In 1575, Sir Thomas Gresham made a will, in which he left one moiety of the building of the Royal Exchange, with all pawns, shops, cellars, vaults, messuages, tenements, &c. unto the Mayor, Commonalty, and Citizens of London, and to their successors, upon trust, to perform certain payments, and other intents hereafter limited-and willed, that the said Mayor, Corporation, and their successors, should every year give and distribute for the sustentation of four persons, to be chosen by the said Mayor and Commonalty, meet to read lectures of divinity, astronomy, music, and geometry, within his mansion situated in Bishopsgate Street, the sum of 2007. yearly, that is, 50%. per annum to each of the said readers; and out of the other moiety of the buildings of the Royal Exchanges and their appurtenances, which he bequeathes to the "Commonalty of the mystery of the Mercers of London," he willed that they, and their successors,

This noble learned corporation,

Not for themselves are thus combin'd,
But for the publick good o' th' nation,
And general benefit of mankind.
These are not men of common mould;
They covet fame, but condemn gold.
This College will the whole world measure,
Which most impossible conclude,

And navigation make a pleasure,

By finding out the longitude:

Every Tarpaulian shall then with ease

Saile any ship to the Antipodes.

The College Gresham shall hereafter
Be the whole world's University;

Oxford and Cambridge are our laughter;
Their learning is but pedantry;
These new Collegiates do assure us,
Aristotle's an ass to Epicurus."

should give and pay for the finding and sustentation of three persons, by them from time to time to be chosen, meet to read lectures on Law, Physick, and Rhetorick, within his said Mansion House in Bishopsgate Street, the sum of 150l. per annum, that is, 50%. yearly to each of the said readers."

This noble gift was subsequently confirmed by act of parliament; and, after the decease of Lady Anne Greshamn, which occurred in 1596, lecturers were chosen, who delivered lectures, "to the great delight of many, both learned, and lovers of learning."-It is remarkable that, although Sir Thomas Gresham evidently intended that a lecture should be delivered daily throughout the year, by one of the seven lecturers, yet they were given only in term time, which created so much disappointment amongst the public, that a petition was preferred to the Trustees for managing the affairs of the College, praying that the Founder's Will, which required the lectures to be read daily, (as the petitioners understood) might be put in execution. This petition was taken into consideration by the Trustees, and the Professors heard. in their defence, who cited authorities to prove that the word "daily," in the Founder's Will was an “academick word," and therefore to be understood as meaning the days in the Term-weeks only.

The result was, that, although the Trustees were divided in opinion, as to the intention of the founder, they acceded to the prayer of the petitioners so far only as to enjoin the Professors to read, not only in the broken weeks, but also a few days before the terms commenced. The Professors complied with the first condition of this injunction, but refused to lec

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ture out of term-time, to the great discontent of the petitioners11.

The Gresham Professors had apartments assigned to them in the college, which were most commodious and comfortable 12. "Here," says Sprat, "the Royal Society has one publick room to meet in, another for a repository to keep their instruments, books, rarities, papers, and whatever else belongs to them: making use besides, by permission, of several of the other lodgings, as their occasions do require. And when I consider the place itself, methinks it bears some likeness to their design; it is now a Colledge, but was once the mansion-house of one of the greatest merchants that ever was in England13."

The following more precise description of Gresham College is taken from a curious pamphlet in the British Museum, entitled, Account of the Proceedings in the Council of the Royal Society, in order to remove from Gresham College. "The great hall, to which the ascent from the court is by but a few steps, is 37 foot long, near 20 foot broad, and 25, or 30 foot high. This spacious room is a noble entrance to the rest of the apartments of the Royal Society. The next room is about 35 foot long, near 20 foot broad, and 13 foot high; and in this the Society always met upon St.

"A pamphlet was published in 1707, entitled, An Account of the rise, foundation, progress, and present state of Gresham College, with the Life of the Founder; as also of some late endeavours for obtaining the revival and restitution of the Lectures there; with some Remarks thereupon. 4to. London, 1707. See also Tooke's tract entitled, An exact copy of the last will and testament of Sir Thomas Gresham. 12 Ward's Lives of the Gresham Professors.

13 Hist. Royal Society, p. 93.