Partie f. 25r - Untitled verses (author unknown)

1 single sheet

First line: ‘We of Oxford the Chancellour, and his Vice-Can:’. The lines are probably addressed to King George I or II.

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Transcript

We of Oxford the Chancellour, and his Vice-Can: {1}
With the Doctours and Masters, Send a poor Servingman
With orders to give you, Sir, to understand,
That a letter Sign’d George is Safe come to hand;
Which having been over and over perus’d,
Your Present was near upon being refus’d.
But after a grave and maturer debate
Came at length to agree (one and all had been better)
To take it, and Seeme thus to thank you by letter.
This done, Sir, we hope you are herewith content;
Since farther then this by us nothing is meant.
Our mind we Speake plain without flattering Preamble
Not Skill’d like our Sister Cambridge to dissemble.
We Scorn to professe the least loyal affection
To one who against our Will gives us protection.
Neither wish we, nor pray we for Princes at home,
Having Sent all our prayers & wishes to Rome.
Assure yourself therefore you always Shall find,
We ever Shall hate you, be you ever So kind.
In token whereof our names we conceal:
But Send you these presents under our Seal.

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A few abbreviations have been expanded.

{1} i.e. vice-cancellarius, vice-chancellor.

Pasted into Crewe MS 10 (f. 25r).

Similar verses appear in ‘A letter from the University of Oxford addressed to the Countess of Westmorland’ (Northamptonshire Record Office, Westmorland Collection, Box 4, Parcel 4, f. 4).