A BROYLE UPON THE ATTEMPT OF D. GLYN THE LAWER FOR THE ELECTION OF A VICE-CHANCELLOR CONTRARY TO THE MYNDES AND LIBERTYES OF THE REGENTES.

MR. CWNERFORTH dyde laye violent handes upon the sete wher I satt and Mr. Perne dyde pull me bakwarde by the hwde soo that yf the cheere had not beyn upholden by certayn that stode bye thaye hade overthroyn hit ande me.

Item Mr. Cwnerforth beyng at the dore of the regente howse at such tyme as I fryst sate in the cheere spak to certayne of his adherentes and companions in this conspirasye nowe playe the men and I will begyne ande soo ran thens as faste as he cawlde and played such partes as ys above specyfyed. Mr. Swayn heryng thes exortations to playe the men ran to the dores and shytt them soo that we cowld not skape forthe nor yet non cum in to helpe us then by mony of thayr cowntenawnce and facion ye myght perceve that thaye hade propurpasyde this myscheffe and indede Swayn dyd reporte that yf Doctor Malet hade gone to the election upon Saturdaye he hade beyn servyde as I was and Stokes had beyn throwne down the steres theye had provyded wepyns and armur soo to do and had them redye ther then as este before.

Item D. Blyth hoo helpyd Swayn to shytte the dores after that I had dissolvyd the congregation spake opynlye to his fryndes Tarye Masters we will have an election before we goo. And so stayed a gret manye and togyder thaye wente agayne beyng withowt a hed an unlawfull assemblye. Ande soo taryd in the regent howes after us by the space of Di. an howre, but wheder thaye dyd entrepryse to electe or not I can not tell.

Item Mr. Gylpyn beyng there yet non regent exortyd and solicited the sayd unlawful assemblyd company redye to all folye to proced lykewyse to the election of a nue Viceawnsler and as the comyne fame is yf Mr. Doctor Edmundes had not somwhat repressyd them they had de facto electyd both as I am uncertayne wheder thay dyd or not.

Item Mr. Gylpyn dyd contemptuslye call the bedells from me

and stomakaslye dyd saye that thay wer to blame to goo before me as custom is.

Item West of Pembrok Hall hoos folye and contemptus wordes I have oftyne sufferyd had that daye mony contemtus wordes and shuch as myght sture men to sedition, "ye are," says he, "ever cum home to mak bysynes and to trwbull the universitie and we are fwls to suffer," or lyk wordes in effect.

Yf accordyng to law ryght and equite ye shall apoynt a certayn nowmber of honest men then beyng present and to onerate them with an othe that thaye mak diligent inquisition of the residu of the conspirators ye shall eslye understand that Horne and dyvers other wer confetteryd in this unlawfull enterprize nor hit is not lyk that soo fewe in nowmber as I have hiderto spokyn of wold withowt ayd and helpe promest them atempte that violence the which yf hit had not beyn by godes provysion sone stayd hit had cost sume men thayr lyffe, but in this matter I remyt all to yowr wysdwms trustyng that ye will provyde that men ryn no more in shuch danger.

Mr. Bambryk sayd at dinner the same daye or apon the mundaye or tuysdaye or at the lestwayes this wek last past, "I love Mr. Conerforth better then any regent in this towne for his doynges and yf he had gevyn D. Glyn a blow or tow he had servyd him well." "Yf hit had cum to that poynt," sayes Sandes then beyng present, "we had shearpyd our dagers and every man had markyd wher he wold be and for my parte I wold have beyn yn D. Harvie," or lyk communication*.

* There is no date to the preceding document, nor can I affix any to it. From the names of the parties I am induced to insert it in this place. Broils of a similar kind were not very uncommon at this period. Caius says of Dr. Crayforde, Master of Clare Hall, who was Vice-Chancellor in 1535 and again in 1536, that he was as good a gladiator as Vice-Chancellor, and adds, that he cut off one man's hand and threw another by main force out of the Regent-House. His words are:-" Melior ne gladiator an Procancellarius fuerit dubito, præcidit enim manum Pyndaro et socium humeris comprehensum ejecit Regentium domo." Fuller gives the following account of Dr. Sandes, (afterwards Archbishop of York,) who was Vice-Chancellor at the beginning of Queen Mary's reign :-" Dr. Sandes, hearing the bell ring, went according to his custom and

BISHOP GARDINER'S LETTER TO THE VICE-CHANCELLOR RESPECTING A TRAGEDY ACTED AT CHRIST'S COLLEGE.

