aut Dei gratiam comparabis unquam. Et si forte pusillam aliquando conquires, mihi crede, non diu durabit; lædes etiam existimationem tuam apud omnes. Si me velis audire, consulerem ut, istiusmodi studiis omissis, ad solidiora te conferres. De calumpniis illis quas ad me scripseras, non ego primus sum qui calumpnias injustas sum perpessus. Sed quum locus et tempus id postulabunt, in promptu est quod respondeam. Extant ratiocinia de cunctis quæcumque ad meas manus venerunt de bonis Dominæ. Et miraris unde mihi tantum patrimonii; putas Executores adeo stupidos fuisse et negligentes, ut non illis rationem reddedirim unde istud mihi superieret? Illis abunde constitit unde mihi tanta pecunia; cujus rei (securus sis) mihi non deest solida comprobatio. Sed interim stolidus eram, qui in tam ingratos pecuniam expendi, qui nunc mecum expostulent unde mihi tanat Oxford under Grocyn and others; then went beyond seas, and was the first that taught Greek at Leipsic; afterwards, at the request of Bp. Fisher, he returned to Cambridge where he was made Orator about 1522, D.D. 1524, and Greek Professor next after Erasmus, upon which occasion Erasmus writes to him, 'Gratulor, mi Croce, Professionem istam tam splendidam, non minus honorificam tibi quam frugiferam Academiæ Cantabrigiensi; cujus commodis equidem, pro veteris hospitii consuetudine, peculiari quodam studio faveo.' Afterwards he was employed to go to several places in Italy to agitate about the unlawfulness of the King's marriage. In the beginning of 1532, he was made by Hen. VIII. Canon of his College at Oxford; and in 1545, when that College was turned into a Cathedral, he had a pension in recompence for his Canonry, and retired to Exeter College, ubi hospes consenuit,' and died in 1558.

tum patrimonii. Habeo fratres et nepotes non parvo numero, in quos, si quemadmodum vos prædicatis affectus essem, locassem justius. Nullus profecto non angulus esset Collegii vestri per cognatos et consanguineos meos oppletus, si sic afficerer quemadmodum vos obloquimini. Prodeat qui dicat unus in faciem, tu consanguineum unum aut alterum habes in Collegio. Sed quid de 'consanguineis dico, qui nihil audio mihi sæpius opprobratum, quam eis adeo tenuiter provideam?

Dicat et probet me quempiam e conterraneis, qui non esset pari cum cæteris, imo non supra cæteros, et eruditione et probitate vitæ, et corruat mea caussa. Et ego qui sum? qui non possum ex meâ pecuniâ prospicere conterraneis meis ad profectum eorum; quandoquidem id sacræ præcipiunt litteræ, et contrarium omnino damnent affectum. Non prohibeo quominus vel tu, vel quivis alius, Collegium ædificet pro quoto velit numero conterraneorum suorum, modo spes fuerit eruditionis et bonæ vitæ. Tantumque abest ut illud damnem, ut

1

In his foundation in St John's College, he made provision for his relations during their lives- Moreover it is convenaunted and agrede betwene the saide parties, for them and their successors for ever, that the saide Maister or his Depute for the tyme beyng shall pay, or cause to be paide, to the Bretherne and servants of the said Reverende Father in God, whose naymes be written in a schedule, and the summes dew to every parsone be likewise written by thame on subscripcion of the saide reverend Father, xx lib. sterlyng yerely, duryng ther naturall liffe; that is to say, to every man his porcyon as long as he shall liffe.'

etiam in statutis cavi quod si quis (cujuscumque fuerit comitatus) pacisci velit cum Mr et Sociis (salvâ Collegii indemnitate) de quoto velit numero Sodalium aut discipulorum, intra summam concessionis ad manum mortuam factæ, bene licebit eidem, et valde cuperem ut talis inveniretur. Sed bona pars hominum id quærit (quemadmodum est in proverbio) ut citra sementem citraque arandi laborem, omnibus fruantur.

Ego de meâ pecuniâ, quum adhuc Hornbyus et Aschtonus essent superstites, quingentas exposui libras pro sustentandis quatuor sodalibus et duobus discipulis; faciat alius tantundem, ego non invidebo.

