148 O X F 
early fcholar; but, to err on the liberal fide, will probably 
always be found the fafeft. 
Find’ll thou the golden mean, where Right from Wrong 
(Though e’er fo clofe) runs clearly mark’d along ? 
Where Rigour ends ere Laxity begins, 
And pardon’d faults Hop Ihort of licenfed fins? 
’Tis well. But, candid Rhedycina, fay. 
In this the reflux of thy brighter day. 
Screws not thy hand too tight the llrong machine, 
Where thy young votaries ne’er before were feen ? 
How canft thou hope degenerate times like thefe 
Will yield a holt to llorm Thucydides ? 
How canft thou bid them at fo green an age, 
Reap the full vigour of that attic page ? Sceculomajlix , 1819. 
Colleges and Halls. 
The univerfity contains tw’enty diftind endowed cor¬ 
porations, termed colleges; and five halls, or buildings 
appropriated for the residence of ftudents, under the fu- 
perintendence of a principal, who receives rent for their 
chambers. The following is an account of thefe inftitu- 
tions, according to the date of their refpedive charters of 
foundation. 
r. Merton College, which is the oldell in point of 
legal eliablilhnaent in the univerfity, was founded by 
Walter de Merton, bifliop of Rochefter, and lord-chan¬ 
cellor of England, who began to ered the buildings about 
the year 1260, and ellablilhed the college by charter, 
dated January 7, 1264, under the appellation of “ Doinus 
Scholiarum de Merton.” A feccnd charter was granted 
in 1270, and a third in 1274; both confirming the origi¬ 
nal deed, and adding new privileges and pofteffions to 
thofe previously conferred. The firlt officers of tlfts col¬ 
lege were nominated in 1276, about two years after the 
completion of the buildings. Its chief benefadors, be- 
fides the founder, were Ellaeountefs of Warwick, about 
the year 2295; John Willyott, chancellor of Exeter, in 
1380; Dr. Thomas Jeflop, phyfician, in 1595; William 
Rede bifliop of Chic-hefter; and fir Thomas Bodley. This 
coiiegeis fituated in St. John’s-flreet, to the eall of Corpus 
Cbrifli, and its buildings are arranged round three courts 
or quadrangles. The outer court to the ftreet was re¬ 
built in 1589, with the exception of the tower and gate- 
lioufe, which were conftruded in the early part of the 
■fifteenth century, in the wardenffiip of Thomas Rod- 
burne bifliop of St. David's, and one of the moll diftin- 
guiffied mathematicians of his age. Within this court 
are the warden’s lodgings, fome portions of which are 
fuppofed to be coeval with the original edifice. The fe- 
cond or grand court is of modern date, and exhibits a 
mixed ftyle of architecture: the centre elevation is 
adorned with four tiers of columns, or four orders of ar¬ 
chitecture ; but the third, or fmall court, is of ancient erec¬ 
tion, and is fuppofed to have been entirely built about the 
fame time with the library, which forms its fouth and well 
(ides. This library was founded in 1376, by the bifliop 
of Chichelter above mentioned, and is the oldell llruCture, 
diftinctly appropriated as inch, in the kingdom. I11 1550, 
when, the work of reformation was conducted, in fome 
inltar.ces, with more zeal than judgment, many of the 
printed books and manuscripts belonging to this inftitu- 
tion were either fold or deltroyed. Upon the relloration 
of the library, however, by fir Thomas Bodley, a confi- 
derable part of them was recovered by the liberality of 
thofe. private individuals by whom they had been pur- 
chafed, The hall of this college is remarkable, as having 
been the room in which queen Elizabeth was entertained 
3t dinner, on the occafion of her vifit to the univerfity, 
with her privy-council, in 1592, 
2. University College, as already noticed, is faid 
to have owed its origin to king Alfred. Smith, in his 
hiftory of this college, has proved to the fatisfaftion of 
every unprejudiced mind, that it was founded by the uni¬ 
verfity, with the money of William of Durham, who died 
at Rouen in Normandy in the year 2249, and bequeathed 
3 
O R D. 
