GONVILE AND CAIUS COLLEGE.

THIS College has educated two persons who have written the History of the University: it is, then, natural to suppose the accounts of their own college will be authentic and correct; for their authorities will, of course, be taken from its archives; and, by their own account, there are several writings, which unfold its history. Their testimonies, therefore, ought to be as good guides as the registers themselves. As low as their histories are brought, (which, indeed, is not very low) we may look to Caius and Parker, and may venture to rely on their histories.

This should have been placed, in its due order, as the seventh college; of which one part was founded in 1348, by the Rev. Edmund Gonvile, rector of Terrington, in Norfolk. It was constructed, at the first, between Lugburn Street (now Freeschool Lane) the church-yard of St. Botolph's, and Bene't College, on the place where is now the garden of that college. It was called by the founder Gonvile Hall, and dedicated to the Annunciation of the Blessed Mary. He placed in it a master, with four fellows, and in his life-time supported them out

a Colleg. Corp. Christi, et Beatæ Mariæ.

of his own funds. This he soon exchanged for two buildings of Bene't, one that had belonged to Sir John Cantebridge, called the Stone-house, the other to John Goldcorne, with schools, shops, and gardens, (to use the words of Gonvile) on the place called Henney; and the Hall, with its master and fellows, being thus removed, was confirmed, in 1353, by Robert Bateman, Bishop of Norwich, who had been appointed the executor of Gonvile's will.

These two buildings, which (as the ancient records of the same college shew) were formerly schools of philosophy and tradesmen's shops, were built in Henney, in the parish of St. Michael, not far from St. John Baptist's Church, which stood where is now King's College Hall; and of them was constructed Gonvile Hall, at least the north side: the western and southern, as far as the chapel, were built by Thomas at Wood, formerly provost of the same college, John Warrok, and John Preston, citizens of Norwich, and other worthy men: the remaining part of the western side, that is, the chapel, had been built long before, by William Rougham, a physician, the second provost of this college; the eastern side, not seventy years since, by Elizabeth Clerc, the most pious widow of John Clerc, Esq. of Norfolk. Thus, by degrees, the building was formed into a square. The revenues were increased by other patrons, Mrs. Margaret Pakenham, John Bailey, professor of theology, Stephen Smyth, Mrs. Anne Scroope, William

• In Parker's History of Cambridge, p. 69, it reads the Hall of Queen's College, which, it is to be hoped, is an error of the press; for it is meant to be translated from Caius, where it is regalis, not reginalis: and neither the word nor the site will allow it to be Queen's.

Willose, Thomas Wendy, doctor in medicine, William Sigit, Thomas Alkins, William Gale, Peter Huet, Geoffry Knite, and John Whitacre. Lastly, in the reign of Elizabeth, Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, gave a salary to support one scholar. Thus endowed, this college retained the name of Gonvile Hall to the time of Philip and Marya.

Thus far is little more than a translation of Caius ; who (as observed of him before) is sparing enough of his biographies, only speaking here of the founder as rector of Terrington, in Norfolk. Let it then be addedSir Edmund was the son of William Gonvile. He was a priest, and patron, as well as rector, of Terrington, Norfolk, in Edward III.'s reign. Thus far Mr. Blomefield b.

Gonvile also was, it seems, in the absence of the bishop, guardian of the spiritualities of the diocese, and besides this Hall, he founded likewise the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist, at Lynn. To borrow Parker's genealogical precision, he was great uncle to the great uncle of Lady Anne Scroope, who, after marrying William Chamberlain, Knight of the Order of the Garter, William Wingfield, Knight of the Order of the Sepulchre, and Governor of Calais, and, thirdly, Lord John, Baron Scroope, of Bolton, Knight of the Order of the Garter, and having no children, enlarged, it seems, a college of Canons, at Rushworth, which was founded by Edmund Gonvile, as well as this Hall. So (to pay Edmund Gon

a Caii Hist. Cantabr. Acad. Lib. i. p. 64.

b Hist. of Norf. Vol. i. p. 192. If this is right, Parker is a little wrong. Sir Walter Manly, too, should be Manny. See Froisard's Chronicles, Vol. i. p. 132. Lord Berner's edit. reprinted 1812.

vile the accustomed honours of a founder) this rector of Rushworth must have been a person of great account and considerable wealth. He died before his foundation was completed, in 1350, leaving Bishop Bateman to finish it, out of a considerable sum of money, left him in trust for that purpose *.

Of the remaining part, the Founder speaks modestly enough; all he says being, that on Sept. 4, 1557, the 3d and 4th of the reign of Philip and Mary, John Caius, physician, bestowing on it estates, for the support of three fellows and 20 poor scholars, and a different college being added to the former foundation, the old name of Hall being blotted out, those princes called it Gonvile's and Caius' College; in which one master, 10 fellows, 10 scholars, 5 servants, and 3 poor men, were supported: but that pensioners also studied in it, supported at their own expense, to the number of 33, and that all together amounted to 62.

To come now to this other Founder.-John Caius, doctor of physic, of Norwich, was the son of Robert Caius of Yorkshire, and 14th warden of Gonvile Hall, being chosen the 24th of Jan. 1559. He was warden, as he tells us himself, seven years; began the new building in 1565, and completed it in 1570b. Parker calls him the third founders, including, therefore, Bishop Bateman.

a Parker's Hist. of Cambridge, p. 68-72.

b Caii Opuscula, p. 142. Edit. S. Jebb, M. D. 1729. They had been published before in 1570 and 1574.

• Bishop Bateman is also called a founder, in a MS. in Caius College