THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, THE SENATE HOUSE, THE PITT PRESS, AND THE
MUSEUMS
In the early days when the University of Cambridge was still in an
embryonic state, the various newly formed communities of academic
learning had no corporate centre whatever. "The chancellor and
masters" are first mentioned in a rescript of Bishop Balsham dated
1276, eight years before he founded Peterhouse, the first college, and
six years before this Henry III. had addressed a letter to "the
masters and scholars of Cambridge University," so that between these
two dates it would appear that the chancellor really became the prime
academic functionary. But it was not until well into the fourteenth
century that any University buildings made their appearance.
The "schools quadrangle" was begun when Robert Thorpe, knight, was
chancellor (1347-64), and during the following century various schools
for lecturing and discussions on learned matters were built round the
court, now entirely devoted to the library. Unfortunately, the
medieval character of these buildings has been masked by a classic
façade on the south, built in 1754, when it was thought necessary to
make the library similar in style to the newly built Senate House.
Thus without any further excuse the fine Perpendicular frontage by
Thomas Rotherham, Bishop of Lincoln and fellow of King's, was
demolished to make way for what can only be called a most unhappy
substitute. George I. was really the cause of this change, for in 1715
he presented Cambridge with Dr. John Moore's extensive library, and
not having the space to accommodate the little Hanoverian's gift, the
authorities decided to add the old Senate House, which occupied the
north side of the quadrangle, to the library, and to build a new
Senate House; and the building then erected, designed by Mr.,
afterwards Sir James, Burrough, is still in use. It is a
well-proportioned and reposeful piece of work, although the average
undergraduate probably has mixed feelings when he gazes at the double
line of big windows between composite pillasters supporting the rather
severe cornice. For in this building, in addition to the
"congregations," or meetings, of the Senate consisting of resident and
certain non-resident masters of art, the examinations for degrees were
formerly held. Here on the appointed days, early in the year, the
much-crammed undergraduates passed six hours of feverish writing, and
here, ten days later, in the midst of a scene of long-established
disorder, their friends heard the results announced. Immediately the
name of the Senior Wrangler was given out there was a pandemonium of
cheering, shouting, yelling, and cap-throwing, and the same sort of
thing was repeated until the list of wranglers was finished. Following
this, proctors threw down from the oaken galleries printed lists of
the other results, and a wild struggle at once took place in which
caps and gowns were severely handled, and for a time the marble floor
was covered with a fighting mob of students all clutching at the
fluttering papers, while the marble features of the two first Georges,
William Pitt, and the third Duke of Somerset remained placidly
indifferent.
Although there is no space here to describe the many early books the
library contains, it is impossible to omit to mention that among the
notable manuscripts exhibited in the galleries is the famous _Codex
Bezae_ presented to the University by Theodore Beza, who rescued it,
in 1562, when the monastery at Lyons, in which it was preserved, was
being destroyed. This manuscript is in uncial letters on vellum in
Greek and Latin, and includes the four Gospels and the Acts.
It was a pardonable mistake for the old-time "freshman" to think the
Pitt Press in Trumpington Street was a church, but no one does this
now, because the gate tower, built about 1832, when the Gothic revival
was sweeping the country, is now known as "the Freshman's Church." The
Pitt Press was established with a part of the fund raised to
commemorate William Pitt, who was educated at Pembroke College nearly
opposite.
The University Press publishes many books, and gives special attention
to books the publication of which tends to the advancement of
learning. The two Universities and the King's printer have still a
monopoly in printing the Bible and Book of Common Prayer.
The magnificent museum founded by Richard, Viscount Fitzwilliam, is a
little farther down Trumpington Street. It was finished in 1847 by
Cockerell, who added the unhappy north side to the University Library,
but the original architect was Basevi, who was prevented from
finishing the building he had begun by his untimely death through
falling from one of the towers of Ely Cathedral. The magnificence of
the great portico, with its ceiling of encrusted ornament, is vastly
impressive, but the marble staircase in the entrance lobby, with its
rich crimson reds, is rather overpowering in conjunction with the
archaeological exhibits. Plainer, cooler and less aggressive marble
such as that employed in the lobby of the Victoria and Albert Museum
would have been more suitable. A very considerable proportion of the
museum's space is devoted to the collection of pictures--some of them
copies--which the University has gathered. The interesting Turner
water-colours presented by John Ruskin are here, with a Murillo,
reputed to be his earliest known work, and a good many other examples
of the work of famous men of the Italian and Dutch Schools.
Besides the Museum of Archaeology, between Peterhouse and the river,
the vigorous growth of the scientific side of the University is shown
in the vast buildings newly erected on both sides of Downing Street,
which has now become a street of laboratories and museums. Now that
the outworks of the hoary citadel of Classicism have been stormed, and
the undermining of the great walls has already begun, the development
of modern science at Cambridge will be accelerated, and in the face of
the urgency of the demands of worldwide competition it would appear
that the University on the Cam is more fitted to survive than her
sister on the Isis.
[Illustration: THE CIRCULAR NORMAN CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. This
splendid survival of the Norman age is one of the four churches in
England planned to imitate the form of the Holy Sepulchre of
Jerusalem.]