Fosse in the diocese of Worcester, who gave an hundred marks for the use of the bursars, the sum taken out of it to be replaced always at the end of the year; with other chests. The door to it was not accessible but through the lodgings of the president, or by a staircase from the chapel, and at either place Wulcy was not fool or madman enough to think of forcing an entrance.

Wulcy was twice bursar while the tower was building.

From Michaelmas 1498-9 to the following Michaelmas he was junior or third bursar, when his business was to superintend the conduct of the brewhouse, bakehouse, and slaughterhouse; and in the latter to take an account of the skins, fat, and wool, all which were sold, and the produce carried to the public stock at the expiration of the office, which was annual. The king was this year

Mutuum Placitorum cista in media turri, 1498.

Jocalium. Recept. 1482, pro vasis argenteis, 15.15.2. Hinc factum est Mutuum Jocalium-cista in prædicta camera pro jocalibus reponendis, et vasis argenteis, quæ non sint quotidiani usus.

de bonis Collegii, cista cujus mentio 1488.

Cista industriæ Bursar. 1484. Dr. Clerke.

The last contained, I apprehend, the produce of the wool and other articles which the bursars sold, and accounted for to the au. ditors under the general title Minute Venditiones.

at Wodstoke, and the sum of forty shillings is charged for wine, given at different times to several of the nobility at the lodgings and in town, at the discretion of the bursars.

From a regard to his capacity, it is likely Wulcy was selected while a demy to be qualified for a teacher, by longer application to classical learning than was commonly allowed, under that able preceptor Anwykyll. He took the degree of master of arts probably in 1490 or 1491, at the age only of nineteen or twenty years. He became master of Magdalen school not long after, we are told, but not truly; as it was in 1498-9, when he was also bursar, that he succeeded Mr. Sharbott (not Thomas Brynknell as in the Biographia) in that office, and was honoured with the attendance of the sons of the marquis of Dorset. He received only half of the stipend, five pounds for two teris. He was then possessed of a fair reputation for morals as well as learning; or he would not have been appointed to that department by such a president as Dr. Mayew.

In the following year, 1499-1500, Wulcy was elected senior bursar; another proof that his behaviour had been hitherto satisfactory. The account-book is missing, and

from

from the roll, which remains, I could collect nothing remarkable; but that year is noticed for its dearness, and for the absence of the fellows from the college (owing probably to a scarcity of provisions at or near Oxford). In the roll of the bursars of the subsequent year, Charyls Gale and Prutt are marked as having incurred no inconsiderable debt to the college, as having failed of paying when they promised, and as leaving heavy burthens to fall on their successors.

Fiddes relates that the tower was finished at the time of Wulcy's institution to the living of Lymington in Somersetshire, (which was the 10th of October, 1500,) when he was twenty-nine years old, and was bursar according to Wood. Yet this author does not refer its completion to his bursarship in 1500, but in 1498-9; and it appears from my extracts of the account-books, and the yearly college-rolls, that it was not finished before, if so soon as, 1503-4. But that he was free from any imputation of mismanagement or violence, and that he had fulfilled the duties of his station with propriety, may be fairly inferred from his being permitted to proceed to the degree of bachelor

of divinity, which he took in June 1500-1, and from his election to another and higher office in the college immediately on the expiration of his last bursarship.

He re

Wulcy was dean of divinity, Hygden and Stubbys deans of arts, in 1500-1. ceived the stipend for the year, forty shillings. It belonged to his department to provide the livery which the founder had ordered to be worn by the society and its dependents. He rode to London to buy the cloth, and the bill for it amounted to fiftythree pounds seventeen shillings and nine pence. He was paid also five shillings for the new livery of Style, a chorister, containing two yards and a half; and the bill for his journey, of which the expenses were twentythree pence! He travelled then alone, perhaps, at least without a retinue; which usually accompanied persons of fashion or consequence. President Mayew, on his journeys to the founder, was attended by five, sometimes by eight, servants.

The epidemical disorder, to which Oxford was subject, raged in 1500-1, and the bursors paid

To Mr. Richard Arderne, for the commons

of

of the fellows and scholars at

Walington, during the plague £ 17 17 4 To Mr. Edward Grove, for the

same, at Bracklie

-£ 6 38

To Mr. Wulcy, Web, Knolls, and
Higden, for the same at Wyt-

ney

On making up their accounts they desired to be allowed for the last article the sum of eight pounds three shillings and eight pence, which they had delivered to Wulcy and Knolles, in whose hands it still remained. Knolles was elected middle bursar for the year ensuing; a proof that their not settling in the same manner as Arderne and Grove was involuntary, and that their reasons were admitted as sufficient *.

Wulcy

* To Richard Arderne, Thomas Knolles, and Laurence Stubbs succeeded as bursars, 18 Hen. VII, John Stokysley, John Hyg. don, and John Drewett. This year the chest in the bursary was robbed of £112. They were sworn to the loss, and then their account was passed, but with a reserve in case proof should be found against them. In the account-book of the next year are the following entries respecting this business.

"Solut cuidam scholastico qut (quatenus) misso ad quendam astro"logum consulendum pro bonis coll" ablatis superiori anno xvid." "In regardis 2bus astrologis calculantibus pro eisdem bonis coll! " xx"."

"Pro