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that purpose, understand very well that it will hardly maintain four scholars. But all these, as they are very considerable (to say nothing of the advantages reaped from his reputation and interest), so they were the pure effect of his free and undeserved bounty, and are no ways owing to Dr 5 Gwyn. He had nothing to do but to take care to preserve their memory, which he has not done for one of the most considerable benefactions that fell within his time.

For an excellent good man, one Mr Richard Whittington, rector of Wheldrake in the county of York, having by 10 will' left £1100 for the purchase of an impropriation or impropriations to be settled upon St John's college, his executors Dr Phin. Hodgson and Mr Henry Wickham purchased of Sir Marmaduke Langdale the rectory of Holme in Spalding Moor together with the right of patronage to the vica- 15 rage (at the expense of £1400), and by deed vested them in the college, and yet by the neglect of these times the good man has not only been utterly forgot, but another person entitled to his donation.

To do some right to Dr Gwyn, though he was neither 20 a great scholar nor benefactor himself, yet he was well born and related to benefactors, having been nephew to Dr John Gwyn3 and cousin to bishop Williams, the two great and (I think) the only benefactors we have had from Wales. He was of Denbighshire, and was admitted fellow for the 25 same Dr John Gwyn March 20, 1589', as he was admitted his scholar an. 1584. He was, as I said, bursar four years successively. It does not appear that he ever was either lecturer or dean, offices that then usually fell upon men of learning, as the others fall upon men of business. But it 30 may be said for him, that under his prefecture and about the same time flourished three of the greatest men that have at one time adorned one society, Thomas Wentworth

offered to take a lease for twentyone years at the rent it was let for when purchased. Ex archivis.

1 Dat. an. 1628.

2 Dat. Decem. 20 an. Caroli 4to. 3 Joannes Gwynnus ex com. Carnarv. admissus socius Mar. 21, 1547. 4 Regr. coll. ad an. 1588-9.

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afterwards earl of Strafford, Thomas Fairfax after lord Fairfax and Lucius afterwards lord viscount Falkland, three persons so well known in story that they need only be named, and it were a vain thing to attempt their character. 5 In divines of his time he was not so fortunate, nor do I know of any admitted under his long prefecture that was very eminent.

One thing further I will say for him, that Dr Richardson, a very able judge, in a familiar1 letter to him gives a 10 very advantageous character of a performance of his at St Mary's, that it was close and learned and to his honour. That learned man was then master of Trinity, where (if it will be any apology for Dr Gwyn) as great and crying abuses had crept in as were practised at St John's, by 15 scandalous pre-elections, and what was yet worse, by turning elections into particular nominations, the master and seniors nominating in their turns; a practice so liable to corruption as might have ruined that society, had not king James given a check to it by his letters to the master and 20 seniors, ordered by him to remain upon record.

Owen the epigrammatist has bestowed two epigrams upon this master and his greater pupil. That upon the pupil is large enough and peculiar to the person described in it; the other is common and will suit any man as well 25 as Dr Gwyn, whom, no doubt, our poet (who pleases himself with pretty allusions) did value the more for the name of Owen.

Dat. Mar. 24, 1615.

Dat. Sept. 7 an. regn. 20.

AN APPENDIX

CONCERNING THE LIBRARY AND BISHOP WILLIAMS' OTHER FOUNDATIONS.

A NEW library seems to have been intended as early as the year 1616, for then the old case was cantoned out into tenements, and the books removed into one of the great chambers near the hall. In 1617, July 9th, a letter' was addressed to the countess of Shrewsbury for her leave to 5 build a library adjoining to her ladyship's court: the situation, as then intended, was to be from the gate to the river (with loss of one or more chambers in the second court), the building to be erected upon and supported by pillars: but funds were yet wanting, to which purpose several persons 10 were applied to without meeting with sufficient encouragement to lay the foundation; when unexpectedly a letter2 came from Dr Carey bishop of Exeter, signifying that an unknown person had promised £1200 to that use, if it were sufficient, but would neither advance higher, nor yet was 15 willing to admit a partner. By this and other letters an estimate was desired to be made of the expense, and a computation was taken from the two wings of Dr Nevill's court at Trinity, each of which cost in building about £1500; and the allowance being found to be short, the same un- 20 known person was at last prevailed with to advance further £200, provided room could be made for two fellows and four scholars that were likewise designed by him to be founded. What further advances were made does not ap

