The firft, or South Court, is a handfome Quadrangle, 140 Feet long, and 130 broad, having a lofty Cloifter, fupported by fquare Pillars, on the Weft, South, and Eaft. Over the Weft Cloifter. are two Stories, confifting of the Chambers of the Fellows and Students, an elegant Gallery and common Room; and in that Cloifter is the Apartment of the Provoft. Over the Eaft Cloifter are alfo Chambers for the Fellows and Students, and fome for those of the late Benefaction of Mr. Mechel. Thei fecond, or North Court, is 130 Feet long, and 90 broad, having the Library over it on the Weft, and Chambers for the Fellows and Students on the North, Eaft, and South.

The Buildings are in general very fine, but those that are most admired are the Chapel, the Hall and the Library.

The Chapel is 100 Feet long, and 30 broad. In the arched Roof is a Piece of Painting by Sir James Thornhill. The Windows are admirably painted; the Subject of that over the Altar, by Mr. Price in 1717, is the Nativity of our Saviour. The Side. Windows were removed thither from the old Chapel; two on the North Side are the laft Judgment, and two others on the South, the Afcenfion. The reft are all of old Glafs, remarkable for the Livelinefs of the Colours.

There is a Paffage between the Chapel and the Hall from the South to the North Court, the Walls of which carry a handfome Cupola with eight Ionic Columns, and all the proper Ornaments of that Order. The Outfide of the whole is a Doric Building, and the Infide of the Hall beautified with the fame Order: But the Infide of the Chapel is entirely Corinthian, the Ceiling of which being Fretwork is not inferior to that Order.

The Hall is 60 Feet long, and 30 broad, with an arched Roof of a fuitable Height, and appears to be one of the best-proportioned Rooms in Oxford. It is extremely well illuminated, and has a ChimneyPiece of beautiful Marble; and there is an Open

ing from the Gallery over the Weft Cloifter, which feems defigned for Mufic; and hither Strangers are frequently brought, who defire to fee the Society at Dinner.

The Library on the West Side of the North Court about 123 Feet in length, and 55 in height, is a noble Building of the Corinthian Order, with a fpacious Cloister to the Eaft, and the Statue of the Founder, and principal Benefactors to the College in Niches to the Weft, and is now adorned with ftucco Work by the ingenious Mr. Roberts. It has beautiful Claffes, and is furifhed with a curious and valuable Collection of Books and Manufcrips in moft Languages and Sciences.

Robert Egglesfield, a Native of Cumberland, Confeffor to Queen Philippa, and Batchelor of Divinity in this Univerfity, having purchased feveral Tenements in the Parish of St. Peter's in the East, erected there a Collegiate Hall, at the Inftance (and, probably by the Encouragement) of Queen Philippa, Confort of King Edward III. giving it the Name of Aula Scholarium Regina de Oxon; and on the 18th of January 1340, obtained the Royal Charter for incorporating the Society of this Hall or College; by virtue whereof he conftituted a Provoft and twelve Fellow, ordering, that the Provost should be chofen out of the Fellows, and be in Holy Orders; and that for the future the Fellows fhould be elected out of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland.

The principal Benefactors, befides the Founder, were King Edward III. and his Queen Philippa ; King Charles I. who gave this College three Rectories and three Vicarages in Hampshire; Sir Jofeph Williamfon, Knight, fometime Fellow, who rebuilt part of the College, and left 6000l. towards the finishing of it, befides a moft valuable Library of Books; Dr. Barlow, Bishop of Lincoln, alfo gave his Books to this Library; Dr. Lancafter, the Provoft of this College, and Dr. Timothy Halton, were great Benefactors. And of late feveral very confiderable

fiderable Exhibitions have been given by Sir Francis Bridgman, Lady Elizabeth Haftings, and Mr. Michel of Richmond.

The Members in this College are one Provoft, fixteen Fellows, two Chaplains, eight Taberdars (fo called from Taberdum, a fhort Gown which they formerly wore) 16 Scholars, two Clerks, and forty Exhibitioners; befides a great Number of Maiters, Batchelors, Gentlemen Čommoners, Commoners, and other Students.

A Cuftom here is, that they are call'd to Dinner and Supper by Sound of the Trumpet, and when the Fellows, as the Founder's Statutes direct, have placed themfelves on the further Side of the Table, the Taberdars kneel before them on the oppofite Side of the Table, and on Sundays and Holidays difpute on fome of the moft controverted Queftions in Divinity; and on other Days render fome Parts of Ariftotle's Rhetorick, Poeticks, or Ethicks.

