endeavours, so the affairs of the college might have been at a stand till his return, for without him nothing was done. In the year 1516 he came to Cambridge to the opening of the college, which was performed with all due solemnity 5 and suitably to so great an occasion. I cannot fix the day when the chapel was consecrated, but the bishop of Ely's1 licence to that purpose to the bishop of Rochester is dated July 26, 1516, empowering him to perform that sacred office and everything thereunto necessary in St John's 10 chapel, as if he himself were there present, which probably was done a day or two after the date; for I will not suppose the college to be opened till that sacred office was first performed. 20 This done, the bishop of Rochester (then chancellor of 15 the university) made his solemn entrance, accompanied by Dr Hornby, who being master of Peterhouse, was present at Cambridge. After the usual ceremonies2 a public notary and other witnesses being called in, first the king's licence was produced in the presence of them all, sealed with green wax, then the charter of the foundation was laid open and read in part, together with the bull of Julius the Second sealed after the manner of the court of Rome, and lastly the bishop of Rochester's procuratorial powers or letters from the rest of the executors, empowering him, or such other 25 of them as should be present, to act in the name of the rest. By virtue of these powers the bishop and Dr Hornby named, elected, ordained and constituted the venerable person Mr Alan Percy master or governor of the college 30 (Robert Shorton having before receded) and thirty-one other persons fellows of the same college, whose names are there rehearsed, and because they are the first, I shall put them down, viz. John Edmunds, James Spooner, John West, William 35 Paye, Thomas Grenewode, Clement Eryngton, Richard Packer, Roger Ashe, Nicholas Daryngton, John Smith 1 Regrum Elien. an. 1516. And yet only the antechapel, which was undoubtedly new, wanted consecration. 2 Ex archivis. Wanted] only wanted MS. and Thomas Werisdale, masters of arts; and Roger Herman, Richard Leigh, William Collier, Robert Shaw, John Shaw, John Ramsey, Henry Gold, Richard Smith, William Longforth, Ninian Shafto, John Benet, John 5 Stringer, Thomas Grove, William Whittinge, John Briganden, Simon Gyggis, Nicholas Glynton, John Bradbery, Henry Ogill and Robert Dent, bachelors of arts. Then the master took an oath for the observation of the statutes, and twenty-four of the fellows took an oath 10 of obedience to the master and for the observing of the statutes, and the other seven absent fellows were required to do the like before the master, whenever they should enter upon their fellowships. And three of these fellows, viz. William Paye, Clement Eryngton and Nicholas 15 Daryngton, being principals of hostels in the university, seniority was reserved to them, notwithstanding the former oaths. Of all this an act' was made attested by a public notary, and being engrossed on parchment is yet preserved (though somewhat torn) amongst the archives. 20 This was the last service done the college by Dr Hornby, who died the year after, succeeded in his preferment by William Burgoign S.T.P., who was invested in that mastership by the bishop of Ely2 Febr. 19, 1517, being then void by the death of Henry Hornby. Dr 25 Burgoign dying an. 1522, was succeeded therein by John Edmunds, probably the same that stands first in the catalogue of our fellows, though he must have been removed from hence to Jesus, which might easily happen, whilst the fellowships here were so small and so uncertain. This 30 is that Dr Edmunds whom bishop Burnet mistakes for Edmund Bonner. Dr Hornby was likewise rector of Over and Orwell in the diocese of Ely, which became void the same year by his death, and the latter of these having been in the gift 35 and patronage of Michaelhouse, we may probably suppose him to have been a member of that house. He was chancellor in the foundress' court or family, and seems 1 Dat. Jul. 29 an. 1516. 3 Hist. Ref. [i.] p. 86. • Regr. Elien. to have been much in her confidence, for the fourth day before her decease she appointed bishop Fox and him supervisors of her will, to alter, add and diminish such articles, as in their sadness and good discretions they thought most convenient and according to her will. 5 When the bishop of Rochester was to have gone to Rome, the main business of the college was to have devolved upon Dr Hornby, who was very equal to the business, had his power and interest been equal to his conduct. The trust of executor he discharged very faith- 10 fully, and both by his accounts exactly stated as well as by several letters' of his it appears that he was very useful and serviceable to the college; to the which he was a benefactor by giving £10 towards the glazing of the chapel windows and some copes or vestments to the chapel; 15 though having been master of another house, it was to be expected that the course of his charity should run most another way?. 3 Nor can Robert Shorton be pardonably omitted, having been the first master, to whom so much is owing for the 20 structure of the house, which