thies presents, that where our moevable goods, which we shall have at our decesse, be not sufficient, aftir our funerall had and don, to content and paye all our detts and legacies, and to performe our testament and last will in every behalf; that therefore our executors and assignes shall have and take all th'yssues and profitts and revenues of all the same maners and other the premisses, unto the tyme that they with the same yssues, profitts, and revenues, have contented and paid our said detts and legacies, and throughly and perfitely performed our testament and last will; and that the said bisshop of Wynchester and his co-feoffes, their heyres and assignes, shall stand and be feoffed of the same maners and other the premisses to the same use and entent, and suffer and not lett our said executors and assignes so to doo. And we, in our moost humble wise, also praye the said King our most deere Son to geve his gracious assent thereto to suffer and assiste our executors and assignes so to do, as we putt our singuler trust in his Highness. And we the said Princesse, aftir our detts paid, and aftir our legacies and bequests specified in this our present testament and last will, and in the scedulles therunto annexed, fully and truely in every thinge executed and performed, will, that our executors, calling into their inward mynds and remembraunce Almighty God, and the dutie of executors for distribucion of goods to them in suche caas committed, do distribute the residue of all our said goods for the welth of our soule, in suchewise as by their discrecion shal be thought moost best, meritorious, and convenyent. In witness wherof, to thies presents we have set to our signe manuell and seale of arms, the daie and yere abovesaid. Ultima voluntas ejusdem D. Marg'. Be it remembred, That it was also the last will of the saide Princesse to dissolve th'ospitall of Seynt Joh'nis in Cambrigge, and to alter and to founde therof a college of seculer persones; that is to say, a maister and fifty scolers, with divers servants; and newe to bielde the said college, and sufficiently to endowe the same with londs and tenements, aftir the maner and forme of other colleges in Cambridge; and to furnysshe the same, as well in the chapell, library, pantre, and kechen, with books and all other things necessary for the same. And to the performans whereof the saide Princesse willed, among other things, that hir executors shuld take the yffues, revenues, and profitts of hir londs and tenements put in feoffament in the counties of Devonshire, Somersettshire, and Northamptonshire, &c. Also the saide Princesse willed, that with the revenues comyng of the said londs putt in feoffament that the said late hospitall shulde be made clere of all olde detts dewly provid, and also that the londs and tenements to the same late hospitall belonging, shuld be sufficiently repayred and maynteyned. Also the said Princesse willed, that hir householde servants whiche had long contynued and done to hir goode servyce shoulde be rewarded with parte of hir goods, by the discrecion of the Reverend Fader in God Richard Bisshop of Wynchester, upon informacion geven unto him of their goode service and merits; and in likewise she wold, that by his discrecion hir executors shuld be rewarded. Also the said Princesse willed, that the nowmbre of x11 poore men and women that hir grace kepte and founded at Hatfeld in her liftyme shulde be kepte and maynteyned, at hir costs, during all the lyves of the saide poore men and women. Also the saide Princesse willed, that over and above x li. londs by yere which she wold shuld be purchased and geven unto hir chauntry and free scole of gramer in Wynborn Mynster, she wold, that other vili. shuld be purchased, and the King's licence to be obteigned for the same. Also the saide Princesse willed, that the maister and felowes of Crist's College of Cambridge should have provided for them and their successours londs and tenements to the yerely value of xvili. over and besids other londs that the said college hath in possession. Also the said Princesse willed, that the said Crist's College shuld, at hir costs and charge, be perfitly fynished in all reparacions, bielding, and garnyshing of the same. Also the said Princesse willed, that saide maner of Malton, in the shire of Cambrige, whiche belongeth to the said Crist's College should be sufficiently bielded and repayred, at hir coste and charge; soo that the said maister and scolers may resort thidder, and there to tary in tyme of contagiouse seknes at Cambrige, and exercise their lernyng and studies. Also the said Princesse willed, that a strong coffer should be provyded in the said Crist's College, at hir costs and charge. Also that hir said executors shulde putt in the same a c li. of money, or more, to the use of the said college, to be spended as they shall nede. Also the said Princesse willed, that all hir plate, juells, vestments, aulterclothes, books, hangyngs, and other necessarys belonging to hir chapell in the tyme of hir decesse, and not otherwise bequethed, shuld be divided betwene hir said colleges of Criste and Seynt John, by the discrecion of hir executors. Also the saide Princesse willed, the 1111 daye before hir decesse, that the Reverend Fader in God Richard bishop of Wynchester and maister Henry Hornby, hir Chauncellor, shuld the same day have the oversight of hir said will and testament; and by theire sadnesse and goode discrecions shulde have full auctoritie and power to alter, adde to, and demynishe, suche articles in her said will and testament, as they thought most convenyent, and according to the will of the said Princesse. Probat' dict' testamenti apud Lamhith, xvII die Mensis Octobris, Anno Domini Mill'imo Quingentissimo XII°. * Sixty at Christ's College and fifty at St John's. † At Westminster. The following Verses (says Baker) composed, as I presume, by a Monk of Westminster, having been thought worthy to be lodged in the Foundresses Chest, I have put them down as I there found them; not so much for the Elegancy of the Composure, as because they contain a very accurate Account of her Foundations. CARMEN PHALACIUM HENDECASYLLABUM. Hic illa est sita Margareta Gnato Octavo, Comes alta Richmondæ Censum contulit annuum duobus Fortunam superavit eminentem. The following Elegy, written by John Skelton, was upon a tablet near to Lady Margaret's tomb; it falls however far short of his reputation, owing perhaps to the misfortunes which he then laboured under, for he had been forced to take sanctuary at Westminster. ELEGIA. In serenissimæ principis et Dominæ, Dominæ Margaretæ nuper Comitissæ de Derby, strenuissimi Regis Henrici VII Matris, funebre ministerium; per Skeltonida laureatum oratorem Regium, 16 die mensis Augusti, Anno salutis 1516. Aspirate meis elegis pia turma sororum, Quem locus iste sacer celebri celebrat Polyandrio, Cui cedat Tanaquil, (Titus hanc super astra reportet) Hac Abigail vel ut Hester erat pietate secunda, Nec juvat, aut modicum prodest nunc ultima versu Falleris, ipse Charon, iterum surrexit Abyron, Et Stygios remos, despicit ille tuos. Vivitur ex voto, mentis præcordia tangunt Nulla sepulchra ducum, nec monumenta patrum; Distichon execrationis in fagoliodoros. Qui lacerat, violatve, rapit, presens epitoma, |