Surry, 1274, to Oxford, enriched it, and named it Merton College; and foon after William Archdeacon of Durham restored with Additions that Building of Alfred's, now called Univerfity College; in the Reign of Edward I. John Baliel King of Scotland, or, as fome will have it, his Parents, founded Baliol College; in the Reign of Edward II, Walter Stapleton Bishop of Exeter founded Exeter College, and Harthall; and, in Imitation of him, the King, King's College, commonly called Oriel, and St. Mary's Hall; next Philippa, Wife of Edward III. built Queen's College; and Simon Islip Arch-bishop of Canterbury, Canterbury College; William Wickham, Bishop of Winchester, raised that magnificent Structure called New College; Magdalen College was built by William Wainflet Bishop of Winchester, a noble Edifice, finely fituated, and delightful for its Walks: At the fame Time Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, that great Encourager of Learning, built the Divinity School very fplendidly, and over it a Library, to which he gave an hundred and twenty-nine very choice Books, phafed at a great Price from Italy, but the Public has long fince been robbed of the Ufe of them by the Avarice of Particulars: Lincoln College; All-Souls College; St. Bernard's College; Brazen-Nofe College, founded by William Smith, Bishop of Lincoln, in the Reign of Henry VII. its Revenues were augmented by Alexander Nowell, Dean of St. Paul's, London; upon the Gate of this College is fixed a Nofe of Brafs: Corpus Chrifti College built by Richard Fox, Bishop of Winchester; under his Picture in the

College

College Chapel are Lines importing that it is the exact Representation of his Perfon and Drefs.

Christ's Church, the largest and most elegant of them all, was begun on the Ground of St. Fridefwide's Monaftery by Thomas Wolfey Cardinal of York; to, which Henry VIII. joined Canterbury College, fettled great Revenues upon it, and named it Chrift's Church: The fame great Prince, out of his own Treasury, to the Dignity of the Town, and Ornament of the University, made the one a Bishoprick, and instituted Profefforships in the other.

Jefus College, built by Hugh Price Doctor of Laws.

That fine Edifice, the Public Schools, was entirely raised by Queen Mary, and adorned with various Infcriptions.

Thus far of the Colleges and Halls, which for the Beauty of their Buildings, their rich Endowments, and copious Libraries, excell all the Academic the Chriftian World. We fhall add a little of the Academies themselves, and those that inhabit them.

Thefe Students lead a Life almost monaftic; for as the Monks had nothing in the world to do, but, when they had faid their Prayers at ftated Hours, to employ themselves in inftructive Studies, no more have these. They are divided into three Tables: The first is called the Fellows Table, to which are

admitted

admitted Earls, Barons, Gentlemen, Doctors, and Masters of Arts, but very few of the latter; this is more plentifully and expenfively ferved than the others: The fecond is for Mafters of Arts, BacheJors, fome Gentlemen, and eminent Citizens: The third for People of low Condition. While the reft are at Dinner or Supper in a great Hall, where they are all affembled, one of the Students reads aloud the Bible, which is placed on a Defk in the Middle of the Hall, and this Office every one of them takes upon himself in his turn; as foon as Grace is faid after each Meal, every one is at Liberty either to retire to his own Chambers, or to walk in the College Garden, there being none that has not a dedightful one. Their Habit is almoft the fame as that of the Jefuits, their Gowns reaching down to their Ancles, fometimes lined with Furr; they wear fquare Caps; the Doctors, Mafters of Arts, and Profeffors, have another kind of Gown that diftinguishes them: Every Student of any confiderable ftanding has a Key to the College Library, for no College is without one.

In an out Part of the Town are the Remains of a pretty large Fortification, but quite in Ruins. We were entertained at Supper with an excellent Concert, composed of Variety of Inftruments.

The next Day we went as far as the Royal Palace of Woodstock, where King Ethelred formerly held a Parliament, and enacted certain Laws. This Palace abounding in Magnificence was built by Henry I.

to

to which he joined a very large Park, enclosed with a Wall, according to John Roffe the firft Park in England. In this very Palace the prefent reigning Queen Elizabeth, before fhe was confined to the Tower, was kept Prifoner by her Sifter Mary; while the was detained here in the utmoft Peril of her Life, fhe wrote with a Piece of Charcoal the following Verfes, composed by herfelf, upon a Window-fhutter:

O FORTUNE! how thy restless wavering State
Hath fraught with Cares my troubled Wit!....
Witness this prefent Prifon whither Fate
Hath borne me, and the foys I quit.
Thou caufedeft the Guilty to be loofed
From Bands, wherewith are Innocents inclosed ;
Caufing the Guiltless to be strait reserved,
And freeing those that Death had well deferved:
But by her Envy can be nothing wrought,
So God fend to my Foes all they have thought.
ELIZABETH PRISONER.

A.D. M.D.LV.

Not far from this Palace are to be feen near a Spring of the brightest Water the Ruins of the Habitation of Rofamond Clifford, whofe exquifite Beauty fo entirely captivated the Heart of King Henry II. that he loft the Thought of all other Women; fhe is faid to have been poifoned at laft by the Queen. All that remains of her Tomb of Stone, the Letters of which are almoft worn out, is what follows: **** Adorent,

*

Utque tibi detur requies, Rofamunda, precamur.

This

This rhiming Epitaph, likewife was probably the Performance of some Monk:

Hic jacet in tumbâ Rofamundi non Rosamunda,
Non redolet, fed olet, quæ redolere folet.

Returning from hence to Oxford, after Dinner we proceeded on our Journey, and paffed through Ewhelme, a Royal Palace, in' which fome AlmsPeople are fupported by an Allowance from the Crown.

Nettlebed, a Village.

We went through the little Town of Henley; from hence the Chiltern Hills bear North in a continued Ridge, and divide the Counties of Oxford and Buckingham.

We paffed Maidenhead,

Windfor, a Royal Caftie, fuppofed to have been begun by King Arthur, its Buildings much encreased by Edward III. The Situation is entirely worthy of being a Royal Refidence, a more beautiful being fcarce to be found: For from the Brow of a gentle Rifing it enjoys the Profpect of an even and green Country; its Front commands a Valley extending every Way, and chequered with arable Lands and Pafturage, cloathed up and down with Groves, and watered by that gentleft of Rivers the Thames; behind rife feveral Hills, but neither fteep nor very high, crowned with Woods, and feeming defigned by Nature herself for the purpose of Hunting.

The