We shall conclude this article with a brief account of the several colleges in the university, premising that it can be little more than their names, dates of foundations, and number of fellowships and students. To begin then with University, which, whether founded, as has been said, by Alfred the Great, or not, was undoubtedly one of the first regular houses of education in Oxford. William of Durham, who died in 1249, left the sum of 310 mares to purchase rents for the maintenance of a certain number of masters, who were to be natives of Durham or its vicinity ; appointing the chancellor and masters of the university as overseers of his donation. For some time this money ap pears to have been lent out at interest, that interest being appropriated to the maintenance of the masters; but the chancellor and his colleagues willing to get rid of an office of some trouble, and which probably gave much dissatis faction, assigned the benefaction to a certain number of masters, appointed by the regents, who purchased conve nient houses, and making them fit residences for a society, did, in process of time, and by other purchases, establish themselves on the present site, calling it for a time DuN ham Hall, and afterwards Great University Hall ; a title it retained to the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The first statutes of the society were framed in 1280; these were revived in 1292, again in 1311, and lastly in 1475. The first roaster, or " senior socius," as he was then occurs in 1219. The foundation, as now existing, is for a master, twelve fellows, (two for the county of Durham, founded by Wiliiam of Durham ; three for the diocese of York and Durham, by Henry IV.; three for the dioceses of Durham, Carlisle, and York, by the Earl of Northum berland; and four for any part of England, except the three dioceses just named, for Sir Simon Bennet,) and seventeen scholars and exhibitioners. in this college the learned Sir William Jones, together with the present Lord Chan cellor of England, his brother Lord Stowell, the Master of the Rolls, and Judge Richardson, received their education. The number on the books in 1822 was 188, of which 100 were members of convocation.
Ballet was founded by John Baliol, father of John Baliol, King of Scotland, and his wife, Devorguilla, about the year 1268. The old foundation, as augmented by subse quent benefactors, consisted of nine fellows and ten scho lars, to which three Fellowships and four scholarships were afterwards added. Two of each of these arc confined to persons educated at Tiverton school in Devonshire; the remainder are not limited to any part of the kingdom. I.Vyclifr, Archbishop Morton, and Bishop Tonstal, may be claimed as members of Baliol Total number on the books in 1822, 183; members of convocation 66.
Merton, originally founded by Walter dc Merton for twenty poor scholars, and certain chaplains at Malden in Surrey, whom he afterwards removed to Oxford, estab lishing his society by a charter, dated in 1264, in which he calls it Doing Scholarium de illert6n ; at the same time, he gave them statutes, which were afterwards, (in 1274,) superseded by others drawn up by the founder him self, and so judiciously, that they were recommended by the king to the Bishop of Ely, as a model for those of Pe ter House in Cambridge, which he was then about to erect. The foundation was afterwards increased by the addition of certain students, to be called post-masters, for whose maintenance John Willyot, chancellor of Exeter, and of the university, gave considerable estates; and their number was enlarged by a Dr. Jessop in the reign of king James I. The society now consists of a warden, twenty-;our fellows, who are elected from the graduates of the whole university, fourteen post-masters, four scholars, two chap lains, and a like number of clerks. The entire number on the books is 121, of whom 59 are members of convocation. Merton College is remarkable, as containing some of the most ancient buildings in the university, a part of the war den's lodgings being considered as coeval with the foun dation. The library is also a very curious specimen of the style of the fourteenth century ; and the chapel, al though a part only of the original design, is of the richest Gothic, although much of the fine effect of the building is lost, by its having a modern screen, wainscoat, and roof.
In this spot lie the remains of Sir Thomas Bodley, the founder of the library that bears his name ; and Anthony a Wood, the historian and antiquary of the university.
Exeter, founded in 1314, by Walter Stapleton, bishop of Exeter, and lord treasurer, for a rector and twelve fel lows, to be chosen from the west of England. Thirteen more fellowships have been added for other counties, and cue for Guernsey and Jersey, by subsequent benefactors. The numbers on the books in 1822 were 234, members of convocation 70.
Oriel. founded by Edward the Second, or rather by his almoner Adam de Brome, who having purchased lands for its erection and endowment, placed the whole into the hands of his royal master, who granted the college a new charter, and gave it additional property, and the advowson of St. Mary's church. De Brome was appointed first pro vost, and drew up the original statutes, which were dated in 1326. The original society consisted of a provost and ten fellows, since increased by Frank, master of the rolls, Carpenter bishop of Worcester, Smyth bishop of Lincoln, and Richard Dudley, to eighteen. This is at present one of the most flourishing colleges in the university, having 246 members, of which nearly half are young men, whose education is still proceeding members of convocation 123.
Queen's, founded by Robert Eglesfeld, confessor to Phi lippa, Queen to Edward III. in 1340, for a provost and twelve fellows, who were to be natives of Cumberland and Westmoreland. The original intention of the founder, af ter the manner of those days, was that his society should resemble Christ and his apostles; and, in addition, he re solved to maintain seventy poor scholars, representing our Lord's disciples, who were to supply the vacancies as they might occur among the fellows, and, in the mean time, to further their education, they were directed, " to be called together for their meals in the public hall, by the sound of the horn," where, kneeling on the outside of the table, they were to be examined by the fellows, sitting in purple gowns, those of the doctors being faced with black fur. The founder, however, died before he could carry the whole of his project into execution; and although the number of scholars, or poor children, never reached the founder's original intention, yet a certain number was edu cated, and publicly examined, even so late as the early part of the eighteenth century. The fellows were after wards increased to sixteen, the funds admitting the ex pence, and this, together with two chaplains, eight taber dars, and twelve scholars, is the present number of the old foundation. In 1739 the society received a very im portant addition by the will of John Michel, Esq. of Rich mond, who left lands and money to a very considerable amount, for eight fellows, four scholars, and four exhibi tions. There are in all 264 members, 125 of whom are members of convocation The present buildings of Queen's were begun in 1710, but not completed till 1759. 'I hey are in a style of great grandeur and magnificence : the hall and chapel form an oblong of 300 feet in length, by 220 in breadth, and, although not commonly visited by strangers, are as well worthy of admiration as any two rooms in Oxford. The proportions are admirable, and the stone roof of peculiarly good masonry. In this college, too, is one of the handsomest and most ancient pieces of plate in Oxford. It is a drinking horn, of exquisite beauty, set in silver gilt, and, according to tradition, was given to the college by Queen Philippa, as the conveyance of a valuable manor. The cover is surmounted by an eagle, of the best workmanship ; and there are four circular an nulets, on which is engraved the word Massey!. The ex tremity terminates with the head of a leopard, curved round, and the whole stands on three eagles' legs of silver. It is still used on gaudies, and contains about two quarts.