But a greater Benefactor to this college was the Right Honourable Nathaniel Lord Crewe, late Bishop of Durham, who being prefent in the year 1717, after contributing liberally to the buildings which were then carrying on at Chrift Church, Queen's, Worcester, and All-Souls Colleges, and to the finishing of All-Saints Church, fettled by way of a rent-charge, free from all deductions whatfoever, iffuing out of his manors in Northumberland and Durham, twelve Exhibitions of 20l. per annum each, for Commoners of this college, whom he would have to be the fons of Gentlemen; and made a confiderable augmentation to the annual ftipends of the Rector, Fellows, Scholars, BibleClerk, and the Chaplains of the four appropriated Churches.

The laft Benefactor was the late Dr. Hutchins, who had been many years Rector, and who augmented the incomes of the Scholars and Exhibitioners. The members of this college are usually between forty and fifty.

O

Vifitor. The Bishop of Lincoln.

ORIEL COLLEGE.

RIEL College is fituated between St. Mary's Church on the north, Corpus Chrifti College on the fouth, and Chrift Church on the weft; the entrance is on the weft. It chiefly confifts. of one regular, uniform and well-built quadrangle. On the north fide whereof are the Provoft's Lodgings, on the east the Hall, and the entrance into the Chapel, which runs eastward from thence; and on the fouth and weft fides are the chambers of the Fellows and other Students.

Oppofite

;

Oppofite to the great gate we ascend by a large flight of steps, having a portico over them, to the Hall which is a well-proportioned room, handfomely wainscotted, with a Doric entablature, and adorned with three whole-length Portraits, viz. in the middle, at the upper end, a very fine one of King Edward II. enthroned with his Regalia, by Hudfon; on his right hand, that of Queen Anne, by Dahl; and on his left, one of the late Duke of Beaufort, in his Parliament-robes, having a Negro Servant bearing his Coronet, by Soldi.

The Chapel has that beauty which is derived from a decent fimplicity: The large eaft window, the Wife Men offering, was painted by Mr. Peckett, from a defign by the late Dr. Wall.

Through a paffage on the north fide, we enter the Garden Court, at the end of which is an elegant building, intended for the College Library, in which alfo will be placed the late Lord Leigh's-Library, given to the Society. On either hand is a wing of a new building, in a ftyle conformable to the quadrangle. That on the right was built at the expense of Dr. Robinson, Bishop of London; and that on the left by Dr. Carter, late Provost.

This College was founded by King Edward II. on Petition of Adam de Brome, his Almoner, anno 1324, who was the firft Provost. King Edward III. gave the large meffuage of Le Oriel, fituate in St. John's parith, by which name the College was afterwards called, and from whence it has been frequently held to be a royal foundation. He likewise gave the Hofpital of St. Bartholomew, near Oxford, with the lands thereunto belonging.

Other Benefactors were, John Frank, Master of the Rolls in the reign of Henry VI. who gave 1000l. to this College to purchase lands for the maintenance

D

of

of four Fellows; John Carpenter, formerly Provost, and afterwards Bishop of Worcester; William Smith, Bishop of Lincoln; and Dr. Richard Dudley, fometime Fellow, and afterwards Chancellor of the church of Sarum, who gave the College the manor of Swainfwick in Somersetshire, for the maintenance of two Fellows and fix Exhibitioners. Dr. John Tolfon, who was Provost in 1640, gave 1150l. toward the buildings of the quadrangle, befides other confiderable donations. Queen Anne annexed a Prebend of Rochester to the Provostship for ever. Dr. Robinson, Bishop of London, befides the new building, gave 2500l. to augment the Fellowships, and to found three Exhibitions. Dr. Carter not only left money for the erection of the oppofite wing, but alfo for the purchase of livings for the benefit of the Provoft and Fellows. And the late Duke of Beaufort gave 100l. per annum for four Exhibitioners.

The present members are, a Provost, eighteen Fellows, and thirteen Exhibitioners; the whole number of Students about 180.

Vifitor. The Lord Chancellor.

CORPUS-CHRISTI COLLEGE.

CORP

NORPUS-CHRISTI College ftands between Chrift-Church on the west, Merton College on the east, and Oriel College on the north; confifting of one quadrangle, an elegant pile of modern buildings, erected in 1706 by Dr. Turner, who was Prefident of the College, in which are pleasant and commodious rooms which look into Merton and Chrift-Church Meadows, and a Cloyfter adjoining; alfo a neat ftructure which looks eastwards, towards Merton College Grove, which are the apartments appro

priated

priated to Gentlemen Commoners, whofe number the Founder has confined to fix.

On the eaft fide of the quadrangle is the Hall, which is 50 feet long, and 25 broad, and of a proportionable height, with beautiful Gothic rafters.

The Cylindrical Dial in the quadrangle is fet at right angles with the horizon, the common fections whereof, with the Hour Circles, except the Meridian Circle that divides it by the Axis, as alfo the Equinoctial, are all Ellipfes, and is a fine old piece of Gnomonics. On the Column is a perpetual Kalendar.

The Chapel is 70 feet in length, and 25 in breadth: the Altar-piece and Screen are of cedar.

The Library is well furnished with books, particularly a large collection of Tracts from the Reformation to the Revolution; about 300 MSS; an Englifh Bible, fuppofed to be older than Wickliffe's; a Parchment Roll containing the pedigree of the Royal Family, and the feveral branches of it, from King Alfred to King Edward VI. with their Arms blazoned, figned by the King at Arms; and several other Curiofities, particularly an ancient Manufcript Hiftory of the Bible in French, finely decorated with curious Painting, given by General Oglethorpe, who was a member of this College; and alfo a very valuable collection of the first editions of the Claffics.

They fhew here alfo the genuine Crofier of the Founder, a piece of curious workmanship, little impaired by time.

This College was founded in the year 1516, by Dr. Richard Fox, a native of Ropesley, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, who was fucceffively Bifhop of the fees of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham and Winchester, and was likewife Lord Privy Seal to King Henry VII. and Henry VIII. He first inD/2

tended

tended it only as a Seminary for the Monks of the Priory or Cathedral Church of St. Swithin at Winchefter, and obtained a Charter for that end; but altered his mind by the perfuafion of Hugh Oldham, Bishop of Exeter, who engaged to be a Benefactor to the House, on condition that he would convert it into a College for the ufe of fecular Students, after the manner of other Colleges in the Univerfity. Whereupon Bishop Fox caufed the firft charter to be cancelled, and obtained another, whereby he was permitted to found a College for the ftudy of Divinity, Philofophy, and other liberal Arts.

The ftatutes for the government of this Society ordain, that the Fellows fhould be elected out of the Scholars, who are to be chosen from the counties or diocefes following, viz. two Surrey, three Hampfhire, one Durham, two Bath and Wells, two Exeter, two county of Lincoln, two Gloucestershire, one Wiltshire, or (in defect of a Candidate) the diocese of Sarum, one county of Bedford, two county of Kent, one county of Oxford, one Lancashire.

Among the Benefactors was Hugh Oldham, Chaplain to Margaret Countess of Richmond, and afterwards Bishop of Exeter, who gave feveral estates for the endowment of it.

William Froft, Steward to the Founder; John Claymond, the first President of this College; and Robert Morwent, fecond Prefident, gave to the Col5 lege feveral portions of lands.

The prefent members of this Society are, a Prefident, twenty Fellows, two Chaplains, twenty Scholars, four Exhibitioners, and fix Gentlemen Com

moners.

Vifitor. The Bishop of Winchester.

MERTON

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