An acte that purveyors shall not take victualles, within five myles of Cambrydge and Oxforde
An acte that purueyors shall not take victualles, within five myles of
Cambrydge and Oxforde.
1555
1.
HVmbly sue to your Majesties, the societees, Colleges, & companyes, of your true and faythfull subjectes, & daylye orators the scholers & studentes of both youre majesties universities, Cambrydge and Oxforde, that where it hath bene accustomed tyme out of mynde that both the sayd market townes of Cambridge and Oxford, wherin the sayd two universities, be set and the circuite of five myles next adjoyning, hath ben fre from anye charge or molestation of anye common takers, or purveyers for victual, wherby the sayd markettes, were more plentifully served wt victuall, and the pore estate of a great multytude of schollers, havyng verye bare and small sustentation thereby releved, and nowe by the meanes that contrary to ye same laudable custome, diverse purveyors, and takers have of late excessyvely frequented the sayd marketes, and thereby given occasion to make the victelles both more skant and much derer, to a notorious decaye of schollers, which also dayly in this great derth, is lyke to encresse and be more lamentable, to the hinderaunce of gods servyce, the dishonor of the realme, the discomforte of all good and holy men, lovyng learnyng and vertue. It may therefore please your majesties of your great pytie and aboundant favor and love towardes your sayd two universities, beynge the verye two onely norses of good learnyng in this realme, with the assent of the Lordes spirituall & temporall, and the commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the auctoritie of the same, to enacte, ordeyne and establyshe, that from henceforth no maner of purveyor, taker bager, looder, or other minister, maye or shall take or bargayne for anye kynde of victuall or grayne, in any of the sayd markettes or townes, of Cambrydge, and the Citie of Oxforde, nor shall take or bargayne for any victuall, within the compasse of fyve myles, therto adjoynyng, without the consent agrement or good wyll of the owner or owners, nether shall attempte to cary take awaye, or bargayne for any maner of grayne, or other victuall, bought or provyded within the sayd space of fyve myles by any commone mynyster, of anye Colledge, hostell, or hall to be spent within any of the sayd Colledges, hostelles, or halles, upon payne of the forfeyture of the quadruple value, of any such maner grayne, or vyctuall so taken or bargayned for in any of the sayd markettes, or within the sayd space of fyve myles, agaynste the wil of ye owners, as is abovesayd, or attempted to be taken caryed awaye, or bargayned for, beinge provyded as is abovesayd, for to be spent in any the Colledges, hostels, or halles, And further shal suffer imprysonment, for the space of three Moneths, withoute bayle or maynepryse, and that the Chauncellour, or vicechauncellor, or his Commyssary for the tyme beynge, in eyther of the sayd universities, with two Justices of peace, of the Countie, wherein the sayd universities be sette, shall have full power by auctoritye of thys acte, to enquyre by the othes of. xii. men of and upon the defaultes and offences commytted contrary to the tenor thereof, and to see due punyshment and reformation thereof in forme aforesayde from tyme to tyme, the one halfe of whych foresayd forfeytures to be to the common treasure of eyther the sayd universities respectyvely to the faulte, commytted, agaynst this their priviledge, the other halfe to ye partye that wyll sue for the same, by action of debte, byl, playnt, or otherwyse in any courte of record, or before the foresayd Chauncellour, his vice chauncelloure, or commyssary for the time [...]