The answer of the chancellor, masters and scholars of the Vniversity of Oxford, to the petition, articles of grievance, and reasons of the city of Oxon presented to the honorable committee for regulating the University of Oxford the 24. of July, 1649.

XI. To the Reasons of the Eleaventh Greivance

We answer. 1. That it is one of the most ancient Li∣berties of the University that the Priviledged per∣sons thereof may use any Trade and exercise any Merchandize in Oxford, or the Suburbs thereof as freely as any Cittizen; and this hath been confirmed anto us not onely by Act of Parliament, and Judge∣ment in Parliament, but also by Indentures of Com∣position between the two Bodies, whereby the Pri∣viledged persons have been ascertained that should exercise such trade and Merchandize; who in that regard are to be talliable by scot and lot and other charges with the Free-men of the Citty.

2. Wee doe not otherwise then according to this priviledge assume power to set up Trades within the Citty; nor doe we authorize Forreigners to exer∣cise Trades in Oxon, other then such as by the Law of the Land and Priviledge of the University are and ought to be allowed, however some of them have of late yeares been unjustly molested by the Cittizens for so doing.

3. We deny that the Citty ha's any Charter so confirmed as is pretended to exclude Priviledged priviledged persons from exercising lawfull Trades and selling by retaile within the Citty, though they be not of their Guild; no such Charter having hi∣therto been produced upon former Hearings when this point has been in debate betwixt us.

4. Lastly we humbly conceive this Libertie can∣not

in equity and good conscience bee taken from Priviledged persons, who are many of them Butlers and Manciples, or other Officers and Servants to the University and the Colleges and Halls therein, having Wives and Children to maintaine, which they cannot otherwise doe then by Exercising law∣full Trades; their small wages & allowances which they receive by their respective places being scarce sufficient to maintaine them in meat and cloathes and other necessaries, if they were single persons and had no other charge.