HVmbly sue to your Maiesties, the societees, Colleges, & com­panyes, of your true and faythfull subiectes, & daylye orators the scholers & studentes of both youre maiesties vniuersities, 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 vniuersities, be set and the circuite of fiue myles next adioyning, hath ben fre from anye charge or molestation of anye common takers, or purueyers for victual, wherby the sayd markettes, were more plentifully serued w^t victuall, and the pore estate of a great multytude of schollers, hauyng verye bare and small sustētation thereby releued, and nowe by the meanes that contrary to y^e same laudable custome, diuerse purueyors, and takers haue of late excessyuely frequented the sayd marketes, and thereby gi­uen 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 seruyce, the dishonor of the realme, the discomforte of all good and holy men, louyng learnyng and vertue. It may therefore please your maiesties of your great pytie and aboundant fauor and loue towardes your sayd two vniuersities, 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 purueyor, 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 fyue myles, therto adioynyng, 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 prouy­ded within the sayd space of fyue myles by any commone mynyster, of anye Colledge, hostell, or hall to be spent within any of the sayd Colledges, hostelles, or halles, vpon 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 fyue myles, agaynste the wil of y^e owners, as is abouesayd, or attempted to be taken caryed awaye, or bargayned for, beinge prouyded as is abouesayd, 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 vniuersities, with two Iustices of peace, of the Countie, wherein the sayd vniuer­sities be sette, shall haue full power by auctoritye of thys acte, to enquyre by the othes of. xii. men of and vpon 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 vniuersi­ties respectyuely to the faulte, commytted, agaynst this their priuiledge, the other halfe to y^e 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 cōmyssary for the time [...].