When Lady Clare spoke in 1359 of the lessons of experience, she drew on memories of prestige & persecution, prosperity & famine, peace & war. Her widely varied experience had convinced her of the value & joys of learning, and that this was ‘best acquired in a recognised university community’. In a land ravaged by plague & riven by political strife, she had come to the rescue of a Cambridge university college. In her introduction to the statutes for its governance, she acknowledged the country’s need to make the most of its remaining human talent, and to develop qualified personnel for spiritual guidance and competent administration. She provided not just for fellows, but for young students, to be ‘chosen from among the poorest that can be found’. Centuries later, Clare College upholds the spirit of her statutes with a vision of one community of fellows & students, chosen on merit. She wished them all to ‘acquire the precious pearl of learning’, & to take this gift & share it with the world. A glance at the history of Clare College shows that this has been achieved by generations of our alumni. Ensuring that succeeding generations have the same opportunity is the responsibility & great privilege of the Master and Fellows. ... Clare College has adapted, evolved, & grown enormously. It nevertheless maintains an ongoing commitment to the principles laid down by our remarkable patron.
English-language version of the preamble to the statutes of Clare College, an address by Elizabeth de Burgh in 1359.
#ClareCollege is celebrating its 700th anniversary. However it was #OTD 667 years ago, 26th March 1359, that Elizabeth #LadyofClare drew on decades of experience & signed the statutes. Drawing on all her experience, she wrote of education’s value to individuals […]
[Original post on h-net.social]
