CHURCH; a magnificent institution, for which Oxford is indebted to the 'king-cardinal,' and for which our great poet has predicted, that

"Christendom shall ever speak his virtue."

Had Wolsey been able to accomplish his plan, he would have made this college the most splendid in Europe. Having matured his design, and obtained the consent of the king, he procured, in 1524 and 1525, two bulls from Pope Clement VII., empowering him to suppress twenty-two of the minor monasteries, and endow with their revenues a school at Ipswich, and a college at Oxford. A convenient site was found for the college in the ground on which the Priory of St. Frideswide, one of the suppressed monasteries, had stood; and he at once set about the erection of CARDINAL COLLEGE, as it was proudly named. Before it had advanced far, however, the Cardinal had fallen from his high estate, and the first care of his pious master was, of course, to appropriate the revenues to his own use. Some years afterwards Henry did cause the works to proceed, though upon a lessened scale; and taking care, at the same time, to transfer the credit of the foundation from the Cardinal to himself, by directing that it should be styled the "College of King Henry the Eighth." Yet this arrangement was only temporary. On the general suppression of monasteries, Henry erected Oxford into a bishopric, making Oseney Abbey to be the seat of the diocese; but he afterwards dismantled the abbey, and transferred the see to St. Frideswide's, connecting it with his newly endowed college, and making the foundation partly ecclesiastical and partly academical. From this time the college was known as Christ Church. Christ Church has produced a number of eminent sons, fully proportioned to the large numbers who have been educated in it. Of prelates and divines it boasts a long and bright list; among statesmen it claims Sir Dudley Carleton, Godolphin, Bolingbroke, Wyndham, Mansfield, Canning, and Sir Robert Peel: Sir Philip Sydney and Ben Jonson may represent its poets; Locke, Penn, South, and Camden, its philosophers, philanthropists, wits, and scholars.

The front of the college in St. Aldate's has a striking effect, both from its architectural excellences and its great extent—its length being about 400 feet. In the centre is a lofty entrance-tower, the famous Tom Gateway; which, though begun at the foundation of the college, was only completed in 1682, under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren-to whom other parts of the college also owe some ornaments of a kind not very consistent with the original buildings. The gateway is named the Tom, from the cupola containing the great bell of that name, whose sonorous voice is so well known to all Oxonians. It was brought from Oseney Abbey, and weighs some 17,000 pounds. Every night, at ten minutes past nine, Tom tolls 101 times, that being the number of students on the foundation; and at the sound the gates of most of the colleges are closed. The quadrangle into which the gateway leads is the largest in Oxford, being 264 feet by 261; and though not so large as that of Trinity at Cambridge, nor perhaps quite so magnificent in its appearance, is yet a most noble one.

On the south side of the quadrangle is the Hall; the entrance to which is of remarkable beauty. The visitor will not fail to notice the very characteristic statue of the Cardinal over the door; nor, as he enters the passage, the handsome groined roof, with its single supporting pillar. The Hall itself is the noblest in Oxford, and one of the finest refectories in England. Its proportions are ample, and the fittings commensurate with its size and the wealth of the institution. It is 115 feet long, 40 wide, and 50 high. The open roof is of carved oak, profusely decorated with the arms of Henry and Wolsey, and has richly-carved pendants. The large fire-places have also elaborate

carvings, and the noble bay-window at the south end has a carved canopy. The sides of the room are hung with a splendid series of portraits, one hundred and twenty in number, mostly the work of eminent artists, and representing the most distinguished men who have been on the college foundation. Even on ordinary occasions, the noble Hall, at the dinner-hour, filled with the robed host of doctors and students—the arrangements so redolent of the old feudal times-magnates sitting in state on the daïs, masters and bachelors at the side-tables, and under-graduates occupying all the lower end-is a sight worth seeing. But Christ Church being the official residence of the Sovereign when at Oxford, this Hall has at times displayed a far more splendid appearance. At such times, a similar system of arranging the tables is adopted, with, of course, a suitable attention to the different ranks of the parties; and those who have witnessed the spectacle describe it as no less impressive than singular. The visitor must carefully look along the portraits. They are the productions of nearly all the leading portrait-painters who have practised in England, from Holbein to Sir Martin Archer Shee. Holbein has the Cardinal and Henry VIII. Vandyke has Bishop Corbet, and a couple more. Lely has several. There is a fine portrait of John Locke, by Kneller. Hogarth has one of Bishop Hooper. Several are by Sir Joshua Reynolds: one of them, that of Archbishop Markham, being reckoned among his best works. Lawrence has a good portrait of Canning: and many others, by old and new masters, may well claim attention as works of art; while there are few out of the whole number that do not possess interest on account of the men they represent.

