in 1706 by Dr. Turner, who was Prefident of the College, in which are pleafant and Commodious Rooms which look into Merton and Christ Church Meadows, and a Cloyfter adjoining; alfo a neat Structure which looks Eastwards, towards Merton College Grove, which are the Apartments appropriated to Gentlemen Com. moners, whofe Number the Founder has confined to Six.

On the East Side of the Quadrangle is the Hall, which is 50 Feet long, and 25 broad, and of a proportionable Height, with beautiful Gothic Rafters.

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 alfo the Equinoctial, are all Ellipfes, and is a fine old Piece of Gnomonics. On the Column is a perpetual Kalendar.

The Chapel, is 70 Feet in Length, and 25 in Breadth, the Altar-Piece and Screen are of Cedar.

The Library is well furnished with Books, particularly a large Collection of Pamphlets from the Refor mation to the Revolution; about 300 MSS; an English' Bible, supposed to be older than Wickliffe's; a Parchment Roll containing the Pedigree of the Royal Fa mily, and the several Branches of it, from King Alfred to Edward VI. with their Arms blazoned, figned by the King at Arms; and several other Curiofities, particularly an ancient Manuscript 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 Claffics.

They fhew here also 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 Ropefley, 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

Henry VIII. He firft 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 Houfe 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 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 Dioceses 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 Countess of Richmond, and afterwards Bifhop of Exeter who gave several Estates for the Endowment of it.

William Froft, Steward to the Founder; John Claymond, the first Prefident of this College; and Robert Morwent, fecond President, gave to the College several Portions of Lands.

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

Vifitor. The Bishop of Winchester.

MERTON t

MERTON COLLEGE.

ERTON College is situated Eaft of Corpus

M Chrifti, from which it is feparated by a fmall

Grove of Elms, and confiits of three Courts. The largeft, or inner Court, is 110 Feet long, and 100 broad, and was erected in 1610, from whose Appartments on the South there is a pleatant 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 is at the West End of the firft Court, and is likewife the Parish Church of St. John Baptift de Merton. It is one of the largest and beft proportioned Gothic Structures in the Univerfity, 100 Feet in Length, and 30 in Breadth, and has a very capacious Tower, and Ante-Chapel. But large as it is at prefent, it has been thought from its whole Appearance, and from the Form and Manner of the Arches clofed up in the Wall of the West End, on each Hand of the great Window, to have been built with a View to a farther Addition of a Nave and Side-Aifles the prefent Building being no more than the Choir, and Crofs Aifle. Such a Defign was more eafy to be made than executed, and after all, moft likely reached no farther than the carrying an the Building, as far as it went, in the Cathedral Manner. In the Chapel are the Monuments of Sir Thomas Bod. ley, Sir Henry Saville, Bifhop 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