a restrainte from publicke showes and commen plaies to be delivered by ouer messengers unto the lords of her majesties most honorable privie counsell, yf it shoulde so seeme meete unto youer honour. The occasion (as wee thought) was then greate, which moved us thereunto, as namely, the regard of ouer duty in respect of the good safety of this place, wherewithall wee are put in trust. And therefore, havinge first resolved then to send some of ouer body unto the University of Oxford, there to observe the intertainement given unto her majestie, it seemed unto us not unmeete upon the occasion of that oportunity to have ouer selves most humblie referred for that other also unto youer good lordshipps most honorable direction. If ether ouer selves erred in judgement as touchinge the fitnes of that time, or ouer messingers in forbeareinge there the sollicitinge of youer honour more then was meete, wee knowe not how otherwise to excuse it then by appealeinge unto youer honorable and accustomed good acceptaunce, which hath induced us also at this time to undertake the renewinge of that sute, the rather in regard of Gods greate goodnes towardes us, who havinge hitherto somewhat straungely preserved us from such infection as hath greatly touched many other partes of this land, are the likelier to finde the continuaunce thereof, yf by youer honorable meanes wee may be freed from that badd kinde of people who are (as wee thinke) the most ordynary cariers and dispersers thereof. And so most humbly cravinge that it woulde please youer good lordship, as touchinge the particulers of ouer desire, to be referred unto the copy of a letter which was, by youer lordships honourable meanes, long since procured for us from the lords of her majesties most honorable privie counsell, as also unto this bearers speeche, ouer messinger, as toucheinge any thinge concerninge this matter, wherein it shall further please youer good lordshipp to be informed; wee do most humbly take ouer leave, dayly praye

inge for your lordships most honorable, longe, and happy preservation, as wee are all most dutifully bownde. Cambridge, the xvijth of Julye, 1593.

Youer honorable lordships most humblie to be

[From MS. Lansd. no. 75, art. 7.]

To the right honorable our singuler good lord, the lord Burghley, lord highe threasurer of England, and chauncellour of the University of Cambridge.

RIGHT honorable our singuler good lord: having had in our owne experience sufficient knolledge of your lordships inclinacion to justice, and dew acceptance of the report of all truthe conducing to the execucion thereof, we, the major part of the fellowes of Corpus Christi, commonly called Bennet College, in Cambridge, your honors most humble suppliantes, have, not onely in respect of our selves bene bold, but also in regard of your lordship (whom this present matter as chancellor of our Universitie may concerne), thought yt our dewties, to certifye the same of the plaine and simple truthe of such accions as of late have bene attempted within our said colledge, tooching the office of the procter of the Universitye, which the next Michelmas should be execute by one of our college.

May yt therefore please your good lordship to under

yt,

stand, that Mr. Dr. Jegon, the maister of our college, upon the sodayne in the great vacation time (betwixt Midsommer and Michaelmas) 1592, when all schollers have by the University leave to recreat them selves with there frendes abroad, and therby secured for any prejudice to be wrought them by any thing to be done in the University, did propound the choise of the said office, never warning the felloes thereof, but pretending to him whom it most concerned, and plainly telling him, that he wold not chose the same till halfe a yeare after; yet the very next day but one, being Sunday, vj. weekes before the time wherein by statute he might doe and one whole yeare and 6 weekes before yt came in esse, calling the felloes that were at home by chaunce in the college to a meeting under pretence of disposing of another matter, did, de facto, make choise, with the consent of 4 felloes (yf so many) of 12, whereof one also was the party chosen, (one other of them gave his voice conditionally, and that openly, sub spe præmii, and the 2 other, being since better advised, have bestowed there voices, uppon deliberacion, more agreablye to there consciences), and pronounceth Thomas Jegon his brother, having not bene above 3 quarters of one yeare fellowe before, and of lesse continuaunce therein, and in that respect lesse capeable thereof then 10 (the whole number of felloes being but 12), and presenteth him as chosen by the whole college (according as the statute of the University requirethe) to your lordships vice-chancellor, to be procter of the Universitye, for and in the college course.

May yt please your good lordship further to be advertised, that when as this pretended eleccion, as well in the common opinion of the whole University (before whom the last commencement a . . . . manifestly disproving this said choise, was disputed) as also of 8 of our 12 fellowes . . . . to be void, the greater part of our fellows (according to a most equal determinacion of your lordship, herein inclosed)

directing us how to proceed in our colleges waightiest affaires, after x. dayes warning before, of the last time the college cold chuse yt in; by which time, also, yf yt did not make a better then the former, the college shold loose the nominacion thereof; and after divers and sundry intreaties of the master by the fellows to provide that the college might not be prejudiced by the losse thereof in not chusing againe, the major part (yf yt please your good lordship) of the whole society did meet together at the last day of the choise, and chusing the senior fellow in our college, your lordships most bounden Anthony Hykman, whom in our consciences, accordinge to the custome bothe of our college and Universitye, we judged to have most right thereunto, presented him as chosen by the fellows unto your lordships vice-chancellor to be procter for our college; against whom the master, being requested for his consent, useth the authority of his negative voice, in respect of the former pretended eleccion of his brother. So that, as the party chosen by the greater part of all the felloes, with observacion of all necessary circumstances, for want of the masters consent onelye, ys thought not sufficiently chosen, so much more unsufficient ys the masters brothers choise, wanting the consent of the bodye of the felloes and all other necessarye conveniences: whereuppon, howsoever the faulte, the college ys like to susteine the losse thereof, to the great discoragement of all the students therein, except yt may please your honourable good lordship to voutchsafe, at this our most humble suite in the behalfe of this our poore and too much already disparaged colledge, to interpose your honours authority, by moving your lordships vice-chancellor and the masters of colleges (to whome, though in this case they be parties, the nominacion devolveth) to name unto the body of the University both the said parties, that they may determine by the greater part of there voyces (according to both the old and new statutes of the Universitye) who is most

meet and hathe most right thereunto. For the which not onely this our college [shalbe] allwais at your lordships commaundement, but all the Universitye shall and wilbe ready to pray for your honours long healthe and lyfe, to the furtherance of justice, and disapointment of suche partialitye, to Godes glory, and the florishing estate of this our college and University; from whence, craving pardon that in respect of occacions of busines here we cannot in our owne persons sollicite your lordship herein, beseeching your good lordship that our necessary absence may be no hinderance to our sute, we wish unto your lordship according to your owne hartes desire. Cambridge, August 8th, 1593.

Your lordships most bounden orators,

the major part of the felloes of Corpus Christi,

commenly called Bennet College, in Cambridge,

[From MS. Lansd. no. 75, art. 51.]

To the worshipfull his verie good frende, Mr. Hix, secretarie to the right honorable the lord treasurer, deliver this.

GOOD Mr. Hix, with many thankes I commende my selfe unto yow. Sir, not long since, by your good meanes, I obteyned my lord threasorer his honorable lettres in the behalfe of my brother, Thomas Jegon, fellowe of Bennett Colledge in Cambridge, about the proctorship; since which tyme his adversarie, Hickman, hath used many extraordinarie practizes to adnihilate our lawfull election past, and disordrely to helpe him selfe, and att this instant (as I am enformed) laboureth in courte for her majesties lettres to strengthen his attemptes; wherewith, as I doe by these my