so overbusied with architecture, that their other studies were intermitted and the noise of axes and hammers disturbed them in their proper business. The same person observes that under Dr Whitaker the society flourished 5 most in learning, insomuch that they were then so crowded that one court was hardly able to contain the crowd, and therefore it was a very laudable design to provide more room, had they, whilst the second court was going up, taken equal care to preserve their numbers; the fault was 10 that whilst they provided for room they did not want it. The second court', the great work of this master, was begun by his persuasion through the unwearied agency of Mr R. Booth our best solicitor in 1598, being put into the hands of two undertakers Wigge and Symons (a way 15 of building not so allowable in works intended for posterity) who for the sum of £3400 obliged themselves in four years to erect a court in the same (or better) manner than it now stands, to be completely finished in 1602. The materials of the old building were thrown in to mend 20 their bargain, and this first sum of £3400 the foundress obliged herself to make good. By a second contract the undertakers were to receive further £205 for some additional buildings and ornaments, viz. for making the buildings half story etc.; and this it was hoped the foundress 25 would allow. The foundation was laid Octobr. 2a, 1598; the north side of the court was finished an. 1599, that side being first undertaken, either because it was designed for accommodating the master, or because the old buildings on the other side were to stand till more room was made. The 30 rest of the building rose more slowly, though, bating some small particulars, the whole was finished in the year 1602, in a manner ruinous to the undertakers and not overadvantageous to the college. The undertakers were undone (for soon after I meet with Wigge in prison petition35 ing the society) and the college had a slight and crazy building left them, which can never live up to the age of 1 Ex archivis. 2 Robert Boothe Cestren. admis sus socius Mar. 12, 1572-3. Regr. coll. Jo. Robert Boothe Notting ham. admissus socius Apr. 7, 1587. Ibid. [R. B. of Cheshire was "our best solicitor."] the first court, though that court be older by almost 100 years and yet the contract was punctually performed on their side by the payment of £3605 with somewhat over, the whole charge amounting to £3665, a good part whereof was never, received by them, by the foundress' misfortunes 5 coming on soon after, which disabled her to make good what she so well intended. Only £2760 appears to have been received of her, the rest is placed to account as due, and was either made good by the college, or does not appear to have been paid by the foundress. In 1620 she 10 was in arrears', and being then in some disorder, there could be little hopes left of payment. Part of Mr Rob. Booth's legacy seems to have been applied to that use. However she is justly entitled to the foundation of the whole, what she did being wholly owing to her favour, and 15 what she left undone being owing to her misfortunes. The payments that were made by her or her order were made sometimes to the master at London or Lincoln, and sometimes to him or the several bursars in college, and though the countess of Shrewsbury be never named 20 otherwise than as foundress, yet the payments being made by so many different hands, to so many several persons, at different times and in different places, there could be no such mystery or secrecy in the thing as has been imagined. It is certain the secret was out before the building was up, 25 and that both she and the lord her husband were known to be at the bottom of the design, though from a clause in the contract it seems to have been at first a secret, where the undertakers oblige themselves to leave room over the gate for such arms as the college should afterwards set up 30. there, which are now the arms of Talbot and Cavendish. Her statue was given by the late duke of Newcastle out of respect to the society as well as with regard to his name and family. Thus the court was finished by this excellent lady with 35 the consent, countenance and assistance of the earl her husband: her faults or misfortunes are foreign to my purpose, occasioned by her intriguing in the match betwixt 1 Liter. coll. her kinswoman the lady Arabella and Sir William Seymor, and afterwards reporting that that lady had borne him a son, for the which she was first imprisoned and afterwards, refusing to answer, was fined very heavily, viz. £20,000, 5 and again imprisoned during the king's pleasure. That she had ever any thoughts of endowing her court (as has been said') is more than I know, and much more than I believe. In all the papers there is nothing. said of such a design, but there is enough said to con10 tradict it. The court being finished was to be divided out, and the proportions adjusted betwixt the master and the fellows, wherein the master had a large share, as reasonable, most of it having been built upon his ground, either 15 where his garden or his old gallery stood, and all of it under his conduct and by his and Mr Booth's persuasion, and there being now room enough, several of the scholars that were willing to keep in them3 had likewise chambers, somewhat whereof continued till of late years, and some20 