The number of members on the books in January 1854 was 6259. There are four university terms in a y ems—Michaelmas term, which begins on the 10th of October, and ends on the 17th of December; Hilary term, which begins on the 14th of January, and ends the day before Palm Sunday ; Easter term, which begins on the 10th day after Easter Sunday, and ends on the day before Whit Sunday ; and Trinity term, which begins on the Wednesday after Whit Sunday, and ends the Saturday after the Act, which is always on the first Tuesday in July.
Before a candidate can proceed to the examination for Bachelor of Art's, he must have kept 10 terms, unless he be a member of the peerage, or the eldest son of a baronet or knight, and matriculated as such, in which case three yearn are sufficient. But in point of fact the terms are so reckoned that residence for 12 terms only is necessary for any candidate. The candidates have to make responsions, as it is termed, that is to undergo a previous examination publicly, by the masters of the school/1. The final examinations for the degree of B.A. are held twice a year, beginning on the 2nd of November, and on the Friday which follows the second Sunday after Easter. After the candidates have been examined, the names of those who have honourably distinguished themselves are distributed in alphabetical order into four classes, under the two great divisions of Literee Humaniores' and 'Disciplines Mathematiese et Physiese: In 1850 an entire remodelling of the examination statutes took place, by which, in 1352, and henceforward, it became necessary for the candidates to undergo three public trials before proceeding to their B.A. degree, and the range of subjects is made to include law and modern history, and is otherwise considerably extended.
The public buildings belonging to the University are the schools with the Bodleian library, the theatre, the Ashmolean museum, the Clarendon, Radcliffe's library, Radcliffe's observatory, the University press, the University galleries, and Taylor institution. The Divinity school, with the room above forming part of the Bodleian, was com pleted about the year 1480: the rest of the schools, with the remainder of the Bodleian, early in the 17th century. The Bodleian Library was first laid open to the public on November 8th, 1602. It is a very fine apartment, and contains a noble collection of printed books and manuscripts. Attached to it is the pictnro gallery of the University. The theatre was built by Wren, for Gilbert Sheldon, archbishop of Canterbury and a chancellor of the University, in 1669, at an expense of 15,0001. The upper part of this building was used for the uni versity press till 1713. The Ashmolean Museum was built at the charge of the University, in 16S3, in order to contain the Tradescant collection of rarities presented to the University by Elias Ashmole.
The Clarendon was completed in 1712, partly from the profits arising from the sale of Lord Chancellor Clarendon's History of the Rebel lion,' tho copyright of which was given to the University. The printing for the University was carried on in this building from 1713 to 1830, when it was removed to the newly-erected printing-house. The basement story of the Clarendon contains at present a police room, and the remainder of the building is appropriated to offices for the despatch of university business, and lecture-rooms for the professor of experimental philosophy and the readers in mineralogy and geology. The munificent founder of Itadcliffe'e Library was John Radcliffe, M.D., who, by his will, dated 13th September, 1714, appro priated 40,0001. for the building and for the purchase of the site ; 1001. per annum for the purchase of books, and 1501. per annum for the librarian. James Gibbs was the architect. The building was completed in 1747. It is appropriated to the reception of books in medicine and natural history. In the area of this library a few antique marbles are deposited, with a selection of casts from the beat statues of antiquity. Here also is preserved the Corsi collection of specimens of the marbles employed In the ornamental architecture of both ancient and modern Rome. The Radcliffe Observatory was erected out of the funds bequeathed by Dr. Radcliffe, by the trusters of his will. It comprises a dwelling-bouse for tho observer, apartments for observation and lectures, as well as rooms for an assistant-observer, and it is amply supplied with astronomical instruments. Owing to the great increase of the printing business the present University Press was commenced in 1826. It is a very extensive quadrangular structure, containing, besides the printing-rooms, houses for the super intendents, an engine-house, strong-room for standing typo, &c. The University Galleries and Taylor Institution form a magnificent range of buildings, erected from the designs of Mr. Cockerel!, for the purpose of carrying into effect the will of Dr. Randolph, who left a sum of money to the University, "for erecting a building fur the reception of the Pomfret statues," &c., and that of Sir R. Taylor, who bequeathed a sum for "establishing a foundation for teaching the modern languages," and erecting a proper edifice for the same. The building contains also the drawings of Michel Angelo and Raffaelle, purchased for the University, the models and casts of Chautrey's statues, pre sented to the University by his widow, and pictures, engravings, and other works of art, presented at various times to the University. Thu hedanic garden, containing about 5 acres, was originally the burial ground of the Jews in Oxford.