Letter from George Sandby to the Countess of Portsmouth describing his admission as Master.
Transcript
Madam,
After undergoing a very great fatigue I am returned to myself & my country house again, from whence I beg leave to renew my thanks to your ladyship, and to enlarge my narration.
My Doctor's degree was made complete to me upon the second day of my being at Cambridge and on the third I was admitted to the Mastership. The ceremony of Admission is this: the Society being assembled at the Lodge, the senior Fellow first reads the nomination, and that is approved of, then the Master (to be) has the Statute concerning his own qualification put into his hands which he reads aloud, swears observance of, and of all other Statutes of the College; then the Chapel Bell tolls and the senior Fellow leads the Master by the hand and places him in his seat which gives him possession. The chapter of the Statute concerning the quality of the Master says:
that he shall be thirty years of age or about it & at least of the degree of Master of Arts, that within one year from his admission he shall be a Deacon and within two in full Orders; and if he fails in these points he may without any delay be instantly removed and his place filled up.
Mr Eliot informed me that there was a very great disturbance when Dr Chapman was nominated. He was the youngest Head ever known; and upon his being presented was first rejected by the Society as disqualified but a Certificate being afterwards produced showing him to be in his thirtieth year they judged that to be within the description of the Statute and so admitted him.
It may please God to make another nomination required before the pretty young gentleman [Barton Wallop] can receive the Mastership and then my debt becomes discharged of itself. But lest my life should reach so far I shall frequently repeat from under my hand what my heart cannot possibly do otherwise than comply with. And, when my seat is added to that, which I will, in due time, provide that it shall, all changes and chances will be guarded against. Those who are most ready, as is my case, to perform without any obligation, are most desirous to be subject to them.
The College is situated almost out of the town, remote from any other, near the River, and in a very dirty street. The Lodge is a very good one, commodious, and has a piece of pasture, of two acres, adjoining to the garden, set at £8 a year. In one of the two parlours is the picture your Ladyship spoke of, of Lord Audley, presented to the College by Lod Suffolk. Though it is said to be Lord Audley, I should rather doubt of it, myself. It has the dress of a Lord Chancellor, or of some high Officer of State; but the fashion of it is much later than the reign of Henry Viii and the hair & cut of the beard exactly agree with Van Dyke's portraits. If your ladyship is imposed upon by a false copy it is what many a great and wise person has suffered besides: but though this dead take these liberties and appear to be what they are not I shall only appear to be what I really am and that is
Madam
Your Ladyship's most obliged & most obedient servant
G. Sandby
ps. though I am an unworthy master I have a very worthy Mistress who presents, with me, all Duty to Lord Portsmouth, your Ladyship, and Lord Herbert.
Upon the 15th September we go to Cambridge & as I must furnish the Lodge I hope to buy the greatest part of what my predecessor left
