Bath in its relation to Education. 135 



few in England can compare with Prior Park. Four hun- 

 dred feet above the Avon, it commands a landscape full of 

 Italian beauty, inclosing the Roman city of the Sun. Built 

 close to the ancient Wansdyke, which runs along at the 

 back ; and, in the time of its first owner, the scene of hospit- 

 ality to poets, statesmen, and orators ; its traditions are un- 

 usually interesting. There are now three large, handsome 

 piles of buildings — the original mansion, and two wings, built 

 ior collegiate purposes, to which has been added a beautiful 

 basilica, not yet completed, to be used as a church. The 

 mansion, 150 feet wide, with its grand Corinthian portico of 

 six columns, was built by Ralph Allen, the Bath postmaster, 

 in 1734, and occupied by him till his death.* After passing 

 through various hands it came, in 1829, into those of Bishop 

 Baines, the Catholic Vicar Apostolic of the Western district. 

 By him it was made a college, and he caused the wings to 

 be built, one being dedicated to St. Peter, the other to St. 

 Paul. The establishment held high rank for some years, 

 but eventually collapsed. Again the property was bought 

 for private uses, and then rebought by the Catholics, for 

 whom it has since served the purpose of a smaller college. 



A more recent cause of educational reputation 

 ° ^^^' is the Bath College, established in 1878. It 

 had long been felt that a city with so many advantages of 

 cUmate, situation, and society, should have a first-class school 

 for boys. The prosperity of the Colleges at Clifton, Chelten- 

 ham, and Marlborough, encouraged an effort to form a Com- 

 pany, which was aided by the co-operation of eminent autho- 

 rities at the Universities. In two respects the promoters were 

 fortunate : the choice of a head master who had won golden 

 opinions for twelve years as second master at Clifton, and 



* See p. 81. 



