This college was heretofore Glocefter-hall, called fo either from Gilbert de Clare, earl of Glocefter, or more probably from the Benedictine monks of Glocefter, who, with others of the fame order, made this a feminary for their order. Nor did it lofe its primitive name, till it acquired a collegiate endowment by the noble munificence of Sir Thomas Cookes, of Aftely, in Worcefterfhire.

This college, while it was a hall, produced Sir Kenelm Digby; Thomas Coryat, the famous traveller; William Burton, antiquary, &c.

It has a provoft, fix fellows, fix fcholars, &c.

The vifitors are the bifhops of Oxford and Worcester, and the vice-chancellor. Halls are places of education and erudition unendowed, though not destitute of exhibitions. They are now, out of a very great number, only fix. The fstudents in them fubfift at their own charge, are under the government of a principal, and vice-principal, and pay the former for their lodging, and for his care and government of them. The principals are nominated by the chancellor, except the principal of Edmund-hall, who is named by Queen's college; that fociety not relinquishing their right of nomination, as others did.

Their vifitor is the chancellor.

Alban hall is fituate on the fouth fide of the town, in the parish of St. John Baptift, adjoining to the eaft fide of Merton college. It was called Alban-hall, from Robert St. Alban, who was once the proprietor of the place. It became an academical nursery about the year 1230.

Of this hall were Richard Fitz-James, bifhop of London; Philip Maffinger the poet ; and Thomas Venner, phyfician.

Hart hall is fituate in the parish of St. Peter's in the east, and over against the front or eat fide of the publick fchools. It is fuppofed to have been called Hart-hall, from the first fyllable of Elias Hartford's furname, who was once the proprietor of it. It has alfo been called Stapledon-hall, under which name Richard Wydeflade endowed it with maintenance for twelve fcholars; which endowment, after he had built Exeter college, he tranflated from hence thither; and then this place obtained its old name again of Harthall.*

This hall has a ftipend or exhibition belonging to it of more than 161. per an

num.

Of this houfe were Nicholas Fuller, canon of Salisbury, author of the Mifcellanea Sacra; Dr. John Donne, dean of St. Paul's; Sir Richard Baker, and Mr. John Selden, the antiquary.

Edmund hall is fituate in the parish of St. Peter's in the east, oppofite to the east fide of Queen's college, called fo from one Edmund, a citizen of Oxford, the proprietor of the place. It was purchafed by Queen's college, anno 1557, and converted to the purpofes of learning.

Of this house were Lancelot Bulkley, archbishop of Dublin; William Fuller, bishop of Lincoln; John Prichet, bifhop of Gloucefter; Dr. Bates, the phyfician, author of the Elenchus Motuum, &c.

It makes one quadrangle; on the east side of which stands a very neat chapel and library, built fome years fince by the reverend Mr. Stephen Penton, principal.

St. Mary-hall is fituate on the north fide of Oriel college, in the parifh of St. Mary. It has its name either from that church, which, with this hall, came to belong to Oriel

*This hall has lately been endowed, and, at the petition of its generous and pious benefactor and prin.. cipal, has been erected into a college, by the name of Hereford college.

college,

college, by a grant of King Edward the fecond, anno 1325, or from Oriel college, which was called heretofore St. Mary-hall.

Of this house were John Carpenter, bishop of Worcester; Sir Chriftopher Hatton, chancellor of England, and of this univerfity; Sir Thomas More, chancellor of England, steward of this university, &c.

It confifts of one quadrangle not very regular.

New-inn-hall or Trilleck-inn, is fituate in the parish of St. Peter's in the Bailiff, in the north west part of the town. It was called Trilleck-inn from the proprietors of it, John Trilleck, bishop of Hereford, and Thomas his brother, bifhop of Rochester. Afterwards the founder of New college bought it, and gave it to that college, anno 1392, and from that time it was called New-inn-hall.

Of this house was John Wilkins, who went from hence to Magdalen-hall, and John Twyne, antiquary.

The building is ancient and irregular.

St. Mary Magdalen-hall is fituate near the gate of the college of that name, in the parish of St. Peter's in the eaft. It was built by William Wainfleet, bishop of Winchefter, founder of Magdalen college, anno 1480, for a grammar-fchool. But there being room enough in it for academical ftudents, especially after additions were made to the buildings, fome members of the univerfity took up their refidence in it, and then a principal was placed there to govern them; and thus it ftill continues an academical fociety. It enjoys fifteen exhibitions.

