This translation of the original statutes of Emmanuel College was first made twenty years ago, with no clear intention of publication, though with the conscious thought that the contents would be interesting to others beside the translator, including those who had not the time, the patience, nor the knowledge, to read the original Latin. This I still believe, even though few readers have ferreted out the typescript laid up in the College Library unless directed to it by the translator (who happens for most of the time to have been the Librarian). Those few have included several serious historians of the sixteenth century, who doubtless would themselves have been content with the Tudor Latin version, but were glad to quote the crib for their readers.

The approach of the quatercentenary of the College's foundation has stimulated interest in the early history of Emmanuel; and I am very grateful to the College History Committee for encouraging me to get the translation into print before 1984 is upon us. The text has of course been revised, though there was fortunately little to alter. Twenty years have, however, increased my knowledge of the College and its history; and so I have ventured to add a commentary to supplement the information provided by the Statutes themselves and to explain things which I did not myself understand when I first translated them. I have also been persuaded to prefix to the Statutes some account of events and developments in the University during the lifetime of the Founder which may help towards a better appreciation of his motivation and his intentions in the creation of Emmanuel College.