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Alan Percy is named as master (the occasion perhaps that he has been thought the first), Nicholas West is named as bishop of Ely, which he was not till Oct. 7 an. 1515, and Wolsey is named as cardinal and chancellor of England, 5 which latter dignity he did not attain to till towards the beginning of the year 1516'. So that though the date be lost, yet it may be fixed pretty near from the body of the statutes, and probably was the same with the opening of the college, for they could be of no use sooner: the private 10 foundations might be added afterwards, both in the body and at the end of the statutes.

These statutes having been vacated by bishop Fisher, I shall say the less of them, and I need say the less, because they are in substance the same with those at 15 Christ's and have been taken from thence, as will appear to any one that shall compare them. These two colleges. having had the same common foundress and common lawgiver (bishop Fisher) were likewise to agree in their rules of government, as far as their constitution was the same. 20 By these statutes there were to be twenty-eight fellows of the foundation (whereof seven seniors), and at least one moiety of that number were always to be of the nine northern counties, according to the intention and direction of the foundress. The like rule was to be observed, as to 25 the distribution of counties, in the choice of scholars, but the number of those is not determined, which was to be enlarged or limited according as the revenues and endowments would bear. And as none were named at the great call or election of fellows, so the first two years very few 30 appear to have been maintained.

It will, no doubt, be thought strange, how so great a number of fellows and scholars could be maintained out of so small a revenue; but the maintenance, we may imagine, was suited to the revenue, only 12d. per week was allowed 35 in commons to a fellow, and only 7d. to a scholar. These were times when £120 was sufficient to found a fellowship. (for the private foundations usually run thereabouts), and when £6 per an. was enough to maintain a fellow, for who2 Tit. de socior. qualitate.

1 See Selden and Spelman's Catalogue of Chancellors.

3 Inter archiva.

ever offered so much in lands towards a fellowship, (by bishop Fisher's second statutes) such a benefactor could not be refused.

The customs, institutions and duties of the old house were to be kept up by these statutes, as far as they were 5 consistent with the present settlement: the two chantries at the Round church and St Botolph's were to be served and discharged by two of the fellows, the benefactors to the old house, as well as at Ospring, were ordered to be prayed for, and in pursuance of an ancient custom the bell was to 10 be rung at four in the morning, to awake such scholars through the university as were willing to leave their beds to follow their studies. In conclusion the bishop of Ely, as agreed and formerly practised, was left to enjoy his power as visitor, but he seems then to have been limited as 15 far as possible, for the first resolution of doubts was to be in the chancellor or vice-chancellor with the two senior doctors, as it was at Christ's.

These were some of the rules that Mr Alan Percy was bound to observe and to require the observance of from his 20 fellows. How he acquitted himself of that trust, I will not say; but the second year of his prefecture (which is somewhat early) I meet with a visitation, upon what grounds, or for what reasons, I cannot certainly determine. This is certain, Mr Percy was either too big or too unequal to the 25 business, and being either pressed and overburdened with the load of our affairs, or pinched with the narrow circumstances of the college, or vexed with the divisions then arising therein, he was weary of his employment, and on All Saints' day' an. 1518 resigned it into better and abler 30 hands.

2

His resignation is yet extant, made to bishop Fisher as executor to the foundress, with regard to which, by bond from the college dated Nov. 21 an. 10 Hen. Si, he was to enjoy the low parlour in the college belonging to the mas- 35 ter, with the two inner chambers there, together with his commons as a fellow during life, at all such times as it

1 v. Comput. finit. ad fest. omnium sanct.; ad quod fest. an. 10 Hen. 8 resignavit officium magistratus coll.

2 Ex archivis.

should please him to resort to and abide in the college, without paying any thing for the same, and was besides to receive an annuity or yearly pension of £10, till such time as he should be otherwise preferred :—which annuity was 5 duly paid till Febr. 4th an. 12 Hen. 8; when he releases the college of all the room, profit, etc. that he had or ought to have therein, under his hand and seal.

It seems he was then preferred, and doubtless his preferment came very seasonably, his circumstances before 10 having been too strait and narrow for a man of honour; for in a letter' from Nicolas Daryngton, one of the fellows, to Dr Metcalf the succeeding master, he signifies that he had contented Mr Percy with £5 (his half year's pension), which he had sent for divers times because of his need.

15

He was rector of St Ann's Aldersgate London, which cure he resigned, when we may presume him to have had a prospect of somewhat better. In 1521, Oct. 252, he was admitted rector of St Mary Hill, and held that preferment to his dying day, almost forty years, for that living was not 20 filled again till an. 1560, when it was presented to, as void by the death of Mr Alan Percy. To the mastership of St John's he was not solemnly admitted till July 29, 1516, but seems to have borne that title and to have acted as master a month sooner. For Richard Sharpe the president's 25 computus concludes the last day of June, from which day Mr Percy's computus commences, and in other business I find him acting as master the same month. Of his preferments I find no more. His quality is well known, being son and brother to two earls of Northumberland.

30

The manor of Dunmows in Fulborn in the county of Cambridge came to him in the 20th of Henry the Eighth by mean conveyance, as there said; the house of which manor yet bears his name, though he held it a short time, for he seems to have been an ill husband of his own estate,

1 Inter archiva.

2 Regr. Lond. from Mr Newcourt. He was master or keeper of Trinity college at Arundel com. Sussex, which college he and his fellows surrendered to Hen. 8th,

Dec. 12, an. R. 36, an. 1545. V.
Rymer, Tom. xv. p. 68.

3 Munimenta de Dunmows. He presents (as patron) to Fulburn St Vigor's Oct. 26 an. 1514. See Regr. induct.

and parted with it three years after to the Docwras. Could we suppose him to have reserved any interest in that estate, or to have died in the house that bears his name, I could easily believe him to have been buried in the college chapel, as is said by Mr Parker', or rather in an 5 addition made to that MS. by another hand, which reports him to be buried in the chapel under a fair marble covered with brass. Wherever he is buried, I shall leave him in his grave.

I have since met with the occasion of his quitting his 10 annuity, not by preferment, as I did imagine, but by a small estate given him by the king: for an. 11mo. Henr. 8. April. 2do. rex concessit Alano Percy clerico, fratri præcariss. Henrici comitis Northumbr., quoddam messuagium et unum gardinum cum pertinen. in Stepenheth in com. 15 Middlesex, habend. præfato Alano et hered. in perpetuum, tenend. de rege per fidelitatem et reditum unius rosæ rubeæ. Privata Sigilla. p. 333.

1 Σκελ. Cant.

2 From Mr Hare, Richm. herald.

NICHOLAS METCALFE THIRD MASTER,

ANNO 1518, AT OR NEAR THE 3RD OF DECEMBER, AS APPEARS BY HIS COMPUTUS.1

UPON Mr Percy's resignation Dr Metcalf' succeeded, a man of equal industry and conduct, skilful in business and fitted for government, qualifications then most necessary, under an imperfect settlement and broken revenue. 5 He has left an account of the state of the college when he entered upon it, too long and particular to be inserted. at large, but because it is authentic and a clear evidence of the state of the college so near the foundation, and will shew as well the reasons Mr Percy had to be weary of his 10 charge, as be a standing evidence of his successor's conduct, I will give a short extract of it here.

15

It bears date the tenth of Henry the Eighth, the last year of Mr Percy's and the first of Dr Metcalf's prefecture, and is as follows.

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