posed 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 History of the Bible in French, finely decorated with curious Painting, given by General Oglethorpe, who was a Member of this College; and alfo a very valuable Collection of the firft Editions of the Claffics.

They fhew here alfo 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 House on condition that he would convert it into a College for the Use of secular Students, after the Manner of other Colleges in the University: 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 Statutes for the Government of this Society ordain 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 Gloucestershire, 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 Countefs of Richmond, and afterwards Bishop of Exeter who gave several Eftates for the Endowment of it. William Froft, Steward to the Founder; John Clay

mond

mond, the first Prefident of this College; and Robert Morwent, fecond Prefident, gave to the College several Portions of Lands.

The present Members of this Society are a Prefident. 20 Fellows 2 Chaplains, 20 Scholars, 4 Exhibitioners, and 6 Gentlemen Commoners.

ME

Vifitor. The Bishop of Winchester.

MERTON

COLLEGE.

ERTON College is fituated Eaft of Corpus Chrifti, from which it is feparated by a small Grove of Elms, and confifts of three Courts. The largest, or inner Court, is 110 Feet long, and 100 broad, and was erected in 1610, from whose Appartments on the South 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 Summer.

The Chapel, at the Weft End of the first Court, is likewise the Parish Church of St. John Baptift de Merton. It is one of the largest and best proportioned Gothic Structures in the Univerfity, 100 Feet in Length and 30 in Breadth, and has a very capacious Tower, and AnteChapel. But large as it is at present, it has been thought from its whole Appearance, and from the Form and Manner of the Arches closed up in the Wall of the Weft End, on each Hand of the great Window, to have been built with a View to a farther Addition of a Nave and SideAifles, the prefent Building being no more than the Choir, and Cross-Aifle. Such a Defign was more easy to be made than executed, and after all, most likely reached no farther than the carrying on the Building, as 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 Steps, 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 first 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 Statutes under the Broad Seal, 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 firft Charter of the Kind in Europe, The Statutes were finally established under the Broad Seal and his own, Anno 1274, the fecond of the Reign of King Edward the First.

Such was the Original of this ancient Society, by these Charters, above five hundred Years fince, incorporated, and endowed with almost all the Lands they at this Time poffefs, and provided with the fame Statutes by which, without any Alteration or Addition, they are now governed.

Thefe, by the Recourse 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 afterwards erected in that University. 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 House are of a diftin&t and different Foundation, which took Place about an hundred Years after the other. The Number, and their Revenues, have been fince increased by several Benefactors.

Bendes the Poft Mafters, there are now four other Scholars of the Foundation of Mr. Henry Jackion, 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-Masters, Mr. Jackfon's four Scholars, two Chaplains, and two Clerks the whole Number of Students of all Sorts being about eighty.

T

HIS Church and College merits the particular Obfervation of Strangers. It confifts of four Courts or Squares, viz.-1. The great Quadrangle ; 2. Peckwater Square; 3. Canterbury Court; 4. The Chaplain's Court; and fome other Buildings.

The ftately 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, erected by Dr. Fell, and perfectly correfponding to the Taste of the rest of the Buildings. In this Tower hangs the great Bell called Tom, on the Sound of which the Scholars of the Univerfity are to retire to their respective Colleges. The Greatness of the Proportions in the Front, and the Magnificence of the Whole, raife the. Admiration of every Spectator, and help him to form an Idea of the great Mind of Cardinal WOLSEY. this Quadrangle are the Statues of Queen Anne, Cardinal Wolfey, and Bishop Fell; that of the Cardinal, in the South east Corner, is juftly admired as an excellent Piece of Workmanship.

In

The Great Quadrangle is 264 by 261 Feet in the

Clear.

Clear. The Hall takes up more than half the South Side ; we afcend to it by a fpacious and ftately Stair-cafe of Stone, cover'd by a beautiful Roof and fupported by a fmall fingle Pillar of fine Proportion. This Building is confiderably elevated, and the whole finished with a Balustrade of Stone. The South, Eaft, and Part of the Weft Sides, with the magnificent Kitchen to the South of the Hall, were erected by the Cardinal. The East and North Sides of this. Quadrangle are taken up with the Dean's and four of the Canons' Lodgings.

In the Year 1638, the North Side of the grand Quadrangle was begun. On the Restoration, this Part of the Building was refumed, by the Direction and Encouragement of Dr Fell, then Dean of the College; and finished Anno 1665, when the spacious Terrace-Walk was made, with the Bason, Fountain, and Statue of Mercury in the Centre.

The Hall is by far the moft magnificent Room of the kind in Oxford, and perhaps one of the largest in the Kingdom. The Roof is framed of Timber, curiously wrought, and fo contrived as to produce a very grand and noble Effect. There are near 300 Compartments 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 Steps which run through the whole Breadth ; near which is a beautiful Gothic Window in a Recefs, which demands the attention of the Curious.

This fuperb Room is beautified, and improved, by compleating and painting the Wainfcot 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.