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the liberal Education of Youth designed by the Founder.

The Library is in the small old Quadrangle, south 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 Surry, (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 Treasury, and deemed to be the first 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 thefe 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 Recourfe 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 first 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 Houle are of a diftinct and different Foundation, which took Place about an hundred Years after the other. The Number, and their G

Revenues,

Revenues, have been fince increased by several 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 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. 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.

TH

CHRIST CHURCH.

XXX

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 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 Or. naments, defigned by Sir Chriftopher Wren, erected by Dr. Fell, and perfectly correfponding to the Tafste of the reft 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 Greatnefs of the Proportions in the Front, and the Magnificence of the Whole, raise the Admiration of every Spectator, and help him to form an Idea of the great Mind of Cardinal WOLSEY. In this Quadrangle are the Statues of Queen Anne, Cardinal

Cardinal Wolfey, and Bishop Fell; that of the Cardinal, 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 rest, 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. 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. On the Reftoration, 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 Bafon, 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, curi-: oufly 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 Wainscot and Roof, and the Addition of a great Number of Portraits of eminent Perfons, of former Deans, Bishops, aud other great Men, who were bred at the College, which are difpofed in the following Manner.

G 2

Over

Over the High Table.

Compton, Bishop of London.

Corbet, Bishop of Norwich.

HENRY VIII. a Full Length.

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Cardinal Fe'l, Bp | Morley, Bp | Boulter, Abp
Wolfey. of Oxon, of Winton. of Armagh,

A Buft of His Majesty.

On the South Side, beginning at the upper End.

Wake, Abp of Canterbury.
Potter, Abp of Canterbury.
Smalridge, Bp of Bristol.
Trevor, Bp of Durham.
Lord Mansfield.

Hooper, Bp of Bath and Wells.
Benion, Bp of Gloucefter.
Efte, Bp of Waterford.
Stone, Abp of Armagh.
Robinson, Abp of Armagh,
Tanner, Bp of St. Asaph.
Morton, Bp of Meath.
Fuller, Bp of Lincoln.
Gaftrel, Bp of Chester,
Hickman, Bp of Londonderry.
Sanderfon, Bp of Lincoln
Mr. Alfop.

Over these.

Weftfaling, Bp of Hereford. Peers, Abp of York.

Heton, Bp of Ely.

Howfon, Bp cf Durham.

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Sir John Dolben, Abp of York.
Sir J. Trelawney, Bp of Winton..
Wood, Bp of Lichfield and Cov.
Drummond, Abp of York.
Blackbourn, Abp of York,
Cox, Abp of Cafhel.

Dr. Stratford, Canon of Ch. Ch,
John Freind, M. D.
Welbore Ellis, Efq;

Dr. Aldrich, Dean of Ch. Ch.
Dr. Nicol, Canon of Ch. Ch.
Richard Frewin, M. D.
Sir. J. Dolben, Preb. of Durham.
Dr. Freind, Master of Westminster
School.

Dr. Busby, Mast. of Weft. School.
Dr. Sprat, Archdeacon of Rocheft.
Over these.

Smith, Bp of Gloucefter.

Godwin, fen. Bishop of Bath and Bancroft, Bp of Oxford.

James, Bp of Durham.

Ravis, Bp of London.

Wells.

Matthews, Abp of York.

Underneath.

Godwin, jun. Bishop of Landaff,

**

Sam. Fell. Dean of Ch. Church.

Underneath.

An Orig. of King, Bp of London.

Griffith, Bp. of St. Afaph.

Over the Screen, and on each Side, in the following Order.

Ellis, Bp of Kildare.

Lord Arlington.

Lord Mansfield. Sir Dudley Carleton.

A Buft of GEORGE I. in Marble.

King, Bp of Chicheft. Sir Gilb. Dolben. Mr. Locke. E. of Orrery.

Peter Martyr, Canon of Ch. Ch.

The

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