lick univerfity fermon or lecture; but that they may be preached or read as heretofore. Several canons alfo provide for a due adherence to the faith and liturgy of the Church of England.

PRINTING. The privileges of the universities in this are very extenfive. It has been decided, after a folemn and protracted argument, that they are intrufted with an authority, concur rent with that of the king's printer, to print ftatutes and abridgments of them. The 15th Geo. III. c. 35. enables the two universities in England, the four in Scotland, and the colleges of Eton, Westminster, and Winchester, to have for ever the fole right of printing fuch books as have been, or shall be, bequeathed to them, unless the fame have been or fhall be bequeathed for a limited time. They may alfo fell the copyright, in the like manner as any author, under the provisions of the 8 Ann.

The 21 Geo. III. c. 56. reciting, that the power of granting a liberty to print almanacks and other books was heretofore supposed to be an inherent right in the crown; and the crown had, by different charters, granted to the univerfities of Oxford and Cambridge the privilege of printing almanacks, which the univerfities had demifed to the company of ftationers of the city of London, receiving an annual fum of 1000l. and upwards as a confideration, which money had been expended in promoting different branches of literature and science; and that the privilege or right of printing almanacks had been, by a late decifion at law, found to have been a common right, over which the crown had no controul, and, confequently, the univerfities poffefled no power to demife it to any particular perfon or body of men, whereby the payments fo made to them by the company of ftationers had ceafed; enacts, that, out of the duties granted by that act, there fhall be paid 500 l. a year to each of the two univerfities, half-yearly, at Midfummer and Christmas.

OTHER PRIVILEGES. In other respects the universities have ample privileges. They have a concurrent power with the archbishops and bifhops in granting licences to preach; and feveral other rights with refpect to orders and pluralities. Their charters are refpected in many acts of parliament; as those relating to the appropriation of first fruits and tenths; and licensing phyficians and furgeons; the heads of colleges and halls may be juftices of the peace without the qualification of property; and their members of parliament are in like manner exempted. Within their jurifdictions, the vice-chancellors fix the afize and price of bread, licenfe taverns and ale-houses; the refidents are exempt from ferving in the militia and other forces; every diftinct chamber is feparately afle fled to the taxes; and many other rights and exemptions of lefs importance are fecured to thofe learned bodies.

OXFORD.

OXFORD. The origin of this university is involved in obfcurity. According to Camden, even in the times of the Britons, Oxford was the feat of learning. Some students removing thither from Cricklade, a monaftery was founded by St. Fridefwide, in the time of the Saxons, which was burned and rebuilt by king Ethelred. When the Danes were reduced by Alfred, that prince is faid to have founded three colleges, one for philofophy, another for grammar, and a third for divinity, in the year 886; fo that, on this confideration, Alfred feems rather the restorer than the founder.

GOVERNMENT. The University of Oxford is under the management of the following officers:

CHANCELLOR. The Chancellor is ufually a nobleman, and is elected by the ftudents for life; diplomas, or letters of degrees, provifions, &c. given in the univerfity, pafs under his feal, and he is to govern the univerfity, preferve and defend its rights and privileges, convoke affemblies, and administer justice among the members under his jurifdiction.

HIGH STEWARD. The High Steward is nominated by the chancellor, and approved by the university; his appointment is for life; he affifts the chancellor in the execution of his various duties; and fits as judge in the courts of the univerfity.

VICE CHANCELLOR. The Vice Chancellor is always in orders, and the head of a college; he is nominated by the chancellor, and elected by the university in convocation, annually. He exercises the chancellor's power, and keeps the officers and ftudents to their duty. He also appoints four officers under the name of pro-vice-chancellors, collected from the heads of colleges, to officiate in his abfence.

PROCTORS. There are two Proctors, who are mafters of arts chofen yearly out of the feveral colleges in turn, to keep the peace, punish disorders, oversee weights and measureș, order fcholaftick exercifes, and the admiffion to degrees.

