t there was no greater difference between
the two Societies than between a shilling and two sixpences.

[Illustration: _HALL, AND CHAPEL TOWER_]

With the advent of the Stuart kings the practice arose of sending
mandatory letters to Colleges, directing the election of named persons
to fellowships. In theory it may have been correct enough; the statutes
as enacted by Queen Elizabeth reserved to herself and her successors the
power of rescinding or altering them. To direct that the statutory
provisions as to elections should be dispensed with in favour of an
individual was thus within the sovereign's power, however inconvenient
it might prove in practice. One of the special grievances at St. John's
was that King James directed the College to elect a Scotchman, George
Seaton, M.A., to a fellowship, though there was none then actually
vacant. The College obeyed, informing his Majesty that they had made
their statutes wink to fulfil his bidding, and maintained an extra
Fellow for a time. The practice was, however, followed by others; and
Gwyn seems to have been deluged with letters from persons in high
places, begging for his favour at elections. At some Colleges the device
of "pre-elections" seems to have been resorted to; a promising man being
elected to the next fellowship which should be vacant. Thus, when the
vacancy became known, the College could, with a clear conscience, say
that it had been already filled up; there is, however, no trace of this
practice at St. John's.

On Gwyn's death in 1633 there was a disputed election to the mastership,
which Charles I. settled by nominating William Beale. Beale was
originally a Trinity man, but had been for about a year Master of Jesus.
He was a supporter of Laud; he embellished the Chapel, and introduced a
more ornate ritual; under his influence St. John's seems to have been
the only College at Cambridge which fully complied with Laud's
instructions. Thus when the Puritans got the upper hand, Beale and his
College were the subject of their displeasure.

In 1642 King Charles applied to the University for supplies. The
contribution of St. John's was L150 in money and 2065 ounces "grocers
weight" of silver plate. The list of the pieces of plate and of the
donors' names is but melancholy reading; suffice it to say that among
those sent were pieces bearing the names of Thomas Wentworth, Lord
Strafford, and of Thomas Fairfax. The fact that this plate actually
reached the King di