Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

The Buildings about this Court are ancient, except the Eaft End, which is well finifhed with Stone and fafhed after the modern Way; and the reft of the College is intended to be made equal to it.

The Chapel ftands at the North-Eaft Angle of the great Court. The Hall is at the Welt End of the fame Court. The Mafter's Lodgings is a convenient Apartment, and has fome good Rooms in it, particularly a fpacious Hall, having a large well-preferved ancient Window to the Eaft; and their Library is well-furnished with a large Collection of useful Books, and many ancient Manufcripts.

Over the Gate of the College are the Arms of the Balliol Family.

And on the outfide, over-against the Mafter's Lodgings, is a Stone placed Edge-ways, in Memory of thofe learned and pious Prelates, Archbishop Cranmer, Bishop Ridley, and Bishop Latimer, who were burnt at that Place for their Adherence to the Reformation.

Sir John Balliol, of Bernard Castle in Yorkshire, Father of John Balliol, King of Scotland, is faid to have firft defigned the Foundation of this College for the Education of poor Scholars, on whom he fettled yearly Exhibitions till he could provide them an Houfe; and dying before he purchased one, he recommended the Defign to his Widow and Relict Dervorguilla, Daughter of Alexander III. King of Scotland, who first fettled thefe Exhibitions on a House fhe hired of the University in Horfemonger-Street, and in 1263 fhe purchased of Thomas D'Ewe, a Tenement for her Scholars of Balliol, and conveyed it, with three Acres of Land, to the Mafter and Scholars of this Houfe for ever for their Habitation, having obtained a Royal Charter for that Purpofe. She afterwards added feveral new Buildings to it, and fettled other Lands for the Maintenance of the Scholars, dedicated her Foundation to the Honour of the Holy Trinity, the H

Bleffed

-Bleffed Virgin, and St. Katherine the Martyr; which Benefactions were afterwards ratified by her Son John Balliol, King of Scotland, and Oliver Bifhop of Lincoln, in whofe Diocese Oxford then was. The Value of the Lands and Revenues, belonging to this College, did not exceed 27 l. 9 s. 4 d. per Ann. at that Time; but their Revenues were foon after greatly enlarged by the Benefactions of others, particularly Sir Philip Somerville, a Gentleman in Staffordshire, granted to this College the Impropriation of the Parish of Mickle-Benton in the County of Northumberland, with other Lands; and Dr. John Warner, Bishop of Rochester, founded four Scotish Exhibitions, endowing them with a Revenue of 20 1. per Annum each.

John Snell, Efq; gave the Manor of Uffton in Warwickshire for the Ufe of Scots Exhibitioners. The Paintings on the Windows in the Chapel are deemed curious.

The Members of this Society are at prefent a Master, twelve Fellows, fourteen Scholars and eighteen Exhibitioners; the whole Number of Students of all Sorts amounting to about 100.

The Master and Fellows elect their Visitor.

Their late Vifitor was the Rev. Sir John Dolben, Bart, who refigned in 1755. and recommended the Rev. Sir William Bunbury, Bart. as his Succeffor, who was accordingly elected.

ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE

S fituated North of Balliol, having a Terras, with a Row of tall Elms before it.

The Buildings of this College chiefly confift of two large Quadrangles. We enter the first by a handfome old Gateway with a Tower over it. It is formed by the Hall and Chapel on the North, the Prefident's Lodgings on the Eaft, and the

Cham

Chambers of the Fellows, Scholars, and other Students on the South and Weft Sides. The Hall is efteemed one of the most elegant in the University; being well-proportioned, handfomely wainscotted and Hoor'd, and having a beautiful arch'd Roof, a Screen of Portland Stone, and a grand variegated Marble Chimney-Piece, containing a Picture of St. John the Baptift, by Titian. It is likewise adorned with many other Pictures; viz, at the upper End, by a whole-length Portrait of the Founder; on his Right Hand one of Archbishop Laud, and on his Left one of Archbishop Juxon. On the North and South Sides of the Room are those of Bishop Men, Bishop Buckridge, Sir William Paddy, Knight, and other eminent Men who have been Members of, and Benefactors to, this Society.

North of the Hall is an excellent Common Room; being handfomely wainscotted, having a ChimneyPiece of Dove-colour'd Marble, and a Cieling curiously adorned with Compartments and Shell-work in Stucco, by Mr. Roberts.