From the Hall visitors are led by a natural transition to the Kitchen, which it may not be amiss perhaps just to look into, as a specimen of a genuine old English kitchen; and also to catch an idea of the economy of a college cuisine. This is the oldest part of the building, Wolsey having commenced the erection of his college by first constructing the kitchen-a circumstance which gave some exercise to the wits of that day. On leaving the kitchen you need not turn aside to the Chaplain's Quadrangle, but proceed across the Large Quadrangle to Peckwater Quadrangle, the south side of which is the Library, one of the finest in the University. The ground-floor is chiefly occupied by the Guise collection of pictures: a collection of considerable value, as containing a good many specimens of the very early masters, whose works are rather scarce in this country. There are also some examples of the later and more famous Italian masters. Many of the pictures are, indeed, of more than doubtful genuineness; but the collection, if it were arranged in a place where the pictures could be better seen, would attract much more attention than it now obtains. There are also in this room several capital busts, by Rysbrach, Roubiliac, Bacon, and Chantrey. On the staircase leading to the library is a statue of Locke, by Roubiliac. The upper room, the Library, is a noble room, 140 feet long, 30 wide, and 37 high; the wainscot, pillars, and presses are of oak; the ceiling is richly ornamented in stucco; about the room a number of antique statues and busts are arranged so as to increase the general effect; and the whole has a very appropriate scholastic air. Canterbury Quadrangle, which adjoins the Peckwater on the east, was erected in 1775 and following years, under the superintendence of Wyatt. It is Doric in style, and has a substantial look, but suffers by comparison with the more picturesque Gothic which abounds in this city. It received its name from being built on the site of Canterbury Hall; a lapsed foundation of which Wiclif was at one time Warden, and Sir Thomas More a student. The court in which are the Grammar School and the Anatomical Theatre, Fell's Buildings, the Cloisters, and other buildings belonging to this magnificent institution, we may pass by, and proceed to its Chapel-the Cathedral of Oxford.

As a cathedral, Oxford is inferior to most, both in size and splendour. It is cruci

form, and has a spire springing from the intersection of the arms of the cross. The extreme length is 154 feet; the breadth is 102 feet. It is of different ages, and conse quently exhibits considerable diversity of style. The oldest parts are Norman, and belonged to the church of St. Frideswide's Priory, which, according to Dr. Ingram, was consecrated in 1180. Wolsey pulled down fifty feet of the nave, and otherwise altered and adapted it to the use of his college. The additions and alterations that have been made to the original church at different periods, although destructive of all uniformity, have perhaps tended to increase the picturesqueness of parts, and afford curious examples of the progressive changes in taste in English ecclesiastical architecture. The Norman choir is especially deserving of notice, from the peculiar double arches; and the singular effect produced by the elaborate groined roof with its carved pendants, the additions of Wolsey, which contrast strangely with the massive simplicity of the Norman work below. The body of the choir is sadly lumbered up with the seats and stalls necessary for the large body of collegians, and the windows lack the storied glass that should shed a dim religious light; but the appearance during the performance of divine service is both impressive and remarkable, from the numerous band of robed students who crowd the entire area. It is only equalled by the Chapel of Trinity at Cambridge. In walking round the church the visitor should not overlook the very beautiful Chantry Chapel, now called the Latin Chapel, from service being performed in it in Latin, which is said to have been built by Lady Montacute in the fourteenth century: in its windows are choice examples of that beautiful tracery which distinguishes what is called the Decorated style. We may also point attention to a singular decorated window which has been inserted into the south transept, and which bears considerable resemblance to some of those in the Flamboyant style, so frequently met with in Continental churches. In the various parts of the church are a great many monuments, both ancient and modern, of considerable interest. That called the Shrine of St. Frideswide is the most striking: it is a lofty and richly sculptured shrine, three stories high, of perpendicular work, and is supposed to have been erected about 1480, over the bones of the saint. Many ancient monuments are exceedingly curious. Among the more modern, the best known is the rather singular one to the memory of the author of the 'Anatomy of Melancholy.' Of those erected in our own day the noble statue of Dean Jackson, by Chantrey, is sure to command notice.

