Feb. II. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



131 



on Iiis cap, and spared not to excite his brethren to 

 vindicate that custom, now in a manner forgotten ; 

 and, having got over one of the Regents to be more 

 zealous in the matter than himself, procured the hands 

 of most, if not all, of them to be set to a petition (in 

 order to be sent to the Chancellor of the University), 

 for the effecting and bringing about the matter. But 

 the Vicechancellor, Dr. Singleton, having had timely 

 notice of the design, sends a full relation of the matter 

 to the Chancellor; whereupon answer was returned, 

 that he should deal therein as he should think fit. 

 "Wightwicke, therefore, being called into question for 

 endeavouring to subvert the honour and government 

 of the University, whereby he ran himself into perjury 

 (he having before taken an oath to keep and maintain 

 the rites, customs, and privileges of the University), 

 was banished, and his party, who had proved false to 

 him, severely checkt by the Chancellor. 



" At length Wightwicke's friends, laying open to him 

 the danger that he would run himself into, if he should 

 not seek restauration and submit, did, after his peevish 

 and rash humour had been much courted to it, put up 

 a petition (subscribed in his behalf by the Bishop of 

 London and Sir John Bennett) to the Chancellor of 

 the University for his restauration, which being with 

 much ado granted, but with this condition, that he 

 make an humble recantation in the Convocation, sent 

 to his Vicechancellor what should be done in the 

 matter, and among other things thus : — ' For the 

 manner of his submission and recognition which he 

 is to make, I will not take upon me to direct, but 

 leave yt wholy unto your wisdomes, as well for manner 

 as for the matter; only thus much generally I will in- 

 timate unto you, that the affront and offence com- 

 mitted by Whittwicke in the Congregation House by 

 his late insolent carriage there was very great and 

 notorious, and that offence afterwards seconded and 

 redoubled by another as ill or worse than the former, 

 in his seditious practizing and procuring a multitude of 

 handes, thereby thinking to justifie and maintain his 

 former errors, and his proud and insolent disobedience 

 and contempt. I hold yt therefore very requisite that 

 his submission and recognition, both of the one fault 

 and of the other, should be as publique and as humble 

 as possibly with conveniencye may bee. Which being 

 thus openly done, as I hope yt will bee a good example 

 to others, to deter them from committing the like of- 

 fence hereafter, so I do also wishe this his punishment 

 may.be only ad correctionem et non ad destructionem.' 



" This being the effect of the Chancellor's mind, 

 Wightwicke was summoned to appear to make his 

 submission in the next Convocation, which being held 

 25 June this year, he placed himself in the middle of 

 St. Mary's chancel, and spoke with an audible voice as 

 followeth : 



" ' Ornatissime Domine Procancellarie, vosque Do- 

 mini Doctores pientissimi, quotquot me vel bannien- 

 dum vel bannitionem meam ratam esse voluistis ut 

 vobis omnibus et singulis innotescat discupio : me 

 Henricum Whitwicke pileum coram Domino Vice- 

 cancellario Thotna Singleton capiti baud ita pridem 

 imposuisse, quod nemini Magistrorum in Congrega- 

 tione vel Convocatione [in presentia Domini Vicecan- 

 cellarii aut Doctoris alicujus] licere fateor. Scitote 



quaeso praeterea, me supradictum Henricum a sen- 

 tentia Domini Vicecancellarii ad venerabilem Domum 

 Congregationis provocasse, quod nee licitum nee 

 honestum esse in causa perturbationis pacis facile con- 

 cedo. Scitote denique me solum, manus Academi- 

 corum egregie merentium Theologia Baccalaureorum 

 et in Artihus Magistrorum in hac corona astantium 

 Collegiatim et Aulatim cursitando rescripto appo- 

 nendas curasse, in quibus omnibus Praefectis [summe] 

 displicuisse, in pacem alma? hujus Academiae et in dig- 

 nissimum nostrum Procancellarium deliquisse, parum 

 nolenti animo confiteor, et sanctitates vestras humillime 

 imploro, ut quae vel temere et inconsultd, vel volenter 

 et scienter feci, ea, ut deceat homines, condonentur. 

 • Henricus Wightwicke.' 



Which submission or recognition being ended, he 

 was restored to his former state, and so forthwith re- 

 assumed his place. But this person, who was lately 

 beneficed at Kingerbury in Lincolnshire, could never 

 be convinced, when he became Master of Pembroke 

 College, forty-six years after this time, that he made 

 any submission at all, but carried the business on and 

 effected it against all the University ; as to his young 

 acquaintance that came often to visit him and he them 

 (for he delighted in boyish company), he would, after 

 a pedantical way, boast, supposing perhaps that, having 

 been so many years before acted, no person could re- 

 member it ; but record will rise up and justify matters 

 when names and families are quite extirpated and for- 

 gotten among men. Pray see more of this cap-business 

 in the year 1620." 



" 1620. — In the beginning of Michaelmas Term fol- 

 lowing, the cap-business, mentioned an. 1614, was re- 

 newed again : for some disrelishment of the former 

 transactions remaining behind, the Regent Masters 

 met together several times for the effecting their de- 

 signs. At length, after much ado, they drew up a 

 petition subscribed by fifty-three of the senior Masters 

 for this year, and presented it to one whom they knew 

 would not be violent against them, as Dr. Singleton 

 was before. The beginning of it runs thus : 



" • Reverendissimo Viro Domino Doctori Prideaux 

 ornatissimo hujus Academiae Vicecan. digniss, &c. 



" ' Multa jamjudum sunt (reverendissime Vicecan- 

 cellarie) qua? ab antiquis hujus Academiae institutis 

 salubriter profecta, mala tandem consuetudo, et in 

 pejus potens aut abrogavit penitus aut pessime corru- 

 pit, &c.' 



" Among those that subscribed to it were these fol- 

 lowing, that afterwards became persons of note, viz. 

 Gilbert Sheldon, Alexand. Gill, jun., and Anthony 

 Farndon, of Trinity Coll. ; Pet, Heylin of Magd. 

 Coll. [Robert Newlin of C. C. C, &c.]. The chief 

 solicitor of the business was Rous Clopton of Corpus 

 Ch. Coll., a restless, busy person, and one afterwards 

 as much noted for his infamy as any of the former for 

 their learning or place. This petition, I say, being 

 presented to Dr. Prideaux the Vicechancellor, and he 

 considering well their several reasons for their sitting 

 covered (one of which was that they were Judges in 

 Congregations and Convocations), sent it to the Chan- 

 cellor to have his consent, who also, after he had con- 

 sidered of it, wrote a letter to the Vicechancellor, to 



