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A LETTER TO THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, ETC., FROM THE PRIVY COUNCIL RESPECTING THE TRAGEDY ACTED AT CHRIST'S COLLEGE.

To our very loving freendes

the Vicechawceller Masters of Colleges

Doctours and Proctours of the

University of Cambridge.

After our harty commendations we have considered suche wordes as yow signified to yowr chancellor our very good Lorde the bishoppe of Winchester to have been spoken by one Master Scott towching a certeyne tragedie playde in Christes College and think itt right expedient that calling the parties before yow ye shold admonisshe them to endeavour themselves so to employe theyre wittes and studies in knowlege of that is good trew and holsom as all that is in dede poyson eyther in lernyng or manners be expelled and putt owt and no suche matter eyther in play or ernest to be moved or meddled wyth as sholde offende the lawes and quiett of this realme, so as yow that thare be assemblied and undre the Kinges Majesties speciall protection be maynteyned to lyve quietly for thincrease of vertue and lernyng doo also in your manor and behavior practise rest and quietnesse and exchue all occasions that might empeache the same Whereas ye that be heddes and goovernours must have such speciall cure and care as if any misordre be among the yowngth ye refourme it from tyme to tyme and doo that may be for your discharge in that behalf And thus discharging the sayde Master Scott noted to have spoken the sayde woordes to doo for reformation of those that have misused themselves in playing of the sayd tragedie as to your wisdomes shall be thowght requisite And thus we bidd yow right hartily well to fare. From St. James the xvith daye of May 1545.

Your loving freendes

THOM. WRIOTHESLEY

STE. WINTON

J. RUSSELL

WILLM. PAGET.

KING HENRY VIII. COMMISSION FOR THE VISITATION OF THE

UNIVERSITY.

To our trusty and well-beloved Doctor Parker Vicechauncelor of the

University of Cambridge and to our trusty and well-beloved Chapleynes Doctor Redman and Doctor Maye and to every of them.

BI THE KING.

Trusty and wellbeloved we great you well and let you wete that where as our most lovynge and obedyent Subjectes in this our last cession of parlyament have frely gevyn and graunted unto us full powre and auctorytie to ordre, alter, change and reforme all the Colleadges, hospitalles, Chauntryes, and free chapelles wythin this our realme of Inglande and other our domynions or otherwise to use the same at our pleasure as in thacte made for that purpose more at length may appere, We myndinge to take suche direction therein as shalbe to thonour of god thencrease of good learninge and the commonwealthe of this our realme, And consydering that the good establishment of the Colleges of our Universityes of Oxforde and Cambridge wherein the great nombre of the youthe of this our realme is noryshed and educated in the exercise of all kindes of good lytterature ys specially to be provided for, have resolved to take souche ondelayde order with the same as may bothe encourage the students to continewe there studies and allso answere to the speciall trust and confidence commytted unto us by our said Subjects. And forasmuch as we knowe you to be men of notable vertue lerninge and knowlege have therfor apoynted you, And by these our letters gyve unto you full power and auctorytie not only to call before you the Masters and Hedes of every of the Colleges and other housys endowed with any manner of possession within that our university of Cambridge, And also souche and as many other thofficers and fellows of any of the said houses as to you shalbe thought mete and convenient, But also to peruse all and every ther foundations statutes and ordenaunces, And as well by examinations as by all other weys and meanys that you shall thinke good to learne the very trouthe

howe the same foundations statutes and ordenaunces be observed of what values kindes and naturys the hole possessions be whiche belonge to every souche Colleage Chaunterye or other house of the sorts aforesaid and in what shires the same doo lye with the deductions upon the same the names of the foundars and other thinges which your wisdomes shall thinke mete to be signified to us touching the state of every such house, And of all the premisses to mak unto us a certifycate fayer written in parchement subscrybed with your hondes with all goodly spede and dylygens, Eftsones desyering and prayenge you and neverthelesse commandinge you to use in the doynges hereof souche a dexterity as may be to your discharge in Conscience and Aunswere to the speciall trust whiche we have reposed in you. Geven under our signet at our honour of Hampton Courte the xvith of January in the xxxviith yere of our Reigne.

THE REPAYRE UP OF M. PARKER & W. MAYE AFTER SURVAYE TO THE KINGES MAJESTIE.

