In England, non-jurors and dissenters; in Scotland, Episcopalians,
Covenanters, and Free Churchmen; in Ireland, Roman Catholics, have "gone
out," or stayed out, for some lost cause. In Oxford, Royalists, from
Heads to Servitors, stood by their colours manfully. It is uncertain how
many submitted, how many were expelled. The estimates vary from
Clarendon's statement that almost all the Heads and Fellows of Colleges
were ejected, "scarce one submitting," to Wood's estimate of 334; it is
probable that 400--that is, about half of the whole number of Heads,
Fellows, and Scholars then resident in the University--"made the great
refusal," not to accept office, but to retain it. Antony Wood did not
show himself ambitious of martyrdom. On May 12, 1648, he, along with
other members of his College, appeared before the Visitors. When asked
by one of them, "Will you submit to the authority of Parliament in this
visitation?" he wrote on a paper lying on the table, "I do not
understand the business, and therefore I am not able to give a direct
answer." "Afterwards his mother and brother, who advised him to submit
in plaine terms, were exceedingly angry with him, and told him that he
had ruined himself and must therefore go a-begging." Women, then as now,
ready to sacrifice themselves, are less ready to permit those dear to
them to be overscrupulous. Wood's mother made intercession for him to
Sir Nathaniel Brent, President of the Visitors and Warden of Merton, and
"he was connived at and kept in his Postmastership, otherwise he had
infallibly gon to the pot."

At Wadham the Visitors met with an obstinate resistance: Dr Pitt, then
Warden, was a stout Royalist, and refused to acknowledge the authority
of a Parliament acting without the king's consent. He was expelled on
April 13, 1648, along with nine of his thirteen Fellows, nine of his
fourteen Scholars, and many of his Commoners, all of them save one to
return no more. John Wilkins was put in his place by the Visitors on
the same day, and held it till his resignation on September 3, 1659.

Before the end of his stay in London he had taken the covenant and
definitely given his allegiance to the Parliamentarian party. He was
marked out for promotion as a known man of great ability, and he had
made many friends among influential persons by his courtesy and tact. It
was inevitable that a distinguished Oxford man should be chosen for an
important post in the University, which Cromwell de