lettres enclosed acquaint my lord threasorer; so I hartely pray yow to continue your good favour to us so kindely begonne, in deliveringe this my lettre, and kepinge my lord in remembraunce of us and the matter, which your good kindenesse we, both by our selfes and our best frendes, will remaine most readie to requite with all thankfulnesse. I take my leave. Att Belvoir Castle, this xxviijth of Auguste, 1593.

Your verie lovinge frende,

So

JOHN JEGON.

DR. JEGON TO SIR MICHAEL HICKES.

[From MS. Lansd. no. 75, art. 57.]

To the worshipfull my verie good frende, Mr. Hixe, secretarie to the lord treasurer, deliver this.

GOOD Mr. Hixe: as I accompte my selfe many waies greatly beholding unto yow, so assure your selfe, if it may any way lie in my power, I wilbe verie readie to requite your greate kindenesse. This doubte of the proctorshippe is decided and concluded by judiciall sentence on our side; the nominacion of Thomas Jegon is founde verie sufficient, and so that of Hickman a mere nullitie. I am bolde by my lettres to acquaint my lord threasorer with the issue of the matter, which had bene done 4 dayes soener, but that Dr. Leg, our vice-chauncellour, promissed him selfe to certifie the same to his lordship; but lest he forgett it, I have directed my lettres from Uffington, att Mr. Roger Manners, where this 9 of Octobre I meete with my lord of Rutland.

Most hartely prayenge you to present my thankfull duetie with these my letters to my good lorde, with some excuse if my intimation seme to come late. So in greate hast I take my leave. Att Uffington, this 9 of October, 1593. Your assured lovinge frende in any thinge I may, JOHN JEGON.

THE PLAGUE IN CAMBRIDGE.

THE MASTER AND FELLOWS OF TRINITY COLLEGE

TO LORD BURGHLEY.

[From MS. Lansd. no. 75, art. 9.]

To the right honorable our verie singuler good lord, the lord heighe thesaurer of Englande, chauncellour of the Universitie of Cambridge, dd.

OUR humbliest dutie remembred: whereas it hath pleased God to visite the towne of Cambridge with the most grevious sicknes of the plauge, the infection whereof doth spreade it self dayly more and more into the cheife streetes and principall places of the same, so as nowe we take our selves to be in farre greater daunger then when we first dispersed our companie (thoughe then in greate); and hereupon the governors of the Universitie have thought good to take order that there shalbe no schole meetinges or anie publique exercises untill the 20 of Februarie next ensuinge. Albeit we thincke it expedient, and much for the safetie of our colledge, to do the like, yet because we finde that the shorte time of discontinuance which hath been already hath bred sondry inconveniencies, and greater will, if the same should be protracted by us; we chose rather to become humble suitors unto your honourable good lordship, that it woulde please the same to graunte unto us the bishops house at Ely, whereunto (for the season) we might call our fellowes and scholers of the foundacion. The which, as it is large enough to receave the nomber, so because of the commoditie of the river, whereby we may conveigh our provision, the same would be such an ease and benefitt unto us, as in all the contry besides we cannot have the like. We hope your good honour will pardon this our bould presumption, proceadinge from the speciall chardge imposed upon us, and greate care we have to bringe to

gether againe our dispersed companie: the hope whereof, next unto God, resteth cheifely in your honour. And so referringe our selves unto your good lordships honourable pleasure, we humbly take our leave. From Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge, this 27th of December, 1593.

Your honours most humble to be comaunded,

[From MS. Lansd. no. 77, art. 6.]

To the right honorable our verye good lord, the lord of Burghleye, lorde highe treasurer of England, and chauncelour of the Universitie of Cambridge.

