At the congregation in the Senate House at Cambridge, Nov. 23, presided
over by the Prince Chancellor, it was observed that the undergraduates in
the galleries (for want I suppose of an obnoxious Vice-Chancellor or
Proctor upon whom to vent their indignation) poured it forth in yells and
groans upon those members of the senate who kept on their hats or caps. The
same has been done on several former occasions. It probably {28} arises
from a mistake, in ascribing to the _gaucherie_ of individuals what is
really the observance of a very ancient custom. The following extract, from
an unpublished MS. of the middle (I think) of the seventeenth century, in
which the custom is incidentally noticed, will serve for a confirmation of
what I say:
"When I was regent, the whole house of congregation joyned together in
a petition to the Earle of Pembroke to restore unto us the jus
pileorum, the licence of putting on our cappes at our publicke
meetings; which priviledge time and the tyrannie of our
vicechancellours had taken from us. Amongst other motives, we use the
solemne forme of creating a M^r in the Acte by putting on his cappe,
and that that signe of libertie might distinguish us which were the
Regents from those boyes which wee were to governe, which request he
graciouslie granted."
This was written by an M.A. of Oxford. At Cambridge we have not hitherto
had such haughty despots in authority, to trample upon our rights; but we
seem to be in danger of losing our jus pileorum through "the tyrannie," not
of our Vice-Chancellors, but "of those boyes which wee are to governe."