A Hungarian Magnate at Cambridge in 1787

Author(s): Henry Marczali and Stephen Szechenyi

Source: Cambridge Historical Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2 (1930), pp. 212-217
Published by: Cambridge University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3020708 .
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2. A HUNGARIAN MAGNATE AT CAMBRIDGE

IN I787
BY PROFESSORHENRY MARCZALI
[The accompanyingextractsfromthe Diarv of Count Stephen Sz6chenyi the elder
havc been communicatedby ProfessorHenrv Marczali, the firsthistorianof HLungary.
'T'he Diary is reproducedverbatimbut is preceded and followedby some observations
of ProfessorMarczali himself,marked H. M. Dr J. A. Venn of Queens' College has
supplied some notes on individuals which are marked J. A. V.]

centuriesgenuinesympathy
had existedbetweenthegentryof England
and Hungary,partlybecausethesetwo countrieswerethe onlyoneswhich
couldboastofa constitution,
showedbyEnglishpartlybecauseoftheinterest
menin theheroicstruggles
oftheMagyarin his almostincessantstrifewith
Turk or Austrian.No less a man thanSir Thomas More assignsthe palm
of heroismto Hungarians.Since the accessionof Maria TheresathissymrealisedthatEngland
as Hungarianmagnatesand gentry
pathyhad increased,
represented
theiridealof a state,and theislandwas visitedby Catholicsand
Protestalnts
alikeforpleasureand forinstruction.GregoryBerzeviczy,
who
evenwentso far
had studiedin Gottingen(thenhalfan Englishuniversity),
as to devisea projectby whichthe fourthson of GeorgeIII (EdwardDuke
of Kent)was to becomeKing of Hungaryin 17901.
Three yearsbeforethatdate Count FrancisSzechenyiwentto England
on a visitof threemonths. He was the fatherof the celebratedStephen
Szechenyiwho is knownas the"greatMagyar." He was a truegentleman,
a good patriotand an accomplished
statesman.He had been an admirerof
JosephII, but had resignedhis privycouncillorship
and all otheroffices
when the Emperor'sdesignto substituteabsolutismfor the constitution
becameevident.Thoughthegreat-nephew
of an Archbishop
he was a liberal,
and evena freemason.
Anextract
The orthography
fromhisjournalon hisvisittoEnglandfollows2.
has,so faras possible,beenpreserved
in itsoriginalform.
H. M.
FOR

On the28thSeptember[I787] we cameto Cambridge.

The country
roadleads
betweenNorwichand thistownis mostlyflat.An excellent
fromNewmarket
to Cambridge,
firstthroughfinemeadowsand then
throughcornfields.In someplaceswe saw cretaceousclayand small
horse-races
takeplace usuallyin Apriland in
pebbles.At Newmarket
is nineEnglishmilesin lengith,
the
October.One oftheseracecourses
1 At this date the Emperor Joseph II had convulsed Hungary by refusingto be
crowned king, and by abolishing the old system both of parliamentaryand county
government. Had the above project materialisedVictoria would not have reigned in
England, and Ernest Duke of Cumberland would have been king both of Hanover
and of Great Britain.-H. M.
2 Unpublished and preserved in the National Museum, Budapest.-H.
M.

