y all the great and good people of
England, including the sovereign Elizabeth, with admiration and respect.
This charitable endowment presented him to the world in a new and
grander attitude. But still as he was a player, the vulgar and
superstitious were unable to account for this act which would have done
honour to a king or a saint, by any other than diabolical influence. It
was therefore reported, and by the ignorant multitude was believed, that
Mr. Alleyn, "playing a demon with six others in one of Shakspeare's
plays, was in the midst of the play surprised by the apparition of the
devil, which so worked on his fancy, that he made a vow, which he
performed at this place." This most laughable story is handed down
seriously in a book written by a person of the name of Aubrey. Tradition
says that it was from Alleyn's acting and conversation Shakspeare wrote
his admirable instructions to players which he has put into the mouth of
Hamlet.

After the founder had built this college, he met with difficulties in
obtaining a charter for settling his lands in mortmain, that he might
endow it, as he proposed, with 800_l._ per annum, for the support and
maintenance of one master, one warden, and four fellows, three of whom
were to be ecclesiastics, and the other a skilful organist; also six
poor children, as many women, and twelve poor boys, who were to be
maintained and educated till the age of fourteen or sixteen years, and
then put out to honest trades and callings. The master and warden were
to be unmarried, and always to be of the name of Allen or Alleyn. At
length the opposition of the lord chancellor Bacon was overcome, and
Alleyn's benefaction obtained the royal license, and he had full power
granted him to establish his foundation, by his majesty's letters patent
under the great seal, bearing date June 21, 1619. When the college was
finished, the founder and his wife resided in it and conformed in every
respect to the regulations established for the government of his
almoners. Having by his will liberally provided for his widow, and for
founding twenty almshouses, ten in the parish of St. Botolp, without
Bishopgate, in which he was born, and ten in St. Saviour's parish,
Southwark, and bequeathed several small legacies to his relations and
friends, he appropriated the residue of his property to the use of the
college. He died in 1626, in the sixty-first year of his age, and was
buried in the chapel of his own college. Th