Another Custom is, that the Burfar of the College on New-Year's Day gives each Member a Needle and Thread, faying, Take this, and be thrifty, as a Rebus on the Founder's Name (Aiguille) in French, fignifying a Needle, and Fil, a Thread, Egglesfield.

Another is, having a Boar's Head on Christmas Day, ufher'd in very folemnly with a celebrated Monkish Song, in Memory of a Taberdar's killing a wild Boar in Shotover Wood.

The Vifitor is the Archbishop of York.

NEW COLLEGE.

NE EW College is fituated North of Queen's, from which it is feparated only by a narrow

Lane.

We enter this College by a magnificent Portal or Gateway, leading into the first Court, which is a Quadrangle of about 168 Feet long, and about 129 broad, with a Statue of Minerva in the Middle of it, the Donation of Henry Parker, Efq; fometime Fellow of this College. This Court was built at the Foundation of the College, was low and with narrow arch'd tranfom Windows, in the Fafhion of the Times: But foon after the Restoration of King Charles II. another Story was added over the old Building, and all the Windows altered to their prefent Form with Safhes. On the North Side is the Chapel and the Hall; on the Eaft the Library; on the South the Fellows Apartments, and on the Weft the Warden's Lodgings, which are large and commodious, well finished and beautifully furnished, among others, with fome fcarce and valuable Portraits.

In the North-West Corner of this Court is the Entrance into the Chapel; by much the grandest in the Univerfity. The Form of it is like that at Magdalen College, but larger. The Ante-Chaple is fupported (like that) by two beautiful Staffmoulded Pillars; but of greater Magnitude. This Part is upwards of 80 Feet long, and 36 broad : The inner Chapel 100 Feet long, 35 broad, and 65 high. As we enter the Chantry or inner Chapel the moft ftriking Object is the Altar-piece; the Painting whereof was done by our ingenious Countryman Mr. Henry Cook, who flourished about fixty Years ago. It reprefents the Concave of a SemiRotunda in the Ionic Order, with a Cupola adorned with curious Mofaic Work; in which, the EastEnd of the Chapel feems to terminate. The Altar which is partly built of Wood and partly painted, intercepting in fome Degree the View at right Angles, greatly favours the Deceptio; particularly, two large open Pannels in the lower Part thereof, which have a wonderful Effect.

In the upper Part of the Altar-Piece, which is painted in such a Manner as to seem the Finishing

of

of the Wood-work that fupports it, between two Columns of the Compofite Order rifing in just Proportion to the Corinthian below, is a Frame and Pannel, wherein is reprefented the Salutation of the Virgin Mary: And above the Entablature hangs hovering a most beautiful Cloud with great Numbers of Angels and Cherubs in various Attitudes, waiting the Return of the Angel Gabriel. The proper Place to view it from to Advantage, is the Entrance into the Choir; the Perfpective being contrived on purpose, to answer that Height and Distance. The Communion Table and the center Pannel are covered with Crimson Velvet, and the whole is enclosed within a Rail of curious wrought Iron-work; the Former the Gift of Dr. Burton the prefent Master of Winchefter School, the latter of Mr. Terry, late Fellow.

Next to this the Windows on the South Side are most attracting to the Eyes of Strangers: Each Window containing eight Portraits as big as the Life, of Saints and Martyrs, done by Mr. Price of London. These the late worthy Warden with the Concurrence of the Society began in 1737, at the Expence of 100l. per Window, which was defrayed out of a certain Fund fet a-part for repairing and beautifying the College; but not to exhaust it too haftily, only one Window a Year was completed: However this Work was affifted by fome Legacies and Benefactions. The Stalls are remarkably elegant in the Gothic Manner: But the painted Figures in the Pannels fomewhat Difgrace the Architecture.

The Brafs Sconces against the Stalls and on the Desks, together with two large and beautiful Branches fufpended at the Ends of two long gilded Chains in the Middle of the Choir, are very great Embellishments: The latter were the Gift of Dr. Cheyney, the present Dean of Winchester.

Here is a moft excellent Organ firft built by Dolham; and fince improved by Mr. John Byfield, who added the Clarion Stop, and the Swell

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