Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A86668
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Halifax Lavv translated to Oxon: or, the nevv visitors Iustice, displayed in a letter to a friend, concerning the late reformation begun there by the E. of Pembroke. More particularly in Brasen-Nose Colledge, and S. Johns.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing H323; Thomason E437_13; ESTC R204707
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5,941
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8
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HALIFAX LAW TRANSLATED TO OXON OR The Nevv Visitors Iustice Displayed in a Letter to a Friend concerning the late Reformation begun there by the E. of Pembroke More particularly in Brasen-Nose Colledge and S. Johns Printed in the Year 1648. YOur last Letters Gentle Sir shew me that you keep close to your old wont and are stil as eager after Newes as other Men are after Meat You shew me that you would be satisfied how it fareth with your Mother the Vniversity in this new-found Visitation How with your Nurse the Colledge of Brasen Nose where you were trained How with the President of S. John's unto whom you professe your selfe obliged for some special Favour afforded unto you in the renewing of your Lease from the Church of Sarum by his meanes as Dean I see your desire and the Method how you would be satisfied and I shall endeavour for the staying of your stomake untill some one of more leasure may cook you out a full Meal to give you a Taste of each of those Dishes which you have named unto me On Tuesday April 11. My Lord of Pembroke came to Oxon in the common expectation attended with Gentlemen of the Countrey and Men of speciall Ranke and Quality but in very deed accompanied with a very lanke and mean Retinue before him came five Beadles that would be and the Clergy Visitours with some of their Seekers who were in hope to rake something out of the Rubbish when their Masters had ruined the Colledges there followed his Honour some Gentlemen of his own Houshold and thence unto Merton Colledge an Herde of Townesmen and ragged Gownes who were entertained as they conceive all alike with an Oration from M. Cheynel he telling them that Englishmen were to be entertained in the English Tongue and so after some few Words answerable to this latter part of his Auditory he shut his Mouth and the Roat came backe with open Mouth that they had often seen Sir Cranion or the Fly at Whitsuntide fetched in by the Cookes of Oxon with much more grace and solemnity On Wednesday his Lordship was brought to the Convocation-house his five Staffe-less Beadles preceding with empty hands and his five Visitours with empty heads pursuing his Honour it is agreed these later were empty heads but it was discovered by a secret Spy that Langley a broken Tailour who first led the Beadles without Staves had a Needle in his hand which he bore they say as Ensigne that the Visitours were now come who meant to botch up the Vniversity or otherwise as the onely prosse that these Men were the Fellowes indeed who were like to make good the Latin Proverbe Rem acu targe and to put out the Eye of the Vniversity with their Needle On Thursday his Lordship went to divers Colledges with these Nothings before and behind him who to make themselves passe for something had joyned unto them a Torne-breech'd Smith with a Cyclopian Sledge or Hammer and that was the thing which made the terrible noyse and proclaimed those Visitors what they are the Enemies to all Doores which might keep in Sober men and Students This Magdalen Colledge Alsoules and Trinity Colledge were made sensible of whose doors being broken down to the ground were made the only things pertaining to Learning which sell down and worshiped these those those c. On Friday his Lordship went out of the Town not one Begger retarding his passage with a breath to beg for an Almes Some unhappy Iacks have collected that either the poor were very glad to be rid of their new Chancellor or other wise that they had resolved to take Almes at no hand but from whence they might likewise hope for a blessing But that I may not surfeit you while I am giving you the Tast I promised you shall now heare the last of this Pageantry or ante-dated May-game The Chancellor being departed the younger Frye spend their Mouths and judgements upon him That he came into the Towne like a Botcher proceded to knock down Learning like a Butcher and went out like a Pinch-penny But these were the extravagancies of younger and wilder Fancies The more Authentick and Sober men were very sparing of their words but sure they payd it with thinking Yet some of them were heard to say at a close meeting that it was a marvellous condescention for a Gentleman of so Noble Birth and so much Honour to be led up and downe a City in the execution of a Petty-Constables Office for the breaking open of Gates and Doores according as a company of Cock-braind men a Medlye or Composition of Fooles Knaves and Madmen should direct him How say you Is not your Mother the Vniversity in a ready way to become a famous and glorious Vniversity just after the same manner as her Foster-Father hath been made a most famous and glorious King Your Nurse hath been long sick in her head but little looked for such Physitians who cure not but by killing The plaine and breife English is this Vpon Thursday night last the Visitors came unto Brasen-nose Colledge went into the Hall caused the Order from the Committee above to be read wherein it was declared that Dr. Ratcliffe