BALLIOL COLLEGE.

BALLIOL College is fituated a little to the Weftward of Trinity, and confists chiefly of one Court, which we enter by a handfome Gate with a Tower over it. The Buildings about this Court are ancient, except the Eaft End, which is finished in the Manner in which the reft of that Quadrangle is intended to be built.

The Chapel ftands at the North-East Angle of the great Court. The Great Eaft Window, which is well executed, represents the Paffion, Refurrection and Afcenfion of Chrift. The Hall is at the West End of the fame Court. The Mafter's Lodgings is a convenient Apartment, and has fome good Rooms in it, particularly a fpacious Hall, having a well-preferved ancient Window to the Eaft. Their Library is well-furnished with a very large Collection of useful Books, and many ancient Manufcripts.

Over the Gate of the College are the Arms of the Balliol Family.

And on the Outfide, over against the Master's Lodgings, is a Stone placed Edge-ways, in Memory of those learned and pious Prelates, Archbishop Cranmer, Bishop Ridley, and Bishop Latimer, who were burnt at that Place for their Adherence to the Reformation.

Befides this Court, there is an Area to the North 'Weft, confifting of feveral detached Lodgings for the Students; and an elegant new Building, rather refembling a Modern Dwelling-Houfe, with a beautiful

G 2

beautiful Front to the Street, erected at the Expense of Mr. Fisher, a late Member, in which are feveral handfome Apartments. This Infcription is on the North Side, by Defire of the Founder: VERBUM NON AMPLIUS FISHER.

Sir John Balliol, of Bernard Castle in Yorkshire, Father of John Balliol, King of Scotland, firft defigned the Foundation of this College for the Education of Scholars, to whom he gave yearly Exhibitions till he could provide them an Houfe; but dying before he purchased one, he recommended the Defign to his Widow Dervorguilla, Daughter of Alexander III. King of Scotland, who first settled thefe Exhibitions; and in 1263 purchased a Tenement for her Scholars of Balliol, and conveyed it to the Master and Scholars of this Houfe for ever for their Habitation, having obtained a Royal Charter for that Purpose. She afterwards added feveral new Buildings to it, and fettled Lands for the -Maintenance of the Scholars, dedicating her Foundation to the Honour of the Holy Trinity, the Bleffed Virgin, and St. Katharine the Martyr ; which Benefactions were afterwards ratified by her Son John Balliol, King of Scotland, and Óliver Bishop of Lincoln, in whofe Diocese Oxford then was. The Value of the Land and Revenues, belonging to this College, did not exceed 271. 9 s. 4d. per Ann. at that Time; but their Eftates were foon after greatly enlarged by the Benefactions of others, particularly Sir Philip Somerville, a Gentleman in Staffordshire, granted to this College the Impropriation of the Parish of Mickle-Benton in the County of Northumberland; Sir William Felton, another Benefactor; and Dr. John Warner, Bishop of

Roche

Rochefter, founded four Scotish Exhibitions, endowing them with an ample Revenue.

John Snell, Efq; gave the Manor of Uffton in Warwickshire for the Ufe of Scots Exhibitioners.

The Members of this Society are at prefent a Master, twelve Fellows, fourteen Scholars and eighteen Exhibitioners: the whole number of Students amounting to about 50.

The Mafter and Fellows elect their Vifitor, who. at present is the Archbishop of York.

ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE

S fituated North of Balliol and Trinity Colleges, having a Terras,, with a Row of lofty Elms before it.

The Buildings of this College chiefly confift of two large Quadrangles. We enter the first by at handfome old Gateway with a Tower over it. It is formed by the Hall and Chapel on the North, the Prefident's Lodgings on the Eaft, and the Chambers of the Fellows, Scholars, and other Students on the South and West Sides. The Hall is elegant, being well-proportioned, and handfomely wainscotted, with a beautiful arch'd Roof, a Screen of Portland Stone, and a grand variegated Marble Chimney-Piece, containing a Picture of St. John the Baptift, by Titian. It is likewife adorned with. many other Pictures; viz. at the upper End, by a whole-length Portrait of the Founder; on his Right Hand Archbishop Laud, and on his Left Archbishop Juxon. On the North, and South Sides of the Room are thofe of Bishop Mew, Bishop Buckridge, G 3

Sir

Sir William Paddy, and other eminent Men who have been Members of, and Benefactors to, this Society.

North of the Hall is the Common Room, handfomely wainscotted, with a Chimney-Piece of Dovecolour'd Marble, and a Cieling curioufly adorned with Compartments and Shell-work in Stucco, by Mr. Roberts.

The Chapel, which is adjoining to the Hall, is in all Respects neat and commodious. It is divided from the Ante-Chapel by a new elegant Screen, over which has lately been erected a very complete new Organ built by Mr. Byfield. It has now an Elegance which refults from feveral high finifh'd yet fimple Ornaments. In particular, the Stand on which the Bible is placed is adorned with Mafterly Carving. The Altar is of the Corinthian Order, and very properly adapted. Over the Communion Table is a fine Piece of Tapestry, reprefenting our Saviour with the two Difciples at Emmaus, copied from a Painting of Titian. The Dog fnarling at the Cat, under the Table cannot be overlook'd. Nor will the curious Obferver be at much lofs, by the striking Likeneffes in the four Figures, in difcovering they are the then Pope, Kings of France and Spain, and Titian, in the Characters of our Saviour, his Difciples, and Servant. On the North Side of the Choir, in a Marble Urn, is the Heart of Dr. Richard Rawlinson. In this Chapel is performed Cathedral Service twice a Day, at Eleven and Five.

Through a Paffage on the East Side of the first Quadrangle we enter the fecond; on the Eaft and Weft Sides whereof are handfome Piazzas in the Grecian Tafte, each Column confisting of one fin

gle

gle bluish Stone, dug from a Part of the College Eftate near Fifield in Berkshire. In the Center of each Piazza is a magnificent Gateway, confifting principally of two Orders, 1. The Doric, which forms the Gateway itself, agreeable to that of the Piazzas. 2. The Ionic, which fupports a Semicir cular Pediment. Between four of these Columns, viz. two on each Side, in a Niche, is a Brafs Statue ; that on the East of King Charles I. and that on the West of his Queen, caft by Fanelli of Florence. That neither of the Greek Orders might be wanting, the 3d, viz. the Corinthian, is very artfully introduced in the Conftruction of the Niche. The whole is richly embellifhed, and is the Design of that celebrated Architect Inigo Jones.

The Library includes the upper Story of the South and Eaft Sides. The South Side is well ftored with printed Books in all Faculties, regularly difpofed. The fecond with a moft valuable Collection of Manufcripts; in which the BookCafes adhering to the Sides, form a fpacious Gallery. Here are fome valuable Curiofities, the Picture of King Charles I, which has the whole Book of Pfalms written in the Lines of the Face and on the Hair of the Head. A very beautiful and fingular Picture of St. John ftain'd in Marble. Some curious Miffals. A Chinese Dictionary; and feveral other Curiofities.

The Gardens belonging to this College are extremely agreeable, very extenfive, and well laid out. They still retain the Names they formerly had, when they had nothing to boast of but a Plantation of Elms, viz. the outer and inner Grove. But now the outer one is difpos'd in regular Walks and Grafs-Plots. The inner Grove is of quite a

different