Crown and gown : relations between the crown and the universities during the reign of James II, with special reference to Roger Morrice's "Entring Book"

Abstract

On March 6, 1688, Anthony a Wood, antiquary of Oxford, wrote that it had been the prediction of the late King Charles that when James, Duke of York came to the Kingship "he would not continue in the throne above 3 years. " In commenting thus Charles demonstrated remarkable foresight, for despite ascending the throne in 1685 amidst a wave of fervent royalism and unprecedented Parliamentary support, James, in just three short years, was to lose his crown at the hands of a country sullen and alienated by his efforts to restore Catholicism. Such a complete reversal in public opinion, effected in such a short time, was a remarkable 'achievement', and one in which the universities of Oxford and Cambridge played an integral role. Key components in the crystallization of public opinion against James, they were central to the Protestant rejection of toleration, and ultimately, of their Catholic King. [From Introduction]