was thought guilty by the Commons of high Contempt of Parliament and thereupon resolved that he should be removed from being Principall and Mr. Greenwood should bee made Principall in his place The Visitors without more adoe D. Ratcliffe the Principall-remaining in full possession and his place being never declared actually voyd put Mr. Greenwood into possession But you must not call this an Error among them with whom it hath ever passed currant that the house which they have a mind unto admitteth not of the distinction of Plena and Vacua Voidable and Voyded But is as pervious to these holy men as is the aire to a celestiall body or the light Well Sir the Earle of Pembroke telleth Mr. Greenwood out of the Vn-eccing Chaire which ruleth at the high Messe at Brasen-nose that he was Principal And Mr. Cheynell immediately telleth my Lord that he must now rise out of the Chair and give Mr. Greenwood the place The first President that any called Chancellor gave way to any of the Vniversity in any place of the Vniversity But the headie Cheynell would have it so and the good dutifull Lord obeyed and came out of the Chaire and set Mr. Greenwood in it and then Mr. Greenwood came out and both of them together went out of the Colledges so they were in and out and out and in and out throughout Doctor Baylie at St. Johns had some faire play for his Presidentship But little better successe He met the blow which was to smite him beside his Head-ship in the Quadrangle and so was taken by the Earl of Pembroke and the Visitors into the Colledge Hall and admitted to heare his Doome the Fatall and irrespective Decree of the Committee which condemneth and executeth before men have done any Evill and cannot be
prevented though you should do never so much Good Mutatis mutandu Names and the like what was read at other Colledges was repeated at St. Johns and the Doctor required by the Earle of Pembrooke to put in his Answer Which was as soon done as demanded The Doctor instantly replying That he conceived the Honourable Houses of Parliament had never either seen or heard the Answer which he had formerly in writing given up unto the prentending Visitors of Oxford His reason this For that he had humbly presented in that Paper 8. severall Clauses of Statute which bound him by a Corporall Oath and the rest of the Fellowes of that Colledge to admit of no other Visitors under paine of Perjury and Expulsion from the Colledge for ever then the Visitor precisely named in the Statute The words running all along Nulli alij nec aliis sub penâ perjurij amotionis perpetuae ne admittant with exception against Quemcunque and Quoscunque Alium vel alsos intra vel extra Collegium tacite vel expresse sed eis resistam expressè c. And more as my Curiositie hath since been witnesse of I prevailing with a Fellow of that House to shew me the Answer which the Doctor put in to the Visitors whereof he had a Copy Whereto the Doctor further added That in the Answer returned by him to the Visitors he had humbly besought them so far to mediate with the Parliament in the behalfe of himselfe and his Colledge as that hee and they might be referred for strict examination upon any accusation commenced against them unto any Court of Iustice in the Kingdom or be any other wayes most strictly Sifted and Adjudged save only by this Course in present propounded Which upon their entertainement of it manifestly involved them in Perjury and for this one very Act of Submission rendred them so obnoxious that if no other Argument of Offence could be possibly made good against them yet these Visitors might have recourse to this act of their Submission and for this justly accuse convince and condemne them of Perjury and accordingly statutably amove and expell them for ever our of their Colledges The Statutes of our particular Colledges are all I beleeve like unto these Ours I am sure are and so I presume our severall Pleas do and must respectively accord with this of the Doctors This first reply of the Doctors was received by the Earle with this Answer that the Commissioners above had interpreted him guilty of high Contempt and for an adjunct avoiding of this first reply of the Doctors it was avouched by Mr. Wilkinson that the Committe above had seen or heard his Answer which made some of us who stood by ome what to wonder at the acutenesse of the Committee who out of a mans tendernesse not to be Perjur'd and his voluntary Provocation to be tryed by any Publike course of Law in the Kingdome should extract the guilt of high Contempt against the authority of Parliament But the Doctor easily waved this first Plea and upon the Earles Allegation of the Committees judgement being by the Earle urged to further Answer then openly called to his Lordship and the whole company of some hundreds present to witnesse that however the Committee were pleased to interpret him and his past or words or deeds that hee tooke God to witnesse that he was most ready to submit to all authority and in the present and heretofore he is and had been ready to submit unto the Orders of this Parliament in all things which consisted with the safety of his Conscience and Lively-hood For the Rationality wherof he first referred to the law of God and his Son Christ and for the other to the law of Nature and this Kingdom And here he tooke the Liberty to enlarge himselfe that the things hee craved were First the liberty of a Christian to wit that he might not be forced to do any thing contrary to the Law of God and his Son Christ In particular that he might not be forced to Forswear himself Secondly