tion of the lady Margaret, concerning one public lecturer in sacred theology, with the statutes on the foundation. The agreement of the abbot of Westminster (or abbot of Barnwell) to paying the stipend for the said lecture. A licence for instituting one chantry for one preacher, in the University. A grant of the University of ten pounds, for suffrages (commendations or prayers) to be yearly sung for the king, queen, &c., for ever. An edict of the University, against the disturbers of its peace: by this, a nongraduate, worth five pounds per annum, was not to carry arms, by night or day, or disturb the peace of the University, under a penalty of twenty shillings a

a The decision of all future contests for privileges, was, by this award, to be determined by the lady Margaret, or by such persons as she should appoint, and on her decease, by the chancellor and treasurer of England, and the chief justice of the King's Bench and Common Pleas, for the time being, or any three, or two, of them. And, by the same award it was settled, that all future disputes, between the town and University, was to be decided in the same way. The whole of this long award is in Hare's Collections.

VOL. I.

CHAP. IV.

TRANSACTIONS IN THE UNIVERSITY, DURING HENRY VIII. EDWARD VI. AND MARY'S REIGNS.

HENRY VIII.'s reign is a remarkable epoch in the annals of the University, as well as in the general history of the country: for, though there were not so many public instruments, relative to the University, as in some other reigns, (lord Cromwell, the public visitor, having settled many matters by his visitatorial authority,) those given were of the greatest account. They related to the establishing of Sir Robert Read's foundation of three public lectures on humanity, logic, and philosophy, commonly called Barnaby's Lectures, to be read in the schools in term time.—Articles of complaint, against the University, exhibited by the town of Cambridge.-The University's answer, with a declaration made on it, by the lord chancellor, the archbishop of Canterbury, and the duke of Norfolk (1534), their jurisdiction having been settled by the Lady Margaret.-The king's letters patent, that the chancellor, or his vicegerent, with three doctors, shall have lawful authority to choose three stationers, or printers of books a.

Memorable also was the act, 27th Henry VIII. by which the lands of the two Universities, and of the colleges of Eaton and Winchester were discharged from

a Et eorum quilibet omnimodos libros ibidem vendere, &c. 26 Hen. VIII. Hare's Collections, vol. iii. p. 70.

payment of first fruits and tenths, for ever, and the act 35th Henry VIII. for paving the town of Cambridge. This appointed a paving leet, to be held every Easter and Michaelmas, by the vice-chancellor and mayor.

But the most memorable and important of all were, the royal injunctions, transmitted through lord Cromwell (appointed general visitor by Henry VIII.), in which, among other things, members are forbidden to graduate in canon law; and sundry articles, conformable to them, were delivered by Dr. Leigh, surrogate to lord Cromwell. Copies of these important instruments may be seen in Dr. Fuller. Among other things, every college is ordered to send in all its grants, charters, statutes, and bulls, with a rental of its estates, and inventory of its goods. After due inquiries, by royal authority, into the public and private business of the University, the charters were returned; but, the intention being entirely to suppress the pope's authority, it is doubted whether the bulls were ever restored, and it is most reasonable to suppose they never were. This was in the 27th year of Henry VIII." About the same time, archbishop Cranmer was employed in visiting the monasteries.

Lord Cromwell was the greatest theological politician of his age: raised from humble life to be made secretary to cardinal Wolsey, he became, at length, master of the jewel house, secretary of state, baron, vicar-general, master of the rolls, knight of the garter, keeper of the privy seal, lord high chamberlain, and earl of Essex. His employment at Cambridge is thus described, by a shrewd writer:-"His conscience inclined him to the church's

• History of Cambridge, p. 109, 110, &c.

Hare's MS. Index.

reformation, his interest complied with the king's: he unlocked the secrets of monasteries by his spies, and put the king upon destroying them by his power. The University of Cambridge made him chancellor to save itself, where, though he did no great good, yet his greatness kept others from doing harm, in an age wherein covetousness could quarrel a college, as well as an abbey, into superstition. He was trusted by the king with the rolls and records of England; and by the scholars, with the charters and statutes of the University. He reforms the University, in order to the reformation of the church; enjoining the study of the scriptures and tongues, instead of school divinity and barbarism; recommending Aristotle, Agricola, Melanchton, to their reading; and the doctrine, which is in spirit and truth, to their faith; and razing the pope's bulls, to make way for the king's fa

vours a.

Though Henry VIII. is of great account in our University, and college histories, he made some of its most learned members disgrace themselves; and some, the most distinguished, he destroyed, whether catholic, or protestant, as suited his lust; and is justly characterized, as a king with a pope in his belly.

In Edward VI.'s reign we have letters patent, in which are recited and confirmed, various letters patent of Edward IV. Henry VI. Richard II. and Henry VII. Edward also, or rather his commissioners, gave statutes to the University, April 8, 1549; and July 2, 1549, injunc

a Lloyd's Statesmen and Favourites of England, p. 34.

b See the first part of Burnet's History of the Reformation; Lloyd's State Worthies; articles, Cranmer, and Sir Thomas More, and the account of Bishop Fisher, among Mr. Baker's MSS. in the British Museum,

tions were established, by his visitors having an unlimited power of reforming both persons and things, as to them seemed expedient. There were also introduced certain ordinances" de tollendis dubitationibus ex statutis ejusdem ortis:" the visitors having previously given solutions of certain doubts that had been formerly proposed to them.

In this reign, the disputes between the gownsmen and townsmen broke out again, but were settled in reference to ancient privileges: an extraordinary act was kept in the schools of the University, before the Commissioners, on Transubstantiation: the papists were discountenanced: Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, was deprived of the Chancellorship and Mastership of Trinity Hall, and sent to the Tower.

When Mary ascended the throne in 1553, Gardiner was recalled to his former honours, as bishop of Winchester and chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Those Papists, who resided abroad in Edward's reign, were called home, and had conferred on them the first offices in church and state. The fire of persecution, however, was not kindled at Cambridge, though some, who had been its most distinguished members, suffered elsewhere, and eleven Protestant Masters of Colleges were ejected, to make room for Roman Catholics.

One of the most eminent characters of this reign. was Cardinal Pole, an English prelate, a very amiable and

a It is remarkable that Cardinal Pole's works were not published till nearly two centuries after his death. They were at length edited by C. Angelo Maria Quirini, Bishop of Brescia, at his own press, in four large volumes. Since Quirini's death, a fifth volume was added. See Beccatelli's Life of Cardinal Pole, with Notes, by his Translator, Benj. Pye, L.L.B. p. 167.