Fields, and soon the rival bells of St. Mary's and St. Martin's again called out all men on both sides. The scholars, seeing the rus tics swarming in tried to close the city gates: but some two thousand of them gained en trance, carrying the ominous black flag and crying, "Slay! Slay! Havock and Havock!" Some twenty halls were pillaged, students were killed, wounded and mutilated; food was plundered, books torn to pieces and the houses themselves set on fire. ( )n the following day the Chancellor tried to save the students by keeping them in their Halls, while he himself, under a guard, hurried to the King at Woodstock; but again the Halls were broken into, Scholars were killed in cold blood and their bodies were mutilate.d. Even the clergy were at tacked and the sanctuary of the Church was disregarded. Fugitives were beaten and wounded while clinging to the altar, and to the very tabernacle itself. The Friars, for the moment forgetting their own bitter feud with the University, marched through the streets chanting a Litany for peace and car rying the Host, but one scholar was killed while clinging to the priest who bore it, and the crucifix planted in the midst of the rioters with a "procnl liinc itc ßrofant' was dashed to the ground. Finally, the surviv ing scholars fled from the town and no fur ther mischief remained to be done.1 Only the students in Merton College dared to stay; their hall was built to serve for a fortress as well as for a school, and they "locked themselves up within their own gates, and spent their time in prayer, and composing tragical relations.'1 The Town for more than a year lay under an interdict, which was proclaimed from all the Churches with bells and extinguished tapers and curses. The Mayor and Baillives were sent to prison (perhaps to Mar'Wood, I., pp. 454-469P. 450.
shalsea,- perhaps to the Tower of London where one tradition says they were hanged),11 and the Sheriff was removed from office. Both University and Town surrendered all charters and privileges into the King's hands. Somewhat later a general pardon was published throughout the country for the offenses of scholars, an indication that they had not been so lamblike as their advocates would make them appear; but even then it seems they did not hurry back to Oxford, for as late as June in 1355, the King sent a writ to the University, entreating the Mas ters to resume their lectures.4 Meanwhile there was no general pardon for the Town. ( )n the contrary, 250 pounds '" had to be raised by the citizens and paid to the Chancellor in compensa tion for students' injuries, and all the booty had to be returned. Then the Bishop en joined on the Town an annual penance to be performed forever, on every anniver sary of St. Scholasticas' Day. The Mayor and Commonalty were further bound to pay the University 100 marks annually if they should fail in this observance." The survival of this penance shows the English love of unchanging custom, for it lasted long after all belief in its meaning had been forgotten. In early days, it is said that the Mayor was forced to wear a halter around his neck when attending these ceremonies, but that later it shrank to a silken cord. In Elizabeth's time the service was dropped, and thereupon the University 2Lyte, p. 165. I.eland's Itinerary, Vol. VI., p. 141. From the nature of the penalties paid by the city corporation this is extremely unlikely. See Hulton, p. 76. 'Rashdall, II., ¿, p. 40(1. "A sum fully equal to twenty thousand dollarof our own money and levied upon a much less able community relatively in size and wealth than is the modern city of Oxford.
Also Rashdall, II., 2, 6 Hulton. p. 78.
