In addition, however, to the magnificence of the build ing, and the symmetry, elegance, and taste of its inter nal decorations, this chapel is also highly celebrated for the exquisite beauty of its painted windows. Of these there are twelve on each side, and one in the cast end ; the large west window being left plain, in order to in troduce sufficient light into the chapel. The side win dows are about 50 feet high, are separated by munnions into five lights, and are divided into an upper and lower compartment by a stone transom. Each window con tains four paintings ; and each painting fills two lights ; and in the central light of each division is depicted an angel and a saint, exhibiting scrolls descriptive of the events represented in the other parts of the win dow. The subjects are all taken from scripture his tory; those in the upper compartments are in gene ral selected from the Old Testament, and those un derneath from correspondent circumstances in the New. For instance, in the fourth window from the cast end, on the north side, the delineations on the upper division arc, • Left side.—Elisha raising the son of the Shunamite.
Right side.—David returning from battle in triumph, with the head of Goliath. Women meeting him playing on their harps.
And on the lower division : Left side.—Christ raising Lazarus front the dead. Right eide.—Christ riding in triumph to Jerusalem. Zaccheus mounted on a tree.
Thus, in the arrangement of the paintings, a particu lar order is observed throughout the whole. The sub jects from the New Testament, on the north side, are all prior to the crucifixion or our while those on the south side are posterior to that elem.; and the cast window is devoted entirely to the must material cir cumstances immediately connected with that transaction. This window is 53 feet high and 28 wide, and is sepa rated, by two elegant buttresses and a transom, into six compartments. Each compartment contains one sub ject, and is divided by munitions into three lights. In the lower division, front right to left, arc, " Christ ex posed to the People," " Pilate washing his !lands," and " Christ bearing the Cross." In the upper division, in the same order, arc, " The nailing to the Cross," "The Crucifixion," and "The taking down front the Cross." Bt.. it is impossible to convey by ‘vords any idea of the excellence of composition, the discrimination of cha racter, and the beauty of colouring which distinguish these paintings. " The strong contrast, energy, and va riety or character," says a modern author ; "the power ful judgment evinced in the disposition and grouping of the figures ; the boldness and freedom of the penciling, mingled with a playful wildness of execution, to which the hand of a master only could be competent ; the sublimity of the designs ; the richness and brilliancy of the colouring, and the vigorous and characteristic justness of expression in the dillerent figures, may well warrant the assertion, that these admirable pieces have very rarely been paralleled, and scarcely ever ex ceeded."
This college consists of two courts, one on each side of the chapel. The old court, which is situated on the north, between the schools and Clarehall, is 120 feet long, and 90 broad ; but from its being very an cient, many of the apartments are small and inconve nient. The new court is nearly 300 feet square, and is formed by the chapel on the north, a provost's lodge on the east, and a magnificent edifice built of Portland stone on the west. On the south side, which is still emp ty, it is intended to erect a grand pile of In,ilding, which is to be separated from the street by a handsome colonnade.
Queen's College was founded in 1448, by Alargaret of Anjou, consort of Henry VI., and was endowed for a president and four fellows. These last, however, were afterwards encreased to nineteen, besides 45 scholars, by Elizabeth, queen of Edward I V., who is annuallY cele brated as a co-founder. It is composed of two courts, and stands upon the east batik of the river, over which is a curious wooden bridge of one arch, supported by abutments of rustic stone work.
Catherine Hall was founded in 1475, by Robert Wood lark, chancellor of the university, who appointed a mas ter and three fellows, and dedicated it to St Catherine. It consists of one large quadrangular court, open towards the street, from which it is separated by an iron palli sade, and a piece of ground planted with elms. Its west front, opposite Queen's College, is adorned with a hand 41111e portico.
Jesus' College stands at the north-east end of the town, upon the site of an ancient Benedictine nunnery, which dissolved by Henry VII., and its possessions grant ed to John Alcor k, bishop of Ely, v. I,o, Ill 1497, cot,. vertcd it into a college for a master, six fellows, and cis, scholars. It has two courts, and its principal front is itsr feet in length, elegantly built and tished, with a hand some tower gates% ay at the entrance. lu the chapel of this college is placed the tombstone of one of the nun It was dug up many years since in the master's garden, which was formerly the burial-place of the nunnery. It has this inscription :