in a manner that was to be very nicely handled, yet, I suppose, the queen did not think herself bound to take notice of these losses, which with more reason should have been done by her sister. And this, I believe, was 5 the last time that the society ever offered at a reparation, and what was now done was undoubtedly by intimation from their chancellor, who had been a member of the college. Verses were likewise hung round the court upon the 10 occasion, and Mr Lewknore a blooming wit presented the queen with a gratulatory poem: and that nothing might be wanting to engage her favour, the lord Robert (as he is there styled) her great favourite, had been invited before to the college by the chancellor and received with an oration 15 spoken by Mr Becon afterwards public orator, being more than was done for the earls of Oxford and Rutland, though both of them lodged at the college with the chancellor. This is the sum of what passed here on this great occasion, in all which Mr Curteis did the college most honour, 20 and thereby gained such reputation as laid the grounds of his rising fortunes. The master was then a very young man, and not having attained to the degree of doctor of divinity, could have no share in the public exercise: but though he had no opportunities of shewing his learning, 25 yet in these proceedings he has the character given him of a pious, prudent man, a fit character for a governor. He appears to have been a man of business and a noted preacher, a thing much valued in those days; he was chose college preacher an. 1561, and the same year 30 preacher for the university. He commenced D.D. in the year 1567, and the year after was vicechancellor; when he cautioned for his exercise' propter multa et magna tum publica tum privata negotia, which caution he forfeited, and went off from his mastership the year follow35 ing. What these great affairs were I cannot say, but he had good preferments, being prebendary of Worcester2, dean of Chester, and November 9, 1567 he was collated 1 Regr. acad. He was admitted prebendary of Worcester that year, viz. an. 1568; prebendary of Dur ham the year before, 1567. 2 The prebendary of Worcester was Dr John Longworth. to a prebend of Durham' then void by the deprivation of Thomas Leaver; which last preferment he resigned and was succeeded therein by Francis Bunny Maii 9 an. 1572. Nor can I say anything of his principles, further than 5 that the Geneva psalters were continued in his time, that paxes and other stuff was sold out of the vestry, and one cope to Dr Pilkington, which I dare say he never wore. In his time likewise the university cross was sold, which having been purchased by contributions from the 10 several colleges, each college received back their due proportion, and St John's college had its share'. This was done under Dr Beaumont's vice-chancellorship, when the university copes and vestments of silk and velvet, the surplice, the altar-cloths, mass and dirige book, the 15 chalice with the patine, etc. were likewise sold3. The reasons why he left the college do not evidently appear (for he survived his mastership); his great and arduous affairs, before spoken of, might call him somewhere else this is certain, he had reason to be weary, 20 the college being then in great disorder; Mr Cartwright now of Trinity had infected his friends of St John's college, particularly Mr Fulke, and it was under this master that I should suspect Fulk was expelled the college for his disaffection to the church's discipline (for he was chose 25 fellow an. 1564, and afterwards chose the second time an. 1567), were it not that the master's inclinations seem to have lain against it, and that bishop Wren says this happened after Fulk was bachelor of divinity. Fulke took his degree of B.D. an. 1568, the same year with 30 Nich. Shepheard who succeeded Dr Longeworth; and having commenced the same year, they might seem to have had the same views. Fulk going off within the year 1 Regr. Dunelm. * Regr. coll. 3 Comput. acad. 4 I have since seen the whole proceeding against Dr Longworth, the articles brought in charge against him and his defence, with the bishop of Ely the visitor's letters, whence it appears that Dr L. was expelled 5 Regr. coll. 6 De custodibus Pembr. that Shepheard was admitted master, his expulsion must have happened at that time, when there being likewise a visitation of the college by the bishop of Ely, the visitor's power might be taken in. In 15691 I find his 5 business in agitation before the chancellor, which probably determined in a visitation. And might there not be somewhat of discontent at the bottom, which sometimes steals in insensibly upon good men, that whilst Mr Fulke was unquestionably the much greater man, yet Mr Shepheard 10 was preferred? For see whither men may be transported by their passions! Mr Fulk, being expelled the college, erects an academy in the town at the Falcon inn and there reads lectures to his pupils: in one thing more happy than his friend Mr Cartwright, that he was either 15 soon brought off or came to a better temper; for in 1572 Maii 25' I find him admitted doctor in a very honourable manner, being presented (in the queen's chapel at her palace of St James) by Dr Wm. Latimer to the bishop of Rochester Dr Freak, and admitted by him to the degree 20 of doctor of divinity, and his admission signified by letters from that bishop to the university. Dr Longeworth died an. 1579, which year his deanery of Chester, a prebend of Worcester and his rectory of Cockfield became void by his death. In the last he was suc25 ceeded by Jo. Knewstub B.D., who, as he was fellow of the same college, so was of the same persuasion with the master. 