To the Honourable the Lords and Commons now assembled in the High Court of Parliament.  
The humble Petition of the university of Cambridge  
HUmbly presenteth to your Honourable consideration the sad dejected estate of the said University: How our Schools daily grow desolate, mourning the absence of their professors and the wonted Auditories: How in our colleges our numbers grow thin, and our Revenues short, and that subsistence we have abroad is for the most part involved in the common miseries: How frighted by the neighbour noise of War, our Students either quit their Gowns, or abandon their Studies: How our Degrees lie disesteemed, and all hopes of our public Commencement are blasted in the bud, besides sundry other pressing inconveniences which We forbear to mention.  
We cannot but conceive your Honourable piety (out of a Noble zeal to Learning) will cordially pity our sad condition, and (as the present general calamities give way) afford us some succour and encouragement. Your wisdoms best know what privileges and Immunities have been in all good times afforded to the seats of Learning, and the Professors of it; and even in the fury and heat of War, places of Religion and Devotion have usually not only (on both sides) been spared from ruin, but supported, and esteemed as Sanctuaries. Hence is it that the Members of our University (by Charter confirmed by Act of Parliament) stand expressly freed from all preparations and contributions to War: Hence is it, that in neighbour Territories, where the Excise is most in use, the Universities with all their Students are exempt.  
May it not therefore be displeasing to your pious wisdoms, if in all humility we crave at your hands a tender commiseration of our case, that you will be pleased to exempt our poor estates from all such Rates and Impositions; to vouchsafe such freedom to our persons (not giving just offence) as may enable us the better to keep together, and daily to offer up our joint prayers to God for a blessed union betwixt our Gracious sovereign and you, and the blessing of peace upon the Land.  
June 8. 1643