ORIEL COLLEGE.

ORIEL College is fituated between St. Mary's Church on the North, Corpus Chrifti College on the South, and Chrift Church on the Weft; the Entrance is on the Weft. It chiefly confifts of one regu lar, uniform, well-built Quadrangle. On the North Side whereof is the Library and the Provost's Lodgings; on the Eaft the Hall, and the Entrance into the Chapel, which runs Eastward from thence; and on the South and Weft Sides are the Chambers of the of the Fellows and other Students.

Oppofite to the Great Gate we afcend 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 Hudson; on his Right Hand, one of Queen Anne by Dahl; and on his Left, one of the late Duke of Beaufort, in his Parliamentrobes, having a Negro Servant bearing his Coronet, by Soldi.

'The Chapel, which has been lately repaired and or namented, has that Beauty which is derived from a decent Simplicity: The large Eaft Window, The Wife Men offering, was lately painted by Mr. Peckett, from a Defign by Dr. Wall.

Through a Paffage on the North Side, we enter the Garden Court. The Garden is fenced at this End with a Pair of Iron Gates and Palifades, properly fupported by a Dwarf-Wall and Stone Piers. On either Hand is a Wing of new Building, in a Style 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; Part thereof being intended as an Addition to the Provoft's Lodgings.

This College was founded by King Edward II. 1324. King Edward III. and Adam le Brome, Almoner to King Edward III. who was the first Provost, were confiderable Benefactors to this College. King Edward III. particularly gave them the Large Meffuage of Le Oriel, fituate in St. John's Parish, by which Name the College was afterwards called; from whence this College has been frequently held to be a Royal Foundation: But the first Grant was made to St. Mary Hall, from whence the Fellows removed to Oriel, after that Houfe was affigned to them. He likewife gave them the Hofpital of St. Bartholomew, near Oxford, with the Lands thereunto belonging.

Other Benefactors were John Frank, Mafter of the Rolls in the Reign of Henry VI. who gave 1000l. to this College at his Death, to purchase Lands for the Maintenance 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, gave the College the Manor of Swaynfwick in Somersetshire, for the Maintenance of two Fellows and fix Exhibitioners. Dr. John Tolson, who was Provost in 1640, was the principal Benefactor to the prefent Edifice, to which Purpose he gave 1150%. and other confiderable Donations. Queen Anne annexed a Prebend of Rochester to the Provost for ever. Dr. Robinson, Bifhop of London, befides the New Building, gave 25007. to augment the Fellowships. And the late Duke of Beaufort gave 1001. per Annum for four Exhibitioners.

The prefent Members are a Provoft, eighteen Fellows, and fourteen Exhibitioners; the whole Number of Students of all Sorts about eighty.

Vifitor. The Lord Chancellor.

CORPUS.

CORP

CORPUS-CHRISTI COLLEGE. ORPUS-CHRISTI College ftands between ChriftChurch on the Weft, Merton College on the East, and Oriel College on the North; confifting of one Quadrangle, an elegant Pile of modern Buildings, in which are pleasant and commodious Rooms (that look into Merton and Chrift-Church Meadows) and a Cloifter adjoining; alfo a neat Structure which looks Eastwards towards Merton College Grove, in which are Apartments appropriated to Gentlemen-Commoners, whofe Number the Founder has confined to Six, and who are to be Sons of Noblemen, or other eminent Perfons.

On the East Side of the Quadrangle is the Hall, which is 50 Feet long, and 25 broad, and of a proportionable Height,

The Cylindrical Dial in the Quadrangle is fet at Right Angles with the Horizon, the common Sections 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 Gnomonicks. On the Column is a perpetual Kalendar.

The Chapel, which is fituated at the South-eaft Corner of the Quadrangle, is 70 Feet in Length, and 25 in Breadth.

The Library is well furnished with Books, particularly a large Collection of Pamphlets from the Reformation to the Revolution. About 300 MSS. An English 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 Edward VI. with their Arms blazoned, figned by the King at Arms; and feveral other Curiofities, particularly an ancient Manufcript Hiftory of the Bible in

H

French,

French, finely decorated with curious Paintings, 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 also 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 Bishop of the Sees of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham and Winchester, and was likewife Lord Privy Seal to King Henry VII. and Henry VIII. He first intended it only as a Seminary for the Monks of the Priory, or Cathedral Church of St. Swithin at Winchester, 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 Houfe, cn 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 Study of Divinity, Philofophy, and other liberal Arts. The Charter of Foundation was dated at the Caftle of Wolvefly, on the Calends of March 1516.

He affigned a Body of Statutes for the Government of this Society, whereby he appointed, that the Fellows fhould be elected out of the Scholars, who are to be chofen from the Counties or Diocefes following, viz. two Surry, three Hampshire, one Durham, two Bath and Wells, two Exeter, two County of Lincoln, two Gloucefterfpire, 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 Bi

shop