zabeth Periam, of Greenland, in Berkshire, who founded a fellowship and two scholarships, &c.

In addition to these liberal bequests, Dr. Warner, Bishop of Rochester, and founder of Bromley College, gave, in the year 1666, part of the emoluments of his manor of Swayton, for the maintenance of four scholars of the Scottish nation, to be chosen by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Rochester, each to have twenty pounds yearly until he had taken the degree of M. A. when he was to return to his own country, to assist in supporting the ecclesiastical establishment of England. This fund has since been increased by the profits arising from the manor of Uffton in Warwickshire, presented for that purpose by John Snell, Esq. a native of the county of Air, in Scotland. The donation of Mr. Snell was to be applied to the service of not more than twelve, nor less than five, scholars, to be chosen from Glasgow College, at which place he had himself received education. It is impossible to quit the subject of these last bequests without observing that the benefactors appear to have been, in a great measure, actuated by a spirit of grateful remembrance towards the original patroness of the College, and the ill-fated King of Scots, her son.

While the society was in its infancy, and nurtured chiefly by the kind but circumscribed auspices of Lady Dervorgille, the stu dents were accommodated in two buildings, (termed the new and the old Balliol Halls,) and various subordinate tenements, all of which stood nearly, or quite, within the boundaries of the present edifice. No part of the building, as it now appears, is older than the reign of Henry VI. The front towards the street, we have said, is extremely irregular. In the central approach to the quadrangle, which was partly built in the time of that king, and which still forms the chief division of the College, is a square Gothic tower with an embattled parapet, and an oriel over the entrance, on each side of which is a highly enriched and canopied niche. The arms of the Balliol family likewise adorn this

gateway.

gateway. On the right is a plain weighty range of buildings, constructed in the beginning of the eighteenth century; and, on the left, an extent of edifice which reaches 108 feet, very handsome, but possessing little consonance of character to the division on the remote side of the gateway. This building was erected at the expense of Mr. Fisher, late fellow of the College. It is divided into three stories, and has a pediment over the centre, with a shield on its flat surface.

The same dissimilarity of architectural feature pervades the interior of the quadrangle. This court is 120 feet long, and 80 feet broad. The simply-beautiful front of the hall, which remains nearly as left by the architect the sixth of Henry's time, forms the chief part of the western side; and the remaining ground is occupied by the residence of the master, built by Bishop Grey. A bay window in the front of these lodgings is eminently beautiful. It is of the finest florid Gothic, and the intersections of carved stone work are delicately light. The northern side is composed of the chapel and the library, the whole having an embattled parapet. The great entrance to the chapel is nearly in the centre, and is highly decorated, but still possesses that lightness of effect which the Gothic architects knew so well the manner of producing, even in the midst of a seeming redundancy of embellishment. On the east is the plain front of the building constructed in the eighteenth century. The venerable tower stands as a centre to the southern division of the court, on one side of which is a continuation of the heavy structure that forms the eastern range, and on the other is a low Gothic series of the original edifice.

Besides the buildings already noticed, there is an area on the north-west, which comprises several detached apartments built for the use of students by Archbishop Abbot, in the reign of Charles 1. On this area abuts the northern extremity of the pile raised by Mr. Fisher, which bears the following modest inscription, placed there in attention to his own wish:

VERBUM NON AMPLIUS-FISHER.

The chapel was built between the years 1521 and 1529, at the expense of many private contributors, and contains some interesting specimens of painted glass. The eastern window was presented by Dr. Stubbs, in 1529; and expresses, in colours extremely vivid, the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension. It is said that Wadham was desirous of placing this glass in his chapel, and offered 2001. for it. The second window on the south, containing the story of Hezekiah's sickness and recovery, is executed by Bernard Van Linge, and was presented by Dr. Wentworth.

The Hall is a pleasing building, in the pointed style, the interior of which has been modernised in a plain but respectable manner. Among the plate possessed by the College is a large cup presented by "the Man of Ross."

