mittee for Gresham Affairs, as had been * beforesaid. A short Account of the Answer which the Professors gave is there mentioned, and it is said in general, that they have prov'd from sufficient Authority, that from the first Institution to the present Time of Dispute, these Lectures were read only in Term Times: Which Authorities not being there inserted, do therefore follow here. The first Author mentioned for the Proof hereof, was Dr. Gwinne, in his Orationes Duæ before-quoted: He was, as was observed, chosen Professor of Physick at the first Election of Professors, in the Year 1596/7, and, as all other Professors then were, was directed to begin his Lectures in Trinity Term, 1597: The ninth Lecture that he read is printed in the forenamed little Book, p.44, and bears this Title, Prælectio nona, cum resumerentur lectiones post Natalitia. The ninth Lecture, read when the Time of Reading came on again after Christmas. The Professors observed from this Citation, that Dr. Gwinne beginning his Lectures in Trinity Term, 1596/7, and his ninth Lecture coming after Christmas, in January, that is, in Hilary Term 1597/8, he could only have read in the Term Times: For just as in the present Year 1706, so in that Year 1597, there would fall three Saturdays (which are Physick Lecture Days) in Trinity Term, and five Saturdays in Michaelmas Term; so that he read eight Lectures only in 1597, there being just eight Saturdays within those two Terms, and no more, and consequently his ninth Lecture must fall on the first reading Time after Christmass, that is, on the first Saturday in Hilary Term in 1597/8, exactly as he says it did, in the Inscription of his Lecture just now quoted. To this evident Proof the Professors added the Citations from the other Parts of Dr. Gwinne's Book mentioned before.

The next Author the Professors cited was Mr. Stow, whose Survey was written in the Year 1598, the very Year after the first Institution of these Lectures; and he says, p. 57, l.32, of his first Edition, as he does also in the second Edition, corrected and amended by himself, and published in the Year 1603, p.76, l.5. These Lectures are read Daily, Sundays excepted, in the Term Time, by every one on his Day, &c. And from hence they inferred, that the Words to read Daily, in the Founders Will, might be either understood in the Sense of the Universities beforementioned, or else in this of Mr. Stow, that each Lecturer should read on his particular Day assigned him in the Week, that so the Auditors, who had a mind to attend any particular Science, might know on what Day to come, and not be disappointed.

The next Author was Sir George Buck, in his Treatise concerning the three Universities of England, annexed to Stow's Chronicle, and dedicated to the Lord Chief Justice Cook; printed in the Year 1612, within fifteen Years of the founding the Lectures: And he says, Page 980, b. l.35, and these Lectures (viz. in Gresham College) must be read only in the Term Times.

The next Author mentioned, was the Editor of the Third Edition of Stow, Anthony Monday, before cited, which he published in 1618, one and twenty Years after the founding the Lectures; and he says, Page 123, Line 26, That these Lectures are read Daily in the Term Times. The Professors observed that this Author had been * six and twenty Years one of the City Servants in sundry Employments, † had Encouragement from the whole Court of Aldermen, and Orders for the Perusal of whatever Helps he wanted; and that this Work was by them approved when finished, which cost him twelve Years Time in compiling; that therefore, he neither wanted Means of Knowledge, nor refused Industry for the obtaining it.

The next Author was Dr. Holdsworth, who was chosen Divinity Professor in Gresham College in 1630, Thirty Three Years after the first Institution. And his Divinity Lectures were publish'd in 1661, by Bishop Pearson. Dr. Holdsworth tells his Auditors, *** It was Three whole Months since his last Reading. Again, ** That these Lectures have been omitted for these Three Months. Again, he concludes his Lecture with telling them, * He should not read till that Day Three Weeks, because the following Monday was a State Holiday, and the Monday after that, a Church Holiday. At the End of another Lecture, he says, he is sorry he is forc'd to break off abruptly in his Discourse, ††† which must be the Work of the next Term. And again, he refers his Audience for the Remainder of the Argument, to the †† next Term: And more to the same Purpose. And this Author continu'd Divinity Professor for Nine or Ten Years, with the greatest Applause. The next Author was Howell's Londinopolis, who publish'd his Work in 1657, Sixty Years after the first Institution. And he says, Page 21. Line 29. These Lectures are to be read every Day in the Week, in Term-Time. The Professors were ready with Proof, that likewise † ever since the Restoration, the Lectures were only read in the Term-Time; and, among other Instances of this Practice, they had the Example of the most celebrated Dr. Isaac Barrow, who was chosen Geometry Professor in Gresham College in the Year 1662, being at the same Time Fellow of Trinity College in Cambridge. All the while he continu'd Geometry Professor in Gresham College, he was Fellow of Trinity, and, as he read his Lectures in Term-Times in Gresham College, so, in the Vacation Times, he went down to Cambridge, and attended his Duty and Fellowship there: But this, and the rest of their Proofs hereof, were not produc'd before the Committee, because the Petitioners were willing to allow, that Termly-Readings only had been the Custom and Practice in Gresham College ever since the Restoration.

When the Professors had given in this Proof, they observ'd that the Argument by them offer'd, was of the strongest Nature, because it prov'd, that reading the Lectures (in Term Times only) was the Original Practice, enjoyn'd by the first Trustees, taken up by the first Professors, and follow'd by their Successors in all Times; that therefore this Practice could be no Corruption crept in by Degrees, either thro' the Sloth of the Professors, or the Connivance of the Trustees, but was founded in, and continu'd by the full and free Approbation and Consent of both: They argu'd farther, that the first Trustees and Professors could not possibly be ignorant of that Expression in the Founder's Will, that says, the Professors are to inhabit, study, and read Daily, because that Part of the Will is at all Elections read to the Person elected in the Presence of the Electors; and if so, it was not conceivable that the first Trustees could understand the Word Daily,