Cambridge and Its CollegesThompson, A. Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
History
Cambridge and Its Colleges
Thompson, A. Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
University of Cambridge
Jesus College took for its first shield the curious device of the five
wounds of Christ. But in 1575, it received its present coat-of-arms in
memory of its founder. The three cocks’ heads erased have always been
a feature of the college very much in evidence; they appear constantly
in the buildings, and, in the cloister court, may still be seen the
two cocks, one of whom says to the other from the library wall “ἐγὼ
εὶμὶ ἀλεκτὼρ” (I am a cock), while the other, from the hall, bears in
his mouth a similar scroll inscribed “οὓτως καί ἐγὼ” (And so am I).
Soon after Alcock’s time, the college brought forth a fruit of the new
learning in the shape of Thomas Cranmer,* who was a fellow here for
some time. He lost his fellowship by his marriage. He contracted an
alliance with the niece of the landlady of the Dolphin, an inn close to
what is now All Saints’ Passage, and, having resigned his fellowship
in consequence, lived at the inn for some time. Cambridge was a great
university for reformers, and at this time a number of men who afterwards
became distinguished for the novelty of their opinions were in residence.
The college has honoured Cranmer’s memory, and one of its most popular
social clubs is named after him. Readers of history know that Cranmer was
no less eminent as statesman and man of letters than as reformer, and his
college may be justly proud of him. His portraits are interesting. The
picture in the Hall is supposed to be a copy by Reynolds from an older
picture. In the Combination Room is the portrait dated 1548, similar to
the portrait of 1546 by Fliccius, now in the National Portrait Gallery.
And in the Master’s Lodge is another portrait which is probably a copy of
the last. Both these latter portraits have been attributed to Holbein.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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