RIGHT honorable and our very good lord, our dutie in most humble manner premysed: havinge allwayes had a continuall experience of your most honorable and tender care over us in all our necessityes, which wee cannot but with due thankfullnes remember, wee have therfore presumed at this tyme, in a case of great extremitye and consequence, semblably to resort unto the sanctuarye of your worthie justice and wisdome for aide and direction. Such a notorious ryotte and disorder lately happeninge amongest us, and yet also in some degree continueing, as, in case it be not forthwith severely mette with, it is very likely to shake the groundworke of all peace and governement, both privatly in our colledges, and publicquely in the Universitye; we have for your good lordships better informacion, in a note herinclosed, sette downe the first occasion and particuler circumstances of the whole facte. For the severe

punishment wherof wee most humbly crave some ayde and direction from your honorable lordship; the rather for that if there be not some especiall example made of it by the removing out of the Universitie some of the principalles of this tumult, after such a precedent, we have cause to feare the confusion of our whole estate. In the meane tyme wee have thought good, by all our consents, to suspend from their degrees dyvers of the chief leaders in this outrage. But fynding that this moderate censure will not suffice to represse this their tumultuous and willfull disorder (as hath appeared unto us by the audacious and irreverent behaveour of such as have bene called before us and suspended), wee are bould, for further proceeding herin, humbly to crave your lordships honorable advise and direction. The due consideracion wherof (as the importaunce of the cause requireth) wee referre to your good lordships grave and experienced wisdome. And so most humbly taking our leaves, wee commend the same to the protection of allmightye God. From Cambridge, the xvjth of Octobre, 1594.

Your lordships humble and bounden

The manner and particuler circumstances of the late disorder committed by certein regentes of the Universitye of Cambridge about the nominacion and election of a taxer.

1. THERE arysing of late a controversie in Kinges Colledge about the nominacion of the taxer for that house to the Universitye, six regentes of other houses layd in exception before Mr. vice-chancellor against that nominacion, therby to prove a defect therein, and so

consequently to drawe the free choice of the said taxer to the whole bodye of the Universitye.

2. Mr. vice-chancellor, with the consent of the more part of the heades of colledges (to whom th'allowance of such exception doth by statute belonge), after the debating the cause at large, did fynd and pronounce, that the exception layd in was not tryable before him (by reason of the composicion betweene the Universitye and Kinges College), but rather before the reverend visitour of that colledge now presente amongest them; and therfore, in respecte of the jurisdiccion, to be non legitima. Wherupon the said reverend visitour not disallowing the said nominacion (as was from his lordship signifyed in the regent house unto Mr. vice-chauncelor and his assistants by Mr. Dr. Some), consequently the regentes were, by her majesties statutes, Cap. 37. bound to choose that taxer, and none other, which was nominated and presented to Mr. vice-chauncellor from the provost of the colledge.

3. A congregacion being called at the day by statute prefixed for the choice, the taxer presented as aforesaid was by some fewe, and yet by statute lawfully, chosen, and by the proctour accordingly pronounced: notwithstanding a great number of voices being given with another, who also was presented to Mr. vice-chauncellor by certaine of Kinges Colledge in the name of the companye, but not of the head, as her highnes statute requyreth. And therefore those voices rejected as voide and of noe force.

4. The taxers, viz. one of Kinges Colledge, and another of Queenes Colledge, thus pronounced to be chosen, they were, according to custome and statute, presentely sent for by Mr. vice-chauncellor into the regent house, to be admitted and sworne. But the regentes letting in but one of them, with violence russhed to the middle doares of the said regent house, and kept them by force shutt against the other, so that Mr. vice-chauncelor once sending downe the beadle, once the proctor, and at last coming downe himself, could nether by entreatye, nor commandement upon their oathe of obedience, any whitt prevaile to appease or dissolve the tumult, but himself receyved of some of the yonge regentes unseemely speeches; insomuch that he was constrayned to sende for the heades of colledges to assist him; and they being assembled, viz. Drs. Goade, Some, Whittaker, Barwell, Nevill, Andrewes, and Mr. Chaderton, Mr. vice-chancellor, with them (by way of interpretacion of a doubt), concluded the voices given with the taxer presented unto him from the companye of Kinges Colledge, and not from the provost, to be voide and of noe