that I in the name of this University, may salute your Highnesse with the same words and wishes that the Noble Poet Horace once of old used to that great favourite of Augustus, and Pa­tron of desert, Maecenas, according to that Poets testinmony atavis edite regibus; namely, spectaum satis est & donatum cum rude quaeris.

Never any words ever suited our purpose with a more ef­ficacious aptitude: for now wee may justly say in this Uni­versity, non eadem est aetas, the face of times are so wrinckled on the sudden, that they who not long since beheld them young, faire and flourishing, looke upon them now, as if thy were quite banished their memory, they appeare so decayed, aged and uncomely, as if the Chaos were re­ [...]urned againe, and the fabricke of our English world sha­ken into a rude and undigested masse of confusion.

[Page 4] And not without reason, when that all illustrating Sunne of your Majesties Royall presence hath, as it were, suffered a long and hideous eclipse, been obvolved and surrounded with cloudes and darknesse, in respect of the diminution of that light of obedience which was refulgent in the bosomes of all your Subjects, darkned are the beames too of your Royall countenance in regard of the absence of your deare Consort the Queen her Majesty, who hath blessed your Majesty with so many faire and hopefull pledges of your loves; so many sweet and gracious Princes of both sexes, that they doe as those in the Psalmist, sit like Olive bran­ches round about your table; darkned they are also in regard of the still increasing and over-flowing troubles and distractions that so riot in your Majesties Domini­ons, a streame of blood which hath issued from the bo­dies of your wounded and slaughtered Subjects, like a purple cloud, shadowing the accustomed rayes that used so cheerfully to issue out from your Majesties eyes, which now seeme all to be transformed into the very Ideas of pensivenesse and sadnesse; so that we may with much griefe of heart say of your Grace, O quantum mutatus ab illa; How much are you altered from that King you were, when you used before these civill warres to grace our Universitie with your Royall presence, when nought was heard in our Colledges, Halls and Houses, nay, in this whole City, but the voyce of joy and gladnesse; but now, non eadem est aetas, the gallant and learned Orati­ons made here in entertainment of your Majestie, are now reduced to this poore unworthy Speech of mine, the meanest of your Highnesse Subjects, instead of those pregnant issues of wit and fancie which the nimble brains of our Poets have invented to fill the Scene of your wel­come hither. Nothing is heard here at this great Festivall of our Redeemers nativity, but the tongue of mourn­ing, the Universitie being a very theatre of silence, though wee must confesse our selves more obliged to the boun­ty [Page 5]of the Almighty then any Citie in your Majesties Kingdomes, in that he hath blessed us thus long with being esteemed worthy to injoy your Majesties presence; and so that never forgotten benefit hath a little revived and refreshed our drooping soules; yet the sense of our neigh­bours sufferings comes like the ill Gemi into our imagi­nations to affright them with the horror of their ghostly and hideous countenances; Non nobis solum nati sumus, wee were not worthy the Religion wee professe, if wee should not have a fellow-feeling of the afflictions of our Country and its inhabitants, who groane as the Israelites did under the Egyptians, under the oppressive weight of their burthens, so insupportable, that they would cracke the shoulders of another Atlas to sustaine them; their burthens which comprehend the contracted weight of all miseries incident to mortality; since all of them are cha­ractered in this civil warre. This civill warre that hath robbed the Kingdome of the ancient tranquillitie, the Church of its so despised ornaments, the Subjects of their estates quite, nay, lives, and many of them undone past all reparation or recovery by these military tumults, your facred Majestie will be pleased to afford mee an indul­gent pardon for my expatiating so much on this point of the Subjects calamity, it is not that I dare be so dis­loyall, to believe any fault of it rests in your Majesty, but out of the tender compassion and hearty considera­tion of their afflictions, which wee all hope your Ma­jesties paternall and pious care will in good time recti­fie, for this particular City, but especially for the body of this University, which this yeere is under my govern­ment, unworthy as I am of that charge, had not your Majesties comfortable and all-quickning sight removed away the clouds that shadowed us; certamly ere this darknesse had encompassed us round about: here would have beene no need of a Vice-chancellor, when there would have been no Students to governe; no need of [Page 6]Schooles, when there would have been none to have been taught in them. No Science Liberall practised in the Col­ledges, whence all the Practisers were fled for feare of per­secution, of being plundered of their substances; nay, de­prived (as it was probable enough) of their lives, for being loyally affected to Your Most Excellent Majestie.

In that great desection of the Israelites from the Tribe of Indah and Family of David, the Tribe of Levi stuck close to their rightfull King, so hath it in England to your Highnesse, in all these domestick broyles, not one of the Clergie (but some of factious spirits) deserting your cause: The two Universities, this and that of Cambridge, decla­ring themselves in your Majesties behalfe; and surely wee in Oxford had been justly branded with the title of ingrati­tude, if we should have relinquished your Grace, who have formerly, and at this present time, heaped upon us so many evident testimonies of your Royall Benignity to us, and your deare affection to the advancement of good literature, which as I before related, was here reduced to the last gasp, labouring as it were for life, till your Goodnesse, by trans­ferring your Person and Presence hither, making this your winter residence, infus'd new life into the languishing Aca­demy. The Fellows of Houses now returne to their cham­bers, secur'd by your Majestie from any feare of dangers. The young Students, that for their safeties were retired home to their fathers houses, haste back to the Colledges, proud that they shall have the happinesse to reside where they may see the light and favour of your Royall Counte­tenance; So that (thanks be to God and and your Majestie) decayed learning begins here againe to respire and re­flourish.

The Romans in a noble gratitude to that great Camillus, who rescued them from the tyranny and ruine of the Galls under the conduct of Brennus brought upon them, would needs have conferr'd upon him the title of the second Ro­mulus, the Founder of the Citie, and allowed him equall [Page 7]honour with him. The same must wee, inspir'd with no lesse a gratefulnesse, tender to your Majestie, you are our se­cond Alured, the second Founder of our Universitie; and if to save when lost, in some opinion, was as great an action of the Almightie, as to create man-kind out of nothing; Surely our reason must enforce us to acknowledge our selves as much indebted to your Highnesse, for our preservation and restitution, as to Alured for our foundarion and institu­tion. And so with the generall votes of the whole Univer­sitie, this new yeere I present your Majestie in their names, with these wishes; Grace and Peace this yeare be multi­plyed upon Your Selfe, your absent Queene, and Royall Progenie. May the dew fall upon you all, and the blessings of Iacob be in your inheritance. May all these tumultuous and civill distractions end with the beginning of this yeere, and the rest of it be spent in imbalming and curing the ma­ny wounds of our English Israel. And to conclude, may Heavens best bountie be showred downe on you, its mightie and out-stretched Arme protect you. And as an humble and zealous testimony of the Universities desires to serve Your Sacred Majestie in their names, and as the best expression, they for the present can make of their loyaltie, I here be­seech Your Highnesse, to accept this widdows mite, cast as this New Yeares Oblation into Your Treasurie, this Cup with two hundred pounds in gold, which is contained with­in it. 'Tis all, Royall Sir, our Universities decay'd debilitie hath to tender as an offering to Your Gracious Hands; our wishes desire it were an unexhaustible Indies: And so wee hope the intention of the gift will make us win favour in Your Eyes, so that Your Majestie will vouchsafe to accept it as graciously, as we present it humbly.