Chronicle and Romance Part 27

1340 9 The Queen's College R. Eglesfeld, chaplain to Philip, queen of England, wife to Edward 3.

1263 10 Balliol College John Balliol, king of Scotland.

1557 11 St. John's Sir Thomas White, knight.

1556 12 Trinity College Sir Thomas Pope, knight.

1316 13 Excester College Walter Stapleten, bishop of Excester.

1513 14 Brasen Nose William Smith, bishop of Lincoln.

1873 15 University College William, archdeacon of Duresine.

16 Gloucester College John Crifford, who made it a cell for thirteen monks.

17 St. Mary's College

18 Jesus College, now Hugh ap Rice, doctor of the civil in hand law.

[6] He founded also a good part of Eton College, and a free school at Wainfleet, where he was born.

There are also in Oxford certain hotels or halls which may right well be called by the names of colleges, if it were not that there is more liberty in them than is to be seen in the other. In my opinion the livers in these are very like to those that are of the inns in the chancery, their names also are these so far as I now remember:

Brodegates. St. Mary Hall.

Hart Hall. White Hall.

Magdalen Hall. New Inn.

Alburne Hall. Edmond Hall.

Postminster Hall.

The students also that remain in them are called hostlers or halliers.

Hereof it came of late to pa.s.s that the right Reverend Father in G.o.d, Thomas, late archbishop of Canterbury, being brought up in such an house at Cambridge, was of the ignorant sort of Londoners called an "Hostler," supposing that he had served with some inn-holder in the stable, and therefore, in despite, divers hung up bottles of hay at his gate when he began to preach the gospel, whereas indeed he was a gentleman born of an ancient house, and in the end a faithful witness of Jesus Christ, in whose quarrel he refused not to shed his blood, and yield up his life, unto the fury of his adversaries.

Besides these there is mention and record of divers other halls or hostels that have been there in times past, as Beef Hall, Mutton Hall, etc., whose ruins yet appear: so that if antiquity be to be judged by the shew of ancient buildings which is very plentiful in Oxford to be seen, it should be an easy matter to conclude that Oxford is the elder university. Therein are also many dwelling-houses of stone yet standing that have been halls for students, of very antique workmans.h.i.+p, besides the old walls of sundry others, whose plots have been converted into gardens since colleges were erected.

In London also the houses of students at the Common Law are these:

Sergeant's Inn. Furnival's Inn.

Gray's Inn. Clifford's Inn.

The Temple. Clement's Inn.

Lincoln's Inn. Lion's Inn.

David's Inn. Barnard's Inn.

Staple Inn. Newmann.

And thus much in general of our n.o.ble universities, whose lands some greedy gripers do gape wide for, and of late have (as I hear) propounded sundry reasons whereby they supposed to have prevailed in their purposes. But who are those that have attempted this suit, other than such as either hate learning, piety, and wisdom, or else have spent all their own, and know not otherwise than by encroaching upon other men how to maintain themselves? When such a motion was made by some unto King Henry the Eighth, he could answer them in this manner: "Ah, sirra! I perceive the Abbey lands have fleshed you, and set your teeth on edge, to ask also those colleges. And, whereas we had a regard only to pull down sin by defacing the monasteries, you have a desire also to overthrow all goodness, by subversion of colleges. I tell you, sirs, that I judge no land in England better bestowed than that which is given to our universities; for by their maintenance our realm shall be well governed when we be dead and rotten. As you love your welfares therefore, follow no more this vein, but content yourselves with that you have already, or else seek honest means whereby to increase your livelihoods; for I love not learning so ill that I will impair the revenues of any one house by a penny, whereby it may be upholden." In King Edward's days likewise the same suit was once again attempted (as I have heard), but in vain; for, saith the Duke of Somerset, among other speeches tending to that end--who also made answer thereunto in the king's presence by his a.s.signation: "If learning decay, which of wild men maketh civil; of blockish and rash persons, wise and goodly counsellors; of obstinate rebels, obedient subjects; and of evil men, good and G.o.dly Christians; what shall we look for else but barbarism and tumult? For when the lands of colleges be gone, it shall be hard to say whose staff shall stand next the door; for then I doubt not but the state of bishops, rich farmers, merchants, and the n.o.bility, shall be a.s.sailed, by such as live to spend all, and think that whatsoever another man hath is more meet for them and to be at their commandment than for the proper owner that has sweat and laboured for it." In Queen Mary's days the weather was too warm for any such course to be taken in hand; but in the time of our gracious Queen Elizabeth I hear that it was after a sort in talk the third time, but without success, as moved also out of season; and so I hope it shall continue for ever. For what comfort should it be for any good man to see his country brought into the estate of the old Goths and Vandals, who made laws against learning, and would not suffer any skilful man to come into their council-house: by means whereof those people became savage tyrants and merciless h.e.l.l-hounds, till they restored learning again and thereby fell to civility.