Dr. Plott relates, in his History of Oxfordshire, that the founder of
St. John's College, Oxford, Sir Thomas White, alderman and merchant
tailor of London, originally designed the establishment of his college
at his birth-place, Reading, in Berkshire. But being warned in a
dream, that he should build a college for the education of youth, in
religion and learning, near a place where he should find two elms
growing out of the same root, he first proceeded to Cambridge, and
finding no such tree, he repaired to Oxford, where he discovered one,
which answered the description in his dream, near St. Bernard's
College. Elated with joy, he dismounted from his horse, and, on his
knees, returned thanks for the fortunate issue of his pious search.
Dr. Joseph Warton seems to throw a doubt upon Dr. Plott's narration,
observing, that he was _fond of the marvellous_. The college was
founded in the middle of the sixteenth century, and Doctor Plott says,
that the tree was in a flourishing state in his day, 1677, when Dr.
Leving was president of St. John's College. Mr. Pointer observes, in
his _Oxoniensis Academia_, "The _triple_ trees that occasioned the
foundation of the college, &c. did stand between the library and the
garden. One of them died in 1626."
The following letter, addressed to the Society by Sir Thomas, the
founder, a fortnight before his death, the 11th of February, 1566, is
a relic worth printing, though it does "savour of death's heads."
"_Mr. President, with the Fellows and Schollers._
"I have mee recommended unto you even from the bottome of my hearte,
desyringe the Holye Ghoste may be amonge you untill the end of the
worlde, and desyringe Almightie God, that everie one of you may love
one another as brethren; and I shall desyre you all to applye to your
learninge, and so doinge, God shall give you his blessinge bothe in
this worlde and the worlde to come. And, furthermore, if anye variance
or strife doe arise amonge you, I shall desyre you, for God's love, to
pacifye it as much as you may; and that doinge, I put no doubt but God
shall blesse everye one of you. And this shall be the last letter that
ever I shall sende unto you; and therefore I shall desyre everye one
of you, to take a copy of yt for my sake. No more to you at this tyme;
but the Lord have you in his keeping until the end of the worlde.
Written the 27th day of January, 1566. I desyre you all to pray to
God for mee, that I may ende my life with patience, and that he may
take mee to his mercye.
"By mee,
"SIR THOMAS WHITE,
"_Knighte, Alderman of London, and_
"_Founder of St. John's College, in Oxford_."
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