150 O X F 
fociety now confifts of a provoft, eighteen fellows, fifteen 
exhibitioners, and other ftudents. The lord-chancellor 
is the vifitor. 
The buildings confift of a large quadrangle, and two 
lateral ranges of chambers for the reception of ftudents, 
with a library between. The whole of the quadrangle 
was rebuilt in the early part of the feventeenth century, 
and both exteriorly and interiorly poflfefles uniformity of 
ityle and conftruCfion. The front, towards the ftreet, is 
divided by a fquare tower, which rifes over the entrance, 
and is ornamented with a bay-window, or oriel. The 
hall faces the gateway, and is approached by a flight of 
fteps under a portico, furmounted by ftatues of Edward 
II. and III. in niches, with the virgin and child in ano¬ 
ther niche immediately above. The provoft’s lodgings 
are on the north fide ; and the buildings on the louth 
and weft are entirely appropriated for the accommodation 
of ftudents. The library was defigned by James Wyatt, 
efq. architect, and executed under his direction. It con¬ 
tains, among many other books, a very curious and va¬ 
luable collection, which was bequeathed to the fociety 
by Edward lord Leigh of Stourleigh. 
6. Queen’s College was founded by Robert Egles- 
feld, confelfor to queen Philippa, the illuftrious confort 
of Edward III. The founder was defcended from an 
honourable family in the county of Cumberland; and 
appears to have been defervedly held in high eftimation 
by his royal matter and miftrefs, as he employed his inte- 
reft at court chiefly in promoting religion and learning. 
Anxious to fupply the means of education to the border- 
counties, in which, to life his own expreflion, “an un- 
■ufual fcarcity of literature prevailed,” he purchafed fome 
tenements on or near the fite of the prefent buildings; 
and obtained a charter, dated January 18, 1340, from 
Edward III. to conftitute a collegiate hall, under the 
name of “Aula Scholarium Reginas de Oxon a title 
which feems to imply that the queen had fome lhare in 
its inftitution. At all events, fhe took it immediately 
after under her protection ; and, in confequence, the ho¬ 
norary patronage of the college has ever fince apper¬ 
tained to the queens of England. By the original char¬ 
ter and ftatutes of this eftabiilhment, the fociety was to 
confift of a provoft and twelve fellows or fcholars; the 
provoft to be in holy orders, and chofen from among the 
fellows, who were to be natives of Cumberland and Weft- 
nioreland, in the firft inftance ; and afterwards of thole 
counties in which the college poflefled property. This 
number, however, has fince been increafed by various 
benefactions, but by none fo much as by that of John 
Michel, efq. of Richmond, who bequeathed eftates va¬ 
lued at 700I. a-year, for the maintenance of eight mafter- 
fellows, four bachelor-fcholars, and four under-graduate 
fcholars, or exhibitioners ; and for the ereCtion of fuita- 
ble buildings for the accommodation of the mafters and 
fcholars ; fo that this has been confidered in the light of 
a new foundation. The queens who have contributed to 
the college, befides queen Philippa, are Henrietta Maria, 
confort to Charles I. queen Caroline, and her late majefty. 
The firft gave three reCtories and as many vicarages, and 
the two laft prefented ioool. each towards enlarging and 
repairing the buildings, which now confift of two courts, 
divided by the hall and chapel, and forming an oblong 
300 feet long and 220 broad. With the exception of the 
chapel, the whole of this college was ereCted during the 
laft century. The ftyle of its architecture is therefore 
modern. The principal front is in the High-ftreet, and 
has in the centre a large gateway, over which is a ftatue 
of queen Caroline, under a cupola fupported by pillars. 
This gateway leads into the firft court, which bears, in 
general, a remarkable refemblance to the Luxembourg- 
palace at Paris. The principal library-room is one of the 
largeft in the univerfity, and is arranged in a very tafte- 
ful manner. Here are two very ancient paintings on 
glafs of Henry V. who received his education at this 
college. 
O R D. 
