[68] The importance of Cambridge was steadily growing in the reigns of Henry I. and Stephen. The isle of Ely supported Matilda; and the earldom of Cambridge was conferred both by her and by Stephen for the first time. The former by her letters, issued before the year 1146, bestowed it on her favourite Aubrey de Vere, “if the King of Scotland hath it not,” as prior in dignity to the counties of “Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, or Dorsetshire” one of which he was to take if Stephen’s gift of the earldom of Cambridge to Saint David of Scotland held good. De Vere had to accept the county of Oxford which has since remained in that family--the earldom of Cambridge passing to royal hands and becoming in time a royal dukedom. David of Scotland held Cambridge in his own and Huntingdon in right of his wife. Malcolm of Scotland held both earldoms together in exchange for the northern counties of Northumberland and Cumberland. The union of these earldoms is still represented by the union of Huntingdon and Cambridge under one _vicecomes_ or sheriff. Edward III. created his wife’s brother (the Count of Hainault) and after him his son Edmund Langley, earls of Cambridge. Edmund’s son Richard held the earldom until his attainder, and his son Richard Duke of York was again created Earl of Cambridge by Henry V. (p. 295). This was Edward IV.’s father in whom the earldom became merged in the crown. The arms of Edmund Langley, Duke of York and Earl of Cambridge, are on the first of the 6 shields of arms of Edward’s sons over the entrance gate of Trinity; beneath is inscribed: EDMONDUS D. EBOR. C. CANTABRUGIE. [69] See “Town and Gown” chap. iv. p. 233 _n._ [70] Cf. “the students from regions near home” (_e partibus diversis tam cismarinis_ ...) of his father’s rescript p. 33. [71] For other references to this important document see _ante_ pp. 14, 28; chap. iii. p. 165 _n_, iv. p. 203. [72] Henry VI., VII., VIII., and Edward VI. continued the favour shown by the Henrys and Edwards to Cambridge; the exceptions were Henry V. and Edward IV. See ii. p. 101, v. p. 262. For the relation of the English queens to the university see Queens’ College pp. 109, 112, and p. 114. Edward III. allowed the university to appropriate any church of the yearly value of £40; to receive (through its chancellor) the oaths of the mayor and aldermen and the bailiffs; to take cognizance of all causes in which the scholars were concerned, “maim and felony” excepted; and required that the chancellor should not be disquieted if he imprisoned offenders; that masters of arts should not be cited out of the university; and that the mayor should make assay of the weight of bread as often as the chancellor demanded it. [73] pp. 29, 54. [74] Peterhouse p. 55, S. John’s pp. 122-3. [75] Except Kilkenny’s exhibitioners, _infra_ p. 40.