Queene Katherine, shalbe diffinitively, clearely and absolutely declared, deemed and adiudged to be and stand with Gods Law and his most holy word, and to bee accepted, reputed and taken of good effect and validitie, to all intents and purposes.
Anno secundo & tertio Philippi & Mariæ.
CAP. XV.
An Act that Purveiours shall not take victuals within five miles of Cambridge and Oxford.
"Humbly sue to your Majesties, the Societies, Colledges, and Companies of your true and faithfull subjevts, and daily oratours, the Scholers, and Students of both your Majesties Uniuersities, Cambridge, and Oxford, that where it hath beene accustomed time out, of mind, that both the said market townes of Cambridge and Oxford, wherein the: said two Universities se set, and the circuit of five miles next adjoyning, hath beene free from any charge or molestation of any common takers, or Purueiours for victuall, whereby the said markets, were more plentifully serued with victuall, and the poore estate of a great multitude of Scholers, having very bare and small sustentation, thereby relieved, and now by the meanes that contrary to the same laudable custome, divers purveiours and takers, have of late excessively frequented the same Market, and thereby given occasion to make victuals more skant, and much dearer to a notorious decay of Scholers, which also daily in this great dearth is like to increase, and be more lamentable, to the hinderance of God's service, the dishonour of the Realme, the discomfort of all good and holy men loving learning and vertue."
II. It may therefore please your Majesties, of your great pitie, and abundant favour and love towards your said two Uniuersities, being the very two onely nursles of good learning in this Realme, with the astent of the Lords spirituall and temporal, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authoritie of the same, to enact, ordeine, and establish, that from hencefoorth, no manner of Purveiour, Taker, Loder, or other minister, may, or shall take or bargains for any kinde of victuall, or graine, in any of the said markets or townes of Cambridge, and the Citie, of Oxford, nor shall take or bargaine for any victuall within the compsse of five miles thereto adjoyning, without the conssent agreement, or good will of the owner or owners, neither shall attempt to carrie, take away, or bargain for any manner of graine, or other victuall, bought, or provided within the said space of five miles, by any common minister of any Colledge, Hostell, or Hall, to bee spent within, any of the said Colleges, Hostels, or Hals, upon peine of the forfeiture of the quadruple value of any such maner graine, or victuall, so taken or bargained for, in any of the said markets, or within the said space of five miles, against the will of the owners, as is abovesaid, or attempt to be taken, carried away, or bargained for, being provided., as is abovesaid, for to bee spent in any the Colledges, Hostels, or Hals: and further shall suffer imprisonment for the space of three moneths, without baile or maineprise, and that the Chancellour or Vicechancellour, or his Commissarie for the time being, in either of the saide Universities, with two Justices of the Peace of the Countie wherein the said Uniuersities be set, shall have full power by authoritie of this Act, to inquire by the oaths of twelve men, of and upon the defaults and offences committed contrary, to the tenour thereof, and to see due punishment and reformation thereof in forme aforesaid, from time to time: the one halfe of which foresaid forfeitures to bee to the common treasure of either of the saide Universities, respectively to the fault committed against this their privildedge, the other halfe to the partie that will sue for the same by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or otherwise in any Court of Record, or before the foresaid Chancellour, his Vicechancellour or Commissarie for the time being, and two Justices of Peace, as isb efore expressed.
III. Provided, that this Act shall not be put in execution at any time or times, whensoever your Majesties, or the heires or suecessours of your Majestie our Sovereigne Ladie, shall please to come to any of both the said Universities, or within seven miles of either of them, but shall be in suspence during that time onely, and no longer.
IV. Provided alwayes, and bee it enacted by the authoritie aforesaid, that this Act, or any thing therein conteined, shall not in any wife be prejudiciall or hurtfull to the Maior, Bayliffes, and communaltie of the Citie of Oxford, nor to the Maior and commonaltie of the towne of Cambridge, or to their successours, for, and concerning any of their liberties,, or priviledges, but that they and every of them, and their successours respectively, may have and use the same, in such manner and forme, as; they, or any of them, might or ought to have done before the making of this Act: any thing in this Act conteined to the contrary notwithstanding.
