The principal Benefactors after Dr. Hugh Price, who may in fome Measure be called the Founder of this originally little Society, were,

1. Sir Eubule Thelwal, Knt. Mafter of the Alienation Office, one of the Mafters in Chancery, and Principal of this College; who befides his Contributions towards the Buildings carried on under his Direction and Care, procured a new Charter from King James I. extending their Licence in Mortmain to 600l. per Anuum, and increafing the Number of Fellows and Scholars from eight to fixteen, and by Powers granted in this Charter to him and other Commiffioners, compiled and established an excellent Body of Statutes for the Regulation and good Government of the College.

2. Francis Manfell, (third Son of Sir Francis Manfell, of Muddlescombe in the County of Glamorgan, Bart.) D. D. and Treasurer of the Church of Llandaffe, thrice Principal of Jefus College; to whole Munificence and more than Paternal Affection, and Affiduity in folliciting Benefactions, fupported by the most amiable Qualities, and by his well known Character of Integrity, Piety, and Zeal for the Service of Religion and Promotion of Learning and good Manners, and happily affifted by that Influence which his Birth and Alliances gave him, the College owes almost all the confiderable Benefactions it has fince received.

For no fooner was he elected Principal, than he fet himself to confider of the most probable Means of promoting the Intereft and Welfare of this College, then almoft in its Infancy and in a very low Condition; and judging no Method fo likely to fupport and advance it, as that of placing a Perfon at the Head of it who by his Wealth, Reputation, and Interest was capable of fuccouring

it in that diftreffed Condition, (the Eftates convey'd by Dr. Hugh Price for the Original Endowment having been ravished from it) he foon after refign'd his Headship to make Room for Sir Eubule Thelwall who fucceeded him, and return'd to his Fellowship at All-Souls College, before his Year of Grace there was expired.

About ten Years after, upon the Death of Sir Eubule Thelwall, (who, during his Government of the College, fully answered the Expectations conceived of him, as is above related) Dr. Manfell was again unanimously elected Principal, and from that Time made it the whole Bufinefs of his Life to improve and adorn this College by his own bright Example (a lively Pattern of all manly and focial Virtues) and by his unwearied Sollicitations (in which he met with furprizing Succefs) to advance and enlarge it both in its Endowments and. Buildings, to both which he contributed very largely himself both in his Life-time and at his Death, For he purchased moft of the Ground which now makes the inner Court of the College, and finifhed about half of the North and South: Sides of that Court, which he join'd in the Form of two. Wings to the Weft Side of the Hall, &c. which his Predeceffor had finished, and would have completed the whole Square, with the Affiftance of his Friends and other well-difpofed Perfons who had engaged to affift in it, if the impending Storms which afterwards overwhelmed both Church and State, had not at that Time put a Stop to his great Defigns; fo that the whole was not completed in the Form in which it now appears till the Beginning of this Century.

Being afterwards ejected by the Parliament Com miffioners in 1648 with his whole Society, (except, one Fellow and one Scholar who condefcended to

G 3

comply

comply with the Terms impofed) and even the College Servants who out of a principle of Loyalty and Honour, or at least out of Respect and Affection for their former Mafters, all fhared the fame Fate; he notwithstanding continued with the fame Zeal to promote the Intereft of his College, procuring feveral Benefactions thereto even during this Ufurpation; 'till being, in confequence of the happy Restoration of the Royal Family and Government, reftored to his juft Right and reinftated in his Headship, he within less than a Year after refign'd to open the Way for a Succeffor, who fhould compleat what he had long fince begun, and 'till interrupted by the Publick Troubles, fo happily earried on; and afterwards to the Time of his Death refided as a Commoner in the College, over which he had for many Years fo worthily prefided, (being first elected Principal in the Year 1620) and by Will left his whole Eftate to the College; an Example of Generosity and publick Spirit hardly to be parallel'd, but furely never to be forgotten!

