Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/158

Rh OXFORD. 140 OXFORD. by Richard Fleming, Bishop of Lincoln, in 1427, and was greatly augmented by Thomas Scott, alias Rotheram, Bishop of Lincoln, afterwards Archbishop of York and Lord High Chancellor of England, -who in 1479 added five fellowships, and gave a fresh body of statutes to the society. ALL SOULS' COLLEGE was founded in 1437 by Henry Chichele, successively Bishop of St. David's and Archbishop of Canterbury. Its principal front ia 194 feet in length, and has a tower gateway, with statues of the founder and of Henry VI. The first quadrangle is 124 feet Itong by 72 broad, and has in it an ingenious sun-dial contrived by Sir Christopher Wren. The chapel lies to the N. of the quadrangle, and is about 70 feet long by 30 broad. It contains some fine portraits and paintings by Sir James Thornhill, and over the communion-table is an altar-piece, executed at Rome by Raphael Mengs, the subject being the " Noli me tangere" in the garden. The roof is divided into compartments, carved and gilded, and much of the original work remains, many of the corbels, the angel -propped banner beams, the stalls, desks, and " misereres," in the choir, and various specimens of the ancient carving, being still in excellent preservation. The ante-chapel, which is of the same proportions as the chapel, contains several brasses and monuments, the principal one being the celebrated marble statue, by Bacon, of Sir William Blackstone, the first Vine- rian Professor of Common Law in the University. The second quadrangle is 172 feet long by 155 broad, having the library on its N. side. This building occu- pies the whole side of the square, and is 30J feet wide by 40 in height. In it stands a marble statue of Colonel Codrington, the founder of the library, and it con- tains a collection of upwards of 40,000 volumes, to which additions are constantly being made from funds which are in the hands of tho society for the purpose of increasing and improving the library. The room is decorated with bronze vases, portraits, busts, pictures, and painted windows, and an original sketch by Jlengs of the head of Jesus. There are also some portraits in the hall of eminent members of the college, and in the Buttery some curious specimens of ancient plate, and a remarkable arched and fretted roof. MAGDALEN COLLEGE was founded in 1457 by William Patten, Bishop of Winchester and Lord High Chancellor of England, who was born at Waynflete, in Lincolnshire, and is hence generally known as William of Waynflete. It stands on tho site and lands of a dissolved hospital of St. John the Baptist, and, including its buildings (which occupy 11 acres), its grove, garden- walk, and other grounds adjacent, extends over an area of about 100 acres. The entrance to the college is by a Gothic gate- way, erected in 1844 from a design by Pugin. The exterior is ornamented with richly canopied niches, con- taining figures of St. John Baptist, Mary Magdalene, and the founder ; the arms of Henry VI., and those of the founder ; a Latin inscription over the gate, and in the interior is a niche with the figure of the Virgin and Child, the whole gateway being surmounted by a hand- somely designed cross. Opposite to the entrance is the "W. window of tho chapel, with a shallow porch, over which are niches containing figures of saints, &c., and on the right is a curious stone pulpit, from which tho University sermon was formerly preached on St. John's Day. To the left of the entrance to the cloisters is a curious stained window composed of very small pieces of glass, and to the right the dcor of the chapel, which is one of the most beautiful in the University. Here, too, as well as at New College, tho musical services are very fine, and attract a considerable number of visitors, who assemble not only to hear them, but to admire the various architectural beauties of the college, or to wander among its grounds. In the ante-chapel are two Corin- thian pillars, some monuments, and windows contain- ing painted glass, representing saints, benefactors of the college and University, and events in the life of Jesus. Tho great W. window, representing the Last Judgment, was originally painted after a design by Christopher Schwartz, and was repaired in 1740 at a cost of 800. The chapel (the choir of which has ten painted windows, and is paved with Dorsetshire marble) contains a com- munion-table, of the Corinthian order, standing on marble steps, and having as an altar-piece a picture of Christ bearing His Cross, brought from Vigo in 1702, and executed, in all probability, by Ribalta. Above the table is a stone carving of Christ appearing to Maiy in the garden, and the space between this and the table is filled up by sculptured marble. On the left of the com- munion-table is a small chapel, which has been admi- rably restored, and contains an alabaster tomb of Richard Patten, the founder's father. Service is performed every day at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., except on Sundays and holy- days, when the morning service begins at 8. The organ is a remarkably fine instrument ; and the large brass eagle, which serves as a lectern, was placed in the choir in 1633. The stone altar-screen and old oak seats and stalls are richly and appropriately carved. The cloisters surround the great quadrangle, the interior of which is adorned with grotesque figures and carvings of lions, peli- cans, a hippopotamus, and other beasts, besides a lawyer, a schoolmaster, a divine, a physician, David conquering Goliath, &c. These are all explained in a MS. in the library as being symbolical of the arts, sciences, and virtues, which ought to be cultivated in a college, as well as of those pursuits and habits which are to be avoided. Thus the lion typifies courage, the pelican parental affection and care, the hyena represents fraud, the panther treachery, the griffin covetousness, the hip- popotamus, which carries his cub upon his shoulders, signifies the tutors and fellows of the college, who sup- port the junior members of the society in their passage through the troubled waters of an university career, and so on through the whole series, the meaning of each figure and group being duly set forth in the " (Edipus Magdalcnensis," as tho MS. above mentioned is styled. The hall contains some good portraits, and in the wainscot at the upper end are some curiously carved figures, illustrative of the history of St. Mary Magdalene. The new buildings lie through a narrow passage in the N. side of the cloisters. They were founded in 1733, are 300 feet in length, and consist of three stories of apartments or rooms for the members of the college. To the left of these buildings is the Grove (in which there are some fine elm trees and a herd of deer), which is bounded by tho old second, or outer, city wall. To Magdalen College also belongs a much-frequented water-walk on the bank of tho river Cherwell, the entrance to which is through an iron gata to the right of the new quadrangle. It is bordered by lofty trees, tho foliage of which entirely overhang it, and make it a delightful retreat from the heat of the sun. A portion of it is termed "Addison's Walk," from the fact that that great writer, who was himself a member of the college, passed much of his time, and composed (it is said) many of his works here. Magdalen Tower, which is one of the most elegant structures in the University, was commenced in 1492 and completed about 1505. It is about 150 feet in height, and contain* a peal of ten bells. On its summit a hymn, com- posed for the occasion, is sung by members of the choir at 5 o'clock on tho morning of 1st May annually. This custom has its origin from the tradition that formerly a May-day requiem was performed each year for the soul of Henry VII., in commemoration of his visit to the college in 1488. Magdalen Bridge, which crosses the Cherwell, joins the High-street with the parish of St. Clement's. It is 526 feet in length, but is considered too narrow for its length. The roads beyond it diverge to the right and the left, the former leading to the vil- lages of Cowley, Iffley, and Littlemore ; tho latter to Headington (from the hill of which a view of tho sur- rounding country is obtained) and Marston, and somo other small places. BKASEXOSE COLLEGE (which, in its charier, is also styled "tho King's Hall") was founded in 1509 by William Smith, Bishop of Lincoln, and Sir Richard Button, Kt., of Prestbury in Cheshire. It stands on a site which was in former times occupied by four of the ancient halls, and its name is said by