Sidney Sussex College

“ Emmaimo Once its site was occupied by a house of Dominican friars, and it subsequently became the chosen college of the Pnri tans. The frontage of this college is long and imposing. Through an arcade we pass into the principal court, above an arcaded side of which is a picture gallery designed by Wren for the Master s Lodge. The library here is very good. Sidney Sussex College has a history very parallel to that of Emmanuel College. ”

“ Following a somewhat unusual academic course, he left Sidney-Sussex College to be admitted, on 12 Nov. 1694, a fellow commoner of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, whence he graduated LL.B. in 1695. He proceeded LL.D. from Sidney-Sussex College in 1701 (Cole MSS.) Taking holy orders, and marrying Sarah, daughter of Dr. ”

“ He was admitted as pensionarius minor at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, on April 29, 1658, but left the university without taking a degree. On May 2, 1666, he became a member of Gray’s Inn, and was called to the bar on June 16, 1673. ”

“ He was a fellow-commoner of Christ's College, Cambridge, and was appointed first master of Sidney Sussex College (Le Neve,. Fasti, iii. 703) , signing in 1596 a letter from the vice-chancellor and other heads to Lord Burghley, complaining of the teaching of Peter Baro [q. v.] He beautified the interior of his college chapel, and expended 100l. ”

“ John Pocklington was first a scholar at Sidney Sussex College, B.D. in 1621, and afterwards a Fellow of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. He subsequently became Rector of Yelden in Bedfordshire, Vicar of Waresley in Huntingdonshire, prebend of Lincoln, Peterborough, and Windsor; and was also one of the chaplains to Charles I. "On the 15th May, 1611, the Earl of Kent, with consent of Lord Harington, wrote to Sidney College to dispense with Mr. Pocklington's holding a small living with cure of souls. {248}See the original letter in the college treasury, box 1 or 6." (Cole's MSS., vol. xlvi. p.207.) . ”

“ Clare in 1326, King's Hall in 1337, Pembroke in 1347, Gonville Hall in 1348, Trinity Hall in 1350, and Corpus Christi in 1352. These constitute the first period of college-founding, separated from the succeeding by nearly a century.
The second period began in 1441 with King's, and ended with St. John's in 1509. After an interval of thirty-three years the third period commenced with Magdalene, and concluded with Sidney Sussex in 1595. A fourth group is composed of the half-dozen colleges belonging to last century. ”

“ Although Sidney is a small college, there is none which is so remarkable [262] for the patriotism and good-fellowship existing among its undergraduates; and, within very recent years, it has supplied the University with excellent athletes, and one of its members has become president of the Union. ”

“ The members of the University are divided into those who are on the foundation and those who are not. Those on the foundation are the dean, president, master, warden, according to the charter of the College; the fellows, scholars, called demies at Magdalene, and post-masters at Merton; chaplains, bible-clerks, servitors, at Christchurch and Jesus. The qualifications for these advantages vary; but leading colleges—Oriel and Balliol—have set an example likely to be followed of throwing fellowships and scholarships open to the competition of the whole university, so that the best man may win. ”

“ So soon as he considered himself established at Hampden Sidney, he set to work with characteristic vigor and singleness of purpose, to raise the standing of the institution. He prevailed on the Trustees to introduce a new system of discipline and study, and being soon appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, and experiencing the disadvantages of the very deficient apparatus, he made large additions to it at his own expense, trusting to the future ability of the College to repay him. ”

“ The plague raging in Oxford in 1571, Sidney left the University hurriedly, never to return. He left his degree behind him, and he had no time, in later years, to go back to claim it.
Fuller sent Benjamin Jonson to Trinity College, Cambridge, upon what authority is not now known, for Jonson himself, the son of a bricklayer in London, told Drummond, of Hawthornden, once, that he was taken from school, and put to a trade; and that the degree he possessed from each University was given by favor, and not by study. ”

