Ralph Symons, the great Cambridge builder whose name deserves to be more widely known than it is, was the architect chosen to superintend the works at Sidney. He was employed on Nevile’s Court at Trinity, and was, a year or two later, to begin operations in the second court of St John’s. Sidney, which was ready at the beginning of 1599, was quite comparable with those famous works of art. As usual, the architect did not attempt to manage a street-front. Here, however, instead of turning the back of his buildings to the street, as at Emmanuel, he constructed an oblong three-sided court, whose eastern side directly fronted the street. In 1628 Sir Francis Clerke of Houghton Conquest completed a second court on similar lines. The south side of one court thus became the north side of the other. This[257] common side, which exactly bisects the building, was terminated by a gateway1 opening on the street and into either court. In this original plan the entrance to the Hall was immediately in the centre of the eastern range of the north court; the entrance to the Chapel2 occupied a similar position in the south court. We are still able to admire this graceful3 and simple plan. But of the original buildings the only remaining traces are the oriels in the garden-front of the Master’s Lodge4. In 1776 Essex, who had for the last ten years been “improving” Cambridge out of knowledge, built a new chapel; and in 1830, while Dr Chafy was master—the names of these masters deserve to be handed down—it was decided5 to thoroughly6 remodel7 the college in the new Gothic style. This step was prompted simply by the admiration8 which Wilkins’ doings at Corpus, Trinity, and King’s had excited. Each college glowed with pious9 emulation10, and Sidney chose for its destroyer Sir Jeffrey Wyattville, who had Gothicised a great part of Windsor Castle. Wyattville overhauled11 the college in the Vandal manner; removed all traces, save those I have referred[258] to, of Symons’ obsolete12 work, and replaced it by the present pretentious13 and insipid14 structure which adorns15 the eastern side of Sidney Street. It is a comfort to know that a later generation has made amends16 for this criminal error of taste. A court, or rather two sides of a court, with cloisters17, have been added in recent years by the late Mr John Loughborough Pearson. This range of buildings, not very obvious owing to the high walls behind which it stands, is of red brick, and, like many other new buildings in Cambridge, is in the style of the French Renaissance18 with English modifications19. It is certainly one of Mr Pearson’s great successes, and is, moreover, a success in a line which he seldom attempted. The court—which contains, by the way, a very fine Combination Room—is one of the most retired20 spots in Cambridge, and in its studious shades it is possible to forget Wyattville’s ravages21.
In 1589 died an excellent lady, Frances Lady Sussex, widow of the second Earl. She was the daughter of Sir William Sidney, and would in any case have achieved a negative distinction as the wife of Thomas Radcliffe and the aunt of Sir Philip Sidney. But in her will[259] she left a legacy22 of five thousand pounds, to be employed by her executors in the foundation of a college at Cambridge, or, in case the bequest23 were insufficient24, in enlarging Clare Hall. Six years later, the executors bought a site from Trinity College. When Henry VIII. founded Trinity, he made over to it the lands of the Franciscan Friary which, until the dissolution, had occupied the space between the modern Sidney Street and the King’s Ditch. The buildings were apparently25 taken down and used as a quarry26 for Henry’s new college. Thus the site was vacant, and the executors, after making a preliminary payment of a hundred marks, took over the ground on a perpetual lease, and engaged to pay a rent of ￡13. 6s. 8d. yearly. These executors, the actual founders27 of Sidney, were the Earl of Kent and Sir John Harrington, the translator of Ariosto. The college was called the College of the Lady Frances Sidney Sussex, and took her arms, Radcliffe impaling28 Sidney. The pheon, the heraldic symbol of the Sidneys, is the badge of the college, and, like the eagle of St John’s and the silver crescent of Trinity Hall, has given its title to the college magazine of our own days.
