BOOK This visitation con tinued. This visitation the vice-chancellor continued and prorogued from time to time, in order to examine those of the Anno 1586. house that were from home at the time of administering the 440 interrogatories to them: which continuation lasted beyond the time of the vice-chancellor's year or office. Of these injunctions and proceedings the master and fellows informed the lord Burghley, the high chancellor, in order to their own vindication; complaining of their visitor for misrepresenting them, in charging them with such misdemeanours, and endeavouring to clear themselves of them: and asserting, that he could not prorogue the visitation so long by their statute, delivering the injunctions but in February the 22d: and continuing it further to the 22d of March, which was the sixth time: and thereby that he had broke the statute, which limited the time of such visitation. The col sents their And whereas it was charged upon them by their visitor, lege repre- that they had used unseemly words and behaviour towards case to the him, they set down in their letter, dated February 26, to that lord Burgh- lord, the very words, and the occasion of speaking them; ley. viz. "That the master, having signified before his mind chancellor, The college refuse the and why. "concerning this endless visitation, one of the fellows, being "thereunto appointed by the company, used these words: "I beseech your worship, Mr. Vice-chancellor, to hear me "speak unto you in the name of the fellows, (they being "present to justify the same:) Considering the injury that "our college hath received by your often continuance of "this visitation, we signify thus much, that reserving all reverence and duty to you, as Mr. Vice-chancellor, we are "minded to appear no more at your commandment by the name of our visitor." 66 The lord Burghley had written them a letter, upon comvisitor's in-plaint of his vice-chancellor concerning them; mentioning junctions to him, how they had irreverendly behaved themselves towards him, his deputy, their visitor, and concerning their refusal in receiving his injunctions. To the former the col lege gave that lord their answer, as abovesaid. Touching receiving the injunctions, thus they answered; "That so "far forth as they pertained to the reformation of the breach VII. "of such statutes as wherein there was any offence com- CHAP. "mitted, they would dutifully yield unto his lawful autho"rity; for so far and no farther their statutes limited him. Anno 1586. "That as for other statutes, which he termed by the name "of injunctions, they could not yield unto them without the "discredit of their house, the overthrow of their liberty, and "the utter subversion of the state of their government. The "end of which his injunctions, if he could as well see what "confusion it would breed in their house, as by their expe"rience they throughly knew, they believed he would be "more sparing in challenging more authority than he "might. And yet they offered him, that if there were any "disorder which he misliked, and would have reformed, upon proof thereof, they would take order, as by statute they had power within themselves to do, that not for the "time present only, but for ever hereafter it should be re"formed in as effectual a manner as any man could require. 441 "But that, for aught they saw, Mr. Vice-chancellor's drift "was, to alter the whole government of their house; and to 66 bring it hereafter from the college to the vice-chancellor : "that is, from a whole corporation to one private man. For "otherwise, if the reformation of errors only were sought, "he would never have stood so much in this matter, seeing "that might be done with the hundredth part of this great "ado." 66 66 Adding in the conclusion of this their brisk letter, "That "it could not stand with the credit of government in their "college, for Mr. Vice-chancellor to come as their visitor, "and go out their founder." This was signed by the master and fellows: some of whom were, Andrew Williat, Cutbert Bainbrig, Will. Perkins, Francis Johnson, George Downham, who were puritans. This controversy between the college and Dr. Copcot held to August the next year: when the lord Burghley was fain to appoint certain persons of that university to examine and judge of the matters between them. And so it ended. For which the college returned him (in another of their letters) BOOK quam maximas quamque mens hominis capere potest, amII. plissimas gratias ob maximum æternumque beneficium: as Anno 1586. we shall take notice under the next year. The archbi university CHAP. VIII. The printing-press at Cambridge. The archbishop's order to the university about books to be printed there. His letter about the university preachers. The university and town of Cambridge at difference. Their petition to the lord Burghley, their chancellor. Duchess of Somerset, her last will: her jewels: her letter to secretary Cecil, concerning the lord Hertford, her son, in the Tower. Sir Philip Sidney's last will. A letter of the young earl of Essex. Character of Davison, late secretary. Fleetwood, recorder of London, his diary. Books printed. P. Bizarus, a learned Italian, here. His writings. I HAVE a remark or two more to make of the aforesaid university, before I leave it. It was shewed before how the art of printing was set up, shop to the and began in Cambridge, by the advice and care of the about their heads and governors thereof. But there was a jealousy of printing. the liberty of printing books there, the