Privy Seal, Bishop of Winchester, and Lord High Chancellor of England. Having liberally maintained seventy Students, in feveral Halls of the University, particularly Hart Hall, and New Inn Hall, for fome years, he obtained a Charter to found a College in Oxford, for a Warden, feventy Fellows, ten Chaplains, three Clerks, fixteen Chorifters, and one Sexton. The foundation ftone was laid on the 5th day of March, A. D. 1379. The College was entirely finished, A. D. 1386; and on the 14th day of April in the fame year, at the hour of nine in the morning, the Society took poffeffion of it, chaunting in folemn proceffion. In the following year he founded another noble College at Winchefter, for the liberal support of a Warden, ten Fellows, three Chaplains, one School-master, one Ufher, feventy Scholars, three Clerks, and fixteen Chorifters, and ordained it to be a perpetual Seminary for fupplying the vacancies of his College at Oxford. This il luftrious patron of Literature and Virtue, crowned the beneficence of his life, by bequeathing in his last will, legacies to the amount of 6000l. a prodigious fum in that age, for various charitable purposes. He furvived the foundation of his Colleges feveral years, and died September 27, A. D. 1404.

The principal Benefactors are, John Buckingham, Bishop of Lincoln, A. D. 1388. Thomas Beckington, A. D. 1440. Thomas Jane, A. D. 1494. Clement Harding, A. D. 1507. Wareham, Archbishop of Canterbury; Shirebourne, Bishop of Chichester; John Smith, William Flefhmonger, with many others.

This College confifts of a Warden, feventy Fellows, ten Chaplains, three Clerks, fixteen Chorifters, and one Sexton, exclufive of independent members.

Vifitor. The Bishop of Winchester.

WADHAM

THI

HIS College ftands in the northern fuburb called Holywell, the front being oppofite to Trinity Gardens. Under a ftately central tower we enter the Quadrangle, which is nearly 130 feet square.

A Portico, decorated with the ftatues of Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, (the Founder and Foundrefs) James I. and other ornaments, leads us to the Hall. This is a fpacious and lofty Gothic Room, furnished with fome valuable Portraits. From hence we pafs into a cloifter, which conftitutes one fide of a small area; the Chapel being on the left, and the Kitchen, with the Library over it, on the right. The cloifter, with its fuperftructure, in the midft of which is a handfome Common Room, forms a fort of eaft front, from whence we have a beautiful profpect over the meadows to the diftant hills. This room has a most admirable portrait of an old woman.

The Chapel is fpacious and venerable. The Ante-chapel, like thofe at Merton, New College, All Souls, and Magdalene, runs at right angles to the Choir, having a proportionable height, length, and breadth. The caft window is admirably painted by Van Ling, a Dutchman, A. D. 1622. It was given by Sir John Strangeways, reprefents the Paffion of our Lord, and is faid to have coft 1500l. The windows on the right fide are perhaps by the fame hand; but thofe on the left are poor, and of a later age.

The curious fpectator will be extremely pleased with a moft fingular piece of painting which furrounds the Altar. There is nothing of the kind now to be seen in Oxford; but the Altar-pieces of Magdalene and All-Souls were formerly finished in the fame manner. The painting is on cloth, which being of an afh colour, ferves for the medium;

the

the lines and fhades are done with a brown crayon, and the lights and heightening with a white one. Thefe dry colours being preffed with hot irons, which produced an exfudation from the cloth, are fo incorporated into its texture and fubftance, that they are proof against a brush, or a harsh touch. The figures are finely drawn, and have a wonderful effect. It is the workmanship of Ifaac Fuller, who painted the Refurrection-piece over the Altar at Magdalene, and flourished near an hundred years fice. The fubject of the front is the Lord's Supper; on the north, Abraham and Melchifedec; and the fouth, the Children of Ifrael gathering Manna.

This College was defigned by Nicholas Wadham, Esq. of Merifield in Somerfetfhire, and executed in pursuance of his laft Will, by Dorothy his Widow, A. D. 1613, for the maintenance of one Warden, fifteen Fellows, fifteen Scholars, two Chaplains, and two Clerks. The ftatutes direct, that the Warden shall quit the College in case of marriage; that the Fellows fhall enjoy the benefit of the fociety no longer than eighteen years after their regency in Arts; that the Scholars, from whom the Fellows are chofen, fhall be appointed three from Somerfet fhire, three from Effex, and the remainder from any part of GreatBritain.