1 Liter. inter archiva.

2 Dat. Apr. 26 an. 1623.

pear from these letters, excepting £200 or £250 (afterwards promised towards perfecting the work1). But the first site and model was disliked, the present plan and situation was agreed on, the lord keeper bishop Williams (hitherto very 5 artfully concealed) owned and declared himself to be the founder by another letter from the bishop of Exeter, and the case of the building was finished by Michaelmas 1624.

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Thus far the success was happy, but whilst the work was carrying on, the bishop made new proposals for his 10 other foundation, offered £60 per annum rack rent for two fellows and four scholars, and sent down by bishop Carey, who though he owned it was not enough, yet advised the college not to refuse the offer, lest a stop should be put to further bounty: the bishop of Durham Dr Neile was like15 wise employed in the same design, who gave the like advice and much more pressingly. But this, as reasonable, met with no ready compliance, and both the master by letter* (after conference with the seniors) and Mr Lane in person gave a very resolute answer to the keeper, that 20 it could not be accepted consistently with their statutes. Hereat the keeper took fire, was out of humour and inaccessible for some time, and the work had like to have been at a stand, had not the two other bishops mediated the affair by appeasing the keeper, and by giving greater expectations 25 disposed the college to an ungrateful compliance, which was at last given in a confused manner, hodge podge as is there said, or as the bishop of Durham says, by throwing the expense of the library into the additional foundation. And indeed that good bishop by his too much zeal for the 30 service of the house seems to have exceeded his commission, for he owned to bishop Carey that he rather collected the college sense and consent, than directly had it; wherein I am the more confirmed, because Dr Gwyn, in defence (as)

1 The whole expense is said to amount to £2991. 18. 10d. ob., whereof the bishop of Lincoln paid £2011. 138. 4d., according to Mr Bodurda's account, his lordship's chaplain, who may be presumed to have done his patron right; £192 out of Sir Ralph Hare's estate at

Marham, then in the college, to
wards perfecting the work; the rest
by the society. The bishop was to
have no other partner. ['Communi.
cations to Cambr. Ant. Soc,'ii. 54,55],
2 Dat. Octobr. 10 an. 1623.
3 Liter. inter archiva.
4 Liter. inter archiva.

it should seem) and vindication of himself in this affair, has left a copy of his own first resolute answer inclosed in the bishop of Durham's letter. However the thing was done, but was too unequal a contract to be of long continuance, the £60 per annum rack rent being soon sunk to half 5 the value.

I am unwilling to believe that the master was swayed by indirect motives, or that the keeper used any finesse to compass his design; but whilst this matter was transacting, an expectation of preferment was given the master 10 by promising to recommend him with Dr Price1 to the bishopric of St Asaph, and that expectation failing, a deanery was proposed. An option was likewise given him in the four livings then settled, two of them Welsh sinecures, and Mr Lane his prime minister was then likewise 15 thought of for a good preferment; whatever it was that disposed them to a compliance (I will charitably suppose motives of gratitude to have been at the bottom), the keeper at last was so well pleased with them, that he told bishop Carey in merriment that the college were become perfect 20 courtiers though honest Dr Gwyn understood so little of a court, that upon news of the bishopric he was for posting up to London, had not that bishop by an unusual but necessary bluntness put a stop to his career. But in this sort of courtship the work was finished.

1 This was Oct. 10 an. 1623, when that bishopric was void; so there must be a mistake in Dr Hanmer's

succeeding 1622.

2 Let. dat. Jan. 23, 1623. Inter archiva.

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