of Cambridge.

“By reason of this long lease the college lost almost all their quit rents, a sheep walk, and a free bull and boar, and about 40 acres of land, by changing their marks, bounds, etc." (Brady, MS. 617). To guard against this in future, the land was let in 1605, for a short lease of 20 years, to W. Paget, for the use of Dr Legge. Legge left his unexpired interest, valued at about £600, to the college, on condition that the college should build a set of new rooms. The college further decreed, Jan. 15, 1618-9, that 'there should be made some monument in memory of Dr Legge'; which seems however not to have been carried out. There used to be a stone on the building with the inscription, "Hoc Edificium extructum est sumptibus Doctoris Legge, Anno Domini MDCXIX"; and a similar one recording the like benefaction of Dr Perse. In 1868, when the buildings were demolished, these stones were removed, and have been since set up in the college wall, facing the President's garden in the Tree Court.

Chronicle.

1575. The Gate of Honour, for which Caius had left designs, was completed in this year. 1575. Probably Caius had had the intention of obtaining a grant of Arms for his college, but this was not actually done till this year, when on Sept. 17 the Heralds' College granted them". 'the Armes of Gonvile and Caius in pale within a Border gowne silver and sables." The grant is in our Library; and a facsimile in the Combination-room.

1575. By composition with the town general precautions were taken against fire. Our college was to keep in readiness "4 buckets, 1 scoop, 1 long ladder, 1 short ladder" (Cooper, Annals).

1576. The elaborate column, shown in Loggan's picture, was erected in the Caius Court. Theodore Haveus, of Cleves, was the designer. It contained no less than 60 sun-dials, and was ornamented with the arms of many persons then resident in the college. It had originally a weathercock, on the summit, in the shape of Pegasus.

1578. The well by the kitchen having become exhausted by the drought, a new one was made in the centre of the Gonville Court. On its summit an image of Aquarius was placed. The court was railed in at the same time (v. Loggan's picture).

1579. The college decided to bake their own bread in future, instead of buying it. For this purpose a new oven was made.

1583. For the further adornment of the Caius Court rails were set up round the grassplots.

In the same year ten "studies" were made in what had been the master's room over the Library.

1593, Nov. 7. "Sæviente in oppido peste...decretum est ut scholastici et pensionarii a tutoribus in rus dimitterentur ad 13mum Januarii."

1593, Dec. 27. The plague still raging, the above order is extended to Feb. 20. 1594. In this year, owing to the increased numbers, the houses which Dr Caius had bought of Trinity 30 years before, and on the site of which the Legge and Perse buildings were afterwards erected, were converted into chambers for students, under the name of the Pensionary. The ground, i.e. the north half of our Tree Court, had been already shut off by a wall extending from the Gate of Humility to that of Virtue. An opening for access to the above buildings was now made through this wall.

1603, Oct. 24.

till Jan. 12.

The plague raging, leave of absence was granted to all on the foundation

1605, Nov. 6. Plague still raging. Leave of absence till Jan. 13.

1 His portrait, probably his gift, is in our Library.

WILLIAM BRANTHWAITE.

William Branthwaite, eighteenth master (1607-19) entered originally at Clare, Oct. 1579, where he graduated B.A. in 1582-3. He migrated in 1584 to Emmanuel, where he commenced M.A. in 1586. He was a fellow of Emmanuel from 1584 to 1607; and held the office of Lady Margaret Preacher in 1598. He graduated B.D. 1593, and D.D. 1598. He was admitted master of our college Dec. 14, 1607. As regards his family, both his father and grandfather were named John', and the latter was of Sedbergh. One branch migrated to Norfolk, where they were very numerous during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. William's brother, Richard, serjeant-at-law, achieved considerable notoriety by his services to the Government in the examination, and torture-of seminary priests and others suspected of favouring the designs of Rome.

William Branthwaite was an excellent scholar, being one of those employed in the revised translation of the Bible, 1607-11. The part of the work which fell to his committee was the Apocrypha. Good scholar as he was, however, it was not for this that he was appointed master, but rather as a rebuff to the fellows for a certain informality in their election of a successor to Dr Legge. Legge died in the long vacation, July 12, 1607, at a time when several of the fellows were absent. Dr John Gostlin (see on, p. 74) was the popular candidate, and the natural successor. He was at the time, with the exception of Dr Perse, the senior member of the body. Possibly anticipating some Court interference with their choice, the fellows met in a hurry for their election: in too much of a hurry as it proved; and committed two unfortunate irregularities. For one thing, in reckoning the minimum number of days, from Legge's death, within which the election could be made, they seem to have counted that day itself, as well as the day of their meeting. Then, again, there was some uncertainty about the number who actually voted. There were six present who were certainly in favour of Gostlin, and the vote of one other was, for some reason, rather uncertain (Moore, Annals). The six considered him as being on their side, and that they had therefore the requisite majority of the whole body of seniors. They accordingly declared Gostlin to be duly elected. Soon however they realized that something might be wrong, and accordingly summoning another meeting, they chose Gostlin with a full majority. This only made matters worse, and brought down on them the wrath of the Chancellor, the Earl of Salisbury, who at once set aside the election, and appointed Dr Branthwaite. Dr Goade, the Vice-Chancellor, was directed to summon Dr Perse, as senior, together with the other fellows, in order to hear the Chancellor's decree. It was to this effect,

1 Information from Mr R. J. Beevor, a descendant of the family. The family was a very numerous one, most of the members taking to the law. No less than 18 entered our college. They have now been long extinct in Norfolk, at least in the male line.

1. The election was done precipitately, by such of the fellows as were present at the instant, without a due summons or expectation of the rest that were absent, by the space of 15 days.