“ Fisher, proudly. "Polly will be able to pay him back, there is no doubt about that."
"But I'm different," added Ben, quickly, "such a dull, plodding fellow. Oh, Mamsie, what would a college education amount to for me? I'm best to buckle right down to business."
"Ben, Ben!" Mother Fisher's tone was quite reproachful now, and she seized his hand and covered it with her two strong ones. "Any one can accomplish what he sets out to. You can amount to whatever you put your mind on; and you deserve a college education if ever a boy did." ”

“ Hook himself is a most excellent, charitable, self-sacrificing man.
A New Grammar School—first founded in 1552 by the Rev. Sir William Sheafield, and since endowed by several other persons—is lodged in a building of ample size, with residence for the head master, and enjoys an income of £2000 a-year; and there are four Exhibitions of £70 a-year to Magdalen College, Cambridge, tenable till degree of M.A. has been taken; one Exhibition of £100 a-year, tenable for five years, at Queen’s College, Oxford, open to a candidate from Leeds school ”

“ The income is about £900 a-year, and the scholars have open to competition two fellowships of St. John’s College, Oxon, one at Catherine’s Hall, Cambridge, and six exhibitions at either University. Previous to the investigations of the Charity Commissioners, the fine school-room was locked up, and the books of the library torn for waste paper to light fires. At present, under the reformed system, the school is attended by a large number of scholars.
There are more than a dozen educational and other charities for the benefit of the poor, enjoying a revenue of many thousands a-year. ”

“ At present, after a year’s probation, youths at eighteen or nineteen become actual fellows, in enjoyment of an income varying from £190 to £250 per annum, until such time as they marry or are provided with a college living.
“Wykeham laid the first stone of his new college on the 5th March 1380. Being finished, the first warden and fellows took possession of it April 14, 1386, at three o’clock in the morning.” The original buildings consist of the principal quadrangle, containing the hall, chapel, and library, the cloisters, and the tower. ”

“ In the year 1827, the head mastership became vacant of the Grammar School at Rugby, and the trustees, a body of twelve country gentlemen and noblemen, selected, to the dismay of all the orthodox, the Rev. Thomas Arnold, late fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, and then taking private pupils at Laleham, Middlesex. ”

“ But, after all this virtuous remonstrance on the misdirection of William of Wykeham’s noble endowment, we must own that, of our Oxford acquaintance, none are more agreeable than those New College fellows of the old school, “who wore shocking bad hats and asked you to dinner.” Much better than the cold-blooded “monks without mass” who are fast superseding them, just as idle and more ill-natured. ”

“ The teaching was mainly given by the University professors and lecturers, the curriculum was the same as the University prescribed, and the women students, though not legally admitted to the University, were examined by the University examiners at the same time as the other students. Henry Sidgwick was, from the foundation of Newnham onwards, the moving spirit and the guiding hand among its University friends, the spirit which inspired the policy and the hand which piloted the fortunes of the College. ”

“ Fine rooms, a fine garden, a dinner daily the best in Oxford, served in a style of profusion and elegance that leaves nothing to be desired, wine the choicest, New College ale most famous, a retiring-room, where, in obsequious dignity, a butler waits on his commands, with fresh bottles of the strong New College port, or ready to compound a variety of delicious drinks, amid which the New College cyder cup and mint julep can be specially recommended. ”

“ The situation, with its wide and beautiful views over the surrounding country from Leith Hill and Blackdown to the ever present line of the Downs on the south, make it one of the pleasantest places in Sussex for a prolonged stay. St. John's College is one of the Woodard schools in connexion with Lancing foundation (see page 103) ; it is a fine building with an imposing chapel. The church is modern and was designed by Sir Charles Barry. In the south transept is an effigy of an unknown crusader and another of a knight in the north aisle. ”

