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in suo officio obeundo admodum negligens & dissolutus repertus fuerit, aut de inhonesta vitæ ratione aut incontinentia suspectus; per vice-magistrum & reliquos septem seniores aut per majorem partem eorum, quorum conscientiam quantum possumus in hac re oneramus, sicut Domino Jesu rationem reddituri sunt, cum omni lenitate & modestia admoneatur; qui, si hoc modo admonitus non se emendaverit, secundo similiter admoneatur, sin autem neque tum quidem resipuerit, vice-magister & reliqui seniores vel major pars eorum rem omnem visitatori episcopo Eliensi qui pro tempore fuerit aperiant, qui et eam diligenter cognoscat, & cum æquitate definiat; cujus sententiæ Magistrum sine ullâ appellatione omnino parere volumus sub [221] poenâ loci sui imperpetuum amittendi. Porro si dictus magister coram dicto visitatore aliquando examinatus, et vel de hærescos, vel læsæ majestatis crimine, vel de simoniâ, usuria perjurio coram judice commisso, furto notabili, homicidio voluntario, incestu, adulterio, fornicatione, dilapidatione bonorum collegij, vel de violatione statutorum ejusdem, vel denique de alio quovis consimili crimine notabili, coram prædicto visitatore legitime convictus fuerit, sine morâ per eundem vice-magistrum officio magistri privetur; neque ullam ei appellationem aut ullum aliud juris remedium permittimus, sed cuncta quæ in hac causâ tentaverit irrita esse volumus & decernimus ipso facto.

The doctor then averred, that he was, and long had been Master of the said college, and during his mastership had constantly observed the statutes; but that notwithstanding, the Bishop of Ely, without any previous admonition given him by the Vice-master and major part of the seven senior Fellows of the said college, or any complaint made of him, by the said Vice-master and Seniors, did, about the 3d of April 1729, cause to be served upon him a citation in the following words:

To the Reverend Richard Bentley, D.D. and Master of the college of the holy and undivided Trinity, in the university of Cambridge, by virtue of a citation herewith shewn unto you, under the seal of the Right Reverend Father in God, Thomas, by Divine permission, Lord Bishop of Ely, and, as such, Visitor specially authorised and appointed by the 40th chapter of the statutes given by Queen Elizabeth, of blessed memory, to the said college; to examine the Master of the said college for the time being, of or concerning certain crimes or enormities mentioned or expressed in the second member of the said 40th chapter: I cite you to appear before the said Lord Bishop, in the hall of his palace, commonly called Ely-house, situate in the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, on Monday the 5th day of May, in this present year 1729, between the hours of three and five in the afternoon of the same day, then and there to answer to certain articles and interrogatories touching and concerning the male-administration of your office of Master of the said college, and particularly the dilapidating or wasting the goods and revenues of the said college, and violating the statutes thereof, which will be then objected to you before his said Lordship, as visitor of the Master of the said college for the time being, at the promotion of Robert Johnson, clerk, Bachelor in Divinity, and one of the Fellows of the said college; and farther to do and receive as to law and justice shall appertain, under pain of the law and contempt thereof.

Holman.

The Doctor further set forth, that the Bishop upon his appearance, charged him with divers crimes; the preface of which charge was in these words:

In Dei nomine Amen. Nos Thomas permissione divinâ Eliensis episcopus ac visitator, specialiter assignatus & sufficienter authorizatus vigore statutorum per Elizabetham beatæ memoriæ quondam hujus incliti regni reginam, [222] sub sigillo suo magno magistro socijs et scholaribus collegij sacrosanctæ & individuæ Trinitatis, infra universitatem Cantabrigiensem, representatorum & commendatorum ad examinandum magistrum collegij prædicti de & super criminibus & excessibus in secundo membro capitis quadragesimi dictorum statutorum expressis et mentionatis, & ad pronunciandum & decernendum de & super convictione ejusdem Magistri post examinationem ipsius habitam; tibi Richardo Bentley sacræ theologiæ professori Magistro hodierno collegij prædicti, articulos capitula sive interrogatoria infrascripta malam administrationem officij tui qua magistri dicti collegij, criminaque & excessus, in prædicto secundo membro dicti capitis quadragesimi statutorum prædictorum expressa & mentionata, & præsertim dilapidationem bonorum et status et redituum sive proventionum dicti collegij & violationem statutorum ejusdem per te commissa & perpetrata tangentia & concernentia, ex officio nostro quà visitatore prædicto

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