piece is the Shepherds coming to Chrift immediately after his Nativity. The Virgin, Angels, and Shepherds, are represented as jointly celebrating the Nativity in the divine hymn of "Glory to God in the "Higheft," &c. The compofition and drawing is admirable. The force and fpirit of the Shepherds is finely contrafted by the elegance and grace of the Virgin and attending Angels.

The LIBRARY (fituated on the eaft fide of the quadrangle) confifts of two elegant rooms, one over the other, 70 feet long and 22 broad; both of them well furnished with books, and in the library are fome valuable manufcripts.

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From hence we pass through the middle gate into the GARDEN-COURT, which widens by breaks as we approach the garden. This court is feparated from the garden by a very handsome iron gate and palifade, which extend 130 feet in length. In the garden is a beautiful mount, well disposed, and covered with a thick fhrubbery. Great part of the garden, as well as fome parts of the College, is encompaffed by the city wall, which ferves as a fence, and is to be traced with its battlements and bastions along the north and fouth boundaries of the College.

At the fouth-eaft corner of the garden we enter the fpacious BoWLING-GREEN. Oppofite to the entrance is a pavilion; on the right, flowering fhrubs, and a row of elms to shade the green; the left a row of fycamores, which are a great curio

and on

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fity, being nearly incorporated from one end of the row to the other.

Having conducted our reader to the furtheft part of the College, we would recommend a view of the building from the garden, from whence the lower court has a very grand effect; as from thence the wings appear properly difplayed, and the whole is feen at a convenient diftance.

This College was founded by William of Wykeham, a native of Wykeham in Hampshire. His extraordinary integrity recommended him to the higheft truft and favours of King Edward the Third. When young he was employed by that King in moft of the buildings at that time carried on by the crown, particularly in the rebuilding Windsor Castle in the magnificent form in which it now appears. He was foon advanced to fome of the most confiderable preferments in the church, and in 1366 was confecrated Bishop of Winchester, in the 43d year of his age. His advancement in the ftate kept pace with his preferment in the church. He was conftituted Chancellor of England, Sept. 17, 1367. Froiffart fays of Wykeham, that he was so much in favour with King Edward III. that every thing was done by him, and nothing was done without him. His munificence proceeded always from a conftant generous principle, a true fpirit of liberality.

The foundation-ftone was laid March 5th, 1379, and it was finished on April 14, 1386, when the

Warden

Warden and Fellows took poffeffion of it. In the year following, St. Mary's College near Winchester was begun, and was finifhed and inhabited in the year 1393, by a Warden, ten Fellows, three Chaplains, three Clerks, and fixteen Chorifters; as alfo two Masters, and feventy Boys, from whom an annual election is held there, to fupply the immediate vacancies, or any which may happen within the enfuing year, at New College. The pious and munificent Founder not only faw both his Colleges completed, made ample provision for the fupport of each, and gave them a regular and perfect body of Statutes, but having furvived many years, he enlarged his will with coftly legacies of jewels, plate, money, and books, to be diftributed throughout the feveral dio cefes in which he was preferred, or had temporal poffeffions at his decease. He died Sept. 27, 1404, when he was 80 years of age. Wykeham's pious example has occafioned many eminent perfons, chiefly fuch as had been Fellows of this fociety, to be confiderable benefactors to his munificent foundation.

The University Sermon is preached here on LadyDay and Trinity-Sunday in the Chapel.

The prefent members are, the Warden, feventy Fellows, ten Chaplains, three Clerks, one Sexton, fixteen Chorifters; together with feveral Gentlemen Commoners.

Vifitor. The Bishop of Winchester.

WADHAM

WADHAM COLLEGE.

THIS College is fituated north of the Public Schools and Printing-Houfe; its front facing the gardens of Trinity College. It confifts chiefly of one large quadrangle, about 130 feet fquare.

The Portico, which leads to the Hall, is adorned with the ftatues of King James I. and Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, the Founders. The buildings of this College not having undergone any alteration fince the time of the foundation, it has a regularity and uniformity above the reft.

The Hall is a fpacious Gothic room, at the southeaft angle of the great court; and the Library stands on the east of the Hall.

The Chapel is a spacious edifice, at the north-eaft angle of the fame court, and has that venerable appearance fo remarkable in the Chapels at New College and Magdalen, having the Ante-chapel at right angles with the choir. What is moft admired here is a very large window at the eaft end, of the Paffion of our Saviour, by Van Ling, wherein are a great variety of figures admirably done. The windows on the fides feem to be of the fame workmanship: but the greatest curiofity in this Chapel is the Painted Cloth, if it may be fo called, at the lower part of the altar. It is the only work of its kind at prefent in Oxford. The cloth, which is of an afh colour, is the medium; the lines and fhades are done with a brown

brown crayon, and the lights with a white one; which being afterwards preffed with hot irons, caufing the damp of the cloth to incorporate with the colours, has fo fixed them, as to be rendered proof against a brush when used to cleanse it from duft: it was performed by Ifaac Fuller, who painted the altar-piece at Magdalen College, and it is generally allowed to be a masterly drawing. The eaft reprefents the Lord's Supper; the north Abraham and Melchifedeck; and the fouth the Children of Ifrael gathering Manna.

This College was defigned by Nicholas Wadham, Efq. and built in pursuance of his will, by Dorothy his widow, anno 1613, who appointed a Warden, fifteen Fellows, fifteen Scholars, two Chaplains, and two Clerks; the Warden to be a native of Great Britain. The Fellows, after having completed eighteen years from their regency, to refign their fellowships. The Scholars, out of whom the Fellows are to be chofen, to be taken three out of Somersetshire, and three out of Effex; the reft out of any county in Great Britain.

The moft confiderable benefactor fince the Founder, was John Goodridge, M. A. fometime Fellow of this College, who gave all his eftate at Walthamflow in Effex to this fociety. Dr. Hody added ten Exhibitions, four for Students in Hebrew, and fix for Greek, 10l. a year to each. Lord Wyndham 2000l. of which 1500l. to increase the Warden's falary, and 500l. to beautify and repair the College.

Bishop