The Hartlib Papers

Honoured Sir

     I have perused Mr Hickmans proposealls &doe as earnestlly desire a coppy of them as you doe of Mr Cradocks but have beene soe taken up for this 2 or 3 dayes with drawinge &advizeinge about a draught of Dr K. patent that I could get noe time save what I spent in the cursary perusall of your M.S. Besides it is very tedious to mee to write any longe time togather by reason I have noe conveniencies for that exercize. Mr Cradocks discourse was delivered to Col. Harley now Governour of Dunkirke to whom I have not had any convenience of speech hitherto &I doubt that he returned it to him againe in regard he delivered it him as a secrett. The sight I gott of it was onely then in the coronels hands. And though I heard a large discourse of it afterwards I cannot undertake upon my memory to draw it up soe as to observe the criticall differences that are betwixt Mr Potters [&c?] and Mr Cradocks which if I doe not exactly observe I should both misenform you &wronge Mr Cradock notwithstandinge if you doe procure mee Mr Potters I will endeavour to let you know what I am able to call to minde. And then alsoe you must allowe besides what I forgett much which I beleeve Mr Cradock reserved to himselfe both in his paper proposealls &publique discourse at the Rota. My Petition I drewe up at first in these words intended to be altered accordinge as time or persons or other circumstances should require

To the Honourable [L H S J W. L H &c?] members of the Honourable the House of Common assembled in Perliament

Humbly sheweth

That the Cathedrall &other Collegiat churches of England (those lastinge monuments of the [Herocke?] piety &magnificence of our Auncestours) werby them intended for nurceries &seedeplottes of learninge &Religion

That not onely their locall[altered] statutes &the Canon of the Lawes then in force did enjoyne them as one principall end of their [foundation?] to maintaine Grammer schooles but readers alsoe not onely of divinitie but of the other learned arts &sciences &for a supply of able professors in each faculty they were by the said statutes &lawes[altered] injoyned to send a number proportionable to their revenewe to some University &there to Continue to them maintenance &allowance untill they did proceed &commence [word illeg.] in their severall faculties

That the Colledge [3? words deleted]

That in persuance of the said lawes &statutes Q. Eliz. of blessed memorie did by her injunctions require all the not onely the BB deane prebends but every other benificed person whose revenewes were 100 ll. or more [right column:] to maintaine one exhibitioner at some schoole or university respectively or more accordinge to the proportion in her said injunctions prescribed as therein doth more at large appeare besides one 40th part alsoe reserved for the poore

That <from> the College of Durham were transplanted those famous men who were after the founders of the University of Paris from whence the professours of the most auncient universities of Europe have beene translated

That soe longe as the said wholesome constitutions were observed the Universitites &the whole land did abound with learned men accordinge to the capacities of the severall ages of wherein they lived [letters deleted] for whose convenience in their studdies there were in the University of Oxon some hundreds of Halls erected some whereof doe Continue unto this time &Armachanus testifies that in his dayes there were noe fewer then 30000 student in that University

  That the great decay of learninge &scarcity of learned men which hath since ensued hath not beene onely by reason of the suppression of many of the said Colledges but in a great part because the said wholesome Lawes &Constitutions accordinge to the primary intent of their founders have not beene observed in the said societies.

Humbly prayeth that the said statutes Lawes &injunctions may be reviewed &that such a proportion of the revenue of all church lands may be sett appart unto the said uses as may make them fully answer the intent of their pious founders &that for their better advancement there in their revenues the present rents &improvements of the remaineinge Colledge &Cathedrall lands be lett Accordinge to the statute of Provision made in the Dayes of Queene Elizabeth &the [letters deleted] encrease of corne rent disposed to the accordinge to the true intent of the said statutes Canons &injunctions

  And your Petitioner shall ever pray

For my very worthy Friend

       Dr Tongue.

at Col. Harlys lodging

at the blew boare in

                     Turke-Street.