II. BOOK did, and that I had allowed thereof, which is not so; I omit words of worse sense, to controle such reporters. And some hath, as I hear, in open assembly alledged, that I did to that end write my letters to M. D. Howland, then vicechancellor, which he was charged to have supprest: I am sory, in this my common letter to you all, to be constrained to use some sharper speech than my nature alloweth of, to be contained in a letter from a chancellor to his loving scholars, as generally I esteem you to be: my speeches shall onely touch the private persons, that have forgotten their dutyes, to alledge an untruth against me. And not contented to speak of me untruly, being absent; but have hazzarded rashly their credit against D. Howland, that was vicechancellor, charging him with suppression of my letters. But in few words I affirm, that I never did consent to this motion: neither did I write any such letters to D. Howland for that purpose. When M. D. Hatcher, and, I think, his son in law D. Lougher, and D. Barrow, as I remember, moved me herein; and added another matter, that the vicechancellor and heads of colleges did not use to make the Oppidan doctors acquainted with the university causes: I answered, That I thought it reasonable they should be called, as others of their degrees were, to be made acquainted with the causes 156 of the university. But to have authority with the heads in causes against the statute, I never asserted. But I said, I would speak with the heads of colleges therein; as I did, and found good cause in my opinion, as yet I do, to the contrary. And that is principally, because I think the statute very good, as it is; to reduce the nomination of these kind of publick officers to be done by a number; neither too few, for lack of consideration; nor committed unto too many, for fear of confusion. And none other can I think than the heads of colleges, or, in their absence, their vicegerents: who are to be thought to have best knowledge of their companies, both for discretion and learning: and fewer do I not think, than all the heads of the colleges: lest some colleges might lack preferment. And contrariwise to II. encrease this multitude by foreign doctors, that have not BOOK domicilia fixa, but are here and there at their pleasures; and have not either special care or certain knowledge of the learning and discretion of scholars in colleges, must needs cary an absurdity two ways. The one is, that the number of such extraordinary or extravagant doctors may exceed the number of the heads; to controwl their censures, grounded upon knowledge. The second is, that there may be by faction drawn a devotion of scholars from their heads, to serve the appetites of foreigners; and so leave their own fathers for stepfathers. But because I see I should excede the limits of a letter, if I should prosecute this matter, I will alter my purpose with concluding my former sentence for both the graces: which without the allegation of any arguments ought to be accepted in favour of continuance of laws, against any that will take the office to abrogate: which you know how in some commonwealths were so disliked, as they were ordered to speak thereof with ropes about their necks: you can tell why. And yet I do not, like a stoic, maintain this opinion; but I do know how the same may be limited in times and places. As for the intention of your last grace, to compel doctors to preach more oftner than by constraint they need; I like well of all voluntary actions; especially in such action as preaching is. Wherein I think admonition more convenient than to make new laws so suddenly against laws in use. And so far forth am I moved to have them preach, as I wish them to lese the name and preferment of doctors, that will leave the office of doctors; which is by etymology to teach. I must now end, with my most harty exhortation to move you all to concord; and to shew your earnestness in observing the laws which you have: and especially to be more careful for government of the youth, being, by common report, far out of order, in following all sensuality in sundry things that I will not now name. For I should then speak of sundry things ungrateful to hear; and yet not unknown BOOK to you that are heads of colleges, nor to you that by mariage are heads of families. II. Epist. ep'ales penes me. Number XXXIV. A part of a letter of the bishop of Ely to the lord Burghley; of the ill state of St. John's college: for want of statutes. ALIUD est, quod ædes D. Johannis maxime attingit. Jam agitur triennium fere, quod gregis illius nescio quam visitationem molimur. Statutis illos fraudavimus. Hactenus enim nullis statutis, nullis regulis, nullo regimine, et nullo ordine continentur, nullis fere lectionibus, nullis fere disputationibus, nulla prorsus obedientia, nulla reverentia, omnia confuse, aguntur. Seniorum vix pars dimidia adesse dicitur. Omnes fere huc illucque sparguntur, atque evaguntur. Magister bonus homo; sed sæpe procul abest, sacerdotiisque suis sæpe vacare cogitur. Desideratur et meus et tuus Ithellus. Ex cujus quidem morte, ne unus quidem ex visitatoribus ad me accessit. 157 Unde in tanta tanti collegii confusione et dissipatione, ad te solum in tam gravi et horribili hominum malitia confugere invitus cogor. Scio enim quam undique maximis variisque negotiis adhuc obrueris atque involveris. Facile quidem hoc negotium meo judicio absolvere poteris, si vel antiqua statuta reddideris authoritate regia confirmata, et admodum paucis mutatis, et in ordinem redactis. Hoc autem meo judicio facile tu quidem effeceris, si vel acutius calcar addere digneris istis in academia substitutis. Ipsi enim ad tuum incitamentum in re tanta, tam pia, festinabunt currentque. Est enim, ut Ithellus mihi retulit, ad umbilicum perducta. Utinam autem, ut res tanta perficiatur, priusquam ipse fatis concessero: quod mox futurum esse sperandum est. Dom. Jesus Christus te nobis diutissime servet incolumem. Downamiæ, 18 Junii, 1580. Tuæ celsitudini ex animo longe carissimus, BOOK Number XXXV. The names of all the noblemen and great officers of the queen, from the beginning of her reign till about the year 1580. Drawn up by the lord treasurer Burghley's own hand. Note, Those that have a † standing before their names were then deceased. Lord Chancellors. +Archbishop Hethe. Sir Nich. Bacon. Sir Thomas Bromley. Lord Treasurers. Marquess of Winchester. Lord Burghley. Great Chamberlain. Earl of Oxford, the son. Lord Privy Seal. Lord Paget. Lord Howard. Lord Marshal. +Duke of Norfolk. Earl of Salop. Lord Admiral. LORDS OF THE PRIVY-COUNCIL. + Earl of Oxford, the father. Earl of Lincoln. +Archbishop of York. +Sir Nicolas Bacon. Sir Thomas Bromley. † Marquis of Winchester. Earl of Leicester. + Sir Thomas Parry. Sir William Petre. Sir Ralph Sadleir. +Lord Howard. Lord Hunsdon. + Sir Thomas Cheny. OFFICERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD. BOOK II. Lord Steward. +Earl of Arundel. 158 Lord Chamberlain. + Lord Howard. Treasurer. Sir Thomas Cheney. Comptroller. Sir Thomas Parry. Master of the Horse. Earl of Leicester. Vice-chamberlain. Sir Edward Rogers. Treasurer of the Chamber. Dr. Wylson. Thomas Sackford. Dr. Dale. Master of the Jewel-house. Master of the Wardrobe. Master of the Revels. Sir Thomas Benger. Tylney. Master of the Posts. Steward of the Marshalsea. Knight Marshal. OFFICERS FOR JUSTICE. Lord Chancellor. Sir James Dyer. Sir [Edmund] Anderson. Master of the Rolls. Sir William Cordal. |