purposes whereof 442 sometimes might tend to more harm than good; namely, press. such as might either disturb the government, or the peace of the church. And therefore, for the preventing any such inconveniencies, the lords of the council had lately ordered, that no book should be printed in London, or in either of the universities, but the copies to be first reviewed and allowed by the archbishop of Canterbury or the bishop of London. And of this the careful archbishop gave the university of Cambridge information; and that on occasion of Harmony of a book now in printing there, called, The harmony of conforbid print-fessions, &c. translated out of Latin into English; which, for some reasons, was not allowed in London to be printed. This the archbishop understanding was going in hand with these in Cambridge, sent his letter to the vice-chancellor and Confessions ing. VIII. heads, to cause the said book to be stayed from printing, CHAP. and that presently upon the receipt thereof, until they should receive further direction from him. And that in re- Anno 1586. gard of that late order of the council, he required them to take special care, that nothing should be printed there but what should be authorized accordingly. This letter, as taken from the records of that university, may be read in the Ap- N°. XVIII. pendix. And yet, however it came to pass, the said book Vid. Manwas printed and published this year, in octavo, at Cam- Rev. T. Babridge, by Tho. Thomas, who was the university printer, (as my learned friend hath observed,) with this title, An harmony of the confessions of the reformed churches, &c. No doubt the printing of the book had the permission of the archbishop, after some review or correction of it. sel's Catal. ker. articles. The archbishop also took care about the university University preachers to preachers, who had their licence from the university: a subscribe privilege which they had, to nominate an university preacher, the three and some others, to a certain number, as it seems. But by this means several of that university had gotten to be preachers, that were disaffected to the doctrine, or rites, or constitution of the church, as established. To prevent or remedy this, the said watchful archbishop sent another letter this same year to the vice-chancellor and heads; re- The archbiquiring them, that whosoever should be by them admitted to preach in their university or elsewhere, should first sub-pose. scribe the three articles agreed upon and confirmed by her majesty's authority; and threatening them, in case of their neglect in this matter of subscription, to call in question their authority to admit so many preachers; which how slender it was he well knew. This letter also I join to the former, to preserve, as much as we can, the memory and No. XIX. deserts of this great prelate. shop's letter to that pur between the There was about this time a great difference and con- Difference test between the university and the town. What the first town and occasion or offence was, I inquire not. But so hot the university. people of the town were against the scholars, that about the time of Sturbridge fair, the mayor and others of the freemen made these orders, that no scholars or their servants BOOK should have any booths in the fair, nor have any commodity belonging to the town. And furthermore, in other Anno 1586. respects, shewing great ingratitude towards them of the university; bending themselves with much contention against them, more than had been known heretofore. 443 the univer sity took. The heads of the university, in their own right, and The course withal to be even with the town for their ingratitude, (who had such a dependence upon the scholars,) came to this resolution, to humble them, with the leave and concurrence of their high chancellor, viz. that no college, scholar, or scholar's servant, should sell or let any lands or tenements to any townsman, without it were with the consent of the chancellor and whole body of the university. Nor that any scholar or scholar's servant should buy any thing of them; as cloth, apparel, or victuals, or any thing else. And that none, either scholar, or servant of any scholar, or foreigner, taking to farm any house or land from the university, become after a freeman of the town, or let or set over any such house or land, or parcel thereof, to any townsman: or if so, the lease to cease and become void. And further, that no townsmen should partake of any benefit from a privilege granted to the university for the provision of corn and victuals for five miles compass from Cambridge. Other orders the heads agreed upon to straiten the townsmen, and to recover their privilege at Sturbridge fair. For this purpose, and that this their consultation might take effect, they preferred a petition to their chancellor, the lord Burghley; which was delivered to him by the hands of Perne, one of the ancientest heads of the university, and of venerable esteem. Which I leave to be read in the Appendix. No. XX. Duchess of Somerset's Now I will proceed to make some observations of a few particular persons of note, as fall this year within our view. This year the duchess of Somerset, a lofty lady, (relict last will. of the great duke of Somerset, uncle to king Edward VI. and protector of his realms,) made her last will, dated July 14, though she died not till the year following. Several particulars, being the sum thereof, I will set down, as I have them from an authentic copy. Wherein will appear her vast |