than in euery mans mouth, bycause _D. Haines_ and _D. Skippe_
were cum from the Court, to debate the same matter, by
preaching and disputation in the vniuersitie. This hapned the
same tyme, when I stoode to be felow there: my taulke came
to _D. Medcalfes_ eare: I was called before him and the Seniores:
and after greuous rebuke, and some punishment, open warning
was geuen to all the felowes, none to be so hardie to geue me
his voice at that election. And yet for all those open threates,
the good father himselfe priuilie procured, that I should euen
than be chosen felow. But, the election being done, he made
countinance of great discontentation thereat. This good mans
goodnes, and fatherlie discretion, vsed towardes me that one
day, shall neuer out of my remembrance all the dayes of my
life. And for the same cause, haue I put it here, in this small
record of learning. For next Gods prouidence, surely that day,
was by that good fathers meanes, _Dies natalis_, to me, for the
whole foundation of the poore learning I haue, and of all the
furderance, that hetherto else where I haue obteyned.
This his goodnes stood not still in one or two, but flowed
aboundantlie ouer all that Colledge, and brake out also to
norishe good wittes in euery part of that vniuersitie: whereby,
at this departing thence, he left soch a companie of fellowes and
scholers in _S. Iohnes_ Colledge, as can scarse be found now in
some whole vniuersitie: which, either for diuinitie, on the one
side or other, or for Ciuill seruice to their Prince and contrie,
haue bene, and are yet to this day, notable ornaments to this
whole Realme: Yea _S. Iohnes_ did then so florish, as Trinitie
college, that Princely house now, at the first erection, was but
_Colonia deducta_ out of _S. Iohnes_, not onelie for their Master,
fellowes, and scholers, but also, which is more, for their whole,
both order of learning, and discipline of maners: & yet to this
day, it neuer tooke Master but such as was bred vp before in
_S. Iohnes_: doing the dewtie of a good _Colonia_ to her _Metropolis_,
as the auncient Cities in Greice and some yet in Italie, at this
day, are accustomed to do.
_S. Iohnes_ stoode in this state, vntill those heuie tymes, and
that greuous change that chanced. An. 1553. whan mo perfite
scholers were dispersed from thence in one moneth, than many
Psal. 80. // yeares can reare vp againe. For, whan _Aper de
Sylua_ had passed the seas, and fastned his foote
_the ready way to the Latin tong._ 281
againe in England, not onely the two faire groues of learning
in England were eyther cut vp, by the roote, or troden downe
to the ground and wholie went to wracke, but the yong spring
there, and euerie where else, was pitifullie nipt and ouertroden
by very beastes, and also the fairest standers of all, were rooted
vp, and cast into the fire, to the great weakning euen at this
day of Christes Chirch in England, both for Religion and
learning.
And what good could chance than to the vniuersities, whan
som of the greatest, though not of the wisest nor best learned,
nor best men neither of that side, did labor to perswade, that
ignorance was better than knowledge, which they ment, not for
the laitie onelie, but also for the greatest rable of their spiritu-
altie, what other pretense openlie so euer they made: and
therefore did som of them at Cambrige (whom I will not name
openlie,) cause hedge priestes fette oute of the contrie, to be
made fellowes in the vniuersitie: saying, in their talke priuilie,
and declaring by their deedes openlie, that he was, felow good
enough for their tyme, if he could were a gowne and a tipet
cumlie, and haue hys crowne shorne faire and roundlie, and
could turne his Portesse and pie readilie: whiche I speake not
to reproue any order either of apparell, or other dewtie, that
may be well and indifferentlie vsed, but to note the miserie of
that time, whan the benefites prouided for learning were so
fowlie misused. And what was the frute of this seade?
Verely, iudgement in doctrine was wholy altered: order in
discipline very sore changed: the loue of good learning, began
sodenly to wax cold: the knowledge of the tonges (in spite of
some that therein had florished) was manifestly contemned:
and so, y^e way of right studie purposely peruerted: the choice
of good authors of mallice confownded. Olde sophistrie (I say
not well) not olde, but that new rotten sophistrie began to
beard and sholder logicke in her owne tong: yea, I know, that
heades were cast together, and counsell deuised, that _Duns_, with
all the rable of barbarous questionistes, should haue dispossessed
of their place and rowmes, _Aristotle, Plato, Tullie_, // _Aristoteles._
and _Demosthenes_, when good _M. Redman_, and // _Plato._
those two worthy starres of that vniuersitie, // _Cicero._
_M. Cheke_, and _M. Smith_, with their scholers, had // _Demost._
brought to florishe as notable in Cambrige, as