1696. Mr. Morley in his “Memoir of Bartholomew Fair” (1859), writing of this period says, “The great fair near Cambridge—Stourbridge Fair—was in the days of which we are now speaking, a place of large commerce” (p. 351). [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER XII. THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 1700. There was published “A Step to Stirbitch-fair, with remarks upon the University of Cambridge,” by Edward Ward. Like all “Ned Ward’s” books, it is written in a coarse slangy style; and I do not find anything throwing much light upon the fair, except in the matter of book auctions, of which his account is very amusing. 1701. The mayor and corporation having given a company of actors leave to perform at the fair without the sanction of the Vice-chancellor, and in defiance of his authority, the senate, on the 4th Sept. passed a grace enacting that the privileges of the University should be defended and vindicated at the public charge; and in the meantime, to prevent a breach of discipline the authority of proctors during the time of the fair was conferred on sixty-two Masters of Arts, and it was decreed that whoever disobeyed them should _ipso facto_ incur the penalty of expulsion. It seems that the Vice-chancellor (Dr. Bentley) committed Dogget the actor to gaol, and ordered the booth built for the theatre to be demolished. 1705. The London newspapers of this year announced “That the fair would be proclaimed on the 7th Sept. with great solemnity by the Vice-chancellor of the University, the Mayor of the Town, accompanied by Lord Duplin and Mr. Cadogan, the representatives in Parliament, the Recorder, Aldermen, &c., preceded by red-coats and other officers on horseback, with music playing before them; that it was expected there would be greater concourse of people and a more flourishing trade than had been known for several years past, owing to the conduct of a set of gentlemen who were endeavouring to revive the reputation of a fair not many years ago the most considerable in Europe.” This announcement, which in great part contained nothing out of the common, it turned out was inserted at the instance of a Londoner who was going to see the fair for the first time; and it had the effect of drawing together more people than had been seen there for ten years. The visitor in question records in the “Gentleman’s Magazine” that he regularly took coach every afternoon at the Market-hill (Cambridge) with other gownsmen, drinking tea at the Coffee-booth, “where now and then we had the company of some very agreeable ladies of Cambridge town and education, and a fortnight was thus spent.”