St John's college having been founded upon St John's hospital or house, before I enter upon the college, it will not be improper to say somewhat of the house; which though a dry employment, yet as it was not unpleasant to me to trace out the beginnings and progress of this ancient foundation, so I hope, it will not be disagreeable to any member of the society to see its foundations laid open, which are yet buried in some obscurity and darkness.

One thing is well known, that it was a house of canons regular, and Nigellus second bishop of Ely is generally received as its original founder; if so, its foundations were laid in gratitude and loyalty (the seeds whereof being sown deep, have not since been easily rooted out). For this Nigellus having been promoted by Henry the First towards the conclusion of his reign, did afterwards adhere firmly to the true interest of his daughter and grandson, the empress Maud and Henry the Second, against the usurpation of king Stephen; and having owed his advancement to that learned prince (who, if we believe Rudburn, was not only a student at Cambridge, but took a degree of master of arts there), he might possibly have regard to his learned patron in fixing his foundation here at Cambridge.