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CHAPTER III.

KEN AT OXFORD-ANTONY WOOD'S MUSICAL CLUB-FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH THYNNE OF CHRIST CHURCH, AFTERWARDS VISCOUNT WEYMOUTH-CONNECTION OF THE FAMILY OF THYNNE AND PACKINGTON

MORLEY, AF

WARDS BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, THE MEANS OF KEN'S ACQUAINTANCE WITH THYNNE.

And in the year eight hundred fifty three and twelve,
Martin Bishop of Rome granted to King Alured,*
To found and make a study then again,

And an university of clercks to read,

The whiche he made at OXENFORD indeed,
To that intent the clercks by sapience
Against heretics should make resistance.

John Harding.

KEN left Winchester college a super-annuate between eighteen and nineteen years of age, 1655-6. As there was no vacancy at New college, he was entered at Hart hall, afterwards Hertford college; † and they only who have been in the same situation know with what intense anxiety the young Oxford student and his parents look forward, day by day, perhaps through the long year in vain, for a vacancy, which may bring the super-annuate of Winchester again among his old schoolfellows, and place him in the foundation to which his early studies were preparatory-which had been the goal of his

* Alfred.

+ Where Magdalen hall now is.

youthful ambition and hopes, and to which his eyes were almost from infancy directed, as the first home of independence in life. But, lo! from death or marriage, unexpectedly a vacancy occurs just before the year has expired, and now, when all hopes of succession had nearly vanished, Ken, with the ardour and delight which a Wykehamist only feels, becomes possessor of rooms in New college.

Ken was admitted Probationer Fellow of New college in 1657, George Marshall being then Warden; a Warden who was not a Wykehamist, or elected, according to the Statutes, by the Fellows, but obtruded on the College by the Parliamentary Visitors, and appointed, reclamante collegio, in 1649.

The intrepid stand which the true sons of Wykeham made on this occasion has been little noticed, though their conduct was as noble as that of the President and Fellows of Magdalen, in the face of arbitrary power; but the Parliamentary Visitors knew better how to do their work, and they did it more effectually than James the Second.

Dr. Pink, the Warden, died soon after this "direful visitation," as Ayliffe calls it, began. An injunction issued to the Fellows of New college that they should not proceed to elect a Warden, but wait the recommendation of the Visitors. The Fellows took no notice, but proceeded, according to the Statutes, to elect one of their own body, and elected Dr. Henry Stringer, almost unanimously, in defiance

of the imperative Puritans, and in disdain of the strongest solicitations of Lord Say,* who had been educated himself a Wykehamist.

Walker says, a Major Jordan was thrust in! Of him I find no account, and therefore imagine this to be a mistake. Wood says nothing of this Jordan; but the "Saints," in the plenitude of their dispensing and dictatorial power,-far greater than that of James the Second,-nominated as Warden, White-distinguished by the title of the "Patriarch of Dorchester," in Dorsetshire, and Rector of Trinity Church there! The obstinate sons of Wykeham, however, rejected the "Patriarch of Dorchester," though educated at Winchester, and formerly Fellow of New college, and elected one whose character, learning, and piety was of a different complexion.

The Visitors, however, knew their strength, they ejected, by virtue of the Parliamentary lex fortioris, Dr. Stringer, the legitimate Warden, vi et armis! He retired to London; and, like many other estimable characters, died obscurely there, probably in poverty, a few years afterwards.

It is said, the "Patriarch of Dorchester," having

*Colonel Nathaniel Fiennes, his son, it is said, saved the college of Winchester from destruction, remembering his oath, when commissioned by Cromwell to destroy it.

He was a pious but injudicious man, and certainly one of the most amiable of his class. He is buried in the churchyard of Trinity church, Dorchester. Wood.

been a Fellow, from high principles, refused the honour, and the Visitors nominated, as in insult, a novum monstrum of a Warden, George Marshall, who was neither Wykehamist nor fellow, but who had been chaplain to the godly garrison of the Parliament. Under his alien wardenship Ken became Probationer Fellow, not long before this anomalous Warden's death. Harris, the Presbyterian Warden of Winchester, and this obtruded Warden of New college, died the same year, 1658. The Fellows afterwards proceeded in their regular mode of election, which every true Wykehamist will pray may have no other interruption as long as these ancient and hallowed seats of learning shall flourish, to produce future Lowths and future Kens.

Ken had been entered at Oxford when the cele brated Dr. Owen was Vice-Chancellor under the Chancellorship of Cromwell. This learned man, of the class of the Puritanic Independents, it is known, was author of a scholastic treatise on the "Divine Justice." Learning and liberality, indeed, were now surviving the degraded reign of fanatic ignorance at Oxford.

The great Sir William Petty was Fellow of Brasen-nose. Ward, the mathematician, was soon afterwards, though educated at Cambridge, elected President of Trinity, from whence, at the Restoration, he was ejected in favour of the expelled President, Dr. Hannibal Potter.

* Afterwards the beneficent Bishop of Salisbury. VOL. I.

And let it be mentioned, that at Oxford, by Wilkins and Dr. Petty, afterwards Sir William, the first project was entertained that led to the establishment of the Royal Society. It will serve to shew how much the dismal rule of Calvinistic Puritanism had relaxed in its morose and unsocial discipline, when, towards the close of Cromwell's life," the unprofitable organ" was again heard "piping" at St. Mary's; and when a musical society was established in the town, where even ungodly fiddles were once more heard.

As "Ken, junior," of New college, belonged to this society, we shall copy Anthony à Wood's minute but delightful account of the members.* Before they "tap their bows on the candlestick," let us reconnoitre the whole set.

First there is "Charles Perot, M. A. of Oriel coll. a well-bred gentleman," (no starch and sour predestinarian,)" and a person of a sweet nature." Next behold,

2. "Christopher Harrison, M. A. Fellow of Queen's college, a maggot-headed person, and humourous!" Methinks we hear the ghost of Praise-God-barebone, sighing, "O tempora et mores!" "He was afterwards Parson of Burghunder-Staynsmore, in Cumberland." By your leave,

* The society was first established in 1656; and Wood gives a list under that date, but I have only quoted the second list in 1658, among whose names Ken first appears.

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