3. Upon this Refignation, Dr. Jenkins was elected Principal (afterwards Sir Leoline Jenkins, Knt. Judge of the Admiralty and Prerogative Courts, and Secretary of State to King Charles II. and King James II. befides other High Offices and Employments which he filled with Reputation and Dignity, and executed with the greatest Integrity) a Perfon moft happily fitted to restore the fhatter'd Conftitution of the College to its former Vigour, which in the late Times of Confufion had greatly fuffered both in its Difcipline and Revenues. This Gentleman, befides the eminent Services he did the College in his Life-time by recovering the Revenues of it and reforming the Abuses that had crept into it during the Intrufion, by his vigilant and prudent Govern

Government and his great Reputation, at his Death bequeathed his whole Eftate to the College after Payment of fome Legacies, and a few Annuities to fome of his nearest Relations and Dependants, determinable upon their Deaths refpectively.

The other Benefactors to this College were, - Dr. Griffith Lloyd, Principal; Herbert Weftphaling, D.D. and Bifhop of Hereford; Henry Rowland, D.D. and Bishop of Bangor; Mr. Owen Wood, Dean of Armagh; the Rev. Mr. Thomas Reddricke; Griffith Powel, LL.D. and Principal; Mrs. Mary Robinson of Monmouth; Richard Parry, D.D. and Bishop of St. Afaph; the Rev. Mr. William Prichard; Sir Thomas Canon, Knt. Oliver Lloyd, LL.D. and Chancellor of Hereford; Sir Thomas Wynne, Knt. Stephen Rodway, Efq; Sir John Walter, Knt. Richard Budde, Efq; Serjeant Owen, Mr. William Thomas, King Charles I. of ever bleffed Memory, (who founded one Fellowship in this College, and two more in the Colleges of Exeter and Pembroke, for his Loyal Subjects the Natives of the Ifland of Ferfey and Guernsey,) David Parry, Efq; Mr. William Robfon, Dr. Thomas Gwynne, Precentor of Sa rum and Chancellor of Llandaffe; William Backhouse of Swallowfield, in the County of Berks, Efq; John Lloyd, D.D. Bifhop of St. David's and Principal; Jonathan Edwards, D.D. and Principal; Edmund Meyrick, A. M. and Treafurer of St. David's and Curre, Efq; who moft of them fettled Lands upon the College, or gave Money to be laid out in the Purchafe of Lands for the Endowment of it: For the Particulars of which we refer to Mr. Antony Wood's Hift. & Antiq. Univerfitatis Oxon, as likewife for a Lift of Principals, Bishops, and Writers of this College. But befides these there were a very great Number of worthy Benefactors, who,

before

before the College could fubfift upon its own fettled Revenue, (at the Inftance of Dr. Manfell and other Friends and Favourers of the Defign) contributed largely by annual Subfcriptions to the Support of the Fellows and Scholars, and to the Advancement of the Buildings then carrying on, whose Names and Benefactions are gratefully recorded in the College Books and Regifters.

As there were two Fellowships and two Scholarships founded in Confequence of Sir Leoline Jenkins's Will, (one of which Fellowships he directed to be called the Fellowship of King Charles II. and the other the Fellowship of King James II. in grateful Remembrance of the Favours he had received under thofe two Princes, which enabled him under God to become a Benefactor to his College and Country;) and one other Fellowship in pursuance of a Decree in Chancery, directing the Application of the Remainder of his Perfonal Eftate; the Society now confifts of a Principal, 19 Fellows and 18 Scholars, befides a confiderable Number of Exhibitioners.

The chief Curiofities in this College, befides thefe already mentioned, are, 1. a most magnificent Piece of Plate, the Gift of the late Sir Watkin Williams Wynne, Bart. for the Ufe of the Fellows Common Room. And 2. the Statutes of the College written upon Vellum, in the most exquifite Manner, by the Reverend Mr. Parry of Shipfton upon Stour, formerly Fellow of this College.

Vifitor. The Earl of Pembroke..

EXETER