[180] The king’s design did not at first include the connexion of Eton and King’s. The foundations of a college and chapel for a rector and 12 scholars were first laid opposite Clare, between Mill Street and the Schools, on April 2, 1441. Within three years this foundation was changed into a society which, like Eton, is under a Provost and which was bound to provide the free education of poor Etonians. Here Henry imitated William of Wykeham, and the statutes which he drew up follow the lines laid down by the founder of Winchester and New College. The original “mean quadrant” was used till 1828 when it was sold to the university for the library extension on that side. The chapel fell down in 1536. A wall and gateway on the west, remain. The new design had the original court and Clare on the north, Austin’s hostel and Whitefriars on the south: the chapel was to form the north side of a quadrangle measuring 230 × 238 feet (cf. the measurements of Corpus); and, as in previous colleges, the west side was to contain the hall and provost’s lodging, a library and lecture rooms. The south and east sides were to be for the chambers and the latter was to have a gateway and tower. The present Queens’ College is on the site of the Whitefriars’ house; and the old gate of King’s which led from the chapel yard to Queens’ Lane used to be known as “Friars’ gate.” (For a full account of this most interesting design the reader is referred to Messrs. Willis and Clark’s book.)
For the modern buildings four separate ranges were designed, the first to be erected being the Gibbs’ building on the west: the southern side and the screen have been built since 1824, Wilkins being the architect; on this side are the hall, combination room, and library, and the Provost’s lodge. Sir Gilbert Scott erected the building on the south east, which was projected after 1870.
[181] The Norfolk name of Boleyn is found at the university in the xv c. Henry Boleyn was proctor in 1454-5, and Anne’s uncle was churchwarden of S. Clement’s.
[182] It has been suggested that Tudor architecture might be styled Heraldic architecture, so freely does heraldry and blazonry enter into its plan and the scheme of decoration. England’s two great specimens of the Perpendicular—King’s College chapel and Henry VII.’s chapel at Westminster—are pervaded by a “gorgeous display of heraldry.” The west and south entrances of King’s are decorated with bold carvings of the badges of Henry VII.—the crowned rose and portcullis. “No person ever glanced his eye over the wonders around and above him, without being awestruck at the daring of the architect that could plan, and the builders that could erect such a structure. The whole of the lower part of the Chapel beneath the windows is divided into panels, and every panel is filled with the arms of the king who erected the building.” “The immense pendants hanging from the gorgeous roof are ornamented with the rose, the royal badge of both the king and queen at this period.” (Clark’s Introduction to Heraldry, edited by J. R. Planché, Rouge Croix.) The arms and supporters of Eton, Henry VI. and VIII., Richard II., Edward IV. and VIth, Mary and Elizabeth, appear also. The gateway towers of Christ’s and John’s afford other examples of heraldic display as the exclusive scheme of decoration—they bear the arms, supporters, and badges of their founder, the mother of Henry VII. Finally the Entrance Gateway tower of Trinity exhibits the arms of Edward III. and his six sons (William of Hatfield being represented by a blank shield); above is a statue of Henry VIII. No street—no town—in England presents anything like this “boast of heraldry” which Gray had always under his eyes in Cambridge. It is a permanent record of the two royal groups in England who preferred this university; the gateway at Trinity being the trait d’union between them.
[183] “The scholars of King’s enjoyed the questionable privilege of drifting into their degrees without examination. Lectures and rare compositions in Latin were the only demands upon their time,” writes Lord Stratford de Redcliffe. The same arrangements obtained at New College Oxford until 50 years ago.
[184] The “13 poor men” who are to form part of the foundation at Eton are an addition of Henry’s own; they do not appear on Wykeham’s foundation.
[185] For the Days, see v. p. 273 n. Wickham was vice-provost of Eton.
[186] Somerset returned to Cambridge in later life, after he had fallen into disgrace and poverty, and met, like Metcalfe of John’s, with small gratitude. Dr. Philip Baker, though a Catholic, retained the provostship under Elizabeth till 1570. For King’s men see also pp. 174-5, 272-3-4 n., 283.
[187] Eton is the only public school joined from its foundation with a Cambridge college. Merchant Taylors’ used however to be related to Pembroke (which owes Spenser’s presence there to this circumstance) and the ancient school of Bury used, it is said, to send its alumni to Gonville. S. Paul’s school has tied scholarships and exhibitions at Corpus Christi and Trinity: Corpus was connected with Norwich school and Norfolk by Bacon, Parker, and other Norfolk benefactors, and has tied scholarships with King’s School, Canterbury, and Westminster; the last being also closely connected with Trinity College. Harrow has two tied scholarships at Caius; Magdalene holds the Latimer Neville scholarships for Shrewsbury, Marlborough, Uppingham, and Fettes schools, and tied exhibitions from Wisbech school. Uppingham is similarly connected with Emmanuel; Peterhouse with Huntingdon Free Grammar School, and S. John’s with 18 schools all over England and with several towns as well.
[188] A chapel of S. Lucy (erected 1245) came into the possession of Peterhouse with the property of the friars of the Sack (1309) and was used by the fellows towards the end of that century. The licences obtained by Bateman (1352 and 1353) for chapels in Trinity Hall and Gonville were never acted upon. Gonville however had a house chapel in 1393. At this date Clare also had a chapel, which was used at the primate’s visitation in 1401. The Clare Statutes (1359) direct that S. John Baptist’s church be used. For ritual in the college chapels, see pp. 59, 145. Organs were placed in most of the chapels in the reign of Charles I., at a time when the courts, gates, and frontage of colleges underwent repair and decoration.