CAM 



289 



CAM 



had youth and leisure to be instructed ;" and we learn 

 fiorn the chronicle of thr 1 Iv.lt- Ahbey, that Ed- 

 tcd " halls for the students, and 

 rs and seats for the doctors, at his own charge." 

 In 1010, the town was plundered and burnt by the 

 D.ines; and in the reign of William II. it underwent 

 a similar misfortune from Roger de Montgomery, in 

 retaliation for some affront given him by the king, 

 when the university was for some time abandoned. 

 Though Henry I. in order to induce the students to 

 return, invested the town with several valuable privi- 

 , yet it continued in a very languid state, until 

 " Joffrid, abbot of Croyland," according to Peter 

 Blerensis, in his Appendix to Ingulphus, " sent to 

 his manor of (Tottenham, near Cambridge, Gilbert, 

 his fellow monk, and professor of divinity, who, with 

 three other monks that had followed him to Eng- 

 land, and were well versed in philosophical theorems, 

 and other primitive sciences, repaired daily to Cam- 

 bridge, and having hired a public barn, made open 

 profession of those sciences, and soon collected a great 

 number of scholars." " Out of this little fountain, 

 increased to a great river," continues the same author, 

 " we see how the city of God has become enriched, 

 and England rendered fruitful by the many masters 

 and teachers going forth from Cambridge as from 

 paradise." Its prosperity, however, was again 

 checked by a dreadful fire in 1171, which destroyed 

 most of the churches and houses, and " only stopt," 

 says Fuller, " for want of fuel to feed its fury." 

 During the contest between King John and his ba- 

 rons, the town was successively pillaged by their for- 

 ces ; and in 1281, some very serious disputes arose 

 between the members of the university and the towns- 

 men, concerning their respective rights, which ter- 

 minated in open hostility. The towns people having 

 assembled in a tumultuous manner, committed many 

 flagrant acts of violence against the university. They 

 carried off its charters, records, and other papers, 

 which they burnt in the market-place, and compelled 

 the chancellor and other officers to renounce, under 

 pain of death, all the privileges that had ever been 

 granted to it, and to sign a bond, investing its entire 

 future government in the burgesses of the town. But 

 these daring proceedings were soon stopped by the 

 appearance of the Bishop of Norwich, who, having 

 entered the town with a few soldiers, restored for a 

 time tranquillity to the city, and punished the prin- 

 cipal offenders. The mayor was deprived of his of- 

 fice, the liberties of the town were forfeited, and 

 given to the vice-chancellor; and though the cor- 

 poration was afterwards restored in the reign of 

 Henry VIII., many of its former privileges remain, 

 ed with the university. The animosity between the 

 two parties, however, continued, which often burst 

 forth in acts of hostility and commotion ; and peace 

 was not completely restored to this university until 

 the reign of Elizabeth. About six years after her 

 accession, this princess visited Cambridge, where she 

 was entertained with various dramatic exhibitions, 

 besides orations, disputations, and other academical 

 exercises.; and, at her departure, she recommended 

 to the university, in an elegant Latin speech, " to 

 make the result of their studies public, and lamented 

 that her predecessors had so provided them with 



VOL. V. PART I. 



splendid buildings, that the was placed in the situa- 

 tion of Alexander, who was grieved when he had 

 no more provinces to bestow ; but promised to re- 

 tain their interest in her memory till circumstances 

 admitted of her making a provision for them ade- 

 quate to her intentions." In 1'WO, this city was vi- 

 sited with a dreadful plague, which carried off be- 

 tween three and four hundred of its inhabitants. The 

 students were obliged to retire to their respective 

 homes, and the assizes were removed to Royston. In 

 the contest between Charles I. and his parliament, 

 the university of Cambridge took part with the king, 

 and sent a quantity of their plate to be converted 

 into money for his use. This exposed them to the 

 displeasure of Cromwell, who deprived them of 

 some of their privileges, and levied heavy contribu- 

 tions upon the city. Upon the restoration, however, 

 these privileges were restored, and many new im- 

 provements and regulations were adopted, which 

 have greatly contributed to the peace and prosperity 

 of the university. Since that time, the advancement 

 of its reputation as a seat of learning has been uni- 

 form and uninterrupted. 



The government of the city of Cambridge is vest- 

 ed in the officers of the university and the corpora- 

 tion, the vice-chaHcellor being always a magistrate 

 by virtue of his office. The corporation consists of 

 a mayor, high steward, recorder, twelve aldermen, 

 twenty-four common council men,, four bailiffs, a 

 town clerk, and other officers. It sends four mem- 

 bers to parliament, two for the university, who are 

 chosen by the senate, and two for the city, who are 

 elected by the mayor, bailiffs, and freemen not re- 

 ceiving alms, amounting in all to about 200 voters. 

 According to the census of 1801, Cambridge con- 

 tained 1691 houses, and 10,087 inhabitants, of whom 

 1306 were returned as employed in trade and manu- 

 factures, and 811 as belonging to the university; 

 and in 181 1, the total population was 11,108. North 

 lat. 52 12' 36" ; East long. 4-' 15". See Beau- 

 ties of England and Wales, vol. ii/ p. 21 109 ; Har- 

 raden's Cantabrigia dejncta, Camb. 1811; and the 

 Cambridge Guides, Loud. 1794-. (L) 



CAMBRIDGESHIRE, one of the inland coun- 

 ties of England, is bounded on the north by Lin- 

 colnshire, on the north west by Northamptonshire, 

 on the west by Huntingdonshire, on the south west 

 by Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, on the south by 

 Essex, on the south east by Suffolk, and on the- 

 north-east by Norfolk. 



The northern part of Cambridgeshire consists 

 chiefly of what is called the Isle of Ely, which is a 

 separate district, possessing a jurisdiction of its own. 

 The greater part of this tract is fenny ground, in- 

 tersected by innumerable channels and drains, and 

 forming part of a very spacious level, stretching in- 

 to the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincoln, and 

 Huntingdon. In the midst of these level marshes, 

 the towns and villages built upon the elevated grounds 

 rise like islands from the sea, and may be distinguish- 

 ed at the distance of several miles. All the low 

 grounds which are formed by the stagnation of wa- 

 ter from the overflowing rivers of this tract, are na- 

 turally boggy ; but, by cutting drains and erecting 

 embankments, considerable portions of it have been 

 2o 