MEM. That wher certen officers in the court and others them in authorytie under the Kyng importunately suying to hym to have the Londes and possessions of both unyversities surveyed, they meanyng afterwards to enjoye the best of their Londes and possessions bi exchange of Impropeced benefyces and such other improved londes, certen frends of thunyversity perceyving the sequel like to tourne to a myschefe sayd to the kinge for avoyding the gret chargis that shuld be susteyned therin not to send eny of his costly officers to that purpose: and thereupon he sent his commyssion to MATTHEW PARKER than Vicechancellor, to JoHN REDMAN Master of Trynytie colleage, and to WILLIAM MEYE Master of the quenys college, to surveye them and to make report to his highnes what the state of the revenues, and what nombre wer susteyned therewith. Which said commissioners with the helpe of 11 clarkes of the augmentation courte ingrossed particularly the particular possessions of the unyversytie, coleges

and other spual londes ther: In the ende the said commyssioners resorted up to Hampton courte to present to the King a brief smy wryten in a fayr shete of vellem, (which very boke is yet reserved in the college of corpus christi) describing the revenews, the repryses, the allowances, and nombre and stipend of every colleage, which boke the King diligently perused and in a certen admiration saide to certen of his Lords which stode by, that he thought he had not in his realme so many parsons so honestly mayntened in lyvyng bi so little lond and rent: and wher he asked of us, what it ment that the most part of Colleges shulde seame to expend yerly more than ther revenues amounted to, We answered that yt rose partly of fynes for leases and indentures of the fermours renewing ther leasys, partly of wood salys; whereupon he sayd to the lordes that petye it wer these londes shuld be altered to make them worse, at which wordes som wer grieved, for that they disapoynted lupos quosdam hiantes. fine we sued to the Kinges Majestie to be so graciouse lorde, that he wolde favour us in the contynuance of our possessions such as thei were, and that no man bi his grace's letters shulde require to permute with us to gyve us worse, he made answer and smiled, that he could not but wryght for hys servantes and others doyng the service for the realme in warys and other affayres, but he sayd he wold put us to our choyce wether we shulde gratifie them or no, and bad us hold our owne for aftyr his wryting he wolde force us no furder. With which wordes we were wel armyd and so departed*.

* This statement is in the handwriting of Archbishop Parker.-ED.

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Et pro exequiis VICEPREPOSITUS pro pensione sua cois officio suo, concionibus exequiis et liberatura

DECANUS Theologiæ pro stipendio suo cois, offitio, con-
cionibus liberat. et exequiis

DECANI DUO in artibus pro consili præter conciones
BURSARII tres singuli 91. 5s. 8d.

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pro liberatura

SACRISTA pro consili 87. 5s. Od. Duo SOTII presbyteri
singuli 97. 18s. 4d. ALTER SOTIUS presbit. 101. 5s. Od.
ALTER SOTIUS presbit. 77. 5s. Od.
SOTII non presbiteri in Artibus mri xv singuli pro stipen-
dio suo 17. 6s. 8d. pro cois 4l. 6s. 8d.
17. Os. Od. pro exequiis 11s. 10d.
SOTII in artibus bacc. xix singuli pro stipend. 17. Os. Od.
pro cois 47. Os. 8d. liberat. 15s. exequiis 88. 4d.
SCHOLARES XXiiii singuli pro stipend. 13s. 4d.
41. 6s. 8d. pro liberatura 98. pro exequiis 58.
LECTORES TRES Dialect. et Philosophiæ LECTOR grecæ

11. 68. 8d. LECTOR hebraicæ linguæ 17. 6s. 8d. EXEQUIA fundatoris 27. Henrici Veysey 12s.

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AUDITOR 81. 13s. 4d. CLERICUS compoti 107. 18s. 8d. SE-
NESCALLUS 41. CLARICUS sacristæ 87. 2s. 4d.

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Servientes, viz. promus, coquus, Tonsor, Pistor, equisus
lotrix clameger duo garciones in stabulo subcoquus pul-
sator companæ pincerna, Lixa
REDDIT. resolut. prestit. Collegii 17. 12s. 6d. CUSTOS eccle-
siæ et novi templi pro omnibus necessariis ibm 201. 08. Od.
expens. equitantium in negotiis Collegii 201. Os. Od.

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