286 



CAMBRIDGE. 



Cambridge, decayed ; but some of the scholars have endeavoured 

 1 to preserve it, by covering the damaged parts with 

 sheet lead. 



St John's College owes its original endowment to 

 the same Lady Margaret ; but it was not completed 

 till after her death, and was opened, in 1516, for a 

 master and 31 fellows. It occupies the site of a 

 priory of the same name, and consists of three courts, 

 extending from St John's Street to the river. It is 

 chiefly built of brick, and the entrance court from 

 the street is ornamented with a magnificent portal 

 and four towers. On the other side of the brook, 

 which bounds the walks of this college, are the re- 

 mains of an ancient and spacious building, called Py- 

 thagoras' Schoolt or Merton Hall. Its walls are 

 strengthened with buttresses, and supported by arch- 

 es of the Saxon style ; but the building is otherwise 

 completely devoid of ornament, except one window 

 on each side, which has a slender pillar in the centre, 

 with a capital decorated with a round moulding. 

 This is supposed to have been the place where the 

 monks of Croyland delivered their lectures. It is, 

 however, now used as a barn. 



Magdalene College is situated in Bridge Street, on 

 the west side of the river, and was originally a priory 

 for canons-regular, dedicated to St Giles. In the 

 reign of Henry VIII., it was purchased by Edward, 

 duke of Buckingham, who erected a part of the pre- 

 sent building, and intended to have endowed it ; but 

 was prevented by his execution, and the consequent 

 confiscation of his property. It was afterwards en- 

 dowed for a master and four fellows, in 1542, by 

 Lord Audley, chancellor of England, who obtained 

 a grant of it from the king, and a charter of incor- 

 poration, under the name of St Mary Magdalene 

 College. The chapel has a curious altar-piece of 

 plaster of Paris, representing the two Maries at the 

 sepulchre in alto relievo. 



Trinity College occupies the site of two ancient 

 colleges, St Michael's and King's Hall, and several 

 hotels. It was founded and endowed by Henry VIII. 

 in 1546, and possesses the richest revenues of any si- 

 milar establishment in Cambridge. Its buildings are 

 also very magnificent, consisting of two spacious but 

 irregular quadrangular courts, the largest of which 

 measures 334 feet by 325 west and east, and 287 by 

 256 north and south. The east entrance from the 

 street is by a grand tower gateway, which is orna- 

 mented by a statue of Henry VIII., and a variety of 

 carving ; and the south gateway is surmounted with 

 four lofty towers at the corners, and adorned with a 

 fine statue of Queen Elizabeth in her robes. The 

 chapel is built in the Gothic style, and was erected 

 by the sister queens, Mary and Elizabeth. On the 

 altar-piece is a fine picture of St Michael and the 

 Devil," by West ; and on each side, an antique and 

 curious piece of painting in perspective ; the one re- 

 presenting our Saviour and St John the Baptist ; the 

 other, the Virgin Mary and the mother of St John. 

 Behind the organ gallery is a statue of the immortal 

 Newton, executed in a masterly style by Roubilliac, 

 and erected at the expence of Dr Robert Smith. 

 The philosopher is represented in a loose gown of a 

 master of arts, with a prism in his hands. His coun- 

 tenance is turned upwards, with a look of profound 



and abstracted meditation, and on the pedestal is the Cambridge, 

 inscription, Qui genus humanum ingenio superavit. 

 The drapery and features are extremely beautiful ; 

 and the whole figure is considered one of the finest 

 specimens of English statuary. 



There is, perhaps, no object in the University bet- 

 ter worth a stranger's notice, than the superb library 

 of this college. It is a spacious apartment, occu- 

 pying one side of the quadrangle called Neville's 

 Court. The coup d'oeil at entering is surprisingly 

 grand ; the books are ranged on either side, and the 

 compartments severally crowned with busts of an- 

 cient and modern authors. There are likewise busts 

 of Nev/ton and Bacon, both members of this col- 

 lege, by Roubiliac, and many curious manuscripts 

 and marbles presented to the college at different times 

 by its members. 



In the master's lodge are apartments for the chan- 

 cellor and judges when they hold the assizes at Cam- 

 bridge. At the installation of the Duke of Glou- 

 cester at the annual commencement in July 1811, 

 twelve hundred persons, consisting of members of 

 the senate, and strangers of distinction, were sump- 

 tuously entertained by his Royal Highness in the 

 cloisters of Neville's Court. 



Emanuel College occupies the site of a Domini- 

 can convent, on the north side of St Andrew's Street, 

 It was founded in 1584, by Sir Walter Mildmay,, 

 and endowed for a master, three fellows, and four 

 scholars. The altar-piece of the chapel is adorned 

 with a fine painting of the " Prodigal Son," by Am- 

 miconi. 



Sidney -Sussex College was originally a monastery 

 of Franciscans, or Grey Friars, which was purchased 

 by the executors of Frances Sidney, countess of Sus- 

 sex, who had bequeathed J65000, and some other 

 property, for the foundation of a college, consisting 

 of a master, 10 fellows, and 20 scholars. This be- 

 quest, however, being found insufficient to defray 

 the expenee of the buildings, &c. the fellows were 

 reduced to seven. The chapel was rebuilt about 

 twenty years ago ; and has on the altar-piece, a fine 

 painting of the " Nativity," by Pittoni, a Venetian. 



In the master's lodge is a curious original picture 

 of Oliver Cromwell, who was educated here. 



Besides the colleges mentioned above, another is 

 about to be established, by the name of Downing 

 College, in pursuance of the will of Sir George Down- 

 ing, Bart, who bequeathed several valuable estates, 

 in failure of the issue of Sir Jacob Downing and his 

 three sons, for the foundation of a college within the 

 precincts of the university of Cambridge, to be called 

 by his own name. On the death of Sir Jacob, who 

 survived all his children, in 1764, the validity of the 

 original will was disputed by his lady and her rela- 

 tions, and was not finally settled until 1800, when 

 the great seal was affixed to the charter for the in- 

 corporation of the new college. The establishment 

 is to consist of a master, a professor of the laws of 

 England, a professor of medicine, and 16 fellows. 



The master, professors, and four fellows,, are al- 

 ready appointed, and considerable progress is made 

 in the building, under that excellent architect, Wil- 

 liam Wilkins, Esq. It is to be of the purest Do- 

 ric; the principal gateway to face the entrance to the 

 3 



