MERTON COLLEGE.

ERTON College is fituated east of CorpusChrifti, from which it is feparated by a finall grove of elms, and confifts of three courts. The largeft, or inner court, is 110 feet long, and 100 broad, and was erected in 1610, from whofe apart-' ments on the fouth there is a pleasant profpect over the Meadows. The Terrace in the Gardens, formed on the City Wall, is no less well fituated for a profpect. The Gardens, by their pleafing variety, are generally much reforted to in fummer.

The Chapel, at the weft end of the firft court, is likewife the Parish Church of St. John Baptit de Merton. It is one of the largest and beft proportioned Gothic ftructures in the Univerfity, 100 feet in length and 30 in breadth, and has a very capacious Tower and Ante-chapel. But large as it is at prefent, it has been thought from its whole appearance, and from the form and manner of the arches closed up in the wall of the west end, on each hand of the great window, to have been built with a view to a farther addition of a nave and fide-aifles, the present building being no more than the choir and cross-aifle. Such a defign was more easy to be imagined than executed, and, after all, moft likely reached no farther than the carrying on the building, qs far as it went, in the

cathedral manner.

In the Chapel are the monuments of Sir Thomas Bodley, Sir Henry Saville, Bishop Earle, and fome others. In the Ante-chapel, by the north door, is that of Mr. Anthony Wood, the famous Antiquary. And near the entrance into the Chapel is a very neat, though small one, for the late Warden, Dr. Wyntle.

In the Hall, to which we afcend by a flight of fteps, is a well-imagined Picture, by the late Dr. Wall, reprefenting the Expulfion of idle Monks to make room for the liberal education of youth, defigned by the Founder.

The Library is in the fmall old quadrangle, fouth of the Chapel, and is well furnished with ancient and modern books, and fome manufcripts.

This Society, confifting of a Warden and about the fame number of Scholars or Fellows as at prefent, was firft placed at Maldon in Surrey (but with a provifion for the abode and refidence of the chief part of them here in Oxford) anno 1264, the 48th year of King Henry the Third, by Walter de Merton, fometime Lord Chancellor of England. The inftrument of endowment, with the ftatutes under the broad feal, the Founder's, the Bishop of the Diocefe's, and that of his Chapter, are at this time in the College Treafury, and deemed to be the first charter of the kind in Europe. The ftatutes were finally established under the broad feal and his own, anno 1274, the fecond of the reign of King Edward the Firft.

Such was the original of this ancient Society, by these charters, above five hundred years fince, incorporated, and endowed with almoft all the lands they at this time poffefs, and provided with the fame ftatutes by which, without any alteration or addition, they are now governed.

Thefe, by the recourfe had to them, were of much ufe to the after-foundations, both here and in Cambridge. And with fo much prudence was this College founded, that King Edward the First recommended it to Hugh de Balfam, Bishop of Ely, as a model for his intended munificence in Cambridge, according to which Peter-Houfe, the firft College, was after

wards

wards erected in that Univerfity. And farther, it is faid of the Founder of Merton College, that though in reality he was the Founder of only one, by example he was the Founder of all other colleges.

The Poft-mafters in this houfe are of a distinct and different foundation, which took place about an hundred years after the other. The number, and their revenues, have been fince increased by feveral benefactors.

Befides the Poft-mafters, there are now four other Scholars of the foundation of Mr. Henry Jackson, late of this College, which commenced in 1753.

In the election of a Warden, the Fellows choose three perfons whom they prefent to their Vifitor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who appoints one of them.

The prefent members are, a Warden, twenty-four Fellows, fourteen Post-mafters, Mr. Jackfon's four Scholars, two Chaplains, and two Clerks: the whole number of Students of all forts being about 120.

Vifitor. The Archbishop of Canterbury.

CHRIST CHURCH.

HIS Church and College merits the particular

THIS obfervation of strangers. It confifts of four

courts or fquares, viz.-1. The great Quadrangle, 2. Peckwater Square; 3. Canterbury Court; 4. The Chaplain's Court, and fome other Buildings.

The stately weft front of the great Quadrangle is a magnificent Gothic building, 382 feet in length, terminated at each end with two correfponding Turrets. The great Gate is in the middle of this front,. and over it a beautiful Tower enriched with Gothic ornaments, defigned by Sir Chriftopher Wren, D 4

erected.

erected by Dr. Fell, and perfectly correfponding to the tafte of the reft of the buildings. In this Tower hangs the great Bell called Tom, on the found of which the Scholars of the University are to retire to their refpective colleges. The greatnefs of the proportions in the front, and the magnificence of the whole, raife the admiration of every fpectator, and help him to form an idea of the great mind of Cardinal WOLSEY. In this Quadrangle are the Statues of Queen Anne, Cardinal Wolfey and Bifhop Fell; that of the Cardinal, in the fouth-eaft corner, is justly admired as an excellent piece of workmanship.

The great Quadrangle is 264 by 261 feet in the clear. The Hall takes up more than half the south fide; we afcend to it by a fpacious and ftately ftaircafe of ftone, covered by a beautiful roof, and fupported by a small fingle pillar of fine proportion. This building is confiderably elevated, and the whole finished with a baluftrade of ftone. The fouth, eaft, and part of the weft fides, with the magnificent Kitchen to the fouth of the Hall, were erected by the Cardinal. The eaft and north fides of this Quadrangie are taken up with the Dean's and four of the Canons Lodgings.

In the year 1638, the north fide of the grand Quadrangle was begun. On the Reftoration, this part of the building was refumed, by the direction and encouragement of Dr. Fell, then Dan of the College; and finished anno 1665, when the fpacious Terrace-walk was made, with the Bafon, Fountain, and Statue of Mercury in the centre.

The Hall is by far the most magnificent Room of the kind in Oxford, and perhaps one of the largest in the kingdom. The roof is framed of timber, curioufly wrought, and fo contrived as to produce a very grand and noble effect. There are near 300 com

partments

partments in the cornice, which are embellished with as many coats of arms carved and blazoned in their proper colours.

At the upper end of the Hall there is an afcent of, three fteps which run through the whole breadth; near which is a beautiful Gothic window in a recess, which demands the attention of the curious.

This fuperb Room is beautified, and improved, by completing and painting the wainscot and roof, and the addition of a great number of Portraits of eminent perfons, who were educated at the College, which are difpofed in the following manner.