Óf this house were John Wilkins, bishop of Chester, besides three other bishops; Sir Edward Hyde, earl of Clarendon, lord high-chancellor of England, and chancellor of this university; Sir Robert Hyde, and Sir Matthew Hale, chief juftices of England; Richard Field, dean of Gloucester, author of the book of the church; Samuel Daniel, the poet and the historian; William Pemble, and Walter Charlton, M. D.

As to the building of this hall, the front is the most confiderable part of it. It has a pretty good library.

Thus I conclude my defcription of this famous, and I doubt not to fay, unparalelled feat of learning, the university of Oxford; but I must acknowledge, that though I viewed the fame with the utmost care and curiofity, I could never have pretended to give my countrymen so just and accurate account of all these particulars, had not my ingenious tutor, who was a member thereof, kindly imparted them to me in his own manufcript. And therefore, if I fall fhort in my description of its fifter Cambridge, let it not be attributed fo much to the want of good will to do juftice to its name, as to the want of the fame affiftance.

CHAP. VI.-Of the Situation, Antiquity, &c. of Cambridge.

IN my defcription of the city and univerfity of Cambridge, which is fituated about fifty two miles from London, I fhall be as brief as poffible. Its name is no doubt derived from its fituation on the banks of the Cam, which forms feveral islands on the west side, and divides the town into two parts, that are joined by a large stone bridge. It is fo ancient, that it was well known in the time of the Romans by the name of the Camboritum, and is frequently mentioned in the oldeft hiftories of Britain. It fuffered much by the Danes, who kept a strong garrifon here, till Edward the elder took it in 921, to awe the rebellious monks of Ely. William the conqueror built a caftle here, of which the gate-house is still standing, it being the county-jail. The town, in his book

R 2

called

called Doomsday, was divided into ten wards, containing 387 houfes. After that king s death, Roger de Montgomery destroyed it with fire and sword, to be revenged on King William Rufus, fo that the univerfity was wholly abandoned; but King Henry I. to repair thefe damages, beftowed many privileges upon it. He exempted it from the power of the fheriff, and made it a corporation on the payment of one hundred marks yearly into the exchequer; which being the fum the sheriff used to pay before for the profits of the town, fhews it was then a confiderable town that could pay a fum at that time equivalent at least to 1000l. now for its privileges. He alfo ordered, that the merchants of the guild in Cambridge fhould be free from all toll, paffage, laftage, pontage, and ftallage, in all fairs of his dominions on this fide and beyond the feas. In the barons wars the outlaws, who had taken refuge in the ifle of Ely, frequently plundered it, till Henry III. fecured it by a deep ditch on the eaft fide of the town, which fill goes by the name of the King's-ditch. Wat Tyler and Jack Straw, in their rebellion against Richard II. entered the town, and burnt the university records in the market-place. The Jews being encouraged to come over by King William I. and II. were very populous in this town for feveral generations. They inhabited all that part of it, now called the Jewry, and the round church is thought to have been their fynagogue.

This town has had the honour of giving the title of earl to feveral of the royal family, and that of duke to his prefent majefty when prince of Wales. It is governed by a mayor, high steward, recorder, and thirteen aldermen, of whom the mayor is one, twenty-four common-council-men, a town clerk, and other inferior officers. The mayor, at his entrance on his office on Michaelmas day, takes an oath to maintain the liberties, privileges, and cuftoms of the univerfity. It has fourteen parish-churches, but is a dirty ill-built place, and in a very indifferent fituation.

Its greatest glory is its univerfity, which for antiquities, gracious privileges, beautiful colleges, good difcipline, number of students, plentiful revenues, and all other neceffaries for advancement of learning, may challenge equality with any other in Chriftendom. When it was first inftituted, let others determine. Thus much is certain, that, like Oxford, it afforded the fcholars at firft no publick reception, or place of ftudies,. fo that they were obliged to take up with fuch lodgings in the town as they could get. But fo mean was the accommodation they met with, and fo frequent were the com❤ motions occafioned by the infolence of the townfmen, that feveral pious charitable perfons began to erect inns and hotels for the reception of the scholars, in order to give them an opportunity of retirement, and an independence upon the town. But ftill they lived upon their own eftates, enjoying only the convenience of lodgings, without any manner of endowments; till in the reign of Edward I. they began to build colleges, not only for the reception, but alfo for the maintenance of certain numbers of scholars, according to the revenues affigned for that purpose. The order and time of their foun dation, with their refpective founders, are as follows, viz. Colleges and Halls.

Peter Houfe

Clare Hall

Pembroke Hall

Founders.