PUBLICK ORATOR. The duty of the Publick Orator is, to write letters by order of the convocation, and to harangue princes and other great men, when they vifit the university.

OTHER OFFICERS. The remaining officers are, a keeper of the archives; a regifter, who records all tranfactions of the convocation, &c; three efquire beadles, with gilt filver maces; and three yeoman beadles, with plain ones, who at tend the vice-chancellor in publick, execute his orders for apprehending delinquents, publifh the courts of convocation, and conduct the preachers to church, and lecturers to school; and a verger, who, on folemn occafions, walks with the beadles before the vice-chancellor, and carries a filver rod..

COLLEGES

. COLLEGES AND HALLS. In Oxford there are twenty Colleges and five Halls. Of each fome flight defcription will be given, premifing a general character in the quaint language of Fuller." Of the colleges," he fays, "Univerfity is the oldeft, Pembroke the youngest, Chrift Church the greateft, Lincoln (by many reputed) the leaft, Magdalen the neateft, Wadham the moft uniform, New College the ftrongeft, and Jefus College (no fault but its unhappinefs) the pooreft; and if I knew which was the richeft, I would not tell, feeing concealment in this kind is the fafcft. New College is more proper for fouthern, Exeter for western, Queen's for northern, Brazen-nofe for north-western men, St. John's for Londoners, Jefus for Welshmen; and at other colleges almost indifferently for men of all countries. Merton has been most famous for schoolmen, Corpus Chrifti (formerly called Trilingue Collegium) for linguifts, Chrift Church for poets, All Souls for orators, New College for civilians, Brazen-nofe for difputants, Queen's College for metaphyficians, Exeter for a late feries of regius profeffors; Magdalen for ancient, St. John's for modern prelates : and all eminent for fome one kind or other. And if any of thefe colleges were tranfported into foreign parts, it would alter its kind, (or degree at leaft,) and prefently of a college proceed an univerfity, as equal to moft, and fuperior to many, academies beyond the fea."

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE. The origin of this college is afcribed to Alfred, who, in 872, erected certain halls in Oxford, near, or on, the fpot where this college ftands, and gave the ftudents fmall penfions, iffuing from the exchequer; but these halls were foon alienated, and the penfions fuppreffed about the reign of the Conqueror. The founder of this college appears, therefore, to be William, archdeacon of Durham, who, in 1219, purchased one of the halls, endowed it with land, and founded ten or more fellowships for natives of the county of Durham, which were foon reduced to two. Succeeding benefactors improved the revenues and buildings of the fociety. Of thefe the moft confiderable are Walter Skirlaw, bishop of Durham, who procured lands from Henry IV. and founded three fellowships for the diocefes of York and Durham. Henry Percy, earl of Northumberland, lord of the Honour of Cockermouth, in 1442, added three fellowships for the diocefes of Durham, York, and Carlifle, with a preference to natives of the county of Northumberland; and Sir Simon Benet established four fellowfhips and four scholarships, to which all perfons born in the province of Canterbury, are eligible. This college is fituate on the fouth fide of the High-ftreet, Oxford, where its front extends more than 260 feet in length. It has two gate-ways,

with a tower over each, at equal diftances from the extremities of the building. That on the, weft leads into the old court, a handsome Gothic quadrangle, 100 feet fquare; and above the gateway are two ftatues; one on the outfide of Queen Anne, another within of James II. Above the other gateway, on the outfide, is a statue of Queen Mary, daughter of James II., and another within of Dr. John Radcliffe. This entrance leads into a smaller court of three fides, each about 80 feet in length, open to a garden on the fouth. The east and part of the north fide, are occupied by the lodgings of the mafter. On the fouth fide of the western quadrangle ftand the chapel and hall. That part of the building has lately undergone a confiderable alteration, by the lengthening of the windows, the addition of buttreffes, battlements, and pinnacles, and the changing of the former clumfy centre into an elegant Gothic bow window and pediment. The chapel is adorned with painted windows, and many monuments of eminent men; and the hall, which was fitted up fome years fince, in the Gothic ftyle, and lately received confiderable improvements, is now one of the most beautiful rooms in Oxford.

