of the university by open interference, "considering it to
exist under grant and charter from the crown as a body politic, in the
ruling whereof in things to be done in the name of the whole, the number of
private suffrages doth prevail." "He was loth, too," he added, "to show his
displeasure, whereof he had so great cause ministered unto him, unto the
whole in general, whereas the fault perchance consisted and remained in
light and wilful heads," and he trusted that it might suffice if the
masters of the colleges used their private influence and authority[277] in
overcoming the opposition. For the effecting of this purpose, however, and
in order to lend weight to their persuasion, he assisted the convocation
towards a conclusion with the following characteristic missive:--

"To our trusty and well-beloved the heads of houses, doctors, and proctors
of our University of Oxford:

"Trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well; and of late being informed, to
our no little marvel and discontentation, that a great part of the youth of
that our university, with contentious and factious manner daily combining
together, neither regarding their duty to us their sovereign lord, nor yet
conforming themselves to the opinions and orders of the virtuous, wise,
sage, and profound learned men of that university, wilfully do stick upon
the opinion to have a great number of regents and non-regents to be
associate unto the doctors, proctors, and bachelors of divinity for the
determination of our question; which we believe hath not been often seen,
that such a number of right small learning in regard to the other should be
joined with so famous a sort, or in a manner stay their seniors in so
weighty a cause. And forasmuch as this, we think, should be no small
dishonour to our university there, but most especially to you the seniors
and rulers of the same; and as also, we assure you, this their unnatural
and unkind demeanour is not only right much to our displeasure, but much to
be marvelled of, upon what ground and occasion, they being our mere
subjects, should show themselves more unkind and wilful in this matter than
all other universities, both in this and all other regions do: we, trusting
in the dexterity and wisdom of you and other the said discreet and
substantial learned men of that university, be in perfect hope that ye will
conduce and frame the said young persons unto order and conformity as it
becometh you to do. Whereof we be des