108

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

VIII.

1687 .

Stale ofOxford.

royal mandates had been treated as nullities because the per-sons recommended had not chosen to qualify according tolaw, and that, on such occasions, the government hadalways acquiesced in the propriety of the course taken by theUniversity. But Jeffreys would hear nothing. He soonfound out that the Vicechancellor was weak, ignorant, andtimid, and therefore gave a loose to all.that insolence whichhad long been the terror of the Old Bailey. The unfortunateDoctor, unaccustomed to such a presence and to such treat-ment, was soon harassed and scared into helpless agitation.When other academicians who were more capable of defend-ing their cause attempted to speak they were rudely silenced.“You are not Vicechancellor. When you are, you may talk.Till then it will become you to hold your peace.” The de-fendants were thrust out of the court without a hearing. In ashort time they were called in again, and informed that theCommissioners had determined to deprive Pechell of theVicechancellorship, and to suspend him from all the emolu-ments to which he was entitled as Master of a college, emolu-ments which were strictly of the nature of freehold property.“As for you,” said Jeffreys to the delegates, “most of youare divines. I will therefore send you home with a text ofscripture, ‘Go your way and sin no more, lest a worse thinghappen to you.’ ” *

These proceedings might seem sufficiently unjust andviolent. But the King had already begun to treat Oxfordwith such rigour that the rigour shown towards Cambridgemight, by comparison, be called lenity. Already UniversityCollege had been turned by Obadiah Walker into a RomanCatholic seminary. Already Christ Church was governed bya Roman Catholic Dean. Mass was already said daily in boththose colleges. The tranquil and majestic city, so long thestronghold of monarchical principles, was agitated by pas-sions which it had never before known. The undergraduates,with the connivance of those who were in authority over them,hooted the members of Walker’s congregation, and chanted

* See Ihe proceedings against the University of Cambridge in thecollection of Stale Trials.

* t Hty