PART cause to encrease our favour towards you, as we shall not III. faile to do accordyngly. Yeven under our signet at York's place the 16th daye of February.

Accepistis modo quod postulat à vobis regia majestas, intelligitis quæ sit ejusdem voluntas, nimirum nihil aliud, nisi ut veritas cujusdam conclusionis agnoscatur atque inter nos determinetur, quam ut sua refert plurimum scire, ita et nos pro studio illo ac amore quem omnes gerere debemus in principem nostrum alioque clementissimum, benignissimum et de nobis omnibus ac achademia nostra optime meritum, omne studium ac diligentiam adhibere debemus, ut quod tam rationabiliter postulaverit, id impetreta nobis. Si de veritate quæstio aliquando emergat, ubi potius aut melius investigaretur, quam inter ipsos veritatis professores, si veritas perquiri debeat, ubi melius quam in ipsa achademia, ubi et bona semper vigent studia, solida judicia, ac mentes ab omni ambitione sunt aliena. Verum ego prudentias vestras prolixiori oratione non detinebo, vobis ac vestro judicio ista relinquam. Est cuique suus animus liber ac ingenuus. Dictet cuique in hac causa conscientia sua, quod melius expedire viderit. Ego quod ad officium meum spectat, perficiam sedulo, nempe ut primi consulantur seniores, quid melius in hoc negotio putent faciendum, deinde et vestras scrutabitur sententias atque suffragia postulabimus.

Dixi.

The forme of the grace that was axed and graunted in the accomplisment of the kyng's requeste.

PLACET vobis ut vicecancellarius, doctores, Salcot, Watson, Reps, Thomson de collegio Michaelis, Venetus, Edmonds, Downes, Wygan, Crome, Boston, et magistri, Mydelton, Heynes, Mylsente, Shaxton, Latymer, Symon, Mathew, Longforthe, Thyxtell, Nycols, Hutton, Skyp, Goodrick, Hethe, Hadway, Deye, et Bayne, una cum procuratoribus, habeant plenam facultatem et authoritatem nomine totius universitatis, respondendi literis regiæ majestatis in hac congregatione lectis, ac nomine totius universi

II.

tatis deffiniendi et determinandi quæstionem in eisdem literis BOOK propositam: ita quod quicquid duæ partes eorum presentium inter se decreverint respondendum dictis literis, et deffinierint ac determinaverint super quæstione proposita in eisdem, habeatur et reputetur pro responsione, deffinitione et determinatione totius universitatis. Et quod liceat vicecancellario, procuratoribus, scrutatoribus, literis super dictarum duarum partium responsione, deffinitione, et determinatione, concipiendis, sigillum commune universitatis apponere: sic quod publice disputetur, et antea legantur coram universitate absque ulteriori gratia, desuper obtinenda aut petenda.

9. die Martii.

Haudquaquam vos fugit (opinor) clariss. viri ac senatores gravissimi, ut nuper excellentissimi principis nostri literas acceperitis, quibus cum super quadam quæstione inter illum ac illustrissimam reginam controversâ, nostram sententiam desideraret, flagitaret impense, nos (ut nos decuit) tanti principis petitioni haudquaquam inique morem gerere volentes, tandem in illam omnium (presertim seniorum) suffragiis convenimus sententiam, ut selectis quibusdam sacræ theologiæ tum professoribus tum bacchalauriis ac aliis magistris, tantam quæstionem examinandi, determinandi, ac deffiniendi, nomine totius universitatis provincia delegaretur. Illi (inter quos et ego minimus à vobis selectus) tantæ rei curam demandatam agentes, omni consultatione, deliberatione, diligentiâ, ac sacræ scripturæ locorum conferentiâ, tum etiam interpretum, denique publicâ disputatione præmissis, tandem ad illius quæstionis determinationem ac diffinitionem devenerunt. Super quâ ut nullus est vestrum (quibus ea provincia commissa est) qui aut ambigere aut refragari possit: ita et vobis omnibus (quod et gratia à vobis concessa postulat) eandem compertam esse volumus. Accipite igitur ac amplectimini, quod vestra causa, vestrisque nominibus, à fratribus vestris, per ingentes labores, ac summam industriam exantlatum est. Determinatio in hiis scriptis comprehensa sic habet.

PART

III.