The Library of Balliol was built at different times; the part towards the west by Dr. Chace, in 1427; and that on the east by Mr. Robert Abdy, in 1477. Both of these donors were some time Masters of the Society. The interior was entirely rebuilt by Wyatt, a few years back, in a style so sedate, and temperately imitative of the Gothic, that it cannot be too warmly commended. The windows, which are ancient, are embellished with the arms of benefactors. This library formerly contained many valuable manuscripts, not less than 200 of which were presented by one prelate, in the year 1454; — Grey, Bishop of Ely, who employed numerous transcribers and illumiuators in various parts of the continent. But this splendid collection was cruelly injured by the visitors in the reign of Edward VI. Much liberality, however, has been exercised in regard to the donation of printed books in succeeding periods, and the library now possesses an extensive arrangement of estimable

works.

In this College were educated the following eminent prelates; Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, the able minister of Henry VII. and second perpetual chancellor of the University; Tunstall, Bishop of Durham, a prelate inimical to the Reformation, but

who

who still had the honor to be warmly praised by Erasmus, Dean Colet, and Linacre; Dr. Douglas, late Bishop of Salisbury, who removed to this College from St. Mary's Hall, first on Bishop Warner's, and afterwards on Snell's foundation.

Among the celebrated students of other ranks occur the names of Humphrey, the "good" Duke of Gloucester, a nobleman who deserves the peculiar reverence of the University at large, as founder of the public library; John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester, an encourager of literature in the reigns of Henry VI. and Edward IV. This Lord is well known as one of the earliest English writers who employed the press of Caxton; Ross of Warwick, the historian; Sir Robert Atkyns, chief baron of the Exchequer, and his son, the historian of Gloucestershire; Tobias Crisp, supposed to be the founder of the sect of Antinomians; the tasteful and judicious John Evelyn, whose name will occur when we mention the Arundelian marbles preserved in the University; Dr. Charles Davenant, son of the laureate, and an able writer on finance; Hutchinson, the historian of Dorsetshire; and James West, sometime president of the Royal Society. In addition to this list, it must be observed that John Wickliffe, the celebrated reformer, was once master of the College, a circumstance that was recollected by many when Cranmer surrendered his breath on the paved way directly opposite to the chief entrance.*

The Society consists of a master, twelve fellows, fourteen scholars, and eighteen exhibitioners, and possesses the singular privilege of electing its own visitor.

BRASEN NOSE COLLEGE,

forms the west side of Radcliffe square, and is built on the site of several ancient halls, among which was Little University

Hall,

A flat, oblong stone, which marked the precise spot on which the fatal stake was placed, was not removed till within the few last years.

Hall, supposed to have been instituted by King Alfred. The present College was founded about the year 1509, by William Smyth, Bishop of Lincoln, and some time chancellor of the University of Oxford, assisted (though chiefly in point of superin tendance, as far as regarded the foundation and erection of the first building,) by Sir Richard Sutton. Bishop Smyth was the fourth son of Robert Smyth, of Peel-house in the parish of Prescot, Lancashire, and studied at Oxford, where he took his degree of Bachelor of Law* at some period previous to 1492, in which year he was instituted to the rectory of Cheshunt, in Hertfordshire. He is supposed to have been recommended to the notice of Henry VII. by the Earl of Derby, and was appointed clerk of the Hanaper, with an annual allowance of forty pounds, and an additional stipend of eighteen-pence per day during his attendance in person, or by deputy, on the lord chancellor, specdily after Henry's accession to the crown. After several intermediate steps of advancement he was preferred to the see of Lichfield and Coventry, and was soon named president of the prince's council within the marches of Wales. He now evinced the noble use which he was inclined to make of affluence, by rebuilding, and endowing afresh, the hospital of St. John in Lichfield, to which he attached a school, afterwards united with the seminary patronised by Edward the Sixth, so deserv edly famous from its pupils, Newton, Addison, and Samuel Johnson.

After Smyth had filled the episcopal seat of Lichfield for two years, he was translated to the bishopric of Lincoln, and shortly acceded to the request of the University of Oxford by becoming their chancellor. This latter honorable office, however, he resigned before 1507, in which year he concerted the plan of founding a new college with his friend Sir Richard Sutton. He died

Ecclesiastics were accustomed to proceed in law degrees during the ages in which they were permitted to fill high stations in the legislative department of the state.