Oxonium, Oxford, the famed Athens of England; that glorious Seminary of Learning and Wisdom, whence Religion, Politenefs, and Letters, are abunནས dantly difperfed into all Parts of the Kingdom: The Town is remarkably fine, whether you confider the Elegance of its private Buildings, the Magnificence of its public ones, or the Beauty and Wholesomeness of its Situation; which is on a Plain, encompaffed in fuch a Manner with Hills fhaded with Wood, as to be fheltered on the one Hand from the fickly South, and on the other from the bluftering West, but open to the East that blows ferene Weather, and to the North the Preventer of Corruption; from which, in the Opinion of fome, it formerly obtained the Apellation of Bellofitum. This Town is watered by two Rivers, the Cherwell, and the Isis, vulgarly called the Ouse; and though these Streams join in the fame Channel, yet the is runs more entire, and with more Rapidity towards the South, retaining its Name, till it meets the Thame, which it feems long to have fought, at Wallingford; thence, called by the compound Name of Thames, it flows the Prince of all British Rivers; of whom we may juftly fay, as the Antients did of the Euphrates, that it both fows and waters England.

The Colleges in this famous University are as follow:

In the Reign of Henry III. Walter Merton, Bishop of Rochester, removed the College he had founded in

Surrey,

Surrey, 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 University College; in the Reign of Edward I. John Baloil, 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 Hart-Hall; 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 Siman Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury, Canterbury College; William Wickham, Bishop of Winchefter, raised that magnificent Structure, called New College; Magdalen College was built by William Wainfleet, Bishop of Winchester, a noble Edifice, finely fituated, and delightful for its Walks: At the fame Time Humphrey Duke of Gloucefter, 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, purchafed at a great Price from Italy, but the Public has long fince been robbed of the Use of them by the Avarice of Particulars: Lincoln College; AllSouls 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 Nowel, Dean of St. Paul's London; upon the Gate of this College is fixed a Nofe of Brafs: Corpus Chrifti College built

by

by Richard Fox, Bishop of Winchester; under his Picture in the College Chapel are Lines importing that it is the exact Representation of his Person and Drefs.

Chriff'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 Treafury, to the Dignity of the Town, and Ornament of the Univerfity, made the one a Bifhoprick, and inftituted Profefforfhips in the other.

Jefus College, built by Hugh Price, Doctor of Law.

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 Academies in the Chriftian World. We fhall add a little of the -Academies themfelves, and those that inhabit them.

Thefe Students lead a Life almoft 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 thefe. They are divided into three Tables: The first is called the Fellows Table, to which are

admitted

admitted Earls, Barons, Gentlemen, Doctors, and Mafters of Arts, but very few of the latter; this is more plentifully and expenfively ferved than the others: The second is for Mafters of Arts, Bachelors, fome Gentlemen, and eminent Citizens: The third for People of low Condition. While the rest 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 himfelf 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 delightful 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 (quare Caps; the Doctors, Mafters of Arts, and Profeffors, have another kind of Gown that diftinguishes them: Every Student of any confiderable standing 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 Instruments.

The next Day we went as far as the Royal Palace of Woodflock, 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, enclofed with a Wall, according to John Roffe the first Park in England. In this very Palace the present reigning Queen Elizabeth, before fhe was confined to the Tower, was kept Prifoner by her Sifter Mary; while fhe was detained here in the utmost Peril of her Life, fhe wrote with a Piece of Charcoal the following Verses, compofed by herself, upon a Window-Shutter:

O FORTUNE! how thy reflefs wavering State
Hath fraught with Cares my troubled Wit!
Witness this prefent Prison 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 thofe that Death had well deferved:
But by her Envy can be nothing wrought,
So God fend to my Foes all they have thought.

A. D. M.D.LV.

ELIZABETH PRISONER.

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, Rafamunda, precamur.