History of the Cambridge Academy, Book I.

A decorative drop cap 'C' begins the text.

The scope of the work undertaken.

Since I had been detained by the studies and works of medicine, once in Padua and now for many years in London, I had subsequently recalled to my mind the memory of Cambridge, the parent of my studies, which had been retained but relaxed by time. And a desire had seized me to visit the sweet thresholds of the old Academy of the Muses and to recognize the pleasant exercises of the schools through my youth. In the year of human salvation 1558, taking an intermission from my medical duties, I went to Cambridge as if by a certain return from exile. When I arrived there, it is wonderful how great a metamorphosis, how great a change of all things, I observed to have been made while I was away. For there was a new face of persons, a new face of all things, new customs, a new habit, a new countenance, and pronunciation, and finally, a new form of teaching, learning, and debating. And not to commemorate everyone (for the novelties are nearly infinite), neither did I know anyone, nor was I known to almost anyone. Fearing, therefore, that no monuments of the previous times, places, things, and men would survive for long due to the nature of novelty, I thought it would not be ungrateful to posterity if I were to repeat and weave together the history of the ancient city and the commemoration of the old things of the Academy. For history, since it is a witness of times, a messenger of antiquity, and a memory of life, and since it can and is accustomed to vindicating from the injury of devouring time and envious antiquity, makes a pleasant memory of past things and conciliates prudence and protection for future life. Nor is it certainly useless to look forward to the future. For the farmer plants trees that will benefit another age, and the head of the family conjectures what will be useful for the future: