fhire, Privy-Counsellor to Queen Mary, and a fingular Friend to Sir Thomas More, for the Maintenance and Education of a Prefident, twelve Fellows, and twelve Scholars. The Founder directs, that the Scholars, who fucceed to the Fellowships, fhall be chofen from his Manors: But if no Candidates appear under fuch Qualifications on the Day of Election, that they fhall be fupplied from any County in England. He alfo appoints that no more than two Natives of the fame County fhall be Fellows of his College at the fame Time, Oxfordshire excepted, from which County five are permitted.

The principal, and almost only Benefactor, is Dr. Ralph Bathurst, formerly Prefident; who expended 1900/. in rebuilding the Chapel.

This College confifts of a Prefident, 12 Fellows, and 12 Scholars. Thefe, with the other Members, Gentlemen Commoners, Commoners, &c. amount to above 60.

Vifitor. The Bishop of Winchester.

B

BALLIOL COLLEGE.

ALLIOL College is fituated to the Weft of Trinity, and confifts chiefly of one Court, which we enter by a Gothic Gate. The Buildings about this Court are ancient, except the East End, which is finished in the Manner in which the rest of that Quadrangle may be built.

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

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

And on the Outfide, over against the Mafter's Lodgings, was a Stone placed in Memory of thole learned and pious Prelates, Archbishop Cranmer, Bishop Ridley, and Bishop Latimer, who were burnt at that. Place for their Adherence to the Reformation; which has not been visible fince the City has been paved in its present Form.

Befides this Court, there is an Area to the Northweft, confifting of several detached Lodgings for the Students; and an elegant new Building, rather refembling a modern Dwelling-houfe, with a beautiful Front to the Street, erected at the Expenfe of Mr. Fisher, late Fellow of this Society, in which are feveral handsome Apartments. This Infcription is on the North Side, by Defire of the Founder: VERBUM NON AMPLIUS FISHER.

Sir John Balliol, of Bernard Caftle 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 Devorguilla, Daughter of Alexander III. King of Scotland, who firft fettled thefe Exhibitions; and in 1263 purchased a Tenement for her Scholars of Balliol, and conveyed it to the Mafters and Scholars of thisHouse 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. Katherine the Martyr: which Benefactions were afterwards ratified by her Son John Balliol, King of Scotland, and Oliver Bishop of Lincoln, in whofe Diocefe Oxford then was. The Value of the Lands and Revenues, belonging to this College, did not exceed 271. 95. 4 d. per Ann. at that Time; but their Eftates

were

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. Dr. John Warner, Bishop of Rochefter, founded four Scotish Exhibitions, endowing them with a Revenue, which has fince been augmented by John Snell, Efq.

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

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

-I

ST. JOHN's COLLEGE

S fituated North of Balliol and Trinity Col leges, having a Terras, with a Row of lofty

Elms before it.

The Buildings of this College chiefly confist of twe large Quadrangles. We enter the firft by a handfome old Gateway with a Tower over it. It is formed by the Hall and Chapel on the North, the President's Lodgings on the Eaft, and the Chambers of the Fellows, Scholars, and other Students, on the South and Weft Sides. The Hall is elegant, being well propor tioned, and handfomely wainscotted, with a beautiful arched 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, Sir

William

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

The Chapel, which is adjoining to the Hall, is in all refpects 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. It has now an Elegance which refults from feveral high finished, yet fimple Ornaments. In particular the Stand on which the Bible is placed is adorned with Masterly Carving. The Altar is of the Corinthian Order, and very properly adapted. Over the Communion Table is a fine Piece of Tapestry, representing 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 overlooked. Nor will the curious obferver be at much Lofs, by the ftriking Likenesses 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 Disciples, and Servant. On the North Side of the Choir, in a Marble Urn, inclosed in a Silver Veffel, is the Heart of Dr. Richard Rawlinfon. In this Chapel Cathedral Service is performed twice a Day, at Eleven and Five.

Through a Paffage on the Eaft Side of the firft Quadrangle we enter the fecond; on the Eaft and Weft Sides whereof are hand fome Piazzas in the Grecian Tafte, each Column confifting of one fingle 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 femicircular Pediment. Between four of thefe Columns, viz. two on each Side, in a Niche, is. a Brafs Statue; that on the Eaft of King Charles I. and that on the Weft 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 Construction of the Niche. The

whole.

whole is richly embellished, 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 Eaft with a moft valuable Collection of Manufcripts; in which the Book cafes adhering to the Sides, form a fpacious Gallery. Here are fome valuable Curiofities, viz. the Picture of King Charles I. which has the whole Book of Pfalms written in the Lines of the Face and on the Hairs of the Head: A very beautiful and fingular Picture of St. John, ftain'd in a Compofition, which has the Appearance of Polished Marble: Some curious Miffals. A Chinese Dictionary; and on the East Window in elegant painted Glafs are the Arms of the Founder, the Company of Merchant Taylors, and feveral other Benefactors to the College.

The Gardens belonging to this College are very extenfive, and laid out with all thofe Graces which arife from a fucceffion of Beauties fo difpofed as to strike us gradually and unexpectedly. The Celebrated Mr. Browne, by removing a few embaraffing, overgrown Chefnut Trees, has fo changed the Afpect of this Garden, that few can at prefent vie with it.

This College was founded by Sir Thomas White, Alderman and Merchant-Taylor of London; who afterwards, Anno 1557, endowed it with feveral confiderable Manors, and at his Death bequeathed the Sum of 3000%. to purchase Lands to increase the Revenues of it. He originally defigned Merchant-Taylors School in London as the only Seminary for this College; but being of a more Public Spirit than to confine himself to any one Place, he allowed two Fellowships to the City of Coventry, two to Bristol, two alfo to the Town of Reading, and one to Tunbridge.

The moft confiderable Benefactors fince have been Sir William Paddy, who founded and endowed the Choir, and built that Side of the New Quadrangle, of which the Library is a Part. Archbishop Laud, who at the

Expense