what (though very little) till the building of the last court; when (as one would imagine) the scholars lost their shares for want of room. The master having got over this arduous affair, so very difficult and troublesome to him (being grounded 25 upon deficient funds and managed by unequal undertakers, who did neither satisfy nor were satisfied themselves, so that the whole ended in a suit at law) was now at liberty to attend more public business; and being very considerable by having brought new ornament to the 30 university as yet low in buildings, was chose vice-chancellor an. 1605, an office he would have discharged with greater lustre but that the plague broke out that year, occasioning a recess of the heads, a dispersion of the scholars and an intermission of exercise for some time. 1 MS. D. M. 2 Inter archiva. 3 College orders Feb. 23, 1608. The scholars of the house in seniority, such as would keep in them, otherwise the next seniors to take and enjoy them; not that they had However in 1606 exercise was resumed, and it was some honour to his year, as well as to the society, that Dr Morton afterwards bishop of Durham commenced D.D. and kept his act under him, to the satisfaction of all that heard that performance, particularly of the two professors, Dr Overall 5 and Dr Playfere, the latter whereof opposed him, though he were then Margaret professor; the last time, I believe, he acted in that capacity, for soon after he fell into disorder, and the year following' Dr Branthwaite acted as his deputy; in the succeeding year he died' Feb. 1 an. 10 1608, aged 46 years, agreeably to the inscription on his picture in the gallery3. 15 Nothing memorable besides happened under Dr Clayton's vice-chancellorship, except an order for the observance of the fifth of November in a very solemn manner in the university, and that with regard to their duty and gratitude to the king who had been heaping privileges upon them; having given them a power of sending burgesses to parliament in the first year of his reign, and in his second year having granted them a very ample charter, 20 confirming their ancient privileges and adding new ones, and in this year, which was his third, having empowered them to nominate and present to the livings of popish recusants, having first given them the two wealthy rectories of Somersham and Terrington as an augmentation 25 to the two professorships. The next year an order passed rather fawning than dutiful; for the king having expressed his dislike of tobacco by his Counterblast fulminated against it, the university, to shew how entirely they were in his majesty's 30 sentiments, passed an order against excessive drinking and taking tobacco. But notwithstanding the learning both of the king and the university that evil custom has prevailed, when the king's book as well as the university's order is almost forgot. 1 Regr. acad. Life of Bp. Williams, [i.] p. 18. 3 Dr Playfare according to his epitaph died 4to non. Febr. an. 1609, ætatis suæ 47. According to the register, the more authentic account, 35 Although Dr Clayton survived his vice-chancellorship some years, yet he does not afterwards appear much in business, a good part of his time being employed at Lincoln and Peterborough, where his preferments lay, being 5 dean' of Peterborough and archdeacon and prebendary of Lincoln: and whilst he was in college, no small share of his time was devoted to the seniors, either in college business or entertainments, which in his time2 begun to run high; whereby being become very acceptable, new 10 advantages were added to the mastership. For besides the vast addition from the new buildings, the monthly dividend amongst the present fellows being now established, the master was to receive a double share, and being often absent was to be allowed in his absence, a 15 privilege not extending to any of the fellows. But however reasonable this might be thought, another advantage was allowed more exceptionable; for towards the increase of the mastership it was decreed that the master might make choice of any lease belonging to the 20 college to be for ever annexed to the mastership, and to enjoy the profits thereof, the rent of corn and money being only reserved; the consequences whereof might have been very fatal, for though the present master did not choose the best, yet his successor Dr Gwyn chose a better, and 25 afterwards the fellows in course begun to choose, which might have ended very ill and have reduced the junior fellows to beggary, had it not received a check first by complaints at court, and afterwards by a visitation or appeal to the visitor at Ely, which the master and seniors were forced 30 to submit to, to screen themselves from a higher power. By such means this master, as well as by his other preferments, heaped up great riches, but did not know who should gather them, for dying suddenly of an apoplexy 1 Installed dean Jul. 28, 1607; archdeacon Aug. 30, 1595; prebendary of Lincoln Jan. 10, 1595. Some few years before his death, an. 1609, Apr. 19, he was admitted warden of a hospital in the city of Lincoln. 2 Lib. thesaur. 3 Regr. decret. an. 1601, Febr. Ibid. an. 1598, Mar. 6. 5 MS. D. M.; MS. Bp. Neile, who was employed to provide him a chariot sometime before his death, being disabled by a sciatica or some such distemper. Dr Clayton's inventory at Lincoln amounted to |