And thus much at this time of our two vniuersities in each of which I haue receiued such degree as they haue vouchsafed rather of their fauour than my desert to yéeld and bestow vpon me, and vnto whose students I wish one thing, the execution whereof cannot be preiudiciall to anie that meaneth well, as I am resolutelie persuaded, and the case now standeth in these our daies. When anie benefice therefore becommeth void, it were good that the patrone did signifie the vacation therof to the bishop, and the bishop the act of the patrone to one of the vniuersities, with request that the vicechancellor with his assistents might prouide some such able man to succeed in the place, as should by their iudgement be méet to take the charge vpon him. Certes if this order were taken then should the church be prouided of good pastors, by whome God should be glorified, the vniuersities better stored, the simoniacall practises of a number of patrons vtterlie abolished and the people better trained to liue in obedience toward God and their prince, which were an happie estate.
London. To these two also we may in like sort ad the third, which is at London (seruing onelie for such as studie the lawes of the realme) where there are sundrie famous houses, of which three are called by the name of Ins of the court, the rest of the chancerie, and all builded before time for the furtherance and commoditie of such as applie their minds to our common lawes. Out of these also come manie scholers of great fame, whereof the most part haue heretofore béene brought vp in one of the aforesaid vniuersities, and prooue such commonlie as in processe of time, rise vp (onelie through their profound skill) to great honor in the common-wealth of England. They haue also degrées of learning among themselues, and rules of discipline, vnder which they liue most ciuilie in their houses, albeit that the yoonger sort of them abroad in the streats are scarse able to be bridled by anie good order at all. Certes this errour was woont also greatlie to reigne in Cambridge and Oxford, betweene the students and the burgesses: but as it is well left in these two places, so in forreine counteies it cannot yet be suppressed. Grammar schooles. Besides these vniuersities, also there are great number of Grammer schooles through out the realme, and those verie liberallie indued, for the better reliefe of poore scholers, so that there are not manie corporat townes now vnder the quéenes dominion, that haue not one Gramar schoole at the least, with a sufficient liuing for a maister and vsher appointed to the same.
Windsor, Winchester, Eaton, Westminster. There are in like maner diuerse collegiat churches as Windsor, Wincester, Eaton, Westminster (in which I was sometime an vnprofitable Grammarian vnder the reuerend father master Nowell now deane of Paules) and in those a great number of poore scholers dailie mainteened by the liberalitie of the founders, with meat, bookes, and apparell, from whence after they haue béene well entered in the knowledge of the Latine and Gréeke toongs, and rules of versifieng (the triall whereof is made by certeine apposers yearelie appointed to examine them) they are sent to certeine especiall houses in each vniuersitie, where they are * and? receiued * the trained vp, in the points of higher knowledge in their priuat hals, till they be adiudged meet to shew their faces in the schooles, as I haue said alreadie. And thus much haue I thought good to note of our vniuersities, and likewise of colleges in the same, whose names I will also set downe here, with those of their founders, to the end the zeale which they bare vnto learning may appeare, and their remembrance neuer perish from among the wise and learned.
OF THE COLLEGES IN CAMBRIDGE WITH THEIR FOUNDERS.
| Yeares of the foundations. | Colleges. | Founders. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1546 | 1 Trinitie college. | King Henrie 8. | |
| 1441 | 2 The kings college. | K. Henrie 6. Edward 4. Henrie 7. and Henrie 8. | |
| 1511 | 3 S. Iohns. | L. Margaret grandmother to Henrie 8. | |
| 1505 | 4 Christes college. | K. Henrie 6. and the ladie Margaret aforesaid. | |
| 1446 | 5 The queenes college. | Ladie Margaret wife to king Henrie 6. | |
| 1496 | 6 Iesus college. | Iohn Alcocke bishop of Elie. | |
| 1342 | 7 Bennet college. | The brethren of a popish guild called Corporis Christi. | |
| 1343 | 8 Pembroke hall. | by | Maria de Valentia, countesse of Pembroke. |
| 1256 | 9 Peter college. | Hugh Balsham bishop of Elie. | |
| 1348 | 10 Gundeuill and | Edmund Gundeuill parson of Terrington, | |
| 1557 | Caius college. | and Iohn Caius doctor of physicke. | |
| 1354 | 11 Trinitie hall. | William Bateman bishop of Norwich. | |
| 1326 | 12 Clare hall. | Richard Badow chancellor of Cambridge. | |
| 1459 | 13 Catharine hall. | Robert Woodlarke doctor of diuinitie. | |
| 1519 | 14 Magdalen college. | Edw. duke of Buckingham, & Thom. lord Awdlie. | |
| 1585 | 15 Emanuell college. | Sir Water Mildmaie, &c. |
OF COLLEGES IN OXFORD.
| Yeares | Colleges. | Founders. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1539 | 1 Christes church. | King Henrie 8. | |
| 1459 | 2 Magdalen college. | He founded also a good part of Eaton college, and a frée schole at Wainflet where he was borne.
William Wainflet first fellow of Merton college, then scholer at Winchester, and afterward bishop there. | |
| 1375 | 3 New college. | William Wickham bishop of Winchester. | |
| 1276 | 4 Merton college. | Walter Merton bishop of Rochester. | |
| 1437 | 5 All soules college. | Henrie Chicheleie archbishop of Canturburie. | |
| 1516 | 6 Corpus Christi college. | Richard Fox bishop of Winchester | |
| 1430 | 7 Lincolne college. | Richard Fleming bishop of Lincolne. | |
| 1323 | 8 Auriell college. | Adam Browne almoner to Edward 2. | |
| 1340 | 9 The queenes college. | by | R. Eglesfeld chapleine to Philip queene of England, wife to Edward 3. |
| 1263 | 10 Balioll college. | Iohn Balioll king of Scotland. | |
| 1557 | 11 S. Iohns. | Sir Thomas White knight. | |
| 1556 | 12 Trinitie college. | Sir Thomas Pope knight. | |
| 1316 | 13 Excester college. | Walter Stapleton bishop of Excester. | |
| 1513 | 14 Brasen nose. | William Smith bishop of Lincolne. | |
| 873 | 15 Vniuersitie college. | William archdeacon of Duresme. | |
| 16 Glocester college. | Iohn Gifford who made it a cell for thirteene moonks. | ||
| 17 S. Marie college. | |||
| 18 Iesus college now in hand. | Hugh ap Rice doctor of the ciuill law. |
There are also in Oxford certeine hostels or hals, which may rightwell be called by the names of colleges, if it were not that there is more libertie in them, than is to be séen in the other. In mine opinion the liuers in these are verie like to those that are of Ins in the chancerie, their names also are these so farre as I now remember.