“ Daily stages connect the village with Farmville (pop. in 1910, 2971) , the county-seat, 6 m. N.E., which is served by the Norfolk & Western and the Tidewater & Western railways. Hampden-Sidney is the seat of Hampden-Sidney College, founded by the presbytery of Hanover county as Hampden-Sidney Academy in 1776, and named in honour of John Hampden and Algernon Sidney. It was incorporated as Hampden-Sidney College in 1783. The incorporators included James Madison, Patrick Henry (who is believed to have drafted the college charter) , Paul Carrington, William Cabell, Sen., and Nathaniel Venable. ”

“ No one deserves a larger share of the credit for initiating and carrying out successfully a scheme which has had so great an eft'ect upon the education of Englishwomen.
Sidgwick in later years had also to discharge many duties of academical administration. His absence from the governing body prevented him from taking any direct part in the changes made in his college under the commission of 1877. He had, however, the influence due to the recognition of his high qualities of mind and character, both in his own college and in the university generally. ”

“ In 1500 the post of chancellor of the university, vacated by the death of Archbishop Morton, was temporarily filled by him. William Smith, bishop of Lincoln, one of the founders of Brasenose College, on succeeding Morton as chancellor, continued Atwater in the vice-chancellorship, and highly commended his 'merits and diligence.' He effectually aided the bishop in reforming academical discipline. But Atwater did not derive all his income from university work ”

“ Shortly afterwards, in consequence of the death of Con O'Neill, earl of Tyrone [q. v.] , Shane O'Neill openly assumed the title of the O'Neill, as he had long practically possessed the power. Sidney displayed great tact in holding him in check until Elizabeth determined whether or not to recognise him as Con's legitimate successor. Sussex, who preferred to remain at court, urged Sidney's appointment as viceroy; but the arrangement did not meet with Elizabeth's approval, and in August 1559 Sussex returned to Ireland. In the meantime Sidney was appointed lord president of the marches of Wales. ”

“ In Paley's Life of Law, prefixed to the Theory of Religion, mention is made of Gay's dissertation; and the author is there stated to be of "Sidney College." Inquiry was accordingly made in that quarter, and the following answer was returned:—
"I find there have been four persons of the name of Gay educated at Sidney College; three of them certainly—and in all probability the fourth—members of the same family. As I shall have occasion to refer to them subsequently, I will give you their several entries in the College Register:
"'1. Johannes, fil. Jacobi Gay, clerici, natus apud Meath in com. ”

“ If men had made no more progress in the common arts of life than they have in education, we should at this moment be dividing our food with our fingers, and drinking out of the palms of our hands."
It was just as bad when a lady sent her son to his own University.—
"I feel for her about her son at Oxford, knowing, as I do, that the only consequences of a University education are the growth of vice and the waste of money."
In 1792 Sydney Smith took his degree, [5] and now the question of a profession had to be faced and decided. ”

“ Now a wealthy young woman from San Francisco who chooses to spend from two to four years at an Eastern college is a sufficiently complicated type in herself; when she has grown up in studios and done very much as she pleases all her life, she affords even more food for thought to the student of character.
People who disliked Suzanne called her unprincipled and shallow and lazy; people who admired her called her brilliant and irresponsible and lazy; people who loved her called her fascinating and spoiled and lazy. She could dance like a leaf in the wind ”

“ For a weekly periodical, 'Life,' she wrote the dramatic and art criticism as well as a series of articles 'The Note-book of a Diner-out, by Diogenes Pessimus,' which showed a cynical vein of humour. But as her domestic sorrows increased, she grew ambitious of accomplishing more serious work and began a varied preliminary course of study. With a private tutor she worked at mathematics, and then on her separation from her husband she entered University College, London, chiefly devoting herself to Greek, Latin, and English literature. ”

“ Some of the college halls preserved their old central fireplaces, under a louvre, until early in the last century. While the fellows dined, a servitor stood there, and read aloud from the Bible, in the first days of the college; or, as at Trinity in 1792, recited a passage from Homer or Virgil or Milton. Southey records it as a rule, that every member of the University could go by right once a year to Balliol hall, and “be treated with bread and cheese and beer, and all on condition that, when called upon, he should either sing a song or tell a story.” ”