7. New College is indebted for its origin to William 
de Wykeham bifhop of Winchefter, one of the moft il¬ 
luftrious characters of his age. He founded the fociety 
about the year 1373, and eftablilhed the members in halls, 
which he hired for their reception, till a college could be 
ereCted. Of this college he laid the foundation-ftone in 
1380, under the authority of the king’s licenfe, and like- 
wife of the pope’s bull ; but the buildings were not com¬ 
pleted for a period of fix years. As foon as they were, 
however, the fociety removed into them, and took pof- 
feflion with great folemnity. The fame year, Wykeham 
began his collegiate eftabiilhment at Winchefter, which 
was to ferve as anurfery to that of Oxford ; fo grand and 
comprehenfive was the original defign of this diftinguilhed 
benefaClor. Both focieties, by their refpeCtive charters 
and ftatutes, were made to confift of a warden and feventy 
fcholars, befides priefts, clerks, and chorifters, for the fer- 
vice of the chapels. That of Winchefter had likewife a 
fchoolmafter and ulher, and w'as to fupply ftudents to 
the Oxford college, by election, and to fubmit to an an¬ 
nual vifitation from the warden and two fellows of the 
latter. Many fpecial privileges were at this time fecured 
to New College ; of which one was, that the fellows 
Ihould be admitted to all degrees in the univerfity, upon 
being found qualified by examinations conducted, accor¬ 
ding to form, in their own college. This right was quef- 
tioned in 1608, but decided by the then chancellor, arch- 
bifliop Bancroft, in favour of Wykeham’s foundation. 
See Wykeham. 
Many benefaCtors have contributed to augment the 
profperity of this college befides the founder, but only 
one appeared during his life-time : this was John de 
Buckingham, bifhop of Lincoln, who prefented to the 
fociety the advowfon of Swalcliffe church, together with 
fome adjacent lands. Of the fubfequent donors, the 
principal were, Thomas Beckington, bifhop of Bath ; 
Robert Shireburn, bifhop of Chichefter; John Smyth, a 
burgher of Ipfwich ; Dr. Flefhmonger, dean of Chichef¬ 
ter ; and Chriftopher Rawlins, vicar of Alderbury in 
1589. By the afliltance of thefe, and numerous fmaller 
benefactions, this fociety became one of the richeftin Ox¬ 
ford ; its yearly revenues being reckoned at ioool. in 1592, 
when it confifted of 130 perfons. The prefent members 
are a warden, feventy fellows, ten chaplains, three clerks, 
afexton, and fixteen chorifters. The whole of the fel¬ 
lows muft be eleCted from Winchefter, at a regular 
meeting for that purpofe, which is attended by the war¬ 
dens of both colleges, two fellows of New College, and 
the fub-warden and head-mafter of Winchefter. The 
vifitor of New College is the bifhop of Winchefter. In 
the original charter of foundation, this college is enti¬ 
tled “ Seinte Marie College of Wyncheftre but, having 
popularly received the name of New College at the time 
of its ereCtion, it has, by a remarkable inattention to 
propriety, retained that appellation through every fuc- 
ceeding age. 
The buildings of this college are extenfive, diverfified, 
and interefting. As originally projected by the founder, 
they confifted of a fpacious quadrangle, including the 
chapel, hall, and library, with a fmall quadrangle ad¬ 
joining, called the cloifters. The other buildings, which 
form the garden-court, conftitute an addition to the ori¬ 
ginal defign, and were built in 1684, in imitation either 
of the palace of Verfailles, or of the king’s houfe at Win¬ 
chefter. The approach to the great quadrangle is by a 
portal, with a tower above, which ftill retains the fculp-> 
tured effigy of Wykeham in one of its ornamented niches. 
The chapel and hall on the north fide of the great court 
prefent as fine an elevation as any in the univerfity. The 
former is peculiarly beautiful and chafte in its interior 
decorations. The choir of this ftruCture is 100 feet long, 
35 broad, and 65 high; and the anti-chapel, running at 
right angles into the choir, meafures about 80 feet in 
length by 36 in breadth. The windows of the latter di- 
vifion afford a magnificent difplay of painted glafs, in 
four 
