faithful and lawful computus from his first entrance upon his mastership to that day, which having been almost twenty years, in such multiplicity of business, amongst so many enemies ready enough to catch advantages, must be allowed as some proof of his integrity, if it could be 5 questioned. I meet with no more mention of him till the thirtyfirst of Henry the Eighth; when 6s. 8d. is placed to account expended upon a dirge for Dr Metcalf', so much for links, so much for wax and other requisites of a funeral. 10 There is besides placed to account so much for setting up a table in the wall for Dr Metcalf, whereby is probably meant the little monument of brass in the outer chapel with this inscription, as far as it can be read, for it has been much defaced in evil times: 15 Nicholaus Metcalfus hujus collegii magister viginti annos, quarto die Julii magistratu excessit, et vestras ad Deum preces vehementer expetit an. Dom. MCCCccxxxvii2. It might have been prepared sooner, and not fixed there till this year. Dr Day might not care to be upbraided with such a monu- 20 ment in passing to his lodge; it would not reproach his successor, who had no hand in this ungrateful business. But whenever it was placed there, or whoever bestowed it, he certainly deserved a larger monument; for besides the services he did the college from its first foundation, 25 having been his patron's constant agent from Rochester to Cambridge, when he himself could not attend the foundation, and that after he was master, his services were such and the accessional endowments under him so many, as a hundred years after can hardly produce. He was him- 30 self a benefactor by giving in ready moneys £80, besides 1 Liber thesaurar. 2 His will is dated an. 1539, and proved October 16 an. 1539; by which he leaves 40s. to St John's college for a dirige and a mass; 108. to Michaelhouse, some small legacies to his sisters Elizabeth, Alice and Jane, etc.; the residue not disposed of, to the maintenance of poor scholars in Cambridge. His body to be buried in the church of Wodham 5 £40 towards some additional buildings since demolished upon building the second court, a sum then large enough to have founded a fellowship, had his ambition prompted him to that design. It were no hard matter, were it not too tedious, to recount the particular foundations settled under him. About seven or eight years after his prefecture, an. 15451, an account being taken of the state of this and other colleges by order from court by Matthew Parker then vice-chancellor, John 10 Redman then master of King's hall, and William May master of Queens', commissionated by the king, the revenues of this college were found to amount to £625. 1s. 4d. per annum, reprisis non deductis, and these deductions made, to £536. 2s. 2d. And yet the account was given in as low as 15 possible, to prevent the designs of hungry courtiers, who, having swallowed up and devoured the houses of religion, were for breaking in upon the seats of learning, had not they been prevented by the king, who was so well satisfied with the account and with the number that was main20 tained with these revenues (which was likewise given in), that he bid them hold their own, for though he could not forbear writing for his courtiers, yet he would leave it to their choice, whether they would gratify them or not: with which words (says Dr Parker") we were well armed, and so de25 parted. To conclude with Dr Metcalf; he was a man, if not very learned, yet of sufficient abilities and tolerable acquirements in most sorts of learning; I am sure he is complimented upon that account by learned men: whatever was 30 wanting in his own stock, was made up by encouraging it in others, which no man could do more readily or more impartially than he did. Of all those men that had a hand in turning him out, I may positively affirm, that as they owed their preferment, so there was hardly one of 35 them that did not in a great measure owe his learning to his encouragement. It was his entertainment amongst 1 MSS. coll. Corp. Chr. miscel. O. 2 Idem status collegii extat inter archiva coll, Jo. 0. 3 MSS. coll. Corp. Chr. miscellan. his fellows to have the scholars dispute before them, who were called up to the master's lodgings to recreate him and the seniors after their business was over, and they that did the best, as they wanted not open encouragement, so if indigent, they had moneys conveyed to them 5 into their studies' from unknown hands, but undoubtedly from his; of which Sir John Cheke was, I suppose, an instance. And whatever party or persuasion they were of, whether of the new learning or of the old, which begun then to divide the college, or of whatever country, north 10 or south, if they were hopeful and deserving and not over turbulent, they were undoubtedly preferred. It has been objected to him that he favoured his own country too much; Mr Ascham2, who knew him well, will absolve him of that charge, nor could there be any need 15 or occasion for such favour. The north was so much favoured by the statutes and private founders, that nothing more was wanting than to do right to the constitution; but if doing right to that will make a man partial, he was then confessedly guilty of partiality, and yet had he done other- 20 wise, he had been unjust. He was every way an excellent master, for though he were not possessed of all that learning that might have been desired, but could not be expected from a man in continual business, yet he had that which was more desirable 25 and more necessary in a governor, prudence and conduct, which he shewed in the long and continued course of his government, and would have held the reins longer, had not the current of the times run against him. He was vicar of Kemsyng and Hoo in Kent and rector 30 of Southfleet in the same county, afterwards rector of Wodeham Ferrers in Essex, to which preferment he was admitted July 13 an. 1517 upon the resignation of John Longland'. He was chaplain to John bishop of Rochester, and was his archdeacon at least twenty-four years, if not 35 1 Ascham's Schoolmaster, fol. 54. 2 Ibid. fol. 54. 3 Regr. London. from Mr New. court. He was presented to the church of Sturmouth by the bishop of Rochester, which he resigned an. 1510. Regr. Cant. 5 more; in one letter' directed to him he is styled chancellor of Rochester; having met nothing of this anywhere else, it may have been a mistake for archdeacon. He was of an ancient and numerous family in Richmondshire, and had some paternal estate at Askryg or Asbryg in that county, where his mother Agnes Metcalf was living Aug. 2 an. 13 Hen. 8.; who writes to him. from thence, to come down and set in order such lands as appertained to his inheritance-after her decease,10 for that she was crazy and aged and had no surety of long life. He was constituted master by the bishop of Rochester and the rest of the executors upon the resignation of Mr Percy. How he went off, we have seen already. 1 Inter archiva. He was preb. sexaginta solid. in the church of Lincoln. B. W. 2 Ex archivis. 3 Nov. I an. 10 H. 8. GEORGE DAYE' FOURTH MASTER, ADMITTED JULY 27TH AN. 1537, ALIAS GEORGE DEYE, FOR SO HE WRITES HIMSELF AT HIS ADMISSION AS FELLOW. DR Metcalf being laid aside by a forced resignation, the society were very full of themselves and their own happiness in a new choice, which they had not had since they were a college. The men of great learning had such confidence in their own strength and wisdom2, that they did 5 not doubt of bringing in a man of their own party, if they might be left to a free election: to this end they supplicate Cromwell, then their chancellor and the king's vicegerent and visitor here, that he would indulge them this happiness, and give him strong hopes that all should be trans- 10 acted to his satisfaction; and having obtained leave and Cromwell having by intimation from the king pointed out Dr Day to their choice, a man acceptable to them and gracious at court (for the late service he had done in the case of the supremacy, having then as public orator3 penned 15 the university decree or determination, so well done, that it shews the genius of a great man) they proceed to an election, and to their great surprise Dr Wylson was brought in against them by a majority of votes; Dr Nicholas Wilson*, I suppose, of Christ's college, a friend of bishop 20 1 George Day was third son of Rich. Day of Newport in com. Salop. gent. and of Agnes Osborne. Ex officio armorum. 2 Ex regro et liter. coll. 3 MS. coll. Corp. Chr. Cant. chaelhouse, bishop Fisher's own college, which made the thing more provoking. V. regr. col. Trin. in the masters of Michaelhouse, an. 1533. He was of the county of York, born in Holderness near Beverley, and as such was bishop Fisher's country |