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Opening page of the Treasury Statutes

The Statutes of Christ’s College were signed by the first Master, John Siclyng, on 3rd October 1506, a year and a half after the granting of the Letters Patent for the foundation of the college. The original copy that we have for these Statutes exists in a document drawn up by the notary Thomas Gotson – a fine, decorated manuscript that includes Lady Margaret’s own inscription, the words ‘Nos Margareta’ at the head of the opening page. The digitisation of this manuscript, now available to consult in its entirety via Cambridge Digital Library, provides an opportunity to admire its penmanship and artistry afresh, to scrutinise the text, and to ponder the possible meanings of its illustrations in conjunction with the text. Among the illustrations are the Foundress’s arms, the familiar marguerite, rose and Beaufort portcullis. These symbols clearly declare, as they do elsewhere in the college’s fabric, Lady Margaret’s connection with this college of her foundation. Other images are less easy to explain and, perhaps, have little significance beyond the decorative: the pair of dragons swallowing each other’s tails, the monk turning his back on a dragon, a man at arms holding a match to an arquebus (an early fire-arm) which he holds above his left shoulder, two figures carrying bunches of grapes hanging from a pole, and the ape riding piggy-back on a hurrying figure.