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MAGNATE AT CAMBRIDGE

2I3

othersone, two and three miles. The courses are markedby hedges,
sometimeswithpalings.The houses forthe public,the stables,and the
racecourseare also there. In the midstof the course there is a broad
ditch(the Devil's dykeor Red? dyke)whichis said to markthe ancient
frontierof the Anglo-Saxons. The dyke leads to the Gog-Magog or
Hog-Magog hills,which we were unable to see as we were in a hurry.
The fensroundthe hills shelterplentyof wild fowl.We noticedon this
journeythatthe reasonwhythe English farmercuts his crops is to get
freshbedding (litter)for his cattle which he obtains by cuttinghis
stubbleforthe purposelater3. There are first-rate
cattlein thiscountry
as theyfeed on excellentbroad pastureswhich are cleared of moles by
special workmen. On our arrivalin Cambridgewe saw a large crowd
of people,come, we heard later,forthe market,whichlaststhreeweeks.
Sundryanimalswere to be seen and even a troupe of actorswho had
come over from Norwich. There were many people from the surroundingcountryand the town was quite animated. Cambridgeis not
big, its streetsare narrow and muddy and its houses are generally
miserablybuilt and kept. There are no manufacturesin Cambridgeshire,whichexistson sheep and agriculture,five-sixths
of this latteris
barley.The citizensof Cambridgelive mostlyon the students.There
are some finebuildingsamongthe Colleges and theydifferfromOxford
in thisthathere nearlyall the Colleges are groupedin one row separate
fromthetown,and thisfactseemsmoresuitablefortheirprincipalaimstudy.
On the eveningof our arrivalwe made the acquaintanceof Dr Glynn,
an old surgeon,and a fellowof King's College4. He enteredour room
attiredin a black gown with folds (the ceremonialdoctor's gown in
Cambridge is of scarlet), pen and ink in hand. His portentousappearancestruckus as ratherextravagant.
To-day the 29th he again paid us a visit and took us to see King's
chapel. This is perhaps the finestGothic church in the world. It is
300 feet long, 8o feet wide, and go feet high. Such heightand size
gives an astonishingeffectof elegance, and this chapel, withoutthe
majestyof a great cathedral,enchants one by its symmetryand its
3 This ratherobscure sentence seems to referto the old practice of cuttingoffthe
ears only of the corn with a sickle, and afterwardsmowing the long stubble with a
scytheforlitter.
4 Glynn,Robert. Adm. King's, Scholar fromEton, I737.
S. of Robert, of Helland,
Fellow.
Bodmin. B. there, Aug. 5, I719. B.A. I74I-2;
M.A. I745. M.D. I752.
Practisedphysic at Richmond; afterwardsat Cambridge. F.R.C.P. Took the name of
Cloberry on inheritingan estate. Friend of the poets Grav and William Cowper.
Died Feb. 8, i8oo. Buried in the College Chapel. (See Al. Canitab.Pt i, 224; D.N.B.)J. A. V.

214

NOTES AND COMMUNICATIONS

elegance. It was builtat a timewhenthe Gothicstylereachedperfection

in the reignof Henry VI and finishedin the reignof H-enryVII (the
Wise). On each side there are small chapels with altars and tombs.
The choir is separated from the ante-chapelby a finelycarved oak
screen which is adorned with flags,captured by Sir William Draper
fromthe Spaniardsin Manilla in I762. The fineorganstandsabove the
screen. There are old stained-glasswindows,the upper ones of which
show scenes fromthe Old Testament, and the lower fromthe New
Testament. The great window to the south side of the altar is not
painted. The altar-piece,the giftof Lord Carlisle,is the descentfrom
the Cross and was painted by Daniel Volterra,or as some think,by
Rafael. The arch above the nave is vaulted with a veryflatarch, consisting of cut stones with carved trellis-work.Its ground-colouris
yellow and the projectionsare white. The tallest man could go with
ease between this vault and the leaden roof. The constructionof the
stones aroused the admirationof the great architectSir Christopher
Wren and is perhaps inimitable.We were told that the architectof
this chapel is unknown; probablyhe was a priest.When the news of
the murderof King Henry VI came, the building of the chapel was
stopped,and a half-sawnstone was leftas it was unfinished.And this
stone with its incision filled with coins and epigraphs became the
of King's College whichlies to thesouthofthischapel.
foundation-stone
We had no time to visitthe College whichseemed to be spacious with
finefacades,and the whole College to be a creditto its architectGibbs.
We walked throughboth courtsof Clare HIall (HIall and College are
the same in Cambridge)and had a verynice walk, where the gardens
of the neighbouringColleges meet. There was a littleriverwith one
wooden and two stone bridges. We came into the court of Trinity
College,witha greenmeadow in the centre,and Arcades on threesides,
while above the Arcade on the west side is a veryfineLibrarybuilt by
ChristopherWren. It is long, high, and spacious and gets plentyof
lightfromeast and west. The greatwindow on the narrowsouth-side
is painted by Mr PeckittfromYork. The subject is King George II
who crownswith laurels the ChancellorBacon and Sir Isaac Newton,
who are presentedto him by Fame, or the Muse of the College, or as
othersthink,the BritishMinerva, who stands beside the royalthrone.
It is said thatthe glass is not only paintedbut the colours,by the new
process,are burned intothe glass. The floorof the Libraryis black and
white mosaic, the book-cases are oak and the books are classifiedaccordingto the science,and each class is markedby a letterA.B.C. The
shelvesare markedwith a cipherand each book has a separatenumber