The Chapel, which is adjoining to the Hall, is in all Refpects neat and commodicus. It is divided from the Ante-Chapel by a well-built Screen of Wainscot in the Corinthian Order, regularly feated, paved with black and white Marble, adorned with handfome Brafs Sconces, and two very beautiful Branches. The Altar is likewife of the Corinthian Order, and very properly adapted. Over the Communion Table is a fine Piece of Tapestry, representing our Saviour with the two Difciples at Emmaus, copied from a Painting of Titian.. On the North Side, in a Recefs, is an Organ; and in this Chapel is performed Cathedral Service twice a Day. We must not omit obferving, that here, and in the Vestry adjoining, are feveral curious Monuments.

Through a Paffage on the East Side of the first Quadrangle we enter the fecond; on the East and Weft Sides whereof are handfome Piazzas in the Grecian Tafte, each Column confifting of one fin

H 2

gle

gle bluish kind of Stone, dug, as we apprehend, upon a Part of the College Eftate near Fyfield in Berkshire. In the Center of each Piazza is a magnificent Gateway, confifting principally of two Orders, 1. The Doric, which forms the Gateway itfelf, agreeable to that of the Piazzas. 2. The Ionic, which fupports a Semicircular Pediment. Between four of thefe Columns, viz. two on each Side, in a Niche, is a Brafs Statue; that on the Eaft of King Charles I. and that on the Weft of his Queen. That neither of the Greek Orders might be wanting, the 3d, viz. The Corinthian, is very artfully introduced in the Conftruction of the Niche. The whole is richly embellifhed, and is the Defign of that celebrated Architect Inigo Jones.

The Library, which includes the upper Story of the South and East Sides, is inferior to few in this Place, tho' not of fo modern a Fafhion as fome. The firft Side is well ftored with printed Books in all Faculties, regularly difpofed and has been exactaly catalogu'd by the late worthy Prefident, who fpent a confiderable Time in effecting it. The fecond with a most valuable Collection of Manufcripts. As the Book-Cafes of the latter adhere to the Sides, and are not ranged in Stalls as thofe in the former are, it forms a beautiful and fpacious Gallery. Here likewife are fome valuable Curiofities, particularly the famous Picture of King Charles I. which has the whole Book of Pfalms written in the Lines of the Face and the Hair of the Head.

The Gardens belonging to this College are extremely agreeable, very extenfive, and well laid out. They ftill retain the Names they formerly had, when they had nothing to boast of but a Plantation of tall Elms, viz. the outer and inner Grove. But now the outer one is difpos'd in regular Walks and Grafs-Plots, the Walls thereof covered with Evergreens and neatly cut, and finely fhaded by Trees of various Kinds, viz. the middle Walk by

a Row

a Row of Lime-Trees on each Side cut arch-wife, a Row of cut Elms by the Side-Walks, and at each End and across the middle two Groups of beautiful Chefnut-Trees. The inner Grove is of quite a different Caft to this, being fo contrived as not to fatiate the Eye at once, but its various Parts prefent themfelves gradually to view. No Spot whatever is calculated to yield a more pleafing Variety; for, except Water, it has all that could be wished.

This College was founded by Sir Thomas White, Alderman and Merchant-Taylor of London, Anno 1555, (1 and 2 Philip and Mary ;) and afterwards re-founded by him, Anno 1557. He endowed it with feveral confiderable Manors, and at his Death bequeathed the Sum of 3000l. to purchase Lands to increase the Revenues of it. He originally defigned Merchant-Taylors School in London for the chief Seminary of th's College; but being of a more public Spirit than to confine himself to any one Place, he allowed two Fellowships to the City of Coventry, two to Bristol, two alfo to the Town of Reading, and one to Tunbridge.

The most confiderable Benefactors fince, have been Sir William Paddy, who founded and endowed the Choir, and built that Side of the new Quadrangle, of which the Library is a Part. Archbishop Laud, who at the Expence of above 5000 7. (exclufive of 400 l. for the Statues of the King and Queen, and 200 Ton of Timber which he obtained by Warrent from Shotover Foreft and Stow Wood) added the other three Sides. Archbishop Juxon, who gave 7000l. to this College; Dr. Gibbons, who bequeathed the perpetual Advowson of the Living of Baynton in Yorkshire, and 1000l. to buy Books; Dr. Holmes, the late worthy Prefident, with his Lady, who gave 15000l. to augment the Salaries of the Officers, and other Ufes; and Dr. Rawlinson, who bequeathed a confiderable Number of Books, and the Reverfion of an Estate in FeeFarm Rents.

« ForrigeFortsett »