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BRASENOSE COLLEGE.

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Fellows were abolished by the Oxford University Commission of 1854, but the Somerset Scholarships are still confined in the first instance to scholars from the Grammar Schools of Manchester and Marlborough and the Cathedral School of Hereford.

Eight Fellowships were added to those of the original foundation by various benefactors in the course of the 16th century, making a total of twenty, but by the Oxford University Commission of 1854 this number was reduced to fifteen, four of the Fellowships being converted into Scholarships, and the emoluments of a fifth being applied to purposes connected with the Professoriate of the University. Under the statutes made by the University Commis- sioners in 1881 the College is governed by a Principal and twelve Fellows, exclusive of supernumerary Fellows and of the Fellowship held ex-officio by the Camden Professor of Ancient History. Additional Fellowships not exceeding six in number are to be established when the corporate revenues shall be sufficient for the purpose. In 1890 alterations of statute were approved by Her Majesty in Council, enabling the Principal and Fellows— (1) to elect to a supernumerary Fellowship without emolument any former member of the Governing Body who has served the College in the office of Principal, Vice- Principal, Bursar or Tutor ; (2) to elect to Honorary Fellowships distinguished persons who are, or have been, members of the College.

Open Scholarships of the annual value of £?>o are provided by a charge of at least ^900 a year upon the corporate revenues. The Somerset Scholarships, mentioned above, vary in value from ^80 to ^"52 per annum. In 1842 three Exhibitions were founded by the three Misses Colquitt of Green Bank in the county of Lancaster, to assist in the education of undergraduate members of Brasenose preparing to enter Holy Orders. Their annual value is £$0. In 1875 an open classical Scholarship of the value of ,£100 per annum was founded in memory of the Kev. John Watson, Fellow of the College 1813-32. The Hulme Exhibitions are under the existing Scheme twenty in number. Twelve are Junior Ex- hibitions of the annual value of ^80, awarded after a competitive examination, and open to candidates of not more than twenty years of age. Eight are Senior Exhibitions of the annual value of ^130, awarded, ordinarily after competitive examination, to members of the College who have been in residence for not less than six nor more than thirteen terms, and whose names have been placed in the Honours Class List at the First Public Examination in the University.

The dates of the College buildings areas follows : — The buildings in the old quadrangle including the Hall, the present Senior Common Room (originally the Chapel), and the first Library, were begun in 1509, but consisted of only two storeys. The attic storey was added early in the seventeenth century. The Chapel and the second (and present) Library were built between 1656 and 1666, in which latter year the Chapel was consecrated and dedicated to St. Chad and St. Hugh, representing the sees of Lichfield and Lincoln, of which William Smyth, the founder, was successively bishop. There is a tradition that the Chapel was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Its architectural interest lies in the attempt to har- monise the classical and gothic styles. The roof is said to have been taken from the Chapel of St. Mary's College (now Frewin Hall). No furthe additions were made to the buildings till about the middle of last century, when, so far as can be

ascertained, an unsightly 'lath and plaster' build- ing was erected in the back quadrangle, to which another similar block was added in 1810, while in 1807 what had been an open cloister under the second Library was converted into sets of College rooms. In 1771 the Principal whose lodgings had been, as was originally the usual custom, over the gateway of the College, moved into a house in the High Street, thus leaving his former rooms free for the use of the College. In these different ways accommodation was found for the increasing numbers of the undergraduates. Meantime the College had long meditated the project of building a frontage on the High Street, and with a view to this had purchased most of the houses between St. Mary's and All Saints' Churches in 1736. The first design for the contemplated buildings was that of Nicholas Hawkesmoore, which is engraved in the Oxford Almanack of 1723. This, however, came to nothing, as was also the case with the designs furnished by Sir John Soane in 1807 and by Philip Hardwick in 1 8 10. The desire of the College for a frontage and an outlet on the High Street was not destined to be realised till more than seventy years after the latter date, when new buildings, which eventually displaced the two additional blocks already referred to, were begun, the architect being Mr. Thomas Graham Jackson. These buildings were erected gradually between 1882 and 1889, when a portion of the frontage on the High Street, including the new Principal's house, was completed. The completion of the remainder is now, it may be hoped, only a question of time.

As to the characteristics of the College it is allow- able to quote the words of a writer who has a special knowledge of its history. " They may be described as, first and foremost, a marked but not exclusive predilection for the exercises and amusements of out- door life, the result of sound bodies and minds, and in part, no doubt, of a long connection with old county families of a high type. And next a certain per- tinacity, perseverance, power of endurance, dogged- ness, patriotism, solidarity, or by whatever other name the spirit may be called which leads men to do what they are doing with all their might, to undergo training and discipline for the sake of the College, and hang together like a cluster of bees in view of a common object." Brasenose is especially and justly proud of its distinction "on the river." Since the year 1837 when the records of the "eights" become complete up to the present date (December, 1892), the Brasenose boat has started head of the river on 112 days, the next highest number being that of University (63 days) ; the boat has never been lower than ninth. In the "torpids" since 1852 when they were first rowed in the Lent term the Brasenose boat has started head of the river 91 days, the next highest number being that of Exeter (59 days) ; the boat has never been lower than eighth in the torpids. It may, however, be pointed out, that it would be a very limited and unhistorical view which dwelt only on the performances of the College in matters athletic. It will be found e.g. that in the twenty years succeeding the first institution of the class lists in literae humani- ores (1802- 1 821), during the Principalshipsof William Cleaver and Frodsham Hodson, Brasenose was very well represented in the schools. No College can compete during this period with Christ Church which far surpasses all others in this respect, but Brasenose is second to Christ Church, numbering twenty first- class men in literae humaniores (counting those " qui examinatoribus se maxime commendaverunt " during