The Customs of Old EnglandSnell, F. J. (Frederick John)
History
The Customs of Old England
Snell, F. J. (Frederick John)
England -- Social life and customs -- 1066-1485
In 1313 a statute was issued that no one was to stir up any nation on
account of some personal injury by conspiracies, leagues, or meetings in
public or private with the name or title of nation; and that when the
Chancellor or his Commissary inquired concerning a breach of the peace,
none was to appear with other than the witnesses needful to him; nor was
any Master or other to thrust himself in, coming with a party or sitting
beside the Chancellor or his Commissary, save such as the Chancellor
should hold it right to summon forth, if at any time it seemed to him
fit. Seeing that the names of delinquents could be better learned
through the Principals of Houses, who moved continually among their
associates, it was determined that every Principal, resident or acting,
as well of Halls as of Chambers, should, at the beginning of every year,
within fifteen days or sooner, as should seem fit to the Chancellor and
Proctors, come and make corporal oath, that if they knew of any of their
society holding such assemblies, or consenting with those who held them,
or commonly and often naming different nations with evil zeal, or
disturbing the peace of the University, or practising the art of
bucklery, or keeping a whore in his house, or bearing arms or in any way
promoting discord between Northerns and Southerns, he should within
three days inform the Chancellor or one of the Proctors, and all such
disturbers of the peace were to be punished with imprisonment. This oath
the servants were bound to take at the same time; and the Chancellor and
Proctors, as touching their part, acknowledged themselves to be equally
bound by virtue of the statute.
In order that such distinction of nations might henceforth be detestable
and hateful to all, it was resolved that the following clause should be
added to the oath of every incepting Master with respect to the
observance of peace.
"_Item_, Master, especially shall you swear that you will not hinder, as
between Australs and Boreals, peace, concord, and affection; and if
there shall have arisen any dissension between them, as between diverse
nations, which in truth be not diverse, you will not foment or kindle it
to the utmost, nor must you be present at assemblies, nor tacitly or
expressly consent to them, but rather hinder them in such ways as you
shall be able."
By the same statute the University was bound to intimate to the diocesan
the names of all persons, whether Masters or others, who should disturb
the peace of the University, and particularly as between the Northern
and Southern students.
In 1428 fresh legislation was found to be necessary, and took the
following form:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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