He was so pitifull, that when he saw the quarter of a traitor against his crowne ouer Criplegate, he willed it to be taken awaie, with these words: "I will not haue anie christian so cruellie handled for my sake." Manie great offenses he willinglie pardoned and receiuing at a time a great blow by a wicked man which compassed his death, he onelie said; "Forsooth forsooth, yée doo fowlie to smite a king annointed so." Another also which thrust him into the side with a sword when he was prisoner in the Tower, was by him pardoned when he was restored to his state and kingdome. Not long before his death, being demanded whie he had so long held the crowne of England vniustlie; he replied: "My father was king of England, quietlie inioieng the crowne all his reigne: and his father my grandsire was also king of England, and I euen a child in my cradell was proclamed and crowned king without anie interruption; and so held it fortie yeares well-neere, all the states dooing homage vnto me, as to my antecessors: wherefore I maie saie with king Dauid; The lot is fallen vnto me in a faire ground; yea, I haue a goodlie heritage, my helpe is from the Lord which saueth the vpright in heart."
The kings colledge in Cambridge.
This good king being of himselfe alwaies naturallie inclined to doo good, and fearing least he might séeme vnthanke full to almightie God for his great benefits bestowed vpon him, since the time he first tooke vpon him the regiment of his realme, determined about the six and twentith yeare of his reigne, for his primer notable worke (as by the words of his will I find expressed) to erect and found two famous colledges in the honor and worship of his holy name, and for the increase of vertue, the dilatation of cunning, and establishment of christian faith, whereof the one in Cambridge to be called his colledge roiall of our ladie and saint Nicholas: and the other at Eaton beside Windsore, to be called his colledge of our blessed ladie.
And for the performance of this his deuout purpose, he infeoffed certeine bishops, with other noble and worshipfull personages, by his letters patents, with lands and possessions, parcell of his inheritance of the duchie of Lancaster, to the cleare value of well néere foure & thirtie hundred pounds by yéere. Which letters patents he after confirmed by his act of parlement, declaring also by his will vnto his said feoffées, his intent and meaning, how the same shuld be imploied vpon the edifications of his said two colledges. Whereof (in my iudgement) the deuise is so excellent, and the buildings so princelie and apt for that purpose, as I cannot omit to set foorth vnto you the verie plot of the whole colledge in Cambridge, euen as I find mentioned almost verbatim in his will, supposing that if the rest of the house had procéeded according to the chappell alreadie finished (as his full intent and meaning was) the like colledge could scant haue béene found againe in anie christian land. The words of the will are thus.
The chappell.
The bodie of the church.
The quiere.
The roodloft.
The height of the chappell.
The east window.