on by the Crown, particularly in the rebuilding Windfor Castle in the magnificent Form in which it now appears. His firft Ecclefiaftical Preferment was the Rectory of Pulham in Norfolk, and foon after he was advanced to fome of the largest and most confiderable Preferments in the Church, and in 1367 was confecrated Bishop of Winchester, in the 43d Year of his Age. His Advancement in the State kept Pace with his Preferment in the Church. In 1364 the King granted him 20 s. per Day out of the Exchequer. He was made Keeper of the Privy Seal in 1364; and conftituted Chancellor of England, Sept. 17, 1367. Froiffart fays of Wykeham, that he was fo much in favour with King Edward III. that every thing was done by him, and nothing was done without him.

While he was purfuing his generous Purposes with the Money he had acquired by his many Preferments and Offices, he was on a fudden attacked by a Party formed against him at Court; for, in the laft Year of the King's Reign, Articles of Accufation were brought against him by the Parlia ment at the Inftigation of the Duke of Lancaster ; but upon the Acceffion of King Richard II. his Pardon paffed the Privy Seal, July 31, 1377. He maintained seventy Students in feveral Halls in Oxford for feven Years whilft the College was building for their Reception; having in the Year 1379 obtained a Charter for their Incorporation. The Foundation Stone was laid March 5th, in the faid Year; and it was finished on April 14, 1386. when the Warden and Fellows took Poffeffion of it by entering it in a folemn Proceffion. In the Year following, the other, St. Mary's College near Winchester, was begun, and was finished and inhabited in the Year 1393, by a Warden, ten Fellows, three Chaplains, three Clerks, and fixteen Chorifters; as alfo two Mafters and feventy Boys, out of whom a certain Number were to be annually elected as a Supply to New College, firft by two of the Founder's Kinímen, and then by the Senior on

Roll

Roll fucceffively. Both which Colleges this most pious and munificent Founder faw completed, making ample Provifion for the Support of each, and giving them fo regular and perfect a Body of Statutes, that many fucceeding Founders have compiled from them. And having furvived many Years, he enlarged his Will with coftly Legacies of Jewels, Plate, Money, and Books, to be distributed throughout the feveral Diocefes he was preferred in, or had temporal Poffeffions, at his Deceafe, to pray (according to the Times) for his Soul, amounting to the Value of upwards of 6000 l. Sterling; an immenfe Sum according to the Value of Money in thofe Days. He died Sept. 27, 1404. when he was 80 Years of Age.

It was ftipulated between the Univerfity and the Founder, that the Fellows of this College fhould be admitted to all Degrees on the firft Day of the Term, without any Grace of the Congregation of the Mafters, or undergoing any Examination for them in the public Schools, provided they were examined in the College according to the Form of the University, and had their Graces given them in like Manner by the Warden and thirteen fenior Fellows of the College convened and affembled for that Purpose.

The Univerfity Sermon is preached here every Lady-Day and Trinity-Sunday in the Ante-Chapel: On which Occafion the Choir attend and perform an Anthem in the Organ-Loft.

Another Cuftom is the peculiar Manner of calling the Fellows to Dinner and Supper; namely, by a Chorister's going from the Chapel Door to the Garden Gate at Twelve and Six, crying, à Manger tous Seigneurs, i. e. To Dinner or Supper Gentlemen all.

The Benefactions to this College have been very numerous; all of which stand upon Record as fo many laudable and lafting Memorials of Respect, Honour and Gratitude to the Founder; the Bene

factors

factors having been chiefly Members of this Society.

A certain Time is appointed by the Wardens, commonly about the beginning of September, for an Election of the Scholars at Winchefter School to fucceed Yearly to this College; when the Warden, two Senior Fellows (during that Expedition called Pofers) nominated by the felect Governors of this College, called the Thirteen, for that Purpose, who together with the Warden, Sub- Warden, and Schoolmaster of Winchester meet and open their Election there, for examining, chufing and filling up Vacancies in the School, and to fupply this Society within the Year, in Manner as abovementioned. As alfo for redreffing and regulating any Grievances and Inconveniences in that College: Although the Warden and Fellows of Winchester are the immediate Governors and Infpectors of the School; and are nobly accommodated by the plentiful Provifion made by that Part of the Founder's Bounty.