the Liberty of a Free-born Subject granted in Magna Charta by H. 3. received by Ed. 3. continued by al Parliaments from H. 3. more precisely renewed in the 3. of K. Charles where his Lordship thought it ht to crave the same by himselfe from the King and to grant it to other Subjects as a Peere and Member of that Parliament The Doctor to bring himselfe and his Discourse home to the businesse in agitation observed that there were punctually two things required of him in the present Visitation First that he should submit to these Visitors The second that he should for non-submitting divest himselfe of all Emoluments and remove himselfe out of the Colledge to each of which he regested in order First that by the first he must be enforced to involve himselfe in Perjury and for that he plainly professed that no Authority under the Sun should prevail with him so to do and thereby to lose the Liberty of a Christian and incur the main hazard of his soul For the other he appealed to his Lordship and all the by-standers whether it could be adjudged reasonable that he should lend or arme or knife to the cutting of his own throat Divers other things were alleaged by the Doctor which though they had no present answer yet they obtained promise of answer from some Lawyer present when they should come again to visit that is when the Doctor shall be absolutely turn'd out and not there to reply His Lordship for conclusion vouched a saying of the old Lord Burleight that A Parliament could do any thing but turne a man into a woman and a woman to a man Whereat the Westminster Lads who know Hide Parke and the Spaing Garden and that my Lord had in his younger dayeâ— made that easie enough laughed in their sheves and the company were now to wait on his Lordship unto the Presidents Lodging where he meant formally to dispossesse the Doctor and induct M Cheynel in the Hall was the Doctors wife and children on whom Sir Nath. Brent was pleased to cast a favourable eye and drawing towards Mrs Baily while the Doctor was talking with my Lord moved her to accept of a fortnight for removal of her sick children and goods she replied lesse than a moneth would not suffice the Lord over-hearing the discourse interponed and after some words used by his Lordship to Mis Baily professed to the Doctor that he was willing to yield him any favour and would consider with the Visitors what might be done for him The Doctor civilly acknowledged his Lordships pronenesse to favour him but in this particular he renounced favour and professed that he onely expected justice The Lord replied he must turne the Doctor out and give M. Cheynel possession The Doctor replied he might use his pleasure but he hoped his Lordship did not expect that he or could or would contribute to his own prejudice Much pâ—ate these was but in fine they left the Doctor without a formal Voydance with some shew that a moneth should be indulged for the removal of his goods we conceived it might be so Yet smee we hear that the Visitors have agreed and will print the same that Doctor Barly upon condition of compliance with M. Cheynell and the like shall enjoy part of his Lodging for a Moneth being deprived of all other Emoluments How the Doctor will bear this whom we know to be of a natural stoutnesse and well setled upon his Principles we know not but we thinke him very much mistaken by the Visitors who put him to stoop to one so much belovv him and to derive his Water from a stinking Channell as yet he is in the Colledge but providing I must tell you suddenly to remove his Goods And truly I must further adde that my selfe though yet unquestioned am not like to hold long the Place I obtained vvhen I left Brasen Nose I vvill not have any Fellovvship vvith and among these Wretches into vvhose hearts the Devil I fear hath entred and filled them full of all iniquity that he may bring them to destruction both of body and soul The God of Heaven purge their hearts from this Gall of bitternesse and lose them from this bond and Covenant of iniquity otherwise God preserve your and my soul that they enter not at any time into their Counsels So I am yours Oxen April 17. 1648. POSCRIPT One pretty odde Passage there was betwixt Sir Will. Cob and the Doctor and you shall have it for Marmalade to close up your stomacke The Doctor strongly assevering something said as I thinke In good Faith Sir Wil. harving ruminated a good space on the businesse at length as in aneztasie cries out Blasplemy horrid blasphemy Is there never a Iustice of Peace here This made a general silence untill the Doctor spake to Sir William and desired to know what it was that caused him thus to amuse the Company Sir Will. replied The Doctor had blasphemed The Doctor asketh In what The Knight replied In swearing by your Faith The Doctor said He did not remember that he 〈◊〉 used those words but admit he had he desired to know where the blasphemy 〈◊〉 In this said the Knight for that you have sworne by that which is none of your own that is your Faith How said the Doctor By your good leave Sir Wil. my Faith â—â—mine own and if you mean to be saved you must get you a Faith of your own it will be a hard matter for you to live by the Faith of another Yea find the Knight Your Faith is none of your own it is the Gift of God Then rehâ—â—ed the Doctor It is so much the more mine own for what freer than gift Inâ—â—d Sir Will you are here quite beside the Cushion I confesse replied Sir Wil. that I 'am no Doctor True said the Doctor nor Phisician And so the Tongue … bat ended and the Foyles were laid down on both sider FINIS