Treatise of Religion and Learning, Book 2 · University – Part
Cambridge.
THis is the other University and eye of England, a most famous Storehouse of good Literature and Godlinesse; it standeth upon the River Cam, which divideth it into two parts, and hath a Bridge over it, whence arose the name Cambridge.
There is not wanting any thing here, which a man may require in a most flourishing University, were it not that the air is somewhat unhealthfull, arising as it doth out of a Fenny-ground hard by.
Imò qui inter ipsos istius Scholae antiquitatem acerrimè tuentur, non asserunt tantùm, sed & probant indubitatis argumentis Cantabrigiam, Generalem Artium & Scientiarum Academiam factam & stabilitam non fuisse, ante Vicesimum annum Edwardi tertii, hoc est nudius-tertius ferè, si Aluredi seculum spectemus. Wake Rex. Platon. Vide plura ibid.That Cantaber a Spaniard 3751. years before Christs Nativity, first began and founded this University, is affirmed by Cains, but Leland the great Antiquary, and Camden also confute that conceit; and Mr Camden saith, It was a seat of learning about the time of King of Henry the first, and that under the reign of Edward the first (some think it should be the second) Grantbridge of a School was made an Vniversity (such as Oxford is) by the Court of Rome. Hugh Balsham Bishop of Ely in the year 1284. built the first Colledge, called Peter House, and endowed it with lands: whose example the other Founders did imitate and follow, saith the same Camden.
That which some relate also, That a publick Academy was erected at Cambridge by King Sigebert, Anno Christi 630. Id vero dubia annalium fide nititur; Cantabrigiensium quoque aemuli Oxonienses pernegant fortiter. Et ut quaedam fuerit instituta, procul dubio rudis fuit, nec in longum tempus. Caeterum nono seculo majori verisimilitudine laus illa competit. Coring. De Antiq. Academ. Dissertat. 3. Vide plura ibid. p. 73. See Petrus Blesensis at the end of Ingulphus.
Hic venerabilis ille Beda, illiusque discipulus, Carolique magni praeceptor Alcuinus sive Albinus, Joannes Roffensis Episcopus, Thomas Morus, Thomas Linacer; Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, & infiniti similes celeberrimi viri floruerunt. Swertii Athen. Belg. Certè recepta ab omnibus opinio est, & fama celebris Cantabrigiae & fuisse Bedam & studuisse. Caius De Antiq. Cant. Acad. l. 1.That which some urge for the honour of Cambridge of Bedes reading there, is a fable well confuted by Sir Isaac Wake in his Rex Platonicus, in his Acts of the fourth day, Bedam vero ipsum unquam Cantabrigiae fuisse quis nisi cerebri lasi putat? Quum ipse dissertissimis scriptis suis assorat, se nunquam extra monasterium suum operam literis dedisse, ac ne inde unquam ferè egressum à pueritia; Cantabrigiam verò, sua aetate adeò Academiam celebrem non fuisse, ut fuisse, ut planè desolatam civitatulam asserat.
Caius the Physician styled himself Londinensem when he wrote De Antiq. Cantab. Acad. though he was of Cambridge, and only a Londoner by birth, ne si Cantabrigiensis videretur, affectum quoque suum in scribendo prodidisse videretur…,
That passage of Caius's De Antiqu. Cantab. Acad. lib. 1. therefore might well have been spared. Caeterum ad has discordias rumpendas atque finiendas sanctamque pacem componendam, at que statuendam, cum ne que Oxoniensis Cantabrigiensem, nec Cantabrigiensis ferat Oxoniensem in controversia judicem, quòd pro sua cujus que affectione rem tractatam iri uterque indicet, ex libidine magis quàm ex vero celebratam aut obscuratam existimet, res suasit & commiseratio jussit, ut ego homo Londinensis, medio loco inter utrumque positus, & eodem animo in utrumque affectus, cui longa triginta annorum absentia à gymnasiis (nisi subinde invisendi gratia charitatis studio) omnem affectum juvenilem in Gymnasia sustulit, hanc controversiam ut inutilem, imo verò rem damnosam alioqui tanquam communis amicus definirem ac componerem. Vide librum ejus de libris propriis.
My worthy friend Sir Simonds D' Ewers (in his Speech touching the Antiquity of Cambridge) saith, If I should lose time to reckon up the vain allegations produced for the Antiquity of Oxford by Twyne, and of Cambridge by Caius, I should but repeat deliria senum.
At the present Cambridge consists of sixteen Colledges and Hals (for there is little difference there between them) erected and maintained with the Lands and Revenues of their several Founders.The Halls there are endowed with Lands and Fellowships as the Colleges are. No private Chappel in England beyond that of Kings Colledge in Cambridge. Collegium studiosorum propè dixerim Europae amplissimum Vos. Epist. Dedicat. ad artem Grammatic. Ex Collegiis hâc splendidissima sunt Trinitatis, Regio Palatio par aedificium & S. Joannis Sacellum hic est singularis & vix memorandi artificii. Jodoc. Sinc. Itin. Gall.
