Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/473

 IN BEHALF OF THE ROYALIST CAUSE. 371 according to that order the colleges sent men who worked for several days. Tlie citizens, also, were warned to work at the bnhvarks on the north side of St. Giles's Chnrch, and the country by St. John's College walks, and the next day the king rode to see the said fortifications, when he found but twelve persons w^orking on the city's behalf, whereas there should have been 122, of which neglect his Majesty took notice, and told them of it in the field. I find no further notice of fortifications, or, indeed, of nnv systematic defence of the place, until April 19th, 1(543, when a proclamation was issued for the collecting of arms and material of war, sw^ords, corslets, head-pieces, &c., to the end that the University and city might be better defended on the king's going to Reading with his army, which he sud- denly intended to do. The works and fortifications, also, did now go on apace, and those in St. Clement's parish, on the east side of Oxford, were about this time begun ; these, with other fortifications about the city, w^ere mostly contrived by one Richard Rallingson, Bachelor of Arts of Queen's Col- lege, who also had drawn a mathematical scheme or plot of the garrison. His endeavours in this nature gave so great satisfaction to the king, that he forthwith sent letters on his behalf to the University to confer the degree of ]Iaster of Arts upon him, which letter being read in Convocation, Oct. 17th, he w'as then admitted Master of Arts. The words " letters on his behalf," are here significant, as it shows that it was simply a request from the king to the University of Oxford, which does not receive royal mandates as the Uni- versity of Cambridge does. On June 5th, the Vice-Chancellor was desired by the king to call the heads of houses together, and with their help severally, to take notice in writing of all scholars and others, lodging and residing in the colleges and halls, between six- teen and sixty years of age, to the end that they be required to work one day in the week, or for every default to pay 12d. a-dav. The whole also w^ere to be enrolled for the defence of the place. The works went on through June, half the colleges and halls w^orking Monday, and half on Tuesday, from six to eleven in the morning, and from one to six at night ; and every person to bring his tools with him. The fortifications that they w^ere to w^ork at were drawn through that part of