Brazen Nose, founded by William Smyth, Bishop of Lincoln, and Sir Richard Sutton, Knight, in 1509, that be ing the year in which they commenced building their new college, although the charter hears date Jan. 15, 1611-12. It was originally for a principal and twelve fellows, natives of the old diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, with prefer ence to natives of Lancashire and Cheshire, and particu larly the parishes of Prescot and Presburg. To these eight other fellowships, and several scholarships, have been add ed by various benefactors. Under a late principal, Dr. Hodson, afterwards regius professor of divinity, and canon of Christ Church, this society rose from a comparatively small, and inconsiderable college, to one of greater mag nitude and more celebrity than any of its competitors. The numbers, in 1822, were 399 on the books, and 196 members of convocation.
Corpus, founded in 1516, by Richard Fox, Bishop of Winchester, Lord Privy Seal, who gave the society a body of statutes in the following year, by which he wills that they should consist of a president, twenty fellows, twenty scholars, who should succeed to the fellowships, two chap lains, two clerks, and two choristers. Besides which, the statutes permit six independent undergraduate members, who are always " commensales superioris ordinis," i. e. gentlemen commoners, and there are four exhibitioners. The clerks' and choristers' places have of late years been abolished. The numbers, 109 on the books ; members of convocation, 70. It may be stated that the library of Cor pus is peculiarly rich, both in printed books and MSS, and among the former are some of the finest and rarest of the early classics.
Christ Church, which is the largest and most magnificent foundation in Oxford, owes its origin to Cardinal Wolsey, who, in 1524 and 1525, obtained two bulls from Pope Cle ment VII. empowering him to suppress twenty-two infe rior priories and nunneries, and to devote their revenues to the support of his intended college. Henry VIII. con curring in these designs, gave him the priory of regular canons of St. Frideswide, and on this site he proceeded to erect Cardinal College, that being the original name given to the establishment. Wokey's noble foundation was in tended to consist of a dean, sub-dean, sixty canons of su perior order, forty of an inferior rank, ten public lecturers, thirteen chaplains, an organist, twelve clerks, and sixteen choristers ; but the cardinal falling into disgrace, and being deprived of his power and property in 1530, the new col lege, (of which a dean and eighteen canons had been already appointed by the founder,) was impeded, if not dis solved, for two years. To the credit of its original author, his last and most anxious care and solicitude was for the welfare of this work, devoted to piety and learning; for, in his latest letters to Secretary Cromwell, he pleads with importunate earnestness that his majesty would be pleased to suffer his college to go on. Henry, who had seized upon
the revenues, and suspended the foundation, re-established it in 1532, wider the title of " King Henry the Eighth's College in Oxford," and endowed it with an annual income of 2000l. for a dean and twelve canons. This was sup pressed in 1545, when the charter was surrendered, and the following year the episcopal sec, which, at the dissolution, had been placed in Oseney Abbey, had been removed to the new college, which was then converted into a cathedral, to be called "The cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford, of King Henry Eighth's foundation," and the king consigned all the estates and property to the dean and chapter, on condition of their maintaining a dean, eight canons, eight chaplains, an organist, eight clerks, and the same number of choristers, together with sixty students, and forty gram mar scholars, a schoolmaster, and usher. The forty gram mar scholars were, in 1561, converted into academical stu dents by Queen Elizabeth, who directed that they should be selected from her father's foundation at Westminster; and to this number one more student was added, by Mr. William Thurston, in 1663. The entire number at present, of dependent and independent members, is 695, of whom 345 are members of convocation. The limits of the pre sent article will not permit us to do justice to the splendour of this college. The cathedral, which is a portion of the ancient building of St. Frideswide, has generally been re ferred to the time of Henry I. but it may be doubted whether many of the ornaments, the pilasters, arches, and particularly the door of entrance, as well as that to the chapter-house, are not of a much earlier date. The choir, though small, is extremely rich and beautiful, and would be still more so but for two galleries, erected for the cho risters, in the vilest taste, and perfectly out of character. The kitchen, hall,and the greater part of the large quadran gle, were completed by Wolsey, and are well worthy his princely spirit. The latter is 264 feet by 261 ; the hall, one of the finest specimens in the kingdom, is 115 feet by 40, and 50 in height. Peckwater quadrangle, so called from being on the site of an ancient hall of that name, was erected in 1705, and on the last side stands the library, a noble building, commenced in 1716, but not completed till 1761. On the basement story, besides a portion of the books, is a collection of pictures, bequeathed by General Guise ; and, in the upper room, are the very valuable col lections of books formed by Archbishop Wake, Lord Orrery, Bishop Fell, Dean Aldrich, and many other emi nent benefactors. It would be unpardonable to conclude this brief notice without mention of the great bell, which was formerly in the high tower of Oseney Abbey, and is one of the largest in Europe, its weight being 17,000 pounds ; nearly double that of the great bell of St Paul's, London.