Kings Colledge Chappel being founded by Henry the sixth, is all of free-stone, a very curious structure, and from its form, called the University Cradle.
Trinity Colledge founded by King Henry the eighth, one of the compleatest Colledges in Europe.
A Colledge for stately greatnesse, for uniform building and beauty of rooms, scarce inferiour to any other in Christendom, saith Camden.
Next to it is St Johns Colledge.
St Peters Colledge or House, Founded 1280.
Hugh Basham Bishop of Ely began the foundation of this Colledge about Anno 1257.
He setled not the endowment till anno 1284.
Clarè-Hall, Founded 1280.
Richard Badew Chancellour of the University first founded this Hall by the name of the University-House or Hall. Afterwards the first foundation was resigned into the hands of Elizabeth Countesse of Clare widow, which Lady by the licence of King Edward the 3d, established and finished the same, and changing the name thereof, willed that for ever after it should in memory of her family, from whence she was descended, be called Clarè-Hall.
Dr Butler the famous Physician was sometimes Fellow and President of this House.
Pembroke Hall, Founded 1343.
Mary de S. Paul Countesse of Pembroke, daughter to Guido Chastillion Earl of St Paul in France, procured Licence from King Edward the 3d, to found this House by the name of the Colledge of Mary Valence, after called Pembroke Hall.
Richard Fox Bishop of Winchester, Edmond Grindall and John Whitgift Archbishops of Canterbury, William Fulk Doctor of Divinity, were all Masters of this House, and have by gifts of Lands, Money, Plate, Books, augmented the same, and Lancelot Andrews Doctor of Divinity, late Master and Bishop of Winchester hath given a thousand pounds, with three hundred seventy four folio Books well bound.
Mr Bradford Martyr was Fellow of Pembroke Hall, and first lived in Katherine Hall, and the Masters of those Colledges strove which should have him, as himself relates in one of his Letters, not to boast of himself, but to shew Gods goodness towards him.
Acts and Mon. Edit. ult. part. 3 p. 508.Bishop Ridley was also of Pembroke Hall, and there in the Orchard learned without Book almost all Pauls Epistles, yea and all the Canonical Epistles, save only the Apocalypse. So he saith of himself.
Corpus Christi Colledge, Founded 1351.
Henry of Monmouth sirnamed Torto Collo ordained this Colledge. It hath been since much inlarged.
Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury, and Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, were of this House, and great Benefactors to it.
Trinity Hall, Founded 1353.
William Bateman Bishop of Norwich founded this Hall.
Steven Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and Chancellour of this University, was of this House.
Gonvill and Caius Colledge, Founded 1353.
Edmond Gonvill Parson of Terrington in Norfolk, obtained License of King Edward the 3d to erect this Colledge.
Afterwa…d John Caius Doctor of Physick Anno 1557. was made a Cofounder by Letters Patents, who caused it to be called Gonvill and Caius Colledge.
King James being in Caius Colledge presented with Caius his Antiquitates Cantabrigiensis Acad…miae, he said, What should I do with the Antiquities of Cambridge? Give me Caius *That Book of his is commended.de Canibus.
Kings Colledge, Founded 1441.
King Henry the sixth in the nineteenth year of his Reign, began this royal Foundation.
See Stows Chrònicle in the life of Henry the sixth.In which Colledge at this present is standing one of the fairest Chappels in the world, which only he finished, but intended to have made the Colledge conformable thereunto.
D Goade was of this House.
Queens Colledge, Founded 1448.
Queen Margaret wife to Henry the sixth laid the Foundation of this Colledge, but leaving the same imperfect, Queen Elizabeth wife to King Edward the fourth, obtained Licence to finish the same, which she accomplished.
Bishop Davenant was Master of this Colledge.
Sir Thomas Smith principal Secretary to Queen Elizabeth, was Fellow of this Colledge.
Katherine Hall, Founded 1475.
Robert Woodlork Chancellour of Cambridge, founded this Hall, it hath been since inlarged by many other Benefactors.
D. Sibbes and Gouge were of this House.
Jesus Colledge, Founded 1496.
John Alcock Bishop of Ely and Lord Chancellour of England, procured Licence of King Henry the 7th to found this Colledge.
Christs Colledge, Founded 1505.
It was first begun by King Henry the sixth, and after his decease brought to perfection by the Lady Margaret Countesse of Richmond, and mother of King Henry the 7th.
This is called by D. Willet Collegium Theologorum, the Colledge of Divines, M. Perkins, M. Bains, and D. Ames were all Fellows of this Colledge.