1 Comput. dris Young procan. an. 1569. This is confirmed by Fulke's epistle dedicatory to the earl of Leicester before his prælectiones in Apocalypsin, dated Dec. 31 an. 1573, wherein he says it was then four years since that earl had vindicated him from the calumnies of his enemies, and had taken him into his service. 2 Regr. acad. an. 1572. NICHOLAS SHEPHERD' THIRTEENTH MASTER, ADMITTED DECEMBER 17 AN. 1569. NOTWITHSTANDING Dr Fulk's great worth that afterwards brought him to the mastership of Pembroke hall, Nicholas Shepherd B.D. succeeded as master here Decem. 17 an. 15692. He was born in Westmoreland, originally fellow of St John's college, but was now vice-master of 5 Trinity, where he had served as proctor in the college course. What good fortune brought him hither is to me uncertain, only having come in over Dr Fulke and against such a preponderancy of merit, it is probable he had better principles to recommend him3: and yet even these might 10 be suspected from his having been brought into Trinity about the same time with Mr Cartwright under Dr Beaumont, did not some respects shewn him afterwards by Dr Whitgift speak in his favour. Whatever he was, there was now great need of men of 15 principles, a design being formed of regulating and reforming the growing disorders of the university, to which purpose amongst others a new body of statutes was given an. 1570. And these statutes having been drawn up by the advice of Dr Whitgift and others of the leading heads 20 under the direction of the chancellor, a great power was thereby lodged in the heads, and the power of the body, particularly of the regents who had formerly a large share in the government, was now much abridged and limited. Most of the confessors, who had gained such a reputa- 25 tion by their sufferings as not to be touched, were now gone off or dead. Mr Cartwright the head of the remain 1 Or Shepperd. * Regr. coll. 3 See Mr Strype's Life of arch bishop Grindall, p. 152, chap. XV. [bk. 1.] MS. D. Whitgift; MS. D. Gale. ing party, who had got into the lady Margaret's chair1 and had there impugned the discipline and government of the church, was now called upon to answer for his opinions, and being unwilling to retract them, having been before 5 censured by Dr May by substraction of his stipend, being admonished the second time and persisting in his refusal, he was deprived of his lecture by Dr Whitgift vice-chancellor with the consent of his assessors, and prohibited to preach any more in the university; and Dr Still a very 10 active man was brought into that lecture, and the like care was taken in other particulars. There can hardly be a clearer argument of the great disorder the university was then in, than from the objections that were made to these new statutes in a petition or 15 remonstrance' presented to the chancellor, signed by a great many hands, especially of the regents. It might have been expected that the great power given the heads in nominating two to the university's choice and their negative in all grants and elections in private colleges should be made an 20 objection; but that the habits and vestments should be thought to countenance popery, or that the liberty of the gospel should seem to be restrained by these statutes, when men cannot speak openly against the religion received or the communion-book, or against any office, degree, state or dignity within the realm 25 by expressing the name or person that doth offend3, this indeed is very surprising; and yet so it was, and this petition and these objections, signed by the hands of such men as Richard Fletcher, Humphrey Tyndall, Richard Cosin, Robert Bennet, Osmund Lake, Edmund Barwell, Godfrey 30 Goldisburgh, John Hanson, Richard Bancrofte and many others, afterwards men of considerable note and character in the church; particularly Mr Beacon of St John's college, then public orator and proctor, was an active leading man, whereby he incurred the displeasure of the chancellor, for35 merly his patron and great admirer. Notwithstanding which opposition, these objections being answered by those heads that had compiled the statutes, and the objections and answers being referred to the archbishops of Canter2 Dat. Maii 6, 1572. 3 MS. coll. Corp. Chr. Tit. statut. acad. 1 Regr. acad. |