[Illustration: SCENES IN CAMBRIDGE.
1. The Senate House. 2. The Pitt Press. 3. The Round Church. 4. Great
St. Mary's. 5. Fitzwilliam Museum.]
Pembroke College, near the Pitt Press, has a chapel designed by
Christopher Wren and recently enlarged. This was the college of Spenser
and Gray, the latter having migrated from the neighboring Peterhouse
because of the practical jokes the students played upon him. It was also
Pitt's college. Opposite Pembroke is Peterhouse, or St. Peter's College,
the most ancient foundation in Cambridge, established by Hugh de
Balsham, Bishop of Ely, in 1284. Beyond Peterhouse is the Fitzwilliam
Museum, a most successful reproduction of classic architecture, built
and maintained by a legacy of $500,000 left by Viscount Fitzwilliam in
1816. It contains an excellent art and literary collection, which was
begun by the viscount. This is regarded as probably the finest
classical building constructed in the present century in England. A
short distance beyond, at the end of a water-course, is an attractive
hexagonal structure with niched recesses and ornamental capstones. This
is Hobson's Conduit, erected in 1614 by Thomas Hobson. This benefactor
of Cambridge was a carrier between London and the university, and is
said to have been the originator of "Hobson's Choice." The youngest
foundation at Cambridge is Downing College, erected in 1807, an
unobtrusive structure, and near by is Emmanuel College, built on the
site of a Dominican convent and designed by Wren. It was founded by Sir
Walter Mildmay, the Puritan, in 1584, who on going to court was taxed by
Queen Mary with having erected a Puritan college. "No, madam," he
replied, "far be it from me to countenance anything contrary to your
established laws, but I have set an acorn, which when it becomes an oak
God alone knows what will be the fruit thereof." Sir William Temple was
educated at Emmanuel. Christ's College is near by, chiefly interesting
from its associations with Milton, whose rooms are still pointed out,
while a mulberry tree that he planted is preserved in the garden.
Latimer and Paley, with a host of other divines, were students here.
This college was founded by Queen Margaret, mother of Henry VII., and
some beautiful silver plate, her gift to the Fellows, is still
preserved. At Sidney-Sussex College Cromwell was a Fellow in 1616, and
his crayon portrait hangs in the dining-hall. Owing to want of means, he
left without taking a degree. An oriel window projecting over the street
is said to mark his chamber. Upon Bridge Street is the Round Church, or
St. Sepulchre's Church, obtaining its name from its circular Norman
nave, this being one of the four "Temple churches" still remaining in
England. Across the Cam stands Magdalene College, founded in 1519 by
Baron Thomas Audley of Walden. Within the building behind it are the
literary collections of Samuel Pepys, who was secretary to the Admiralty
in the reigns of Charles II. and James II., together with the manuscript
of his famous diary, a book of marvellous gossip, recording the
peccadilloes of its author, the jealousy of his wife, and the
corruptions of the court. He was educated at Magdalene.
Jesus Lane leads out of Bridge Street to Jesus College, remotely placed
on the river-bank, and of which the chief building of interest is the
chapel, a fine Gothic structure. This college is upon the site of a
Benedictine nunnery founded in 1133, and is entered by a lofty brick
gate-tower which is much admired, and was constructed soon after the
foundation of the college in 1497 by the Bishop of Ely, whose successors
until this day retain the gift of the mastership. From Jesus Lane a path
leads down to the boat-houses on the river bank, where each college has
a boat-club wearing a distinctive dress. The racecourse is at the Long
Reach, just below the town. Of the ancient Cambridge Castle, built by
the Conqueror in 1068, nothing remains but the mound upon Castle Hill,
where the county courts are now located. Cambridge, however, has little
besides its university buildings to attract attention. In the suburbs
are two colleges for the instruction of lady students, and two miles
away is Trumpington, near which is the site of the mill told of in
Chaucer's Canterbury tale of the _Miller of Trumpington_. The place is
now used for gates to admit the river-water into Byron's Pool, which is
so called because the poet frequently bathed in it when he was an
undergraduate of Trinity College.
[Illustration: GATEWAY JESUS COLLEGE.]