INTRODUCTION

Summary

The book which has long been known in the Registry as Grace Character of the book. Book B is, like Grace Book A, more correctly called Registra Procuratorum, and indeed the name Grace Book now becomes distinctly a misnomer, inasmuch as after 1501 the proctors ceased to register the graces with their accounts, and the graces then begin to be registered as a separate volume, Grace Book C. After 1501 Grace Book B is merely a proctors' account book, and with few exceptions graces are mentioned only where they refer to matters directly affecting the proctors' financial statement. An element of interest is thus lost, for whereas up to 1501 the Proctors' Registra have supplied the events in the academic career of every questionist, after that date they supply only the first and last event in each career, namely, the giving of the caution and the receiving of the degree. For favours conferred by grace without payment, reference must be made to Grace Book C, which Mr Searle is about to edit.

It will be noticed that the manuscript is not in a perfect state; three pages are lost (ff. 67—70). Some of the writing is careless and poor, many hands having been employed.

Mr Leathes' introduction to Grace Book A leaves little to add by way of elucidation to the present text.