A rumour came into the University that the King would shortly come to visit them. King James was happier in his education then his Mother would have had him. It pleased God to breede a Buchanan on purpose for to guide his younger years; and, by that tyme he was ripe, Scotland was growne acquainted with Geneva, and the King no stranger unto Mr. Calvin's way. The newes awakened all the University, and there were few but promised to themselves some good from this faire gale; that seeing Promotion came neither from the East, nor West, nor from the South, Psal. 76.6, it must and would come from the North; and the proverb be inverted, and be, Omne bonum ab Aquilone.

Doctor Harsnet, master of Pembrooke Hall, was then Vice-Chancellor, a prudent well-advised governour, who, knowing well the critical and able apprehension of the King, was very carefull and sollicitous to pitch upon the ablest in every faculty for actors in that solemne enterteynment, and himself made choyce of Mr. Preston to answer the Philosophy Act, and sent unto him to provide himself. He was ambitious enough by nature, and had this newes come a little sooner, nothing had bin most suitable to his inclynation and designe, but now the gentleman was planet-struck, growne dull and Phlegmatique. Mr. Cotton's sermon had so invaded him, that Kings and Courts were no such great things to him, especially when he understood that another was resolved on for Answerer.

Dr. Wren was then a very pregnant scholar in Pembrooke Hall, and also chaplain to Bishop Andrews, and thought fit to be imployed in this Commencement service, yet was not willing to have any other place but Answerer. The Vice-Chancellor urged his promise and engagement to Mr. Preston, and his opinion of his great ability; but nothing would serve, the Vice-Chancellor's College and the Bishop's Chaplain must have precedency; which he most seriously excused to Mr. Preston, and endeavoured to reconcile him to the first Opponent's place, which he declined, as being too obnoxious to the Answerer, who is indeed the lord and ruler of the Act; but there was no removing now, and so he goes about it with much unwillingness, being rather driven than drawne unto it.

His great and first care was to bring his argument to a head, without affronte or interruptions from the Answerer; and so made all his major propositions plausible and firme, that his adversary might neither be willing nor able to enter there, and the minor still backt by other syllogismes; and so the argument went on unto issue; which fell out well for Mr. Preston; for, in disputations of consequence, the Answerers are many times so fearfull of the event, that they slur and trouble the Opponents all they can, and deny things evident; which had bin the case in all former Acts. There was such wrangling about their Syllogismes, that sullyed and clouded the debates extreamely, and put the King's acumen into streights. But when Mr. Preston still cleared his way, and nothing was denied but what was ready to be proved, the King was greatly satisfied and gave good heed, which he might well doe, because the question was tempered and fitted to his content; namely, Whether dogs could make syllogismes.

The Opponent urged that they could; an  p94 Enthymeme (said he) is a lawfull and real Syllogisme, but dogs can make them. He instanced in a hound, who hath the major proposition in his mind, namely, The hare is gone either this way or that way; smells out the minor with his nose, namely, She is not gone that way; and follows the conclusion, Ergo this way, with open mouth.

The instance suited with the auditory, and was applauded, and put the Answerer to his distinctions, that dogs might have sagacity, but not sapience, in things especially of prey, and that did​1 concerne their belly; might be nasutuli, but not logici; had much in their mouths, little in their myndes, unless it had relation to their mouths; that their lips were larger than their understandings; which the Opponent still endeavoured to evade with another syllogisme, and put the dogs upon a fresh scent. The Moderator, Dr. Reade,​2 began to be afraid and to think how troublesome a pack of hounds, well followed and applauded, at last might prove; and so came in unto the Answerer's ayd, and told the Opponent that his dogs, he beleeved, were very weary, and desired him to take them off [and start some other argument].​3 And when the Opponent would not yield, but hallooed still and put them on, he interposed his authority and silenced him.

The King, in his conceit, was all this while upon New-Market Heath and liked the sport, and therefore stands up and tells the Moderator plainly, he was not satisfied in all that had bin answered, but did beleeve a hound had more in him than was imagined. I had myself (said he) a dog that, stragling far from all his fellows, had light upon a very fresh scent, but considering he was all alone, and had none to second and assist him in it, observes the place and goes away to his fellows, and by such yelling arguments as they best understand, prevayled, with a party of them to goe along with him, and, bringing them to the place, pursued it to an open view. Now the King desired for to know how this could be contrived and carried on without [the use and]​4 exercise of understanding, or what the Moderator could have done in that case better, and desired him that either he would thinke better of his dogs or not so highly of himselfe.

The Opponent also desired leave to pursue the King's game, which he had started, to an issue. But the Answerer protested that His Majesties dogs were always to be excepted, who hunted not by common law, but by prerogative. And​5 the Moderator, fearing the King might let loose another of his houndes, and make more worke, applyes himself with all submissive devotion to the King; acknowledged his dogs were able to outdoe him, besought His Majesty to believe they​6 had the better; that he would consider how his illustrious influence had already ripened and concocted all their arguments and understandings; that, whereas in the morning the reverend and grave divines could not make syllogismes, the lawyers could not, nor the physicians, now every dog could, especially His Majesties.

All men acknowledged it was a good bit to stop with. It was growne late, and so the Congregation was removed unto the Regent House, and the King went off well pleased with the business. The other acts were easily forgotten, but the discourse and logicke of the dogs was fresh in mouth and memory, and the philosophy Act applauded universally. The King applauded all the actors, but above all, the Opponent. It was easy to discern that the King's hound had opened the way for Mr. Preston at the Court, if he were willing; yet many of the great ones put him in mynde, and promised all assistance and encouragement. Sir Fulke Grevill, afterwards Lord Brooke, was greatly taken with him, and, after many demonstrations of his reall love, setled at least a stypend upon him of fifty pounds per annum, and was his friend until his last hour.

Chrysippus, albeit in other things as disdainful a judge of the condition of beasts, as any other philosopher, considering the earnest movings of the dog, who, comming into a path, that led three severall wayes, in search or quest of his master, whom he had lost, or in pursuite of some prey, that hath escaped him, goeth senting first one way, and then another, and having assured himself of two, because he findeth not the tracke of what he hunteth‑for, without more adoe, furiously takes himselfe to the third; he is enforced to confesse, that such a dogge must necessarily discourse with himselfe. I have followed my master's footing hitherto, hee must of necessity passe by one of these three wayes; it is neither this nor that, then consequently hee is gone this other. And by this conclusion or discourse assuring himselfe, comming to the third path, hee useth his sense no more, nor soundes‑it any longer, but by the power of reason suffers himselfe violently to be caried through‑it. This meere logicall tricke, and this use of divided and conjoined propositions, and of the sufficient numbring of parts: Is it not as good, that the dog know it by himselfe, as by Trapezuntius his logicke?