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and another very fmall Court within it. The Front of the College is almoft oppofite to Trinity Gardens, having a large Gate, with a Tower over it, by which we enter the great Quadrangle, being near 130 Feet either Way.

The Chapel is a fpacious Edifice, at the NorthEaft Angle of the great Court. What is moft admired here is a very large Window of painted Glass, at the Eaft End, of the Paffion of our Saviour, wherein there are a great Variety of Figures admirably done. This was put up in the Reign of King James I. and is faid to have coft 15001. The Windows on the Sides 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 present in Oxford, but the Altar of Magdalen College, before the new Wainscotting of it, was done in the fame Manner. The Cloth itself. which is of an Afh-Colour, is the Medium; the Lines and Shades are done with a brown Crayon, and the Lights with a white one; which being afterwards preffed with hot Irons, caufing the Sweat of the Cloth to incorporate with the Colours, has fo fixed them, as to be rendered Proof against a Brush, or any fuch Thing, made ufe of to cleanse it from Duft: It was performed by Ifaac Fuller, who painted the Altar-Piece at Magdalene College, and is generally allowed to be masterly Drawing. The East represents the Lord's Supper; the North Abraham and Melchifedech; and the South the Children of Ifrael gathering Manna.

The Hall is fituated at the South-East Angle of the great Court. The Library is a lofty fpacious Room over the Kitchen, well furnished with Books.

The

The Chapel and the Library form two Wings in the Back or Eaft Front of the College. Between these is a Cloifter; and, over that, the Fellows Common Room; which is a very handfome one, and has the Advantage of a beautiful Profpect over the adjacent Fields to HeddingtonHill.

This College was defigned by Nicholas Wadham, Efq; and founded, in purfuance of his Will, by Dorothy Wadham, his Widow, Anno 1613, who appointed one Warden, 15 Fellows, 15 Scholars, two Chaplains, two Clerks, one Manciple, two Cooks, two Butlers, and a Porter; the Warden to be a Native of Great Britain, but to quit the College on his Marriage, or Advancement to a Bifhoprick. The Fellows, after having compleated 18 Years from their Regency, to quit their Fellowships. The Scholars, out of whom the Fellows are to be chosen, to be taken three out of Somersetshire, and three out of Effex; the reft out of any County in Great Britain.

The most confiderable Benefactor, fince the Founder, was John Goodridge, M. A. fome time Fellow of this College, who gave all his Lands at Walthamstowe in Effex, to this Society. Dr. Hoddy added ten Exhibitions, four for Students in Hebrew, and fix for Greek, 10l. a Year to each. Lord Wyndbam 25001. of which 2000l. to increase the Warden's Salary, and 500l. to beautify and repair the College. Bifhop Lifle, the late Warden, gave two Exhibitions of 10l. per Ann. each.

The present Members of this Society are a Warden, 15 Fellows, 2 Chaplains, 15 Scholars, two Clerks, and 16 Exhibitioners; the whole Number of Students being usually about 120.

Vifitor. The Bishop of Bath and Wells.

CORPUS

CORPUS-CHRISTI COLLEGE.

•CORPUS-Chrifti College is in St. John's Parish, between Chrift-Church on the West, 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 ChriftChurch Meadows) and a Cloyfter adjoining; alfo a neat Structure which looks Eaftwards towards Merton College Grove, in which are fix Apartments appropriated to Gentlemen-Commoners, whose Number the Founder has confined to Six, 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 also 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

CORPUS-CHRISTI COLLEGE.

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Arms blazoned, figned by the King at Arms; and feveral other Curiofities, particularly an ancient Manufcript Hiftory of the Bible in 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 Clafficks.

They fhew here alfo the genuine Crofier of the Founder, a Piece of very 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 Bifhop 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 firft intended it only as a Seminary for the Monks of the Priory, or Cathedral Church of St. Swithen at Winchefter, 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 Ufe of fecular Students, after the Manner of other Colleges in the Univerfity: Whereupon Bifhop 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.

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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 Hampfhire, one Durham, two Bath and Wells, two Exeter, two County of Lincoln, two Gloucestershire, one

Wilt

Wiltshire, or (in Defect of a Candidate) the Diocefe 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 Bishop of Exeter, who gave 6000 Marks towards the Building of this College, befides several Eftates for the Endowment of it.

William Froft gave Lands for the Maintenance of one Scholar. John Claymond, the first President of this College, gave Lands at feveral Villages near Oxford, and in Hampshire, Berkshire, and other Parts of the Kingdom. Robert Morwent, fecond Prefident, gave to the College Rewley Meadows near Oxford. And in 1706, Dr. Turner, when Prefident, gave the New Buildings and his Collection of Books.

The present Members of this Society are a Prefident, 20 Fellows, 2 Chaplains, 20 Scholars, and four Exhibitioners; the whole Number of Students being above fixty.

Vifitor. The Bishop of Winchester.

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MERTON COLLEGE.

ME ERTON College is fituated Eaft of Corpus

Chrifti, and confifts of three Courts. The largeft, or inner Court, is about 110 Feet long, and 100 broad.

The Chapel is at the Weft end of the firft Court, and is likewife the Parish Church, viz. the Church of the Collegiate Parish, or the Collegiate Parish Church, of St. John Baptift de Merton. It is one of the largest and best proportioned Gothic Structures in

the

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