310 marks to purchafe certain annual rents for the main¬ 
tenance of ten, eleven, twelve, or more, mailers. At firft, 
the funds left by this benefador were appropriated to the 
fupport of alimited number of individuals, (chofen from 
the various halls of the univerfity,) who did not form an 
independent fociety, but w r ere feveraliy fubordinate to 
the fchools in which they had been educated. In 1280, 
however, they were conllituted a fociety by themfelves, 
under certain conditions; and in 1292, their privileges 
were confirmed and enlarged by a body of ftatutes. The 
fitiiation of their lioufe, or hall, at this period, is uncer¬ 
tain; but hillorians have generally placed it-on part of 
the file of Brazen-nofe College, and affert that they re¬ 
moved to the prefent college, in the High-ftreet, about 
the year 1343. On this removal, they ftyled themfelves 
the Mailers and Scholars of the Hall of the Univerfity of 
Oxford, and their houfe Univerfity Hall; but in 1381, the 
latter began to be called Great Univerfity Hall. When 
the term College was firlt applied is not afcertained, nor 
is it known at what time the corporation was completed. 
This, however, moll probably did not take place till 
about the year 1475, when the body of llatutes Hill in 
force were enabled; but a common feal was ufed as early 
as the year 1320. 
Numerous benefactors to this college appeared within 
the firlt century after its foundation ; and in 1403 Walter 
Shirlaw bifliop of Durham, gave the manor of Mark’s 
Hall, in Effex, for the maintenance of three fellows, na¬ 
tives of York and Durham. Henry earl of Northumber¬ 
land, in 1442, gave lands and the advowfon cffi a redory 
to fupport three bachelors or mailers of arts fiom the 
diocefes of Durham, Carlille, and York. In 1566, Joan 
Davys, wife of a citizen of Oxford, gave certain ellates 
for the eftablilhment of two logic ledurers, or one in logic 
and another in philofophy; and for an augmentation of 
the allowance to the mailers and fellows. Francis Ruflel 
fecond earl of Bedford, Robert Dudley earl.of Leiceller, 
John Freyften of Altofts in Yorklhire, the E.ev. Robert 
Gunfley, and fir Simon Bennet, were likewife very confi- 
derable donors. But the greateft benefaClor of modern 
times was Dr. Radclilfe, who, befides rendering munifi¬ 
cent affiftance toward improving the buildings of the col¬ 
lege, inllituted and endowed two travelling fellowlhips 
for ftudents in medicine. Each fellow receives 300I. per 
annum for ten years, the firft five of which he is required 
to fpend abroad, 
Univerfity College Hands on the fouth fide of High- 
ftreet, and confifts principally of two quadrangular courts, 
one of which was built at various times between the years 
5634 and 1675. It is a hundred feet fquare, with a chapel 
and hall on the fouth fide. The other court, which was 
chiefly erefied by Dr. Radclifte, has only three lides, the 
fourth opening to the mailer’s garden. Thefe two qua¬ 
drangles form a grand front towards the ftreet, of about 
260 feet in length, with two tower-gateways. The clta- 
pel of this college was built in t 665, and difplays much 
painted glafs in the windows. It alfo contains a cenotaph 
to the memory of ftr William Jones, the celebrated ori- 
entalift, defigned and executed by I’laxman, and is highly 
creditable to the talents of the artift. The library here 
was completed in 1669, and is furnilhed with a very va¬ 
luable colleClion of books and manufcripts, 
3. Balliol College owes its foundation to John de 
Balliol, of Bernard Caltle, in the county of Durham, 
father to the unfortunate king of Scotland of the fame, 
name. This gentleman, who pollefled a tafte for litera¬ 
ture and a benevolence of difpofition little prevalent in 
the thirteenth century, commenced it in the year 1263, 
and intended thatitlhould maintain fixteen poorfcholars 
of Oxford. He died, however, without having'efteded 
the delign, and fo fuddeniy, that he left no will, but ver¬ 
bally enjoined his lady and executors to take charge of, 
and give permanency to, his infant inllitution. Lady 
Dervorgille, accordingly, at the inlligation of her con* 
feflbr Richard Slickbury, hired a houle on the lite of the 
prefent 
