XIII. that college, for the good and flourishing estate thereof. CHAP. And whose letter I have here set down at the more length, for the better retrieving and preserving the character of Anno 1578. him. muses and them for And indeed such a multitude of mandamuses and letters The universities comfrom great men were about this time procured from the plain of court for fellowships, that it grew very burdensome to the mandauniversity; and proved a great uneasiness to the young stu- letters sent dents; who hoped to be preferred by their merits: whereas fellowships. now the ordinary application was to courtiers for their let- Epist. Acaters to the heads of the colleges, for mandamuses from the queen for a preferment. So that free suffrages for elections were impeached; to the discouragement of ingenuity, and the countenancing of boldness and importunacy. Whereby dem. chancellor. it came to pass, (according to a letter the university wrote Their letter to their chancellor on this occasion,) that the scholars did to their neither follow their studies in hope of preferment for their diligence and proficiency; nor much regarded their superiors, as hoping for favour from them: but chiefly from courtiers. Besides, hereby the university liberty was infringed, and their tranquillity disturbed, and the scholars' minds were dejected, and industry languished. These were the effects of taking away from them their free votes, of disposing their fellowships. Wherefore they, the vice-chancellor and heads of colleges, in a joint letter addressed to 541 their chancellor, earnestly beseeching him, by his fidelity to them, and by his good-will towards them; and also by their welfare and dignity, which he dearly loved; Aufer nobis istam mandatorum frequentiam: and that he would so far prevail with the queen, when he should see occasion, that the liberty which she had once granted, she would leave to them free and entire. This whole supplicatory letter may be read in the Appendix; as worthy the preserving, in order No. XVIII. to the better understanding the state of the university in these days. chancellor Let me add here the success of this application of the Urge the university to their loving chancellor. He was moved, when to petition he considered what they had urged now, and repeated to the queen BOOK him the like again, how these letters discouraged learning; II. when the worse were preferred before the better deserving: Anno 1578. and this dispensing with statutes to the overthrow of good against granting them. The master of Queen's laws and customs, to the great hindering of learning, and utter discouragement of good scholars and hard students, that studied out of hope of reward. This was pressed upon their chancellor; and he sufficiently sensible of. In this Dr. Perne had a great hand, being a great instrument in consulting for the benefit of learning there. This lord, therefore, took his opportunity to lay this petition of the university before the queen. And it had this effect, that she promised her mandamuses should be more sparing for the time to come: favouring that lord's godly and necessary suit, as the said Perne, in a letter, called it. And of this his success he [their chancellor] wrote most lovingly in his answer to their former letter. But however, it was observed afterwards, that since that time there were more mandamuses sent down, and dispensations with the statute, than were before. Which caused another from Cambridge to him, that his lordship knowing the same, would, they doubted not, help to redress. friendly There came a private letter this year to the master and college re- fellows of Queen's college, Cambridge, containing a ceives a let- hint and information concerning such as came to preach cerning before the queen: some of them she liked not, in using so preachers much freedom with her in their sermons in respect of dis ter con before the queen. MSS. R. S. The letter. sensions in the church, properly belonging to matters of government; judging they went beyond their bounds, The letter is without any name subscribed, only dated in March, 1578. But I conjecture it was sent from the earl of Leicester, Dr. Chaderton the master of Queen's great patron; or perhaps from secretary Walsingham. The letter itself I here transcribe, as followeth : "Master Dr. I perceive the queen's majesty doth mislike, "that of late such as have preached afore her, in their ser"mons entered into dissensions of matters properly appertaining to matters of government: rather by private advice "to be imparted to herself or to her council, than in pul 66 66 pits, to the hearing of vulgar people, which are not apt to CHAP. "hear such things: especially thereby to catch lightly occa XIII. ❝sions to think either sinisterly or doubtfully of the head Anno 1578. "and of her government. "If any allowed to preach, be moved to desire amend"ment in things properly belonging to herself, I do assure myself, she will willingly hear any that shall either desire 66 66 66 by speech or writing to impart their charitable conceits. "And many times I find even preachers as perverse 542 “men, led, yea, carried with sinister informations, especially against government. Yet it may be doubted of good men, "that all reports are not always true. I wish in my heart "no jot of the authority of preachers to be diminished. 