idque decimo idus Martii, Rege Henrico septimo annum jam agente imperii sui vicesimum quartum. Sed heu præmaturam mortem! quæ tantum bonum mortalibus diutius invidebas. Ægrotabat nobilissima hæc princeps satis quidem periculose, digna certe quæ nunquam nec ægrotaret, nec moreretur. Quæ quum finem vitæ sibi instare intelligebat, neque * promittebant medici, optimi hujus præsulis hortatu et consilio, qui nunquam hoc illi inculcare desinebat, arcitis ad se proceribus iis quos a consiliis intimos magis habuit, syngraphum protinus confici curat, quo inceptum opus absolveretur. Verum priusquam illud obsignatum sit, sanctissima princeps animam cœlo reddidit, ubi ob beatissime transactam vitam non dicendis gaudiis cum cœlicolis fruitur. Expiravit vero tertio calendas Julias, ipsissimo die quo mortalibus sanctum colitur festum apostolorum Petri atque Pauli. Sepulta magnifice, ubi et obiit, Westmonasterii. Instabat jam

totis viribus huic operi Roffensis Episcopus ; et reliquos huc omnes urgebat executores, ne nobilissimæ principis nuper sublatæ voluntatem irritam fieri sinerent. Convenit Eliensem Episcopum, qui viventi principi assentiebat ut desolata domus in Collegium mutaretur. At ille jam sententiam mutarat suam, neque jampridem promissis stetit ; hac contentione annus elapsus est; tandem, quid precibus, quid pretio flexus, omnem sui juris et vim et robur Roffensi præsuli concessit, ut ille omnia pro suo arbitratu ageret. Neque tamen adhuc fa

cultas erat collegium aggrediendi. Verum tot subinde restiterunt mala, et quasi hydræ capita, absoluto uno, decem protinus oriebantur; ut nunquam crediderim hoc opus aliquando absolvi potuisse, citra præsentissimum Dei numen, et hujus Præsulis herculeos labores. Quid enim loquar sudores et negotiorum undas, quas annos plus novem in Regio consilio passus est, orando, ambiendo, et nihil non agendo quod hoc negotium promoveret? Quid dicam quot pericula subivit, quæ discrimina etiam vitæ pertulit ab iis proceribus qui olim principi famulabantur? qui pientissimæ principis bona omnia sibi, et vi et potentiâ, vindicassent; quorum profecto cupiditatem et furorem cohibere hominis erat plusquam mortalis; qui et eo insaniæ devenerunt, ut regis (qui nunc est) florentissimi animum modis omnibus sollicitarent, ne hoc collegium ædificaretur. Quid multis? nunquam adducar ut credam Trojanum illum Æneam per tot maria tempestate et errore vectum, majore cum labore, haud discrimine, urbem Lanuvinam condidisse, quam laudatissimus præsul iste Divi Ioannis Collegium. Cæteris devictis tandem monstris omnibus, non parum adjuvante Reverdo Patre Gulielmo Cantuariensi Archiepiscopo ut principis testamentum robur haberet, a Rege, ab Eliensi, ab omnibus, prius 'concessum opus, sed hactenus dilatum, tandem bonis avibus aggreditur quinto nonas Aprilis, regnante item Henrico octavo et 1i. e. 1° Idus Mart. Hen. VII. 24.

ejus imperii anno secundo. Huc accessit R. P. Thomæ Eboracensis Archiepiscopi, Cardinalis, autoritas, quæ in hoc negotio multum valuit. Erecto igitur hoc Collegio, et antiquæ domus prædiis redemptis, quum neque illa, neque fundatricis bona satis essent ut numeris omnibus absolveretur, rursus ad Henricum ejus appellationis octavum, Regem florentissimum, confugit; cujus favore simul, et Reginæ nobilissimæ, Hospitale de Ospringe huic collegio est adjectum; una cum duobus monialium monasteriis, quæ, ob perditissima incolarum scelera et mores corruptissimos, in magnum et Christicolarum dedecus mox erant ruitura; quæ, quantâ cum sollicitudine, quantis precibus et obsequiis, apud regem, apud Cardinalem, et horum proceres, ægre tandem obtinuit, vix unquam (ita me Christus servet) credidissem, si non hisce vidissem oculis. His utrumque adquisitis, dignissimus iste præsul cætera adjecit; leges condidit, quas statuta vocamus, virtutis morumque optumas tutrices; postremo, et veluti generosissimus Vermis, se ipsum enervans hoc collegium refersit, seipsum spolians has ædes ditavit, seipsum deprimens hoc * * ornavit, breviter et de suo diripiens huc congessit quicquid vel ornamenti vel suppellectilis habemus; et novissime, ut e tantâ multitudine paucula recenseamus, hæc quæ singulatim subscribuntur e bonis suis collegio dedit.