Quod ad pecuniam attinet Dominæ, mundas (non dubita) servavi manus, et servabo; relinquamque post me dilucidum ratiocinium omnium quæ ad illam pertinuerant, quantum venerit ad custodiam meam. 2 Sed ego pro conterraneis meis nullum non

2 Ascham, in his Schoolmaster, speaking of the Benefactors to St. John's College under Dr. Metcalfe, third Master 1518, says-' And that which is worthy of memory, all these 'Givers were almost Northern Men; who, being liberally re'warded in the service of their prince, bestowed it as liberally 'for the good of their country. Some men thought therefore 'that Dr. Metcalfe was partial to Northern Men; but sure I am of this, that Northern Men were partial in doing more good, and giving more lands to the furtherance of learning, 'than any other country men in those days did; which deed 'should have been rather an example of goodness for others to follow, than matter of malice for any to envy, as some 'there were that did.' Fuller likewise, speaking of Dr. Metcalfe being put out of the Mastership of St. John's College, says-Others conceive it was for his partiality in preferring Northern men, as if in his compasse there were no points but

moveo lapidem. Si conterraneos meos Eboracenses appellas, certum est me non plures ex eo comitatu (quanquam amplissimus sit,) quam ex minimo comitatu totius regni deputasse; quod (quantum opinor) nemo fecisset alius, si tantum ei licuisset, quantum et mihi. Sin eos vocas conterraneos omnes qui trans Trentam incolunt, hos Fundatrix ipsa jussit præferendos. Sed ego sancivi quod semper ex Eboracensibus quatuor sint in Collegio Seniores. Falsum est. At non inficior statuisse quod pars major septem seniorum ex novem illis comitatibus esset semper, quos Fundatrix ipsa jussit præferendos. Nec velim expectet quisque a me, quod ego non securiorem illorum partem faciam, quibus illa favendum duxerit. At ego fundatricis nomen obscuravi, mihi ipsi gloriam totius operis aucupans. O miseri! Ego Fundatricis nomen obscuravi, qui nihil ubique studui et studeo magis, quam ut illius gloria fulgeat, et nomen passim illustretur. Ego inter gregarios benefactores repositus sum ubique; illa (ut par est) fundatricis nomen nullo non teneat loco. Sed de iis aliquando copiosius ad sodales scribam, ex quonam ceperim, ut non desit calumpniatoribus istis quod masticent. Velint, nolint, Deo such only as looked to the North, advancing alone his own countrymen, and more respecting their need then deserts. But herein Metcalfe is sufficiently justified; for he found charity hottest in the cold countrey; Northern men were most partial (saith one) in giving lands to the College, for the furtherance of learning. Good reason therefore Northern Scholars should be most watered there, where Northern benefactors rained most.'

bene favente, Collegium et stabit, et florescet, ut et illi magis invideant.

De stipendio tuo et Vuakfeldi, Deum testor, nec nummus quidem ex bonis Dominæ fuerat. Sed video jam quod fuerat male collocatum. Ego speravi te Collegio futurum magis frugiferum quam sis. Nam, ut audio, nec prælegis, nec ad communem accedis mensam, et habes etiam e sodalibus convivas tecum in cubiculo, contra statuta Collegii, quod ego non patiar. Offenduntur enim ex eâ re complures. Si paratus fueris ad communem mensam cum cæteris accedere, et fructum aliquem doctrinæ communicaveris aliis, non gravabor ad tempus victum tibi pristinum concedere, quoad alias providere licebit tibi. Sed cave passurum me credas tantum offensionis et exempli mali, cujuslibet hominis causâ intra Collegium. Quando putor in hac re gloriosus, nemo gloriam istam preripiet mihi. Bene vale, et si quasi amicus ista monueris, gratiam habeo. Sin quasi factionis princeps et antesignanus quispiam, res ipsa seipsam prodet.

Sed nunc ad priores tuas litteras venio, quibus nec respondissem, nisi me secundis excitasses. Nam parum illud me movet quod de Cancellariatu scripseras. Nunquam non oneri mihi fuit magistratus ipse. Notum est quod libenter alteri cesserim, nihilque non molitus sum ut ille dignaretur admittere. At repudiavit ceu rem indignam suâ præcellentiâ.

Repudiatum vero munus (ne viderentur omnino contemni) me supplices exorabant suis litteris ut denuo magistratum non spernerem; extant adhuc