The principal Benefactors are, John Goodridge, A. M who gave, A. D. 1654, his whole Eftate at Walthamstow in Effex, for the endowment of feveral Exhibitions, &c. and Dr. Hody, Greek Profeffor, who founded four Exhibitions for Students in Hebrew, and fix for others in Greek of rol. each. Dr. Philip Biffe, Archdeacon of Taunton, gave above two thousand volumes to the Library, in which is preferved his Portrait at full length, given by the Foundrefs. Lord Wyndham, very lately bequeathed two thoufand pounds; fifteen hundred of which

are

are appointed for the encrease of the Warden's salary, and the refidue for ornamenting the Houfe.

Lifle, the late Warden, Bishop of Norwich, added two Exhibitions of 10l. per annum each.

This College confifts of a Warden, fifteen Fellows, and fifteen Scholars; two Chaplains, two Clerks, and fixteen Exhibitioners. The number of Students of every kind about one hundred.

Vifitor. The Bishop of Bath and Wells.

Ο

TRINITY COLLEGE.

PPOSITE the Turf ftands Trinity College. A fpa

cious avenue, fenced from the ftreet by an handsome iron pallifade, with folding gates, adorned on the outfide with the arms of the Earl of Guildford, and on the infide with those of the Founder, leads us to the front of the College, which confifts of the Chapel, and the Gateway, with its Tower. Over the gate, in ftone, are the arms of the Founder, fiirrounded with a wreath of Laurel, and fupported by the Genii of Fame.

The approach to this College has been widened fo as to exhibit the whole front of the Chapel, ornamented with a clock, towards the street, which produces a very noble and beautiful effect.

In the first court are the Chapel, Hall, Library, and Lodgings of the Prefident.

The Chapel has a peculiar elegance, which refults from an affemblage of the most finished ornaments. The carvings about the fcreen, which is of Cedar, are very masterly. On the top are reprefented the four Evangelifts. The Altar-piece of the fame wood, is, befides other embellishments, charged with exquifite feftoons by Gibbin. Over

the Communion Table is a beautiful fpecimen of needlework, which was executed and presented to the College by Mifs Althea Fanshaw, of Shiplacke-Hill, near Henley upon Thames. The fubje&t of it is the Refurrection of our Saviour from the Tomb, attended by an Angel. It is worked in worsted after a fine picture by Weft, in Windsor Chapel. The brilliancy of the colours, and the natural air of the figures, give it, when viewed at a proper distance, the softness and effect of a highly-finished original oil painting. In a cafe on the left of the Altar, is a fine Gothic Tomb, on which are the recumbent figures of the liberal Founder, and his Lady, in Alabafter*. The cieling is covered with a bold and beautiful ftucco. In the midft of it is an Afcenfion, by Peter Berchett, a Frenchman.

The Hall is fpacious and well proportioned, partly in the Gothic ftyle, and adorned with a Portrait of the Founder. The Cieling has been lately enriched with ftucco; and, by other decorations and improvements, this room is rendered elegant and commodious. Over the Chimneypiece are the arms of Queen Mary, and King Philip, capitally painted by Catton, with the date 1554.

In the Library is shewn a valuable manuscript of Euclid; being a translation from the Arabic into Latin, before the difcovery of the original Greek, by Adelardus Bathonienfis, in 1130. It is extremely fair, and contains all the books. It was given by the Founder, together with feveral other manufcripts; who likewife furnished this Library with many coftly printed volumes chiefly in folio, at that time esteemed no mean collection.

With this Infcription, the greatest part of which is at present concealed by the cafe which furrounds the Monument. "Hic ja"cent corpora Thoma Pope, Militis, Fundatoris hujus collegii Trinitatis,

et D. Elizabethæ, et Margareta, uxoris ejus, qui quidem Thomas obiit xxix. die Januarii Anno Domini CIDDLVIII." i, e. Here lie the bodies of Thomas Pope, Knight, Founder of this College of the Trinity, and of Lady Elizabeth, and Margaret his wife, which faid Thomas died January 29, A, D, 1558.