OXFORD. 
4. New College, founded - - A.D. 1386 different periods, and appears to have been a eoi by the 
8. Lincoln College - - - 1427 cKanges which occurred in its revenue. the fo- 
g- All-Souls College ‘ < i 1437 ciety confifted of ninety-three members, but at oon there 
10. Magdalen College 1456 are only f ight; a warden, twenty-four fellows, two 
11. The King’s Hall and College of Brafen-Nole 1509 chaplains, fourteen poft-mafters, four fcholars, and tw 
12. Corpus Chrifti College 1516 clerks rden is chofen from among the fellows, who 
13. Chrift-Church . : . : 1525 prefent a leet of three to the archbifhop of Canterbury, by 
14. Trinity College - - - 155 m one of t is appointed to the e firlt 
15. St. John’s College - - - 1557 common room, ufed in any college in Great Britain, was 
16. Jefus College - - - - 1571 fitted up here in 1661 the more eminent members 
17. Wadham College - - - 1613 of Merton college were Du Wiclifle, fir Henry 
18. Pembroke College - - - 1620 Savi r. Harv e difcoverer of the circulation of the 
19. Worcefter College - - - : 1714 blood, the Acasa Drufius, and Robert Devereux, earl 
20. Hertford College - - - 1740 Of Effex, the parliamentary a whofe charaéter is fo 
‘ ingen ee as n by lord Claren 
Halls. Univerfity Colkge, as already noticed, is faid to — owe 
1. St. Alban’s Hall, about * pa 1200. «1ts origin t red. Smith, in his hiftory of ¢his 
2. Edmund Ha 7 - : : 1317 college, has proved to the fatisfaGtion of every unprejudiced 
3. St sat i 2 2 . 1325 mind, that it was founded by the univerfity, with the money 
4. New 7 . 1391 of Willi f Durham, who died at Rouen in Normandy, 
5. St. Mary Nestea Hall 7 : 1480 int the year 1249, and bequeathed gro a marks to purchafe 
Merton College, which is the oldeft in point of legal 
eftablifhment in the univerfity, was founded by Walter de 
Merton, bifhop of Rochefter, and lord chancellor of Eng- 
land, who began to ereét the buildings about the year 1260, 
and “eftablithed the college by charter, dated January 7, 
1264, under the appellation of « Domus Scholiarum de 
Merton.”? A fecond charter was granted in 1270, and a 
third in 1274; ct confirming the original deed, and adding 
new privileges and pofleffions to thofe previoufly conferred. 
The firft — of this college were nominated in 1276, 
abou after the completion_of the buildings. Its 
chief benefaors, befides the founder, were Ella, countefs 
Ww 
oo 8 
ry O 
ew = 
the tower and gate- 
early part of the 1 5th Satay, in the wardenfhip of Thomas 
Rodburne, bifhop of St. David’ s, and one of the moft dif- 
with four tiers 
of co inh, 4 or four orders of architecture ; but the third or 
fmall court is of ancient ere€tion, and is fuppofed to have 
been entirely built about the fame time with the library, 
which forms its fouth and welt fides. 
tioned, and is the oldeft ftructure, diftmaly ad aa 
as fuch, in the kingdom. 550, whe the wo 
formation was conducted, in fome inftances, within more zeal 
rinted books and 
e 
The hall o 
Elizabeth was enter- 
tained at dinner, on che occalion of her vifit to the univerfity, 
with her privy council, in 1592 
he number of ftudents at Mertoa college has varied at 
r the maintenan t eleven, 
At firft, the raids left by this 
benefa@tor were appropriated to the fupport of a limited 
number of sararris (chofen from the various halls of the 
univerfity,) who t form an independent fociety, but 
were feverally fubordinate to the {chools ia which they had 
been educated. In 1 , however, they were contftituted 
a fociety by en elees, under certain conditions; and in 
1292, their privileges were confirmed and enlarged by a 
body of ftatutes. The fituatioh of their houfe, or hall, at 
this period, is uncertain ; but hiftorians have generally placed 
it on part of the ted of Brazen- nofe colle ege, and affert that 
term college was firft applied is not afcertained, nor is it 
hat time the corporation was complete 
Names benefators to this college appeared within the 
firft century after its foundation; and in 1403 Walter 
urham, ga 
am. 
1442, gave lands and the eee of a re€tory to fupport 
three bachelors or matters of arts from the diocefes of Dur- 
ham, Carlhfle, and York. In 1566, Joan Davys, wife of 
a citizen of Oxford, gave certain € ftates for the eitablifhment 
ford, Robert Dudley, earl of Leicefter, John Freyfton of 
Altofts in Yorkfhire, the Rev. Robert Gunfley, and fir 
Simon Bennct, were likewife very confiderable donors. But 
the greateft benefacto modern times was Dr. Radcliffe, 
befides renderin ng i 
fice receives 300/. per annum ie a years, the firft five 
of which he is required to fpend abroa 
Univerliry college ftands on the fouth fide of High-flreet, 
and confilts principally of two quadrangular courts, one o 
which 
