aforesaid fellows, or at least by the major and more discreet part of them (if it can be so arranged), and if they should. not be able to agree among themselves, then let these differences be written down and transmitted under the common seal of the community to the bishop of Ely, who shall arrange these differences and execute speedy justice between them on both sides.

(11.) Of the horses of the master and scholars.

Since it would not be becoming in the master, when obliged to quit the town upon the business of the house or to attend to suits at law, to go on foot, or even, to the disrepute of the house and scholars, to hire hackneys, we desire and moreover ordain that a horse be kept, such as is becoming his condition, moderate fodder being provided for it as may be necessary, at the discretion of the master and deans, and in consideration of the means of the house; and, if this horse should be purchased at a certain price with the money of the house, and afterwards perchance sold for more, that the gain be applied to the advantage of the house, as may be directed by the prudence of the master in concert with the deans. But that none of the scholars, or of those coming to the schools or residing for the sake of study, keep a horse within the walls of the house nor in its manors, or at its expense, nor that he have one in constant use, for more than a fortnight upon the occasions of his coming up or returning, unless a dispensation to that effect should be granted by the master in concert with the deans, for some reasonable cause, and then only at his own expense and not at that of the house. But if it should happen that he have to make a journey upon the business of the community, that the master shall provide him with his horse and fodder, when and as often as it may be necessary. And that the master and scholars shall suffer this our ordinance with patience, until upon the increase of their possessions

with the aid of God, more ample provision may be made for them in this respect.

(12.) That some allowances shall be made to the master for his trouble.

It is right and lawful that no man's office should be a loss and detriment to him, nor should he be obliged to support its burdens at his own expense, and since the master or warden of our aforesaid house, who is to be chosen from among the scholars, as the more discreet and wiser, cannot at any time attend to his own private interests, namely to the magistral and scholastic acts which tend to his advantage, and the increase of his honours, being bound, for the common good, and the common business of the said house and of all the scholars, at home and abroad, far and near, to apply all his care to the abovementioned matters, and to support multifarious labours; we therefore enact and ordain, that, as some recompense and remuneration, at least, for his labour and solicitude, the master, for the time being, shall receive at least forty shillings from the common funds of the said house, at the two customary periods of the year, to be paid him over and above his accounts, in order that since he bears the whole burden and rule of the house, he may receive this emolument, which although it is far from corresponding to his labour and pains, is all the present resources of the house can afford, as some degree of recompense, until the possessions of the house, by God's providence and the benevolence of men, receive a fuller increase, so that the other prudent and discreet scholars of the house may undertake the office the more readily, whenever it may fall vacant, and use their utmost diligence and vigilance in it, being thus in some measure remunerated for their labour.

(13.) Of the removal of the master on account of his faults or incapacity.

Where the danger is known to be the greatest, the greater caution must be used and the more perfect counsel

be held. Since, therefore, industry, honesty, and diligence are above all things necessary in the aforesaid master, and advantageous to the said house, and the most serious detriment and danger might fall upon the said house by reason of his negligence or misconduct, we enact and ordain, that, should the master of this house for the time being be found to be disqualified for the post he holds, and both useless and intolerable, either from misuse or embezzlement of the common property or any other sufficient cause, he shall be liable to be removed: and that the bishop of Ely, for the time being, shall, upon the denunciation or request of two or three of the senior scholars of the said house, which the scholars of the said community, one and all, are bound by the obligations of their fidelity and their oath to make, summarily and entirely, and without any judicial process or form of judgment, (especially as the goods of the said house should not be wasted in litigation) take cognizance of the matter, and remove the master, if it appear just so to do; and that the scholars of the said house shall nominate some other fit person to be instituted in the place of the master thus removed, and shall present him to the said bishop to be appointed master, without any delay, as has been more fully stated above in the chapter respecting the nomination and presentation of the master. But if the master should happen to be thus set aside, not on account of any misdeed wittingly committed and of his knowledge, but for some involuntary omission, that is to say for foolish negligence arising from ignorance or folly, we desire and ordain that, if he have otherwise conducted himself well towards the scholars, he do obtain grace and pardon, according to the mild dispensations of the chapter treating of the master when sick and ill.

(14.) Of the master, when sick and ill, or otherwise incapable of acting. If, however, the aforesaid master should conduct himself well and laudably in office and persevere in prudent

measures in the performance of its duties, and afterwards, without fault of his own, be broken down by sickness, or age, or weight of labour, or become otherwise so incapable and weak in office as to be unable properly to conduct the affairs of the said administration, then, as soon as this shall be proved by public notoriety or in any other legitimate manner, by the authority of this present statute he shall succeed to the place of that scholar who may be appointed master in his room, and to the end of his life the necessaries of life shall be suitably and decently administered unto him in the said house according to its means and competence, with the other senior fellows and better scholars of the said house. He shall be bound, however, as long as he lives, to forward the business of the aforesaid house, as his own, with sound advice and seasonable aid, as far as the constitution of his body will conveniently permit.

(15.) Of the two deans and their office.

Since the master of the aforesaid house is too much occupied with the administration of the house, and with various cares and troubles, to be able to attend, when and as often as it would be necessary, to the regulation of the disputations of the scholars and their other magistral and scholastic acts, we enact and ordain, that two persons fit for such an office be chosen every year, by the master and five or six senior scholars of the said house (the opinion, however, of all and each of the scholars of the said house having been previously taken upon the point), to be deans of the said house, and that the one be called first, and the other second dean; and, if perchance any difference should arise as to the election, it shall be decided at the discretion and by the choice of the master and the two senior scholars. And the office of these deans shall consist among other things of the following—viz : they shall decide, in concert with a doctor or bachelor of divinity (if such there be in the house) who shall read from

the holy scriptures at table, and what part of the Bible or other authentic writings, and at what moment the reading shall begin and end; they shall regulate also the disputations of the scholars; and the master and senior dean shall have the custody of the books of the house according to the indenture to be made between them in the presence of at least the majority of the scholars, which books they shall give out (as may seem expedient to them) to the scholars of the said house, from whom (if necessary) they shall receive an oath that they will not make away with the books thus given out to them, but will take all possible care of them, and restore them to the said master and dean at the expiration of the period allotted by their orders. There are also many other matters appertaining to their office which are noted apart above and below in the different chapters.

(16.) Of the bursars and their office.

And when, under divine providence, the means of the said house shall increase, two trusty scholars, the best fitted for such office shall be elected bursars to assist the master (as in Merton Hall), if it should so seem fit and expedient for the house; in which election, if all the scholars agree, it is well, but if not, then the two shall be preferred upon whom the master and the deans of the house may agree. And their office shall consist in this, that they shall do and perform the duties fully explained in the ordinances of the said hall which we sent you not long ago, and that the same process shall be followed with respect to their admission to office and retirement every year, that has been indicated above with regard to the deans.

(17.) Of the purchase of provisions.

That those who may be deputed by the masters of the house to purchase and provide the necessaries for the daily sustenance of the scholars, shall write down or faithfully