66 And yet I wish them not to presume upon their authority, to enter into condemnation of others, without some "grounds." 64 CHAP. XIV. The queen's progress. THIS summer the queen took her progress into Suffolk II. BOOK and Norfolk. But first in the month of May she took her pleasure abroad to the lord Compton's house at Tottenham: Anno 1578. and thence to the lord treasurer's at Theobald's; where she The queen tarried three or four days. From thence she went to Mr. of her nobi- Barret's house. But where that was, I cannot assign; somelity at their what, as it seems, in the way to Wansted, in Waltham forest, visits some country seats. which was the earl of Leicester's seat: where she continued five or six days. In July we find her at Hunsdon; and the lord treasurer now at his house at Theobald's, where he had entertained her majesty a month or two before. And thence he wrote to Mr. Randolph, chamberlain of the exchequer and master of the posts, sometime ambassador to Russia and Scotland, to signify to him, that she would have the ambas sador of Scotland to come to Hunsdon on the Thursday, and the next day to Mr. Sadleir's house in Hertfordshire, where she would be. And that considering the high way from London was by his house there at Theobald's, and that they must have a resting place for dinner-time, he prayed The Scots Randolph, in his name, to make that ambassador an offer to ambassador dine with him there. Where also he [the treasurer] should Theobald's. be the gladder to see him, and he the opportunity to see his 543 house, according as he had said he had a desire to see. [For a fame went of my lord's splendid buildings here.] Though there were nothing," as that lord modestly told him, "worth his desire, considering his foreign travels; al"though percase," added he, "you may see as much to ❝content you as in Moscovia, [that barbarous country.] "With no other I will offer any comparison." He told him further," That my lord of Hunsdon would also meet "with him there at dinner. And that the queen's ma invited to The queen at Audely 66 66 jesty was privy, and well liking of this his invitation. "And as the ambassador should assent, so to send him "word." This was dated at Theobald's, the 21st of July, at night, 1578. The queen had been some days before at Havering, in End. Essex, one of the royal seats; and remained there several days. And after one or two removes she came to Audely End. Where the university of Cambridge waited upon her, XIV. with speeches and disputations made before her, as we shall CHAP. hear by and by. Thence she intended to proceed in her progress to Suffolk, to the house of the master of the rolls. Anno 1578. And if she went not further, which was not presently concluded upon, (as the lord Burghley writ to the vice-chancellor,) then she would return by Cambridge, by Mr. Hynde's, by Somersham, by Mr. Crumwell's, and so by Justice Dyer's, and the lord St. John's: and so through Buckinghamshire, towards Windsor: as it was by the lord Burghley signified to the vice-chancellor of Cambridge; that so the university might be prepared to receive her majesty, if she came that way. queen But now before we go further in this progress, to relate The university intends something concerning the university's waiting upon the to wait queen while she was at Audely End, which was in the lat- upon the ter end of July. Dr. Howland, master of St. John's, and there. vice-chancellor, had sent his letter to the lord Burghley, their chancellor, with notice of their purpose in that respect; and likewise to give them his advice and instructions therein. "That they intended to wait upon her majesty, with the "heads of the colleges: and to have in readiness some dis 66 putants upon two moral questions." The one whereof was, An clementia magis sit laudanda in principe, quam severitas. The second, De fortuna et fato. When they intended also to present the queen with a book well bound. But what that book was, I find not: perhaps some curious edition of the Bible. "In answer, their high chancellor heartily thanked them; Lord " and that he liked well of their purpose of presenting them-ty "selves unto her majesty at Audley End. 66 instructions chancellor. And that of the to the vice- two questions, he liked better the first. "second might yield many reasons impertinent for Chris- S. Th. B. "tian ears, if it were not circumspectly used. But yet he "left the further consideration thereof to themselves. That "the present to her majesty he allowed of. But that they "must have regard, that the book had no savour of spike, "which commonly bookbinders did seek to add, to make "their books savour well. But that her majesty could not |