honourable lordships to be therein referred unto the honourable testymonie of the right noble earle of Cumberland, who was then present, and did both heare and see the speaches and maner of behaviour then used by Mr. Shaxton towards his lordship. 3. They do likewise utterly deny that his lordships allegacion; and, as toucheinge Gifford, have most humbly to desire your good lordships most honourable regard how greatlie so deepe a chalendge concerneth the credit of the pore man in the rest of the course of his lyfe, unlesse (upon the want of due profe therein made by his lordship) he may be by your most honourable wisedomes therein releived. And as toucheinge Atkins, wee do greatlie hope it wilbe suffycient to prove unto your lordships that he was never expelled the colledge whereof he is, by makeinge profe that he hath nowe a singeinge mans place in that house, which he could not have yf he had bene heretofore expelled the same colledge; assureinge your lordships that the wounde wherewithall the said Atkins is chardged was so farr from being deadlie unto the partie, that it scarse drew bloode oute of his hedd, and was done onely by geaveing the partie a fale. 4. They do also deny that his lordships chalendge made unto sir Nowell; and appealeing unto his lordships better remembrance, do very humbly desire his honour to caule to mynde, whether at Nowells beinge then with his lordship, he did not most instantlye desire his honour to assure him selfe that there was no hurt ment unto his lordships person, and that he would there dye at his lordships fote rather then there should be any violence done unto his lordship by any man in that companye. And whether, since that tyme, it did not please his lordship to inqueare of Mr. Ellis, of Chesterton, a justice of peace of the county there, what that Nowell was, not for any hurt that his lordship ment unto hym, but for that his honour wished him well in respect of his good and discreete behaviour in that accion, as it then pleased his lordship to affirme. And as toucheinge his expulsion: it is very well knowne unto some persons of great place, that, upon some displeasure conceaved, he was for a tyme kepte from the place of a fellowe in that house whereof he is, but was afterwards preferred thereunto by the consent and good likeinge of the master and the whole companye of that societye; and do veryly thincke it could not like his lordship to reache at such matter of smale importance to inforce it against us, yf he were not thereunto wonderfully importuned by the auncient practise of ouer ould malicious neighbours of the towne, who have, as we very well knowe, greatlie abused his lordship by wronge informacion as toucheinge this whole accion. 5. As toucheinge that chalendge made unto the vicechauncellour: besides that they do in generall deny that it can be justly called tirannye to provide for the safetye of her majesties subjectes by a lawfull restrayneinge of the furious behaviour of a person very notoriouslye infamous for his ordinarye daungerous and common quarellinge : there most humble desire is, that by a more nere examinacion of the truthe of that particuler, it would please your most honourable lordships to be the rather induced to thincke of the equity of the rest, wherewithall they are by his lordship chardged. To which end and purpose they do alledge, that in anno 1581, upon thocasion of the said Parishes lewd demeanour, quarellinge with diverse scholers of the Universitye, whome he then pursued with weapons throughe the ryver nere Chesterton; he was for that disorder and resistaunce of the vice-chauncellours autorytie, upon the heareinge of that matter by there honourable chauncellour, committed to the gatehouse in Westminster : whereof he made his humble submission, acknowledgeinge his lewde demeanour and contempte, as by his said submission in writinge may appeere. That in anno 1583, very injuriously quarellinge with diverse scholers, he wounded one Holland, a scholer of St. Johns Colledge, very sore, and one Purfery, a scholer of Magdalen Colledge. That in anno 1590, upon thocasion of an arrest done upon the said Parishe by the ordinary offycer of the University, he then so furiously used and threatned the said offycer, that he could never since be broughte to meddle with him. That at Midsomer last past, by reason of an arrest done upon the said Parishe, he so wounded an offycer of the maiour of Cambridge, that the offycer was thereupon like to have dyed; and so hurte one John Goodwin, a master of defence there, and