In this yeare the king kept his Christmasse at his manor of Gréenwich, & on the Twelfe night, Ed. Hall in Hen. 8. fol. lix. A moueable garden called the garden of Esperance, verie costlie & artificiallie wrought. accor|ding to the old custome, he and the queene came into the hall: and when they were set, and the quéene of Scots also, there entered into the hall a garden arti|ficiall, called the garden of Esperance. This garden was towred at euerie corner, and railed with railes gilt, all the bankes were set with flowers artificiall of silke and gold, the leaues cut of gréene sattin, so that they séemed verie flowers. In the midst of this garden was a piller of antique worke, all gold set with pearles and stones; and on the top of the piller, which was six square, was a louer or an arch em|bowed, crowned with gold: within which stood a bush of roses red and white, all of silke and gold, and a bush of pomegranats of like stuffe. In this garden wal|ked six knights, and six ladies richlie apparelled; and then they descended and dansed manie goodlie dan|ses, and so ascended the garden againe, and were con|ueied out of the hall, and then the king was serued of a great banket. After this Christmasse the king ex|ercised himselfe much in hawking.

¶ This yeare, and about this time, Iohn Hooker, aliàs Vowell. Corpus Chri+sti college in Oxford foun|ded by Ri|chard Fox bi|shop of Win|chester. Richard Fox bishop of Winchester builded and founded Corpus Christi college in Oxford, and minded to haue appoin|ted the same for a house of monks: but Hugh Ol|dom then bishop of Excester changed his mind from that purpose by these meanes. This Hugh Oldom albeit hée were not the best learned of himselfe, yet verie much and well affected towards learning and learned men; and was minded to haue inlarged Ex|cester college. But being denied the preferment of a scholer, which stood then in election for a roome, his good will was withdrawne from that college, and he would haue ioined with William Smith bishop of Lincolne, who then was in building of Brasen nose college; but it tooke no effect. And then being aduer|tised that Richard Fox bishop of Winchester was in hand to build Corpus Christi college, hee did send his letters vnto him, and offered to ioine with him therein, who was verrie glad thereof and well con|tented. Now these two bishops conferring togither EEBO page image 840 what maner of house they should build, and to what end and purpose.

Bishop Fox was of the mind and determination to haue made the college for religious men.Bishop Ol|dom of Exce|ster is vtterlie against Foxs mind to found a college for moonks. But bi|shop Oldom (whether it was bicause he fauoured not those sects of cloistered moonks, or whether hée foresaw anie fall towards of those sects) disuaded bishop Fox what he could from that his purpose and opinion, and said vnto him;

What my lord, shall we build houses, and prouide liuelodes for a compa|nie of bussing moonks, whose end and fall we our selues maie liue to sée? No, no, it is more méet a great deale, that we should haue care to prouide for the increase of learning, and for such as who by their learning shall doo good in the church and common|wealth.