To my lovinge Frende

Mr. Vicechancellor

of Cambridge.

After my right harty commendations. Master Vicechanceller I have been enformed that the yought in Christes College contrary to the mynde of the master and president hath of late playde a tragedie called Pammachius a parte of which tragedie is soo pestiferous as wer intollerable. I wyl geve noo credyte to information but as I shall here from youe wherein I praye youe that I maye shortlye by youe knowe the truth. If it be not soo I wyl be glad, and if it be soo I entende further to travayle as my duetye is for the reformation of it I know myn office there and mynde to doo in it as moch as I maye, Requyring youe therefore that in such matiers of innovation and disordre I may be diligently advertised from youe from tyme to tyme. And soo fare youe wel. At London the xxviith of March [Ao. 1545.]

Your loving frend

STE. WINTON.

office attended with the bedles into the Regent-house, and sat down in the chair according to his place. In cometh one Master Mitch with a rabble of some twenty Papists, some endeavouring to pluck him from the chair and others the chair from him, all using railing words and violent actions. The Doctor being a man of mettle, groped for his dagger, and probably had despatched some of them, had not Dr. Bill and Dr. Blyth by their prayers and entreaties persuaded him to patience."-ED.

E

To the Right honorable

and my singular good Lord

My Lord of Wynchester.

After my dutie of lowly commendations to your honorable good Lordship, pleaseth it youe to be enformed that aftyr I receyved your lordships letters I made more exact inquyrie of the tragedie late played in Christys College, and thus I fynde that when your Lordship was enformed that the youth of the house plaied this foresaid tragedie against the mynde of the Master ther and president, the president himself with whom I conferred in this cause shewed me that it was not so, for he alleged that it cost the college well nigh xx nobles alowed bi the Master and the companie, and wher ther is inspersed thorough out the tragedie both slanderous cavillations and suspitious sentences, therfor as I am credibly informed they used this foresight by the advertisement of the Master and Seniors to omyt all such mattyer wherby offense might justly have rysen. And hitherto have I not seen any man that was present at it to shewe hymself greved albeit it was thought ther tyme and labour myght have ben spent in a better mattier. And for as moche as I was not present myself at ther playing I have lerned of other the cause to stond thus in these poyntes aforesaid, thus almighty God long preserve your honorable estate in helthe and honor to his pleasure and furderance of our common welthe with lyke good zele as hitherto thankes we be bownd to aknowlege your Lordship to have don. At Cambridge this good frydaye.

Your bownd orator

bi dutie to commande

MATTHUE PARKER.

To Master Vicechauncellor of

the university of Cambridge.

Master Vicechauncellor, after my harty commendations, having commodity to send this berer my chapelen to the university I have thought good to signifie farther my mynde unto youe concernyng thexamynation of the truth of the matier of the tragedie played in Christes College. Whereof I have harde more then I harde before and have harde so moche that I thynke it necessarie for my discharge to travayle with youe to atteyne the knowledge of the very truth and further to doo therein as the case shall requyre. And to thintent it maye appere that howsoever yought eyther of fraylte, lightnes, or malyce wold abuse ther giftes, We that be hedes and rulers over them shuld not be seen eyther by sufferance or negligence to be blamewordye of ther faulte. I wyl and require youe that upon receipte of thiese my lettres ye assemble the masters and presidentes of the Colleges with the Doctors of the university and declaring unto them this matier to require them to assiste youe in the tryal of the truth concernyng the said tragedie and that by due examination of such as wer there it may be truely knowen what was uttered and soo by ther jugement approved for good, which by the ordre establyshed by the Kinges Majestie in this churche is reproved, or by them reproved which by the Kinges Majestie is allowed. I have harde specialties that they reproved Lent fastinges, al ceremonies, and albeit the words of sacrament and masse wer not named yet the rest of the matier wryten in that tragedie in the reproffe of them was expressed. And if as youe wrote to me they lefte owt sumwhat unspoken it shulde appere that the rest being spoken was upon a jugement by consideration and deliberation allowed, which if it be trewe is a lamentable case and suche as hath not chaunced that such as by the Kinges Majesties priveleges and supportation be there preserved in quiet to lerne all vertue shuld presumptuously mok and skorne the direction of ther prince in matier of religion, I touche oonly herein the truth of obedience for I estyme such offenders for unlerned and ignorant unmete to