No part of the buildings of this college can boaft of any antiquity. The profunt fpacious and uniform ftructure was begun in 1634, by the Rev. Charles Greenwood, formerly a tellow. The work was carried on by Sir Simon Benet; and, by the affiftance of fucceeding patrons, the western quadrangle was finished in 1665. Dr. John Radcliffe gave by will 5000l. for building the north and eaft fides of the other quadrangle, and alfo left his Yorkshire eftate in truft to the fociety, charged with the payment of 600l. to two travelling fellows, ftudents in medicine, to whom he ordered apartments to be appropriated in that part of the building.

The prefent fociety confifts of a mafter, twelve fellows, and feventeen scholars, with other students, amounting in the whole to about feventy.

Vifitor. The king.

BALIOL COLLEGE. Sir John Baliol, of Bernard Castle in Yorkshire, father of John Baliol, king of Scotland, firft defigned the foundation of this college for the education of scholars, to whom he gave yearly exhibitions; but, dying before he purchafed land, he recommended his defign to his widow Devor- guilla, daughter of Alexander III., king of Scotland, who first fettled thefe exhibitions; and, in 1284, purchased a tenement for her scholars of Baliol, and conveyed it to the mafters and scholars of this houfe for ever for their habitation, having ob-. tained a royal charter for that purpofe. She afterwards added feveral new buildings to it, and fettled lands for the maintenance VOL. III.

C

of

of the scholars, dedicating her foundation to the honour of the Holy Trinity, the bleffed Virgin, and St Katherine the martyr ; which benefactions were afterwards ratified by her fon John Baliol, king of Scotland, and Oliver, bishop of Lincoln, in whose diocefe Oxford then was. The value of the lands and revenues belonging to this college did not exceed 271. 95. 4d. per ann. at that time; but the estates were foon afterward greatly enlarged by the benefactions of others, particularly Sir Philip Somerville and Dr. John Warner, bishop of Rochefter, who founded four Scottish exhibitions, endowing them with a revenue, which has fince been augmented by John Snell, Efq.

Baliol college is fituated in Broad-ftreet, and confifts chiefly of one court, which is entered through a Gothic gateway. The buildings about this court are ancient, except the east end, which is finished in the manner in which the rest of that quadrangle may be built.

The Chapel ftands at the north eaft angle of the great court. The great eaft window, which is well executed, represents the paffion, refurrection, and afcenfion of Christ.

The Hall is at the weft end of the fame court.

In the master's lodgings are fome good rooms, particularly a fpacious hall, having a well preferved ancient window to the

caft.

The Library is furnifhed with a large collection of useful books, and many ancient manufcripts. Over the gate of the college are the arms of the Baliol family. Befides this court, there is an area to the north-weft, confifting of feveral detached lodgings for the ftudents; and an elegant new building, rather resembling a modern dwelling-house, with a beautiful front to the street, erected at the expence of Mr Fisher, late fellow of this fociety, in which are feveral handfome apartments.

The Members of this fociety are a master, twelve fellows, fourteen scholars, and eighteen exhibitioners.

Vifitor. The mafter and fellows elect their vifitor.

MERTON COLLEGE. The fociety of Merton, 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 in Oxford), in 1264, the 48th year of Henry III., by Walter de Merton, fome time lord chancellor of England. The inftru ment of endowment, with the ftatutes under the broad feal, the founder's, the bishop of the diocefe's, and that of his chapter, are in the college treafury, and deemed to be the firft charter of the kind in Europe. The ftatutes were finally established under the broad feal and his own, in 1274, the fecond of Edward I. Such was the origin of this ancient fociety, by these charters in

corporated