one of the said Parishes fellow servauntes, that Goodwine could not otherwise thincke him selfe in safetye then by takeinge the peace of his quarellous companion. And, lastlye, that at Sturbridge faire last, havinge so dangerouslye and almost to the deathe hurt diverse scholers of the Universitye, as is alredy signified unto your honours; for the which he was apprehended and redy to be caried unto the magistrate; he was then, by the practise of one Sylvertop, a servaunte also of the lord Northes, and the keper of the gaole in Cambridge Castle, rescoued oute of the handes of such as had then apprehended him. Whereupon there most humble desire is to have it referred unto your most honourable wisedomes, what kinde of tyrannye it may justlye be accompted to have good bond required of the man for his good behaviour. And as toucheinge his stricte and rigorous usage since the time of his committinge, they do affirme that the manner thereof is so far from stricte and rigorouse, that (notwithstandinge thocasion of his committinge requeareinge the contrarye), by the permission and allowance of his keeper, who is also the lord Northes servaunte, he goeth commonlye up and downe the towne, and also into the feildes with his fowleinge-peece, as ofte as it pleaseth him so to have it; a matter of singuler daunger, the man being a person of so evill a disposition. The names of such scholers of the Universitye of Cambridge as are come up to London to answere a complainte preferred againste them by the right honourable the lord Northe. Paule Tomson, of Trynitye Colledge, Lucas, of Clare Haule, Thomas Cooke, of St. Johns Colledge, masters of arte. Nowell, of Kings Colledge, Sadler, of Bennet Colledge, Gibbons, of Pembroke Haule, J bachelours of arte. Thomas Atkins, of Trynitye Colledge, singeinge-man there. Rychard Litchfeild, of Trynitye Colledge, barbour-chirurgion there. There were also two others requeared to be sent up, viz. one sir Rowland, of Trynity Colledge, and sir Howsden, of St. Johns Colledge. But, upon diligent inquisicion therein made, it is fownd that there be none such of those colledges, or of anie other house in the towne that can be heard of. A servant to Hrynston of Caius, m.* ELECTION OF A CHANCELLOR. THE HEADS TO THE EARL OF ESSEX. [From MS. Sloan. no. 3562, fol. 71.] Literæ communes missæ ad comitem Essexiensem a senatu Cantabr. in præsentatione officii cancellariatus. CUM de obitu honoratissimi prudentissimique viri domini Burghlei, summi nuper academiæ nostræ cancellarii, nobis * The words in italic are added in Lord Burghley's hand, but written in a tremulous manner. esset nunciatum, permagno dolore (nobilissime comes) atque etiam moerore affecti fuimus. Dolebamus autem potissimum nos eum patronum, quo annos jam prope quadraginta amantissimo atque indulgentissimo usi sumus, iis temporibus nobis ereptum esse quibus ejus consilio, auxilio, auctoritate academiæ imprimis opus sit. Et profecto animis plane concidissemus, nisi (quæ Dei est in nos infinita bonitas) tuæ celsitudinis recordatio cogitationibus nostris confestim objecta fuisset; qua quidem mentes nostræ sic elevatæ atque erectæ fuerunt, ut quamvis magno præsidio privati essemus, teipso tamen non minore nos inposterum munitum ire speraremus. Quare collegimus ipsi nos, omnique objecta generum ordinumque suffragiis incredibili omnium alacritate inde mortui locum sufficiendum curavimus, hujusque academiæ summum cancellarium ac patronum dignissimum [te] designavimus. Superest nunc ut dominationem tuam demisse et obnixe obtestemur, ut pro perpetuo tuo erga nos multisque in rebus perspecto amore, hoc quicquid est quod tibi deferimus, libenter suscipere ne dedigneris. Est illud quidem, si cum aliis tuis honoribus (quos meritissimo maximos es assecutus) conferatur, perexiguum prorsus ac prope nullum. Sed si ex facultatibus nostris, aut vero etiam (idque multo magis) ex animorum nostrorum in amplitudinem tuam propensionibus pendatur, tale demum ac tantum est, quantum in te maximum præstantissimumque conferre potuimus; ac cum nostris quidem his obtestationibus matris etiam academiæ preces ad amplitudinem tuam delegamus, quæ cum tibi tenello adhuc suavissima sua ubera lactenda præbuerit, nunc virum factum, eumque fortissimum et ex omni parte nobilissimum, patronum sibi optat, atque ut esse velis vehementissime flagitat et contendit. Norunt omnes quibus dominatio tua vel de nomine duntaxat cognita, est, cujusmodi te jamdiu Martis alumnum, in præliis, in oppugnationibus, in navalibus pedestribusque expeditionibus, cum |