was so much his employment that the year after he was master, an. 1512, commencing D.D., he was dispensed with by grace from certain duties incident to his degree for the great and various trouble he had in the business of his college. And 25 the year after, 1513', he is dispensed with from his attendance at masses, exequies and congregations, till he should have executed the foundress' will in perfecting her foundation: which being finished in 1515, he has another dispensation granted him, having occasion to be 30 absent. The same year his accounts were finished, which alone shew the trouble he had and how much is owing to his care. The precise time of his resignation I cannot fix, but most of this year and part of the next the college was 35 under the inspection of a president (as I have said before) 1 Inter archiva. 2 Ex archivis. 3 Regr. acad. an. 1512. Propter ejus labores multiplices et diversa negotia, quæ habet circa coll. Sti Jo. Evang. 4 Regrum ib. an. 1513. 5 Ib. an. 1515. and Alan Percy is named as master, some short time before he was solemnly invested. He was found so well qualified for such business, that upon quitting his interest here he was (upon bishop Fox's 5 resignation of his charge at Pembroke) preferred to be master of that house, where how well he acquitted himself, may be seen at large in bishop Wrenn's account' of those masters. Whilst he was master here, he held his fellowship at Pembroke hall (at least some part of the time), Io which was no new thing; for John Sickling, last master of God's house and first of Christ's college, held that preferment with a fellowship of Benet. When cardinal Wolsey was projecting his great design at Oxford, he was employed by that great man in cultivating and stocking 15 his new foundation, and was so much valued by that cardinal as to be appointed dean of his chapel3. He was archdeacon of Bath* and master of the hospital at Newport; and held besides the rectory" of Sedgfield in the county of Durham, a prebend of Windsor and the 20 deanery of Stoke near Clare in Suffolk, which three pre ferments upon his death became void the same year. He died October 17 an. 1535, and was buried at Stoke, to which church he had been a considerable benefactor, was promoted thereunto by queen Katharine whose almoner he 25 was, and to whose interest he adhered, having been one of those few in convocation that opposed her divorce, with Nich. Metcalfe and Nich. Wilson two other dependants of bishop Fisher, names well known in St John's college. To Pembroke hall he was a considerable benefactor, 30 the particulars may be seen in bishop Wren'. Somewhat he did for Peterhouse and Catharine hall for dirges to be observed in these houses. The same year and month he died, foreseeing his dissolution, he left 100 marks to St 1 De custodibus Pembroch. 5 Regr. Dunelm. Preb. of Lowth, in the church of Lincoln. 6 MS. col. Corp. Chr. miscellan. O. His will is dated Oct. 8 an. 27 Hen. 8, proved Nov. 8, 1535. He 8 Octob. I an. 1535. Lib. rub. John's college for an obit to be observed on such a day as it should fortune the said Robert Shorton to depart out of this transitory world, or within two days before or after: that dirge is yet observed, but the day' of his death having been forgot, I have put it down, that if it be afterwards 5 neglected, this may not happen for want of knowing the day. Whilst he was yet master and the house in building, he gave £10 towards paving the hall. The laws of every society are so essential a part of the body that they cannot be passed over, and at this time3 10 statutes having been given to this society, this will be a proper place to take notice of them. In the procuratorial letters of the other executors to the bishop of Rochester they set forth that they had caused a college to be erected and endowed, but since it were better that colleges should 15 never be erected, than not justly and wisely governed, therefore they empower him to give statutes for the government thereof: which surely implies that statutes were yet wanting. I know there is reference made to statutes in the 20 charter of the foundation, from whence an argument has been drawn for a body of statutes more ancient; but this was only for form, for either there were then no statutes, or if there were any, they must have been given to the walls, or to Oliver Scalis and the governors of the works. 25 For to what purpose statutes? whilst there was yet no college, no scholars to be governed by them, and only four or five fellows, who lodging abroad, could not fall under any regular discipline. Whenever statutes are given (as they were given here pretty often) you may trace them by 30 the books. I find no mention there of any till about the seventh of Henry the Eighth, when 13s. 4d. is paid to a scrivener at London for writing the statutes in vellum; a fair copy whereof, almost as ancient as the original, after various turns and many different owners is now in my 35 custody and shall after me return to the college. These were the statutes that were now given, which the master and fellows were sworn to observe, wherein 1 Octob. 17, 1535. 2 Ex archivis. 3 An. 1516. 4 Comput. vet. an. 7 Hen. 8. |