We may quit Christ Church by the Canterbury Gate, and proceed up Merton-lane, from the largest of the colleges to the oldest. On our way thither, however, we must pass between two other colleges, standing directly opposite each other, that deserve a passing recognition, though it were only on account of the men who had been nurtured in them. That on the right is CORPUS CHRISTI, which was founded by the liberal Bishop Fox, early in the reign of Henry VIII. The buildings are partly of the date of the foundation; others are more recent: neither require particular mention. The more ancient have suffered from many alterations; but, as recently restored, the Chapel and Hall will repay a visit: the modern buildings are but commonplace. But it has large claims on the respect of every true Churchman. The two most famous champions of the Church of England-Bishop Jewel and the judicious Hooker-are both of Corpus Christi; nor are the names of many honourable successors of those giants of old wanting in the list of the college worthies.

Opposite Corpus stands ORIEL COLLEGE, a much older establishment; it having been founded in 1326, by Edward II., at the instigation of Adam de Brom, his almoner. The oldest of the present buildings, however, is not of earlier date than about 1620. These parts are not remarkable either for beauty or grandeur; but they are pleasing

and picturesque. The library was erected, in 1788, from a design by Wyatt. It bears no resemblance to any of the earlier buildings, but is a substantial and stately pile; and it contains a choice store of books. Among the "men of fame who have renowned this college," Sir Walter Raleigh and Bishop Butler stand pre-eminent. William Prynne, the celebrated Parliament scribe, was also one of its members; and he bequeathed his valuable library to it. Of the notable men of the present day it claims a goodly share of these the names of Archbishop Whately, Bishops Copleston and Wilberforce, and Dr. Arnold, may suffice.

Come we now to MERTON COLLEGE,-the most ancient foundation in Oxford, and one that is the more interesting to the visitor, inasmuch as, though scarcely any portion of the original structure is left, it possesses buildings of an earlier date than any other college. The founder was Walter de Merton, a man who in his day held many civil as well as ecclesiastical offices, and was Chancellor of England and Bishop of Rochester at his death in 1277. The foundation charter bears date January 7, 1264; and the statutes laid down in it for the government of Merton, have served as the model for those of all, or nearly all, the later establishments. Before the foundation of colleges, the students at Oxford (of course, with the exception of those attached to St. Frideswide's Priory and other religious houses in the city or its vicinity) lodged, like those of Cambridge, in halls, inns, or hostels, as they were variously called, under the governance of a principal, but at their own expense. As has been said already, Merton was, in its early days, famous for its professors in scholastic theology. The "profound Bradwardine," "subtle Scotus," and "invincible Occam," were all members of it. Wiclif was also a scholar of Merton.

the

The buildings of Merton consist of three courts: the tourist should stroll through them. The largest quadrangle is only of the time of James I., and has been not inaptly termed" the schools in miniature :" it is in the smaller courts that the older parts are to be found. Of these the noblest by far is the chapel, the choir of which may be of age of the founder, and is certainly not later than the commencement of the fourteenth century. It is a very fine edifice, and commands the admiration of all whose judgment is worth regarding. The splendid choir is one of the longest and handsomest in Oxford. The effect of its graceful proportions, and the long series of elaborately decorated windows in the sides, with the noble one at the end, is very striking. The visitor will hardly need to have his attention directed to the elegant tracery in the side windows (there are fourteen of them); and he cannot help being struck by the marvellous beauty of the great east, or, as it is often called, the Catherinewheel, window. A good deal of the original stained glass remains in the side windows, and adds much to their value. There are, too, in the chapel some monuments that should not be overlooked. Two brasses, of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, are good examples of the incised work of their respective times. One of the monuments is to the memory of Sir Thomas Bodley, the munificent founder of the Bodleian Library; another, to the memory of Sir Henry Saville, exhibits a representation of the colleges of Eton and Merton as they appeared in 1621. Externally, the tower of Merton Chapel is very fine: from Merton field and the adjacent meadows its appearance is most majestic, and it tells well in every general view of the city.

