convenientissima Cum autem in redintegranda religione multum diuque Regiæ Matis authoritate et bonorum atque eruditorum virorum judiciis sit elaboratum et de articulis quibusdam in synodo Londonensi ao- dni 1553 ad tollendam opinionum dis

sentionem conclusum, equissimum judicavimus eosdem Regia authoritate promulgatos et omnibus episcopis ad meliorem dioceseos suæ administrationem traditos vobis etiam commendare et

visitationis nostræ authoritate præcipere ac statuere de his ad hunc modum.

Singuli Doct. et Bacchalaurei theologiæ et singuli præterea artium doctores solenniter et publice ante creationem suam hoc jurejurando sequenti se astringant et in commentarios Achademiæ ad id designatos suâ ipsorum manu referant quod ni fecerint gradus sui capiendi repulsam patiantur.

Ego N. N. deo teste promitto ac spondeo primum me veram Xti religionem omni animo complexurum scripturæ authoritatem hominum judiciis prepositurum regulam vitæ et summam fidei ex verbo Dei petiturum cetera quæ ex verbo Dei non probantur pro humanis et non necessariis habiturum. Authoritatem regiam in hominibus summam et externorum episcoporum jurisdictioni minime subjectam estimaturum et contrarias verbo Dei opiniones oi voluntate ac mente refutaturum vera consuetis scripta non scriptis in Religionis causâ ante habiturum. Deinde me articulos de quibus in synodo Londoniensi ao dni. 1553 ad tollendam opinionum dissentionem et consensum veræ religionis firmandum inter episcopos et alios eruditos viros convenerat et Regia auctoritate in lucem editos pro veris et certis habiturum et omni in loco tanquam consentientes cum verbo Dei defensurum et contrarios articulos in scholis et pulpitis vel respondendo vel concionando oppugnaturum hæc omnia in me recipio deoque teste me sedulo facturum promitto ac spondeo*.

THO. ELYE CANC.
JOANNES CHEEK.

GULIELMUS MEYE.
THO. WENDYe.

* This was the first attempt to introduce a religious test into the University upon taking degrees. King Edward died on the 6th of July, 1553; and, as only a month intervened between this event and the date of the letter from the Visitors, their order was probably never carried into effect.-ED.

MARIA REGINA.

MARY THE QUENE.

To the right Reverend father in God our ryght trustie and right well beloved councellor the bishopp of Winchester Chauncellor of our university of Cambridge and to all provosts, Deans, Masters and other heads or governours of Colleges halles or other houses of scholers and students ther and to every of them.

RIGHT reverend father in God right trustie and wellbeloved we grete yow well and where amonges diverse others inconveniences and misordres browght in and set furth in that our universitie of Cambridge one of the greatest and chiefest occasion of many of the said misordres is that withowt sufficient authority only upon the sensuall mindes and rashe determinations of a few men thauncient statutes fundacions and ordinaunces of the hole universitie the colledges and other places of students have been muche altered broken and almost utterly subverted: Wherebye not only the laste wylles of many good men have been broken and many wise politique and godly ordinaunces confirmed by parliamentes and by sundrye our progenitours fondly and irreverently contemned but the conscience of many honest men which by ther othes were bound to thobservation of the said statutes and fundations have been much encombred and youthe losely and insolently browght up, to the great discredit of the university and no small hynderance of the common welth of all our realme: We therfor knowing it our bounden dutie to almighty God by whose only goodnes we acknowledge our selfes called and placed in the royall estate of this realme, to travayll by all the wayes we maye that his glorie and holy wyll beinge truly declared to all our subjects he may of all sortes in ther severall vocations be reverently feared served and obeyed, have thought good for a

beginning to wishe that thexamples hereof may first begynne in our universities wher yongmen and all sortes of students ioyninge godly conversations with their studies in lerning may after as well by ther doinges as by ther prechinges instructe and confirme the rest of our subiectes both in the knowledge and fear of almighty God in the due obedience toward us our lawes and all others ther superiours and in their charitable demeanoures towards all men: And bycause we knowe that where ordre is not kept all thynges growe to confusion we therefore have thought good to wyll and requyre yow our chauncellor and all others the heddes and governours of the colledges and other howses that bothe yourselves for your owne partes do exercise your offices and lyve and cause all scholers students servantes ministers and others lyving under you of what sort state or condition soever thei be to lyve and frame themselves ther studies conversations and manner of lyvinge in suche forme and ordre as by thauncient statutes fundacions and ordinaunces of that our university and of the colledges and others is to yow severally appointed: Whych statutes and fundacions we wyll to be inviolably kept and observed according to the auncient fundacions and ordinaunces of the fundars and grauntes of our progenitors: And therfore do eftsones requyre and charge yow our chauncellor whom we do authorize by these presentes for that purpose to see the same well and truly observed as yow wyll aunswer for the contrarye notwithstanding any injunctions or newe ordinaunces made set forth or delyvered by any visitors or others sythens the death of our Father of most worthy memory Kinge Henrye the eight [whom God assoyle] or any other new devise to the contrarye hereof.

Geven under our sygnett at our Manour of Richmond the xxti of August the first yere of our reign.