2. It cannot be pretended to be an election made "inter mensem et viginti octo dies a die mortis": the fellows had, it seems, counted the actual day of death as one day.

3. That in this election, which is required to be "concors electio majoris partis sociorum omnium," there was, for Dr Gostlin, but six voices in all; whether we number the fellows 13, as Dr Caius founded them, or 19, with those six of Mrs Frankland's foundation. It is plain that Dr Gostlin had not a competent number of voices to make an election, and therefore was never lawfully elected.

4. That it hath this probability to have been an election made, either whilst Dr Legge lived (for it is confessed that a writing was given to Dr Perse, subscribed by Dr Legge, to choose Dr Gostlin in locum vacantem); or immediately after the sufficient certainty could be had of his death, whereby it was not possible those fellows that were absent might duly have been expected, as is before required....

I cannot but judge that election void and of none effect. If any shall seem to enforce that second election, made for Dr Gostlin, by the fellows, I esteem no otherwise of it than a mere confused and disorderly attempt of a headless body, utterly void by statute, and such an action as casteth no small hazard upon the actors, if in extremity the statutes were pressed against them (Baker MS. xxiv.; from University Grace Book).

In thus appointing Branthwaite, the Chancellor, however, as Mr Moore remarks (Annals), went counter to the statutes of Bateman, which direct that if the election devolved to him he should appoint some fellow of the college.

Branthwaite, like most of those before and after him, did not get through the period of his rule without a quarrel with his fellows; nor, considering the circumstances of his appointment, could it have been expected that he should. The subject was that of his "negative vote," the pretended right to which became, in the next century, such a fertile source of ill-will when exercised by Ellys and Gooch. The case was this. A fellowship fell vacant in 1615, and a majority of the fellows chose Mr Allen, a Devonian. The master refused his assent to this, insisted on his negative vote, and after a month pronounced Mr Cooke, a Norfolkian, to be duly elected by devolution to the master. The dispute raged for some time. As the Annals say, under 1616, "toto hoc anno litigatur." Both sides took the advice of counsel; the opinions on the fellows' side being delivered by Drs Henry Marten, Nicholas Styward, and H. Hone (they are given in full in the Annals). But neither party was satisfied, and in 1617 a majority of twothirds of the fellows (by Bateman's statute De inhabili custode) proceeded to admonish' the master, and, on his non-compliance, appealed to the Chancellor, the Earl of Suffolk, who heard the case at Audley End. No reference seems to be made, on either side, to the question of the county qualification, the only point in dispute being the master's negative vote. This vote was not allowed by the Chancellor, and it was decreed that Allen had been duly elected. The master, he

1 "Te eundem Gulielmum Branthwaite propter justitiam male erga personas sociorum administratam, propter res collegii parum fideliter variis modis tractatas, aliaque multa abs te inique commissa...."

says "denied upon his negative voice alone, by the space of a month, that so he might devolve it to himself and elect alone: not giving any just cause or reason, of the statutes, why Allen was not eligible." He therefore insisted upon Allen's admission; but Branthwaite, pleading conscientious scruples against doing this himself, was allowed to devolve the duty on the Vice-Chancellor, who accordingly admitted Allen, Aug. 15, 1617. The expenses of the suit seem to have fallen rather heavily on the fellows. Some years later they petitioned the Chancellor (Dec. 3, 1621) that the costs might be repaid out of the corporate funds. Permission being given, and the arrangement being left to them, £52 was assigned for the purpose (Annals).

His will, dated Jan. 25, 1618-9, was proved in the Vice-Chancellor's court, March 11, following. He leaves land of the clear value of £22 "for the founding and establishing of four scholarships of my foundation in Gonville and Caius College; and two at Emmanuel." Of his books, "all which are any way fit for a library shall be given to Gonville and Caius College. And I will that the leaves of all the said books shall be cast into one convenient colour." To the college "a silver tankard pot, gilt, with my arms." To Mr Thomas Weatherall (Vol. 1. 174) a mourning gown and £5. To the scholars yearly upon the day of my death 208. On his feast day (Feb. 14) the master of the college and the provost of King's are yearly to take a view of the books, plate and scholars: the latter are to be invited to the feast and to have a convenient provision in the hall, and to receive one shilling each. Executors; Richard Branthwaite (Vol. 1. 198) and Thomas Weatherall, B.D.

The books referred to above comprise a very large collection, said to have been worth about £230. There is a separate catalogue of them in our Library (MS. 648).

According to the Annals Dr Branthwaite died of consumption. Towards the end of 1618 he became so ill-he was then holding the office of Vice-Chancellorthat he had to give up all business and retire to the country, i.e. to Badlingham, Newmarket, where he died about the end of January, 1618-9. All quarrels at an end, he departed in peace and harmony with the college, taking an affectionate farewell of the fellows. His learning was beyond dispute, and he was a very able and vigilant head of the college, which flourished greatly under his rule. His only drawback (Annals) was that he had not the art of avoiding or allaying suspicions and discords. He was buried in the body of the chapel, between the tombs of Caius and Legge; but there is now no monument or inscription to his memory. There is a portrait of him in our college, and another at Emmanuel. Two letters from him to Sir Thos. Wilson, in 1607 and 1609, are amongst the State Papers.

During this period, and both before and after, so far from suppressing bonfires within the walls, the college itself undertook to provide them. Three in the year seems to have been the usual allowance: one on November 5; one on or about March 25, the festal day of the college; and one on the coronation of the King, or on August 5-the reason for this last day I do not know. For instance; 1609, For 8 fagots for the gunpowder night, at 3d a fagot, 2. 1611, Bone-fire on the Coronation day, 4". Fewell for the bone fyer, Aug. 5, 1 64.