The first master was appointed in 1598. He was Dr James Montagu,* and became Bishop29 of Winchester, where he died in 1618. But, in spite of this augury30, the history of Sidney is the reverse of prelatical. Of late years, the college has somewhat retrieved31 its past record, but, on the whole, its distinction is[260] Puritan. It is, however, a college whose history finds its centre in one event, and that event is vague and shadowy. In the college books, under the date April 23rd, 1616, is the following inscription32, “Oliverus Cromwell, Huntingdoniensis, admissus ad commensum sociorum Aprilis vicesimo sexto; Tutore Mag? Ricardo Howlet.” Few colleges boast such a fellow-commoner. The note which follows, written in after years by a good Royalist, is worth transcribing33: “Hic fuit grandis ille impostor, carnifex perditissimus, qui, pientissimo rege Carolo primo nefaria caede sublato, ipsum usurpavit thronum, et tria regna per quinque ferme annorum spatium, sub protectoris nomine, indomita tyrannide vexavit.” Vexavit, as Polonius would say, is good. No language is more abusive than aptly handled Latin! This “big impostor and most damn’d butcher” stayed at Cambridge till July, 1617, and then, like many great men, left without taking his degree. His contribution to the social life of his college has been stigmatised as discreditable, but this is probably invidious rumour34 and nothing more. The window of his room—which, by the way, dates from 1827 or thereabout—is still shown to the credulous35. There is an admirable portrait of him in the hall, which was presented to the college, with a rather unnecessary parade of anonymity36, by Mr Holles of the Hyde in Essex.
The great name of Cromwell must not, however, suffer us to forget the names of the good[261] and pious men whom Sidney has nurtured37. Dr Edmund Calamy, the famous Nonconformist divine, was a member of the college. So was Thomas Wilson, Bishop of Sodor and Man. So, too, were Jones of Nayland, the revivalist and hymn-writer, and an even more famous Evangelical preacher, Thomas Cecil. Sidney had, indeed, a very conspicuous39 share in the revival38 of spiritual life at the end of the last century. On the other hand, the college produced, by way of an anomaly, Sir Roger l’Estrange, the Royalist pamphleteer, whose sympathies were certainly apart from his education. The laborious40 antiquary, Thomas Rymer of the F?dera, was also a Sidney man. In our own century it has been recorded that—
There was a young man of Sid. Sussex
Who stated that w + x
Was the same as xw!
So they said, “We will trouble you
To confine those ideas to Sid. Sussex.”
But any such misconception has been rectified41 by the present master, Mr Charles Smith, whose mathematical text-books are classics in their own branch of literature. And, among living members of the college, we may notice the present Bishop of Bloemfontein, Dr John Wale Hicks, who is not only celebrated42 for his equal skill in medicine and divinity, but, as tutor of his college and vicar of Little St Mary’s, has had perhaps the greatest spiritual influence on modern Cambridge life. Although Sidney is a small college, there is none which is so remarkable[262] for the patriotism43 and good-fellowship existing among its undergraduates; and, within very recent years, it has supplied the University with excellent athletes, and one of its members has become president of the union.
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1
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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remodel
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| v.改造，改型，改变 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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obsolete
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| adj.已废弃的，过时的 | |
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pretentious
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| adj.自命不凡的，自负的，炫耀的 | |
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insipid
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| adj.无味的，枯燥乏味的，单调的 | |
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adorns
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| 装饰，佩带( adorn的第三人称单数 ) | |
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amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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cloisters
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| n.（学院、修道院、教堂等建筑的）走廊( cloister的名词复数 )；回廊；修道院的生活；隐居v.隐退，使与世隔绝( cloister的第三人称单数 ) | |
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renaissance
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| n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴 | |
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modifications
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| n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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legacy
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| n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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bequest
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| n.遗赠；遗产，遗物 | |
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insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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founders
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| n.创始人( founder的名词复数 ) | |
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impaling
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| 钉在尖桩上( impale的现在分词 ) | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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augury
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| n.预言，征兆，占卦 | |
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retrieved
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| v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息） | |
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inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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transcribing
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| （用不同的录音手段）转录( transcribe的现在分词 )； 改编（乐曲）（以适应他种乐器或声部）； 抄写； 用音标标出（声音） | |
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rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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anonymity
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| n.the condition of being anonymous | |
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nurtured
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| 养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长 | |
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revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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41
rectified
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| [医]矫正的，调整的 | |
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42
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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43
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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