Cambridge (England) -- History; University of Cambridge -- History
"Though the College," says the present Master, Dr. Peile, "had no
very striking architectural features, the general effect, as seen
in Loggan's view, is good. We see the old mullioned windows
supplanted by sash windows in the last century: and the battlements
inside the court as well as without, which were displaced by Essex
to make way for the solid parapet, which still remains, and indeed
suits the new windows better. The original windows have recently
been restored with very good effect. We see a path, called the
Regent's Walk, running from the great gate directly across the
court to a door which gave entrance to the great parlour in the
Lodge, then the reception-room of the College, and now the Masters'
dining-room. That room has been reduced in size by a passage made
between it and the Hall. The passage leads to the winding stone
staircase which gave the only access to this suite of three rooms
on the first floor, corresponding exactly with those below, and
reserved by the Foundress for her own use during life, while the
Master contented himself with the three rooms on the ground floor.
The Foundress's suite consisted of a large ante-room (commonly but
wrongly called the Foundress's Bed-Chamber) with a little lobby in
one corner at the entrance from the old staircase. The second room
(now the drawing-room) was the Foundress's own living room; it has
an oriel window looking into the court, not much injured by the
removal of the mullions."
We may interrupt the Master's record here to tell the characteristic
story of the Lady Margaret which most probably has this oriel window for
its scene: "Once the Lady Margaret came to Christ's College to behold it
when partly built; and looking out of a window, saw the Dean call a
faulty scholar to correction, to whom she said, '_Lente! Lente!_'
(Gently! gently!) as accounting it better to mitigate his punishment
than to procure his pardon: mercy and justice making the best medley to
offenders."[72]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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