Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 12.djvu/107

 io s. xii. JULY si, 1909.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Thomas Mytton, Parliamentary Com- mander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral in North Wales, was of Balliol College ; so were Alexander Popham of Littlecote, one of Cromwell's lords ; and John Wilde, Chief Baron of the Exchequer.

Among Oriel College worthies of the period were William Prynne, the celebrated Puritan pamphleteer ; Sir Robert Harley of Brampton Bryan Castle, Master of the Mint ; and Calybute Downing, chaplain to Lord Robartes's regiment, " a reputed weather- cock."

Queen's College gives us Sir Thomas Myddelton, Parliamentary Sergeant-Major- General for North Wales ; and John Owen the theologian, Dean of Christ Church, Vice-Chancellor, and chaplain to Cromwell in Ireland and Scotland.

All Souls College, which in the sequel was to owe much to the unwelcome action of the Parliamentary Visitors, produced the notorious journalist Marchamont Needham, who had been originally a quirister of that house. He was an usher at Merchant Taylors' School, member of Gray's Inn, and student of medicine before discovering his true vocation. He then became chief author of Mercurius Britannicus, changed sides, and published in the King's defence Mercurius Pragmaticus, but, on being committed to Newgate, again changed his party, and published a new weekly paper, Mercurius Politicus, in support of Cromwell; and, later, edited the official journal, the Public Intelligencer. Having obtained his pardon after the Restoration, he was employed by the Government to attack Shaftesbury and the Opposition.

Sir William Petty, political economist, was appointed by the Commissioners of the Commonwealth a Fellow of Brasenose, and, later, Professor of Anatomy.

Of Corpus Christi College were Edward Pococke, the celebrated Oriental scholar, who was appointed Hebrew Professor by the Parliamentary Visitors, and reappointed at the Restoration ; and Daniel Featley or Fairclough, controversialist, one of the translators of the Bible, and as a moderate Anglican a member of the Westminster Assembly.

To Christ Church belong Thomas Case, the celebrated Presbyterian divine ; and Henry Stubbe or Stubbs, physician and author.

Laud's College, St. John the Baptist, claims Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, politician and poet ; and Bulstrode Whitelocke, Keeper of the Great Seal.

To Jesus College belongs John White,. Parliamentarian, commonly called Century White.

William Lenthall, Speaker of the House- of Commons, was of St. Alban Hall (now absorbed by Merton) ; so too was Robert Blake, the famous admiral and general at sea, but he soon migrated to Wadham College. To Wadham also belong Nicholas Love the regicide ; and John Wilkins, originally of Magdalen Hall, who became successively Warden of Wadham, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Bishop of Chester. He was centre of the group which formed the Royal Society ; and married Cromwell's sister Robina.

The ancient Hall of Broadgates (now Pembroke College) claims John Pym, " the- greatest member of Parliament who ever lived." His signature is preserved at Pem- broke, affixed to a donation of 44s. to th& enlargement of the dining-hall (now the- library). It is dated 27 April, 1623 (the year before Broadgates became Pembroke), and he is described as " quondam Aulae- Lateportensis Commensalis." In 1630, when subscriptions were made for the chapel of Gloucester Hall (now Worcester College),, Pym gave 205. ; and a like sum was given by his elder son Alexander, whom he had sent there to be under his own old tutor at Broadgates, Degory Wheare, first Camden Professor of History at Oxford and Principal of Gloucester Hall. Of Broadgates also was Francis Rous, Provost of Eton, Speaker of the Little or Barebones Parliament, and member of the Protector's Council of State.. His father, Sir Anthony Rous, remarried with Pym's mother. The Eton Scholarship at Pembroke is of Rous's foundation ; and his portrait is to be seen in the dining-hall. Clement Walker, Presbyterian leader and historian of Independency, is attributed to Broadgates by Wood ; and Sir Thomas- Wroth, Parliamentarian and author, appears to have been at both Gloucester and Broad- gates Hall. Among Pembroke divines may be mentioned Peter Smart, " the Puritan proto-martyr," and opponent of Bishop Cosin ; Edmund Hall, who fought for Parliament and attacked Cromwell ; Thomas Hall, who wrote against unlicensed preachers, indiscriminate baptism, Fifth Monarchy Men, and Cavalier customs ; Henry Langley, the intruded Master ; Thomas Rosewell ; and William Sedgwick, nicknamed " Dooms- day Sedgwick " and " Apostle of the Isle of Ely."

Gloucester Hall (now Worcester College) claims John Carew the regicide, "a Repub-