John Caius, master of Gonville and Caius College in the University of Cambridge, 1559-1573 : a biographical sketch written in commemoration of the four-hundredth anniversary of his birth celebrated on the 6th day of October, 1910 / by John Venn.

  • John Archibald Venn
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: John Caius, master of Gonville and Caius College in the University of Cambridge, 1559-1573 : a biographical sketch written in commemoration of the four-hundredth anniversary of his birth celebrated on the 6th day of October, 1910 / by John Venn. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    only set-off to this general impression is to be found—where indeed we should naturally look for such indications—in some letters from a life-long friend, from school and college days, which are preserved in our library. The writer was Richard Willison, of Sugwas, Herefordshire, but a native of Norfolk. Unfortunately we have not the replies of the master to his old friend. In the first of these, dated Nov. lO, 1566, near the time when the poor master was in the worst of the squabble with his refractory fellows, he cheers him with the promise of further endowment. I have been glade to choose you for a pattern to treade a litle in your steppes, because of our education, one Citie & Colledge being mother, & nurse, to us bothe, I have thought it good to putt some myte into that treasure house of yours. My meanyng is to endue yor Colledge with twentie pound Landes. And if I might obtayne so muche at yor handes to helpe my devise in th’order thereof, you shuld please me vearie muche. You & I were bothe borne in the Citie of Norwiche, & gladly I would have syxe schollers chosen out of the free schole, & of the Citisens children thereof of the best learned there, which shuld be able before they came to yor house to make a verse, & a theme, that your House shuld not be troubled with blockeheads but likelye men t’aspire to vertue & learnyng. My mynde is they shulde have eache of them three pownde syxe shillynge eight pense yearelye for three or fower yeares after they come to Cambridge. In the second, dated March 31, 1571, he says : I thanke you for your booke of th’antiquitie of Cambridge. In myne opinion the Universytie can not geave you too much honor. I mervailed much in the reading, how you were hable to gather suche a fardell of straunge Antiquities together, being otherwise occupied in weightie affaires. But you were ever Helluo Literarum, & that the worlde may well understande. But what thankes they will geave you I knowe not: but I am sure God will rewarde you for bestowing your goodes & landes so charitablie to the honor of him & advauncement of the Comon Welthe. And twise-happie is he that can have regarde to the principall parte, I meane the Sowle, other thinges be but pulvis et umbra. I trust by Gods grace to meete you & Mr Barker [another College friend] in our olde, & your newe Colledge, where we mynde to spende a whole g: (.?gallon) of beare; & pricke it uppon one Docf^® Caius heade, for I feare me old Coll, is wearye of payeng. He was wont to be an olde Dunstable ladd, & when none wold paie then we shuld blotte his