de Merton, fometime Lord Chancellor of England, and then after Bishop of Rochester: 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, being at this Time in the College Treasury, and deemed to be the first Charter of the Kind in Europe. Not long after, viz. the Year 1267, he gave the Statutes in their prefent Form, transferring the whole Society from Maldon to St. John Baptift's Street, in Oxford, and placing them in a Houfe or College he had built there. The Statutes then given were fuperfeded for a fhort Time by an intermediate Charter with others in 1270, but were replaced and finally eftablifhed under the Broad Seal and his own, Anno 1274, the fecond of the Reign of King Edward the Firft.

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

Thefe, by the Recourfe had to them, were of much Use to the After-Foundations both here and in Cambridge, and indeed to those likewife which have the Precedency*. And with fo much Prudence was this College founded, that King Edward the Firft recommended it to Hugh de Balham, Bi

*Univerfity and Balliol. -Their firft and earliest Statutes (to be feen in Smith's Annals of University College, and in Dr. Savage's Balliofergus) were of a later Date, and therefore capable of this Ådvantage: But fome of their fucceffive ones more plainly had it, and Sir Philip Somervyle's in particular, befides the General Form, &c. are in many Places Word for Word the fame as those of this College.

fhop of Ely, as a Model for his intended Munificence in Cambridge, according to which PeterHoufe, 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 the other Colleges +.

The Poft-mafters in this House are of a distinct and different Foundation, which took Place about an hundred Years after the other. John Williot, S. T. P. who was Chancellor of Exeter, and had been Fellow of this College, and Chancellor of the Univerfity, giving all his Real, and most of his Personal Estate, for the Support and Education of them. Mr. John Chamber, Canon of Windfor, and Fellow of Eton, and once Fellow of this College, at his Deceafe in 1604, made Provifion for two additional ones to be always fent at the Nomination and Appointment of the Provofts of King's and Eton Colleges from Eton School. The Number then became Fourteen: And their Revenues have been fince increased by Thomas Jeffop, M.D. fometime Fellow of the College, and other Benefactors.

Befides the Poft-mafters, there are now Four other Scholars of the Foundation of Mr. Henry Jackson, late of this College, which commenced in 1753.

In the Election of a Warden, the Fellows chufe three Perfons whom they prefent to their Vifitor,

The Statutes of Merton College are alfo referred to for their Rule and Direction in the Statutes of Simon Montacute, Bishop of Ely, who about half a Century after compleated this Foundation.

↑ See the Inscription upon his Monument in Rochester Cathedral.

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the Archbishop of Canterbury, who appoints one of them.

The prefent Members are a Warden, twentyfour Scholars, fourteen Post-mafters, Mr. Jackson's four Scholars, two Chaplains, and two Clerks; the whole Number of Students of all Sorts being about eighty.

Vifitor. The Archbishop of Canterbury.

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CHRIST CHURCH.

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

The stately 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 admirably correfponding to the Tafte 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. Though the Windows in the Front are not exactly regular, yet fuch are the Greatness of the Proportions, and the Magnificence of the Whole, that they raife the Admiration of every Spectator, and help him to form an Idea of the 1 3

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great Mind of Cardinal WOLSEY. In this Quadrangle are the Statues of Queen Anne, Cardinal Wolfey, and Bifhop Fell; that of the Cardinal, by Francis Bird, in the South-Eaft Corner is juftly admired as an excellent Piece of Workmanship.

The great Quadrangle is 264 by 261 Feet in the Clear. The Hall, which takes up more than half the South Side, is confiderably elevated above the reft, and the whole finished with a Baluftrade 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. In the Center of the Area, below the Terrafs, is a Bafon and Fountain, with a Statue of Mercury.

The Eaft 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; but, before the Shell was well finished, the Civil Wars broke out: But, 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.

The Hall is by far the most magnificent Room of the Kind in Oxford, and perhaps one of the largeft 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 the whole Breadth; near which is a beautiful Gothic Window in a Recefs, that demands the Attention of the Curious.

This