JAMES THE SECOND.

113

thiest abbeys of the Continent. When the leases fell in, — soran the vulgar rumour, — the rents would be raised to the -prodigious sum of forty thousand pounds a year. *

The Fellows were, by the statutes which their founder haddrawn up, empowered to select their own President fromamong persons who were, or had been, Fellows either of theirsociety or of New College. This power had generally beenexercised with freedom. But in some instances royal lettershad been received recommending to the choice of the corpo-ration qualified persons who were in favour at Court; and onsuch occasions it had been the practice to show respect to thewishes of the sovereign.

In March 1687, the President of the college died. One ofthe Fellows, Doctor Thomas Smith, popularly nicknamedKabbi Smith, a distinguished traveller, book-collector, an-tiquary, and orientalist, who had been chaplain to the embassyat Constantinople, and had been employed to collate theAlexandrian manuscript, aspired to the vacant post. He con-ceived that he had some claims on the favour of the govern-ment as a man of learning and as a zealous Tory. His loyaltywas in truth as fervent and as steadfast as was to be found inthe whole Church of England. He had long been intimatelyacquainted with Parker, Bishop of Oxford, and hoped toobtain by the interest of that prelate a royal letter to the col-lege. Parker promised to do his best, but soon reported thathe had found difficulties. “The King,” he said, “will re-commend no person who is not a friend to His Majesty’s reli-gion. What can you do to pleasure him as to that matter?”Smith answered that, if he became President, he would exerthimself to promote learning, true Christianity, and loyalty.“That will not do,” said the Bishop. “If so,” said Smithmanfully, “let who will be President: I can promise nothingmore. ”

* Burnet, i. 697.; Tanner’s Notitia Monastica. At the visitation inthe twenty-sixth year of Henry the Eighth it appeared that the annual1076 p aB Colle S e was ; °f New College, 4877; of Magdalene,

Macaulay, History. HI. g

CHAP.

VIII.

1687 .