[Partly printed in the Collections to Fiddes' Life of Wolsey.]

In Plate, Juells, and Moneys.

Ffyrst the Reuerende Ffather in God John Bysshoppe of Rochester hathe gevyn to thys college of Sanct John the euangeliste in Cambrege, for the 'ffowndacyon of iv ffellowys and ii dyscipylls

1 He first gave 500 lib., with which lands were purchased to the yearly value of 25 lib. Afterwards he gave lands, lying, with the others, in Holbeche, Ramrick, Ridgwell, Weston, &c., to the value of 60 lib. per an., in all 85 lib. per an., equal to, or exceeding the revenues of the old House: Besides his jewells, and all his other furniture, whereof he made a deed of gift, which with a large Inventory is yet lodged in the Treasury; though the things themselves never came there, for reasons too well known to need to be related. Out of these estates he founded four Fellowships and two Scholarships. Three of the Fellows and two of the Scholars were to be chosen out of the county of York; the other Fellow out of the diocese of Rochester. All his Fellows, if priests, to receive a mark per quarter beyond the usual stipend. He founded besides, Four Examinators, with two Lecturers for the Greek and Hebrew Tongue; his Examinators to receive 408., the Greek Lecturer 3 lib., and the Hebrew Reader 5 lib. per annum; With 12 lib. per an. for Trentals, usually enjoyed by six of the Fellows, to each one 40s.; and moneys to be distributed at his Exequies to the Master, Fellows, and Scholars, upon the day of his death, varying in the sum, according to the number then present. All these foundations still exist in the College, but under the Foundress's name, instead of Bishop Fisher's. For in the Statutes given by Hen. VIII. an. 1545, after the Bishop's fall, it was ordered that whereas the original establishment was for 28 Fellows and 22 Scholars (50 persons in all), and 4 Fellows and 2 Scholars for Bp. Fisher, being of his own private foundation; it should in future consist of 32 Fellows and 24 Scholars (besides 3 for other uses) for the Foundress only. The mark per quarter was to be paid to the four Seniors of the Foun

for ever in the sayd College, and for the mortemaign of Ospryng to the sayd College, 600 lib.

Item payd for the mortemanyng of Higham and Bromehall 200 lib.

Item the sayd Reuerende Ffather in God hathe gevyn these percells followyng.

Ffyrst a chales wyth a paten, gylte, ponderyng 27 unc.

Item ii Chalessys, percell gylte, weying together 26 unc.

Item a pix of sylver and gylte, gravyn wythe roseys with a lydd pertenyng to the same havying in the toppe a crosse and crusyfyx ponderyng 28

unc.

Item a standyng Cuppe, gylt, with a Couer ponderyng 14 unc.

Item iij Rector stavys twayn of thame cappyd wythe sylver ponderyng 16 unc.

Item ij grett Saltts wythe a couer all gylte ponderyng 52 unc: (In toto, 163 unc: whereof 147 were gilt.)

dation, and the 12 lib. per annum to be divided amongst six or more of the Fellows to pray for the Foundress; and the four examinators at 40s. a year each, and two Readers at 4 lib. per annum each, were continued; but all with an entire suppression of the Bishop. These regulations were interrupted for a short time under Q. Mary, but came again into force in the next reign; and they form part of the last Body of Statutes given by Q. Elizabeth an. 1580, by which the College is now governed.