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tallyingwith its place on the shelf. The staircaseis large, with black
marbleand wainscotedwithcedar-wood. At theentrancethereare some
old stoneswith Roman inscriptions.The manuscriptsare kept in cases
of whichthe Bishop [Dean or Master] has the key.
Amongthecuriositiesto be seen are a smallchinesepagoda,a mummy,
the completelydriedup body of an aborigineof Madeira, sundryinstruments of the inhabitantsof Otaheiti broughthome by Captain Cook
of which some were made of bark. There is a cover made of the skin
of a big dog, a clothmade of asbestos,the bird Ibis preservedin alcohol,
and Newton's lock, compass and sun-dial.
The cases are decoratedon one side with busts of English, on the
otherside withthose of Greek and Roman scholars. On the south side
thereis to be found a letterof indulgencegiven by Pope ClementXII
to an Englishmancalled Nathan Heermann in which the Pope grants
a completeindulgencefor him and his successorsto the thirddegree,
and in addition to this grantshim the disposal of indulgencesfor 25
more persons. Sad! From this court which is due to the benefaction
of Dr Neville, Dean of Canterbury,formerlyMaster of this College,
a passage leads to the older square greatcourt.The walls of the passage
are covered with the portraitsof Newton, Bacon, the optician Smith
and othergreat men who were fellowsof this College and this is an
encouragementto the present British students. The great court is
adornedwith a finelawn with an octagonalfountainin the centre. On
the northside thereis a greatchapel inside which is a veryfinestatue
of Newton erectedby Dr Smith. In the eveningwe wentto the chapel
and we weredelightedwiththereverentworshipofthefellowswho were
presentat Evensong,whichconsistsin prayersand singingaccompanied
by the excellentorgan. It is incumbenton the fellowsto be presentat
morningand eveningprayers,and the Bishop [Master?], on a raised
thronenear the entrance,overlooksall.
Near the gatewayon the east of this court stands Newton's observatory.
We passed throughthe South Gate to the Public Library,which is
built solidly of square cut stones. It has a small court. The library
is on the firststoreyand is well-providedwithbooks. The manuscripts
are behind bars here too and include a veryfinelywrittenKoran and
a Persian manuscript,finelywrittenand well-preserved:the marvels
of creation. In the cabinet presentedby Mr Lewis there is a sheet
of paper IX feet long and 412 wide, chinese maps, a chinese account
book and some reddish,narrow,but longishleaves, supposed to be the
trueEgyptianpapyrus.The most curious object of this collectionis a