Nos universitas studentium academiæ Cantabrigiensis, omnibus infra scripta lecturis auditurisve salutem. Cum occasione causæ matrimonialis, inter invictissimum et potentissimum principem et dominum nostrum Henricum octavum Dei gratia Angliæ Franciæque regem, fidei defensorem, ac dominum Hiberniæ, et illustrissimam dominam Catharinam reginam controversæ, de illa quæstione nostra rogaretur sententia: videlicet, An sit jure divino et naturali prohibitum, ne frater ducat in uxorem relictam fratris mortui sine liberis? Nos de ea re deliberaturi more solito convenientes; atque communicatis consiliis, matura consultatione tractantes quomodo, quo ordine ad investigationem veritatis certius procederetur, ac omnium tandem suffragiis, selectis quibusdam ex doctissimis sacræ theologiæ professoribus, bachalauriis, ac aliis magistris ea cura demandata, ut scrutatis diligentissime sacræ scripturæ locis, illisque collatis referrent ac renunciarent, quid ipsi dictæ quæstioni respondendum putarent. Quoniam auditis, perpensis, ac post publicam super dicta quæstione disputationem matura deliberatione discussis hiis, quæ in quæstione prædicta alterutram partem statuere et convellere possint; illa nobis probabiliora, validiora, veriora, etiam et certiora, ac genuinum et syncerum sacræ scripturæ intellectum præ se ferentia, interpretum etiam sententiis magis consona visa sunt, quæ confirmant et probant, jure divino et naturali prohibitum esse, ne frater uxorem fratris mortui sine liberis accipiat in conjugem : illis igitur persuasi, et in unam opinionem convenientes, ad quæstionem prædictam ita respondendum decrevimus, et in hiis scriptis, nomine totius universitatis respondemus, ac pro conclusione nobis solidissimis rationibus et validissimis argumentis comprobata affirmamus, quod ducere uxorem fratris mortui sine liberis, cognitam à priori viro per carnalem copulam, nobis Christianis hodie est prohibitum jure divino ac naturali. Atque in fidem et testimonium hujusmodi nostræ responsionis et affirmationis, hiis literis sigillum nostrum commune curavimus apponi. Dat. congregatione nostra Cantabrigiæ, die nono Martii anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo vi

cesimo nono. Dominica 2. Quadragesimæ anno Domini BOOK 1529. in Wyndesor.

Delivered by me W. B. vicechancellour in the chambre

of presence, post vesperas.

Your universitie of Cambridge have them most humbly commended unto your grace, and here thei have sent unto your highness their letters. Than kisse them and so deliver them.

Furthermore as touching your request expressed in your letters dyrected unto them by Mr. Secretary and Mr. Fox your most wyse counsaillers in th' accomplishing of the same, they have don their devors, and here in writing under their comon seale, thei have sent unto your grace ther sentence, desyring the same to accept, and to take it in parte and good worthe. And if thei had any thing ellys to gratify your grace wythall, their lettres and their studies, your highness shuld be suer therof to the uttermost of their powers.

MS. C. C. C. Given to the college by Dr. Jegon master.

To the right worshipfull master doctor Edmonds, vicar of
Alborne in Wiltshire.

My duty remembred, I hartily commend me unto you,
and I let you understand, that Dominica Secunda at after-
noon, I came to Wyndsor, and also to part of Mr. Latymer's
sermon, and after the end of the same, I spake with Mr.
Secretary, and also with Mr. Provost, and so after even-song,
I delivered our letters in the chamber of presence, all the
court beholding. The king with Mr. Secretary did there
read them, but not the letters of determination, notwith-
standing that I did there also deliver them, with a proposi-
tion. His highness gave me there great thanks, and talked
with me a good while. He much lauded our wisedomes
and good conveyance in the matter, with the great quietness
in the same.
He shewed me also what he had in his hands
for our university, according unto that, that Mr. Secretary

II.

III.

PART did express unto us, &c. So he departed. But by and by, he greatly praised Mr. Latimer's sermon, and in so praising sayd on this wise, This displeaseth greatly Mr. Vicechancellour yonder. Yon same, sayd he unto the duke of Norfolk, is Mr. Vicechancellour of Cambridge, and so pointed unto me, Then he spake secretly unto the said duke, which after the king's departure came unto me, and wellcomed me, saying amongst other things, that the king would speak with me on the next day; and here is the first act. On the next day, I waited untill it was dinner time; and so at the last Dr. Butt came unto me, and brought a reward, twenty nobles for me, and five marks for the younger procter, which was with me; saying that I should take that for a resolute answere, and that I might depart from the court, when I would. Then came Mr. Provost, and when I had shewed him of the answere, he sayd, I should speak with the king at after dinner for all that, and so brought me into a privy place, where as he would have me to wait at after dinner. I came thither and he both, and by one of the clock, the king entred in. It was in a gallery. There were Mr. Secretary, Mr. Provost, Mr. Latimer, Mr. Proctor, and I, and no more: the king there talked with us, untill six of the clock. I assure you, he was scarce contented with Mr. Secretary and Mr. Provost, that this was not also determined, An papa possit dispensare, &c. I made the best, and confirmed the same that they had shewed his grace before, and how it would never have been so obtained. He opened his minde, saying, that he would have it determined at after Ester, and of the same was counsailed a while.

&c.

I pray you therefore study for us, for our business is not yet at an end, An papa potest dispensare cum jure divino, Much other communication we had, which were too long here to recite. Thus his highness departed, casting a little holy water of the court: and I shortly after toke my leave of Mr. Secretary and Mr. Provost, with whom I did not drink, ne yet was bidden, and on the morrow departed from thence, thinking more than I did say, and being glad that I was out of the court, where many men, as I did both