Mr. Sancroft to his brother, informing him that he will be Order of the committee for reforming the Universities, for the Grace of the senate respecting cautions (1654) A mandate of Oliver Cromwell, for the admission of a bachelor Grace of the senate, that the librarian be exempted from Extract from the declaration of Charles II. relating to the use of ceremonies, the posture at the sacrament, the sign of the cross at baptism, bowing at the name of Jesus, the use of the surplice, and stating that subscription is not to be com- pulsory at ordination or on taking degrees (1660) Royal instructions, that all the directions and orders of James I. and Charles I. be fully observed, especially those that relate to obedience to superiors, and to the regulations for lecturing or preaching in the Cambridge churches; and that all li- censes of University preachers granted since the year 1645 be called in by the vice-chancellor, and the persons licensed be put again to the vote, to be approved by the vote of the present University, or, if rejected, that others may be chosen Submission of the mayor for releasing the vice-chancellor's pri- soners . . Graces of the senate, for erasing from the register the mandates Order of Charles II., that Magdalen College, Emmanuel Col- lege, and Sydney College, may enjoy equal privileges with the other colleges, in nominating and presenting proctors, taxors, and scrutators successively Grace of the senate for the safekeeping of the deeds and archives Extracts from the act of Uniformity, relative to subscription- Notes of University transactions from 1635 to 1660, from the 621 [From MS. Lansd. no. 62, art. 39.] Honoratissimo domino, domino de Burleie, summo totius Angliæ thesaurario, academiæ Cantabrigiensis cancellario amantissimo. VIX dum ob recens acceptum beneficium honori tuo gratias egimus, cum ecce novum a te subsidium postulamus: adeo hæc ætas non solum litteratis sed ipsi etiam literarum domicilio infesta est, feraxque et invidiæ et injuriarum. Non fugit prudentiam tuam (honoratissime Burleiensis) jam olim veterem fuisse nobis cum Londinensibus de jure nostro ad imprimendum contentionem. Ea cum interposita Thomæ Thomasii morte aliquantisper deferbuisset, post alium in ejus locum surrogatum a nobis impressorem, emersit denuo jamque exardescit ita vehementer, ut verendum plane sit (nisi mature subveniatur) ne eodem incendio et fortunæ omnes hominis officiosissimi et auctoritas privilegiorum nostrorum sit conflagratura. Ac cætera quidem non inviti præterimus. Nam de dictionariolo, confecto primum apud nos ab ipso Thomasio, locupletato deinde ab ejus successore, jam semel atque iterum nostris typis tua auctoritate emisso, tametsi quæ minantur minime sunt ferenda, de iis tamen, vel quia minæ ac verba tantum adhunc sunt, vel quia eam rem curæ tibi et jam ante fuisse cognoscimus, et futuram etiam esse vehementer speramus, minus nunc laborandum duximus. Equidem ingenue fatemur, quæ tam confidenter vociferantur nonnullum nobis timorem injiciunt, sed eæ minæ tantum, quæ tam inique fecerunt, querelam exprimunt. Terentii comoedias, quo et facilius emi ab indigentibus et commodius gestari ab omnibus possent, impressor noster (ut est homo non suæ magis quam studiosorum utilitatis cupidus) contractiore volumine et minutioribus sed scitissimis litteris excudendas curavit. Earum cum satis magnum numerum Londini apud amicos quosdam suos deposuisset, quibus hoc negotii datum est ut venderent distraherentque, præfecti bibliopolarum eas omnes, excussas ereptasque e manibus, domum ad se et in rem suam contulerunt. Satis hoc inhumanum videretur, etiamsi quid peccatum in privilegia probaretur. Nam universum jus suum cum jactura alterius persequi magis semper permisit lex quam probavit æquitas. Nunc vero cum nec fraus ulla legi, nec injuria cuiquam homini illata sit, cum libri ipsi sint et tam utiles ut digni existimentur qui ab omnibus ediscantur, et tam approbati ut etiam ab exteris non modo invehantur impune sed etiam ubique vendantur, cum ipsa privilegii nostri disertissima verba nullius non libri (modo legitimi) copiam nobis faciant, nullam hujus regni partem a vendendo excludant, recusari non potest, quin iniquissime ab iis consultum nobis fuisse omnes existiment. Quare majorem in modum ab honore tuo contendimus (illustrissime Cecili) ut præsidio esse velis juri et inopiæ contra vim atque cupiditatem: ut eripias e faucibus pecuniosorum hominum quantulascunque servi nostri facultates; quas neque illi sine summa injuria retinere, neque hic sine maximo suo incommodo potest amittere. Da hoc homini, da humanitati tuæ, da academiæ, cujus periculum ita cum hac causa conjungitur, ut aut recreari illam per te necesse sit, aut eodem confecto vulnere privilegia etiam nostra interire. Cantabr. e senatu nostro, 4o Non. Jan. Honoris tui observantissimi, Procancellarius et reliquus senatus Cantabr. AGAINST A VISITATION OF THE UNIVERSITY. DR. WHITAKER TO LORD BURGHLEY. [From MS. Lansd. no. 62, art. 41.] To the right honorable the lord of Burgheley, lord high treasurer of England, and chancellar of the University of Cambridge. AFTER my humble dutie to your honourable lordship: I reckon myself bownden in conscience, both by private dutie to your lordship, and in regard of my othe to this Universitie, to solicite your lordship, as occasion requireth, in such things as doe nerely concerne the welfare of our Universitie, which hath florished theis many yeares under her majesties most happie raigne, and your lordships carefull governement (which both I beseach Godd long and long to continue), but now is in danger to fall into divers great incombrances, to the grevous præjudice therof, unles your lordship, upon whom the safetie and, as it were, the lyfe therof, next under Godd and her majestie, dependeth, will prevent the same in tyme. The libertie of appeles being now of late utterly lost, wherby one member is alreadie cut of, not the worst: the inconvenience herof will appeare, as maie justly be feared, more hereafter, not in one |