A final outburst of political feeling took place in 1715. On the 8th of April in that year, a Student named Nathaniel Crump was expelled for saying that Oliver Cromwell was to be preferred to Charles I.; and five of the Students were publicly admonished for breaking out of the College at night, and attacking the house of one of the citizens. On the 31st of May, a Master of Arts, a Bachelor of Arts, and an Undergraduate, were publicly admonished for reading a scandalous pamphlet reflecting on the King, under the name of “Nero Secundus;” and a notice was placed upon the gates of the College denouncing this pamphlet, and threatening the expulsion of all Students who should read it or make a copy of it. The examinations for Scholarships and Fellowship proceeded as usual, and on Saturday, the 11th of June, two days before the election, an order came from the Lords Justices to the Provost and Senior Fellows forbidding the election, based upon a King’s Letter of the 6th of June, and stating as the grounds of this prohibition the several disputes and tumults in Trinity College, which disturbed the Students, and prevented them from studying for these examinations. The elections, consequently, were not held, although there was [were] one Fellowship and eleven Scholarships vacant.
On the 27th of June a Master of Arts was expelled for making a copy of the pamphlet “Nero Secundus,” and two Bachelors of Arts were expelled for using language disrespectful to the King; and on the 3rd of August two more of the Students were expelled on a like charge. On the 12th of July the Provost and Senior Fellows petitioned King George I. with respect to the above-mentioned prohibition. They denied that there were any disputes or tumults in the College which prevented the Students for preparing for their several examinations, and stated that the number of candidates for Fellowships was greater than usual, and the answering entirely satisfactory. They stated, moreover, than none of the candidates for the vacant Fellowship or Scholarships were either accused or suspected of any crime; but they had on all proper occasions expressed dutiful zeal to the King’s person and Government. They asked permission to hold the election. Mr. Elwood and Mr. Howard were sent to London to present this petition to the King.
On the 16th of February, 171 5 6 , the Prince of Wales was elected Chancellor, on the attainder of the Duke of Ormonde, and the Provost and Dr. Howard were sent to London to present to his Royal Highness the formal instrument of appointment.
On the 28th of April a letter was received from the Lords Justices, enclosing a copy of a letter from the King, removing the prohibition to the election of Fellows and Scholars, and the statutable examinations were held in the usual manner. On Trinity Monday one Fellow and thirty-four Scholars were elected.
The following extracts from the MS. letters of Archbishop King in the College Library will throw some light upon these proceedings:—
June 4, 1715. To Mr. Delafoy.—“The business of the College makes the greatest noise. Ten years ago I saw very well what was doing there, and used all means in my power to prevent it; but the strain was too strong for me, as you very well know, and ’twill be necessary to use some effectual means to purge that fountain, which otherwise may corrupt the whole kingdom. Their Visitors are only the Chancellor and I. We ought to visit once in three years, but I could never prevail on their Chancellor to join with me, though I often proposed it;[85] nor is there any hope that I shall be able to do any good whilst I am under such circumstances. I take the Chancellor to be for life, and this makes an impossibility. I believe the Parliament when it sits will be inclined to look into this matter.”
June 21, 1715.—“The College readily submitted to his Majesty’s order to forbear their elections, and I hope will acquit themselves much better than the University of Oxford has done by their programme.”
July 7, 1715. To Mr. Addison.—“The business of the College gives a great deal of trouble to every honest man, and a peculiar pain to me. ’Tis plain there’s a nest of Jacobites in it: one was convicted last Term; two are run away; and I believe bills are found against one or two more. But we can’t as yet reach the fountains of the corruption; but I assure you no diligence is wanting, and everybody looks on it to be of the last consequence to purge the fountain of education. I believe next Parliament will look into the matter.”
In addition to political feeling, there appear to have been from the beginning of the eighteenth century a few very disorderly Students in the College, who were always giving trouble to the authorities.
During the Provostship of George Browne, one of the worst riots took place in the College, fortunately unattended at the time by loss of life. [The Provost died of its effects!] College discipline had become disorganised in the unsettled period which succeeded the battle of the Boyne, and the Provost and Senior Fellows resolved to subdue the disorderly spirit which had manifested itself in the College. They determined to admonish publicly three or four of the Students who had been particularly disorderly, and the heads of the College proceeded in a body to the Hall for that purpose. A few determined Students advanced resolutely, tore the Admonition paper out of the hands of the Dean, and turned the Provost out of the Hall. It was probably on this occasion that Provost George Browne received the blow which has been mentioned in a previous page. A later instance of similar insubordination occurred about thirty years afterwards, when the Provost and Senior Fellows proceeded to the Hall for the like purpose of punishing some turbulent Students. They were met on their way with unseemly affronts and reproaches. The doors of the Hall were locked against them by the Students, and they were obliged to break open the doors in order to promulgate their sentence.