The present Members of this Society are one Warden, feventy Fellows, ten Chaplains, three Clerks, one Sexton, and fixteen Chorifters; the whole Number of Students of all Kinds being ufually about 115.

The Vifitor is the Bishop of Winchester.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

UNiverfity College is fituated on the South Side of the High-Street, oppofite Queen's College, the Front extending 260 Feet and upwards along the Street. This College confifts of two Courts, each of them having a handfome Gate, with a Tower over it, next the Street. The Weft Court, called the Old Court, is a regular Quadrangle of 100 Feer

on

on every Side; the Eaft, or New Court, alfo is a regular Spuare, 80 Feet over either Way. The principal Buildings are the Chapel, in which are fome curious painted Windows, the Hall, the Library, and the Mafter's Lodgings. The Chapel and the Hall are fituated on the South Side of the old Quadrangle. Over the Gateway facing the Chapel is an excellent Statue of King James II.

The Mafter's Lodgings take up the Eaft and part of the North Side of the new Quadrangle, and is an elegant Building.

This College is generally faid to be the oldest Foundation in Oxford; that it was erected and endowed by King Alfred, Anno 882; but as there are no remains of thofe Halls, faid to be erected by Alfred, and the Students in the Reign of the Conqueror were deprived of their Stipends fettled upon them, which used to iffue out of the King's Exchequer, and the prefent College was built and endowed. long after Balliol, that old Foundation difputes the Point of Antiquity with this. And it appears that the Hall, where this Society performed their Exercifes, was from the Conqueft 'till the Year 1232 hired by the Students of the Townfmen, of whom William Archdeacon of Durham, the Founder, bought it about that Time, and gave it to the Scholars of this Houfe, endowing the fame with Lands. The fame Archdeacon bequeathed 310 Marks for the Education of ten or twelve Students in the Univerfity at large, which Money the Vice-Chancellor and Masters at first lent to the Scholars, on Security given for the Re-payment of it. Afterwards four Masters were delegated for the Adminiftration of this Charity, which was laid out in making Purchafes of Houfes for the Students. The most confiderable Benefactors, after the Archdeacon, were Henry Piercy, Earl of Northumberland; Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester; Sir Simon Bennet, who in the Year 1638 entirely built the extenfive Front of the West Quadrangle, ending at the Bow-window, at his own Expence. The laft by whom this College was

com

completed, was Dr. John Radcliff; with whofe Benefaction the Mafter's Lodgings, and all the new Building in the Eastern Quadrangle (which includes the Remainder of the Front) was erected: As an Acknowledgment of which, there is a Statue of him in a Niche over the Gateway facing the Mafter's Garden. The fame Gentleman alfo fettled 6001. per Annum on two travelling Fellowships, and has indeed been the most bountiful Benefactor to the Univerfity in general in the two laft Centuries.

In this College there are one Mafter, 12 Fellows, 17 Scholars, and usually about 100 Students of all forts.

The King is Vifitor.

ALL-SOULS COLLEGE.

HIS College is fituated in the High-Street, Weft of Queen's, and confifts chiefly of two Courts. 1. The old Court is about 124 Feet in Length, and 72 in Breadth, having the High-Street on the South, and the Chapel at the North End of it. In this old Quadrangle is a Dial, contrived by that ingenious Architect Sir Chriftopher Wren, when Fellow of the College, which, by the help of two Half Rays, and one whole one for every Hour, fhews to a Minute what is the Time, the Minutes being mark'd on the Sides of the Rays, fifteen on each Side, and divided in five by a different Cha

racter.

2. Their grand Court, fituated behind the former, is a fpacious and beautiful Quadrangle, having the Library on the North, the Hall and Chapel on the South, the Cloister on the West, and the Common Room, with other handfome Apartments, on the Eaft, adorned with two beautiful Gothic Towers. This Court is in Length from North to South about 172 Feet, and in Breadth 155. The Chapel of this

College