One could wish perhaps that the story of Cambridge should begin, as so many good stories of men and cities have begun, in the antique realm of poetry and romance. That it did so begin our forefathers indeed had little doubt. John Lydgate, the poet, a Benedictine monk of Bury, "the disciple"--as he is proud to call himself--"of Geoffrey Chaucer," but best remembered perhaps by later times as the writer of "London Lackpenny" and "Troy Book," has left certain verses on the foundation of the Town and University of Cambridge, which are still preserved to us.[1] Some stanzas of that fourteenth-century poem will serve to show in what a cloudland of empty legend it was at one time thought that the story of the beginnings of Cambridge might be found:-- "By trew recorde of the Doctor Bede That some tyme wrotte so mikle with his hande, And specially remembringe as I reede In his chronicles made of England Amounge other thynges as ye shall understand, Whom for myne aucthour I dare alleage, Seith the translacion and buylding of Cambridge. * * * * * "Touching the date, as I rehearse can Fro thilke tyme that the world began Four thowsand complete by accomptès clere And three hundred by computacion Joyned thereto eight and fortie yeare, When Cantebro gave the foundacion Of thys citie and this famous towne And of this noble universitie Sette on this river which is called Cante. * * * * * "This Cantebro, as it well knoweth At Athenes scholed in his yougt, All his wyttes greatlye did applie To have acquaintance by great affection With folke-experte in philosophie. From Athens he brought with hym downe Philosophers most sovereigne of renowne Unto Cambridge, playnlye this is the case, Anaxamander and Anaxagoras With many other myne Aucthors dothe fare, To Cambridge fast can hym spede With philosophers and let for no cost spare In the Schooles to studdie and to reede; Of whose teachinges great profit that gan spreade And great increase rose of his doctrine; Thus of Cambridge the name gan first shyne As chief schoole and universitie Unto this tyme fro the daye it began By cleare reporte in manye a far countre Unto the reign of Cassibellan. * * * * * "And as it is put eke in memorie, Howe Julius Cesar entring this region On Cassybellan after his victorye Tooke with hym clarkes of famous renowne Fro Cambridg and ledd theim to Rome towne, Thus by processe remembred here to forne Cambridg was founded long or Chryst was borne."