice-chancellor, the senior doctor in theology, both the proctors, with the senior non-regent. We also decree and enact that when the

prorogation or election of the aforesaid chancellor is to be made, either by the regents alone, or by the regents and non-regents, the day of the said election or prorogation shall be publicly limited and assigned in the full congregation of the University of regents and non-regents, viz., so that the said election or prorogation shall be announced and proclaimed as about to take place seven days before, in order that it may take place more maturely and circumspectly. We likewise decree and enact that these statutes shall never be dispensed with except by the consent and authority of each of the regents and of each of the nonregents.

(LI.) Of preachers at St. Paul's Cross.

We also decree and enact, by consent and authority of the regents and non-regents, that every doctor of most sacred theology in this University shall, within two years after his communion with us, ascend and preach at the most famous cross of St. Paul in London, viz., either by himself, or by means of some other doctor of the same faculty in this University or a secular bachelor; and that every future bachelor of this faculty of theology, here amongst us, shall also immediately within four years after he begin the Books of the Sentences, ascend and preach at the said cross of St. Paul at London, that is to say, by himself or by means of any bachelor of the same faculty in this University, or secular doctor, and that every actual bachelor in this same faculty of theology in this University, or master, fellow, or resident (perhendinans) of any college of this University at the time of publication of this statute, within three years immediately after shall ascend the same cross of St. Paul at London, and publicly preach, that is to say, by himself or by means of another bachelor of the same faculty in this University, or secular doctor; with the exception of those only who shall begin to be in commons with us in the year

in which this statute is proclaimed. Given in the new chapel, on the 4th day of March, 1490.

(LII.) Of the mode of electing the vice-chancellor, and of his annual continuance in office.

He who is about to discharge the office of vice-chancellor shall be elected by the majority of the regents, by a scrutiny over which we will that both the proctors preside, together with some very senior monastic doctor, if there be any one of this description, but if not, with a senior bachelor in theology. Which three persons, before they proceed to the scrutiny, shall publicly take an oath, administered by one of the taxors, that they will declare him to be the vicechancellor in whom the votes of the majority of the regents shall agree. And that office shall thenceforth be always for a year, nothing preventing it in the coming of a chancellor to the University, or in any other future change in his office.

(LIII.) Of the election of proctors.

Every year, after the feast of St. Michael, on the day of the resumption of masters, at the commencement of the congregation to be held on that day, two masters of arts actually regent, shall be elected rectors or proctors, by the majority of the regent masters of arts, by separate scrutinies, being such as in their judgment, by virtue of the oath they have taken, are especially fit for this office, all and every of the masters present in the said congregation having specially sworn concerning proposing the fittest person in the election; so that he who is first elected shall be accounted senior proctor. And if the number of regents in arts does not reach twelve, the non-regents in arts shall be added to the regents in the election of proctors. And there shall be deputed as scrutators the master of glomery and two of the minor masters in arts actually regent, after they have specially