In the first court stands the Hall, a handsome building, until it was renovated and beautified by Mr. Wyatt. The third court is the smallest of the three courts; but it is the oldest, and is, indeed, one of the most perfect examples left of an ancient college quadrangle. The larger part of the south and west sides of it are taken up by the library, which is known, by the college records, to have been erected in 1377, and is generally regarded as one of the most ancient libraries in the kingdom. The gardens

of Merton are much admired, and there are some pleasant prospects from the terraces. They may be seen upon application to the porter.

Merton is the oldest college that can produce title-deeds in support of its antiquity; but UNIVERSITY COLLEGE asserts its precedence, carrying back its origin to the ninth century, and claiming the great Alfred for its founder. This is the college whose long, black, weather-beaten front forms so noticeable a feature in the High-street. This frontage, which is above 260 feet long, would be imposing, if only from its extent; but it has a good deal of architectural merit, though wanting in the richness of the olden Gothic. None of the buildings are earlier than the reign of Charles I. The principal front is a regular and substantial structure, rather plain, though stately; but the general elevation is relieved by two lofty gateway towers, which stand at equal distances from the extremities, and have bay windows with canopied statues, and somewhat more of ornament than the remainder of the frontage. These gateways lead into the two quadrangles which contain the college buildings. The western and principal quadrangle is about 100 feet square. Its construction was begun in 1634, but it was not completed till 1674. The statue over the gateway leading to this quadrangle is that of Queen Anne; on the inner side is a corresponding statue of James II., which was presented to the college in the mastership of Obadiah Walker, who, it will be remembered, joined the Romish Church on the accession of James, and lost his post at the Revolution. This is said to be the only statue remaining of James II., besides that at Whitehall. The other gateway leads to the eastern quadrangle, which is about 80 feet square. Only three of the sides have buildings. The north and east sides were built at the cost of Dr. Radcliffe. The statue placed over the front of the gateway which leads to this quadrangle is that of Queen Mary, wife of William III.; the corresponding statue on the inner side is one of Dr. Radcliffe—a much more appropriate choice than that of the king who overlooks the other quadrangle. The chapel may be just glanced at. It is in no acknowledged style of architecture, Gothic and classic being freely intermingled, but it has considerable elegance of appearance. It was begun in 1635, but it remained unfinished till 1665. Much of the carving is by Grinling Gibbons, and exhibits all his usual delicacy of execution. The chapel contains Flaxman's celebrated rilievo in memory of Sir William Jones, who was a fellow of this College. Within the last few years an additional building has been erected from the design of Barry, the architect of the 'Palace at Westminster,' and it will be admitted to be a most graceful addition to the architecture of the High-street of Oxford.

We will not linger over the buildings of QUEEN'S COLLEGE. The chapel and hall, however, are note worthy. The library, too, is a very handsome room inside; so is the basement floor, which a few years ago was fitted up by Mr. Cockerell as an addition to the old room—a measure which was rendered necessary by the munificent gift of Dr. Mason, who, besides his own books and antiquities, left the sum of £30,000 to his old college for the purchase of books. Queen's College received its name from Queen Philippa, wife of Edward III., who was its patroness; and it has ever since been regarded as especially under the patronage of the queens of England, who have often been considerable benefactors to it. The founder of it was Robert de Eglesfeld, chaplain to Queen Philippa. The institution is a highly prosperous one, and has had a good share of famous and (as we have seen in one instance) grateful sons.

A little lower down the High-street is the very handsome front of ALL SOULS' COLLEGE; and the restorations here have been most beneficial. The buildings of All Souls' are most extensive and varied. The Old Quadrangle is a quiet, characteristic example of collegiate architecture. The New Quadrangle, or Grand Court, 172