.1 'w College, in every respect one of the most magnifi cent foundations in Oxford, owes its existence to William of Wykeham, bishop of Winchester, and Lord Chancellor of England. He founded it in 1336, for a warden and seventy fellows, ten chaplains, an organist, three clerks, and sixteen choristers; directing that all vacancies should be filled up by persons elected from his college at Win chester, now better known as Winchester School. The numbers in 1822 were 125, of which 62 are members of convocation. To account for the disparity of this, with the numbers on the books of any smaller colleges, it must be understood that this house has not, for some years, re ceived more than one or two independent members, (those are persons who, without any situation on the foundation of a college, resort thither merely for their education, and the sake of obtaining their degrees,) their own body re quiring all the accommodations the edifice is capable of affording. The chapel of this college is even now, in spite of modern innovation, the most splendid building in the university ; what it was at the period of the founder's life can only be imagined, but there is little doubt of its hav ing been all that magnificence and liberality, piety and skill, could make it. In the earlier part of the Reformation, the images were broken and destroyed, the niches plastered up, the splendid ornaments, rich statues, and other costly dedbrations, removed ; and even the painted windows, some of the most brilliant specimens of the Flemish school, would have shared a similar fate, had not the fellows as sured King Edward's visitors that they were too poor to replace them with new and plain lattice, promising to do so whenever they should be sufficiently wealthy. In 1789, under the direction of the late Mr. Wyatt, the chapel was restored, and the old fret-work and niches at the altar imi tated as nearly as possible ; but the chapel still wants the original Gothic roof of open timber work, and it may be questioned whether the trifling effect produced by open ing the centre of the organ, so as to make it appear a sort of frame to the painted windows in the anti-chapel, was worthy the architect or the society. Considered altogether, it must, however, be confessed, that this chapel is decid edly the most imposing of any in the university. The hall, too, is a noble room, but here again the roof is totally out of character ; and the gardens are worth visiting, as they are bounded by a considerable portion of the ancient city wall, in excellent preservation, and afford a good view of the ancient edifice of St. Peter's church.
Lincoln, founded in 1427, by Richard Flemming, Bishop of Lincoln, for a rector and seven fellows, afterwards in creased by Thomas Rotheram, also a bishop of Lincoln, who, whilst visiting his diocese, came to the college, where he was received by the rector and fellows, the former of whom received him with a speech, in which he complain ed of the want of buildings, and of proper scholastic dis cipline in his society. Rotheram was pleased with the address, and promised to remedy the defects, which he did, by finishing the imperfect building, and augmenting the number of fellowships to twelve,as well as giving them a new body of statutes, dated Feb. 11, 1479; in these the fellows are limited to the dioceses of Lincoln and York, one excepted, who is to be of Wells. Members on the books 102; of convocation, 45. The external appearance of this college has lately been greatly amended, by the taste and liberality of its present fellows, who, for the last few years, have devoted a considerable portion of their col legiate income to the improvement of the college. The chapel, though small, is worth inspection, as it contains some very good carving, and some of the best painted glass in Oxford.
411- Souls, situated in the High Street, near St. Mary's Church, was founded by Henry Chickley, Archbishop of Canterbury, who, in 1437, laid the foundation stone, and obtained a charter from Henry VI. in the following year, in which that king assumes the title of founder, probably at the request of Chickley, who was willing to insure his patronage. The foundation was for a warden and twenty fellows, afterwards increased to forty, and the name of the society was derived from their original occupation, which was, to pray for the good estate of Henry VI. and the arch
nishop, whilst living, and for their souls when dead, as well as for the souls of henry V. the Duke of Clarence, and all subjects of England who had fallen in the war with France, together with those of all the faithful deceased. This foundation has not been increased. The number of members on the books is ninety-one, of members of con vocation, sixty-six. The greater portion of the buildings of All-Souls is comparatively of modern erection ; the gateways, part of the front, and of the smaller quadrangle, being all that remains of Chickley's College. The hall and chapel are indeed old, and have undergone frequent alterations, and are, notwithstanding, inferior (except in size,) to none in Oxford. No society, indeed, appears to exercise greater liberality, guided by a more correct taste, than the members of All-Souls, who can boast of as hand some and convenient a hall, as splendid yet neat a chapel, as any in the University, nor can any library, (if we ex cept the Bodleian,) at all compete with theirs, either in size and beauty, or for the excellent and well-selected col lection it contains. The writer of the present article has had frequent opportunities of consulting the treasures of the Codrington library, and as frequent occasion to ac knowledge the kindness with which his applications have been received, and his researches facilitated.
Magdalen, founded by William of Wainfleet, Bishop of Winchester, and Lord Chancellor of England, in 1456, consists of a president, forty fellows, thirty demies or pro bationers, a schoolmaster, four chaplains, an organist, eight clerks, and sixteen choristers. The fellowships are re stricted to the natives of certain counties or dioceses, seven Lincolnshire, four Oxfordshire, three Berkshire, one York shire, two Gloucestershire, two Warwickshire, one Bucks, one Kent, one Nottinghamshire, one Essex, one Somer setshire, one city of London, one Wiltshire, five for the diocese of Winchester, two for that of York or Durham, and two for that of Chichester. The demies, who succeed to fellowships as vacancies occur, are from any of the above counties or dioceses, with the exception of York and Dur ham. The founder first placed his society in the edifice till so lately used as Magdalen Hall, but, upon obtaining permission from Henry VI. to convert the ancient hospital of St. John Baptist into a college for the purposes of lite rature, he afterwards fitted that building for the reception of his fellows, gave them a body of statutes in 1479, and directed that it should bear the name of St. Mary Magda lene College. Two of the fellowships were founded by John Ingleden, and a third by John Foreman, but during the life, and with the permission of Wainfleet, who died in 1486. Magdalen College is situated at the last entrance to Oxford, and forms a noble object as the traveller crosses the bridge over the Cherwell. Its tower, the beauty of which cannot fail striking the eye of all who admire architectural grandeur and proportion, united with simpli city and taste, was completed in 1498, being finished in six years from the time of its commencement ; and tradition relates, that Cardinal Wolsey gave the plan. It is certain that he was bursar of the college during that period; but his claim to the merit of being the architect of this noble fa bric is by no means established. The cloister is coeval with the founder, as is the splendid gateway, now disused, near the president's lodgings. The hall and chapel are both of the same date, and (although subsequent alterations, and some of the decorations of the seventeenth century, might have been well omitted) contain several fine remains of the ori ginal design. The new buildings, containing three tiers of rooms for the accommodation of the members, were erected in 1733, and are 300 feet in length, the upper stories resting on an arcade. The view from these rooms is unique ; one side looking towards what was the ancient building of St. John's Hospital, at this time restoring to its original appear ance, and the other facing a small park filled with the finest elms, and stocked with deer. It may be added, that Ad dison was a fellow of this society, and a walk is still shown which tradition relates to have been his favourite retire ment The total number at Magdalen, in 1822, was 159, of which 107 were members of convocation.