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NOTES AND COMMUNICATIONS

chinesepagoda, I5 inches in height,which, thoughmade out of rice,

has the hardnessof marble.
We were told thatin this Librarytherearc manyfirsteditionsof the
classical authors,but our guide was not learned enough to prove this
to us. He showed us the second edition of Cicero de officiisbut did
not convinceus of its authenticity.
We saw therea mummyprobably
more than zooo years old. When opened, curiouslyenough its teeth
were still whole. There is a very fine portraitof Newton among the
portraits,which is said to be verylike him.
Beyond the Library are the public Lecture-rooms,ratherdark and
undecorated,wherethe young men are examinedfortheirBachelor of
Artsdegreeand laterforthe Master of Artsdegree. TI'hefirstexamination is the most rigorousand lasts a week,with6-9 hours' examination
daily. The subjects examined are Latin, and, more importantstill,
Greekand Mathematics.
Near the Libraryis the Senate House, a hall ioo feetlong, 32 high,
42 in width, of strikingproportions,and built of cut Portland stone
adornedwith Corinthiancolumns,a finefaqade and a balustrade. It is
such a finebuildingthat one cannot look long enough at it. Inside it
is wainscoted with a well-carved galleryabove, and there are many
statueswithin. George I by Rysbracke,George II by Wilton,the Duke
of Somersetby Rysbrackeand a Gloria by Borutta.TI'hisgloriousHall
is used for the conferringof Degrees, for entertainingmembers of
Parliamentand otherpurposes. It cost over ?9???. If the plan to build
a similarHall in frontbe realisedthesepublic Buildingswill beconme
the
delightof the connoisseuras well as of the amateurof architecture.
Beforetakingthe road we had a visit fromMr Wood5, a very nice
and pleasant young man. We asked him to supper and returnedhis
visit to St John's College. We found that he had a spacious lodging,
a lobby,a parlour,a studyand an alcove. He is a Fellow of this College
and has a yearlyscholarshipfromone of the College estates,lodging
The followingr
arc threepossible persons, but it is probably not the last:
Wood, jam?ies.Adm. Sizar, St John's, Feb. 7, 1767. S. of William, husbandman,
of Notts. B.A. 1771; MXI.A.1774. B.D. 1781. D.D. 1788. Fellow, 1773-96. Bursar,
1789-95. R. of Wyfordby,1776; R. of MIarstonMarkyne, 1795. Died Dec. 26, 1814,
at Bath. Brotherof thenext.
Wood, Williamzi.Adm. Sizar, St John's, iVar. i6, 1764. S. of William. School,
Southvell. B.A. 1768; M.A. 1771. B.D. 1779. Fellov, 1775. Senior Bursar, 1795-7.
R. of Lawford, Essex, i806-2i.
Died Dec. 26, 1821.
Wood, 7Jamzes.
Adm. Sizar, St John's, Jan. 14, 1778. B. Dec. 14, 1760, at Bury,
Lancs. of " hutmbleparents." School, Bury Grammar. Exhibitioner. B.A. (Sen.
Wrangler), 1782; MI.A. 1785. B.D. 1793. D.D. (Lib. Reg.), 1815. Tutor. Iresident,
1815-39. Vice-Chancellor, I8I6. F.R.S. Dean of Ely, 1820. R. of
1802-15. \IMaster,
Frcshwater, 1823- . A generous benefactorto the Collegc. Author, mathematical.
Died Apr. 23, I839. (See D.N.B.)-J. A. V.

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and board in the College, a share in the businessof the College and also
in that of the University.TI'heUniversityis a corporationconsisting
of the Colleges and theirMasters as vell as theiruindergraduates.
In orderto be made Fellow of a College one must be elected by the
membersof it; only Englishmcnwho are Masters of Arts are eligible,
and this degree includes classical languages and mathematics,and not
onlythe Artsas in Oxford.
Below theFellows are the Fellow-commoners,and the pensionersand
the sizars. Fellow-commonersare wealthynoblemen,who pay fortheir
lodging,board and education and enjoy the privilegedue to theirrank
of sittingat table with the Fellows.
Pensionersare of lesserrankand vealth who pay also, but do not sit
at table withthe Fellows. If theyare diligentand able theycan make
moneyby givinglessons and in due course can be elected Fellows. The
sizars are young men who are poor and are sent by their schools to
College with a small yearlyexhibition.They also can, throughgood
behaviourand ability,win a scholarshipaindin time a Fellowship.
The propertyof the Colleges consistschieflyin estates,leased out by
the Fellows, who take a yearlysalaryfromthese revenuesand give part
of them to the scholars. A Fellow has quiitcenough for his wants if
he is a good manager,neithertoo much nor too little; as long as he
remainsa bachelorhe keeps his Fellowshipexcept wlhenhe retires. In
some Colleges the Fellows get dinner and stupper,in others dinner
only: breakfastand vesper-bread' they have to pay forand theyeat it
at home,and theypay theirservantstoo.
Only languages,mathematicsand ethics are taughtin the Colleges.
If someone wants to learn philosophyor law, he must findsomebody
to teach him and pay him forit. But thereis now a Regius Professor
foranatomy,one formedicine,and one forhistory.Music can be learned
in the College.
In the eveningwe saw Dr Glynncomingfromthe theatre.
Friday,September3oth,5 o'clock in the morningwe leftCambridge
forNorthampton.
I thinkthatjournalof twodayswillinterest
everyoneconnectedwiththis
howmucha youngHungarian
old andillustrious
University.It is astonishing
magnate-hewas only33 yearsold-saw and observedin thisshorttime.
as was everyonein the eighteenth
he was interested
in curiosities
Certainly
worthnoticing.
century.But he has a keeneyeforeverything
H. M.
G

Vesper-bread is equivalent to somethinglike five-o'clocktea.-H.

M.