St Johns Colledge, Founded 1508.
The Lady Margaret Countesse of Richmond founded this Colledge, which hath been much inlarged since by other Benefactors.
D. Whitaker was Master of this Colledge.
There is a fair Library in it founded by Bishop Williams.
Magdalen Colledge, Founded 1519.
Edward Stafford Duke of Buckingham founded this Colledge; it is since much inlarged by divers Benefactors.
Trinity Hall, Founded 1546.
It was founded and erected by King Henry the eight, it is since much inlarged by divers Benefactors.
Emanuel Colledge, Founded 1584.
Sir Walter Mildmay Privy Councellor to Queen Elizabeth obtained Licence of the said Queen to found and erect this Colledge. It hath since been much augmented by the liberality of divers Benefactors.
Doctor Preston was first Fellow of Queens Colledge, and the Master of Emanuel.
Sidney Sussex Colledge, Founded 1598.
Frances Sidney Countesse of Sussex (Aunt to the renowned Sir Philip Sidney) widow of Thomas Ratcliffe Earl of Sussex, founded this Colledge by the name of the Colledge of the L. Frances Sidney Sussex. It is much inlarged since by divers Benefactors.
Doctor Ward was Master there, and M. Gataker Fellow.
CHAP. XIV. Of the Vniversities of Scotland and Ireland.
THe learned men of Scotland have been these.A Carolo Magno, qui Galliam non minus literis quam armis illustrare cupiebat, accersiti è Scotia, qui Philosophiam Luretiae Graecè & Latinè docerent. Apud Scotos enim adhuc multi erant Monachi vetere disciplina nondum extincta, literis & pietate insignes. Quo è numero erat Joannes Cognomento Scotus, sive Albinus, quod idem valet, (Scoti enim Albinos sua lingua vocant) Caroli praeceptor, qui plurima ingenii sui monumenta reliquit è quibus nos Rhetorica praecepta vidimus, cum inscriptione Joannis Albini. Clementis quoque Scoti, qui eodem tempore Lutetiae literarum insignis professor erat, quaedam scripta adhuc supersunt. Commigrarunt etiam in Gallias complures Monachi Scoti, studio pietatis ducti, qui populis circa Rhenum Christianam doctrinam praedicabant, tanto successu ut plurimis in locis condiderint. Eorum memoriae id Germani dederunt, ut us que ad nostram aetatem semper Scotos eis praeficerent. Buchonani Rerum Scotic. Hist. l. 5.
1. Marianus sirnamed Scotus.
2. Hector Boetius both Historians.
3. John Major a well known Schoolman.
Since the Reformation.
George Buchanan an excellent Poet.
King James his Scholar, and a good Poet also.
Napier the Laird of Marchiston.
Barclay the Father and the Sonne.
John Skeine the Antiquary of this Nation.
Doctor John Maxwell the learned Bishop of Rosse.
Rolloc, Baronius, Cameron, Melvin.
The Universities.
I. Aberdein.
Academia Aberdoniensis.King Alexander with his Sister Isabella adorned this with many priviledges about the year 1240.
Doctor John Forbes was Professor of Divinity here.
Glasco.
It is honoured with an Archbishops See, and an University founded here by Archbishop Turbal, An. 1454.
St Andrews.
It is the chief Town of Fife, an Archiepiscopal See, and an University, erected in the year after our Saviours Incarnation, 1411.
The Vniversity of Ireland.
THe Christian Faith was first preached among the Irish by St Patrick.
The Irish Scholars of Patrick profited so notably in Christianity, that in the Age next following, Ireland was termed Sanctorum Patria, that is, the native Countrey of Saints; and the Scottish Monks in Ireland and Britain highly excelled for their holinesse and learning.
Out of Ireland came Caelius Sedulius a Priest.
Richard Fitz-Ralf, commonly called Armachanus, is of famous memory, who turned the edge of his style about the year 1355. against the mendicant Friers, as detesting in Christians such voluntary begging.
Dublin, or Divelin.
Dublinium & Dublinia. The Irish call it Balacleigh, the Town upon Hurdles, when it was built, the foundation was laid upon Hurdles, the place was so feuish and moorish. This is the chief City of Ireland, it is situated in a delightfull and wholsome place.There is a beautifull Colledge consecrated unto the name of the holy and indivisible Trinity, which for the exercising and polishing of wits with good Literature, Queen Elizabeth endowed with the Priviledges of an University; and it is furnished with a good Library.
Bishop Vsher was born there, and was the first Scholar of that Colledge.
Thus much of Dublin (saith Camden in his Britaine) for the most part of which I acknowledge my self beholden unto the diligence and learning of James Vsher Chancellor of St Patricks Church, whose variety of knowledge and judgement are far above his years.
The End of the second Book.