Hugh Balfhum

Years. Fellows. Schols. 1284 22

42

Ben-}

Trinity Hall

Convil and Caius College
King's College

Edmund de Gonvil and John Caius 1348
King Henry VI,

1441

nce}

406 660

Frances Sidney, countess of Suffex 1598

Total fixteen, viz. | Thefe, with the additional benefactions fince 12 colleges, 4 halls. their foundation, contain The whole body of the univerfity, commonly about fifteen hundred, enjoys very great privileges, granted by feveral British kings; but it was King James I. who impowered it to fend two members to parliament. It is governed, 1. By a chancellor, always fome nobleman, who is not fo durante vita, as that of Oxford, but may be changed every three years, or continued longer by the tacit confent of the univerfity. He has under him a commiffary for holding a court of record of civil caufes for all privileged perfons and scholars below the degree of master of arts, where all caufes are tried and determined by the civil and ftatute laws, and by the customs of the university. 2. A high steward, chofe by the fenate, and holding his place by patent from the univerfity. 3. The vice-chancellor, who is the head of fome college or hall, and chofe annually the third of November, by the body of the univerfity, the heads of the colleges naming two perfons. 4. Two proctors, chofe every year, as at Oxford, according to the cycle of colleges and halls; as are alfo two taxers, who, with the proctors, regulate the weights and meafures, as clerks of the market. There are befides thefe a register or keeper of the archives of the university, three efquire beadles, one yeoman beadle, and a library keeper. It is to be obferved, that the halls at Cambridge are endowed and privileged as the colleges, and differ only in name.

This univerfity, as well as its fifter Oxford, has its publick fchools and libraries, that are peculiar to each college, and moft of them are well ftored with books, especially Trinity and St. John's, but it falls far fhort of those of Oxford in the number of books, as well as the ftateliness of buildings, and other ornaments. The publick schools are built in form of a fquare, with brick and rough ftone. The univerfity library had a noble augmentation made to it of thirty thousand volumes (the books of Dr. Moor, bishop of Ely) a prefent from the late King George I. who gave 7,000l. for them in the year 1715.

In 1724, his late majefty was alfo pleased to establish a profeffor of modern history and modern languages, in this univerfity as well as that at Oxford, with a falary of 40cl. per annum for himself and two perfons under him, qualified to instruct in that branch. Alfo Dr. Woodward, a profeffor at Grefham-college, London, who died in April 1728, left a fum of money to this university for erecting a profefforship of natural He alfo left his collection philofophy, with a provifion for it of 150l. a year for ever.

of fofils and other natural curiofities to the university, with a part of his library which related to thofe fubjects. Dr. Addenbroke alfo left it 4,cool. towards building and furnishing an hofpital at Cambridge, for the cure of poor difeafed people gratis; of which charity the mafter and fellows of Catherine-Hall are the truftees. There are charity-schools in the town for teaching above three hundred children (of whom fifty are

cloathed)

cloathed) which are maintained by fubfcription to the amount of 230l. a year, by an eftate of 30l. a year left them for ever by Mr. Wortes, and by the facrament-money given by fome of the colleges, which have each their chapel for worship, though the publick fermons are preached at St. Mary's church.

The most remarkable structures in Cambridge are, 1. King's College chapel, which for contrivance and extent is looked upon to be one of the finest in the world, and strikes the beholders with awe and veneration. The room is three hundred and four feet long, feventy-three broad, and ninety-four high to the battlements, without one pillar tc fupport it. Its choir was adorned by King Henry VIII. with the finest carved work that ever was feen, and the glafs-painting in the windows is most beautiful and graceful. The intire building, roof and all, is of free-ftone, and the crown, creft, and other regalia of the houfe of Lancaster, curiously cut in ftone in feveral places, are no fmall ornament to the whole. 2. Trinity-college and library, defigned by the learned Dr. Ifaac Barrow; a noble room, built alfo of free-ftone, and fupported by two rows of pillars, which for beauty and defign, confidering the bignefs of it, is hardly to be matched in the three kingdoms. It should not pafs unobserved, that as all the libraries in Oxford are studying libraries, thofe at Cambridge (except that at King's College) are lending libraries; because any perfon qualified may borrow out of them whatever book he wants. King Henry IV. granted this univerfity a power to print within itself all books of any kind, a privilege which Oxford then had not.

CHAP. VII. Of the Government of England.

THE Laws of England being the foundation of its government, that by which a king ought to rule, and which the people ought to fubmit to, fhall make the fubject of this chapter.

I begin with the common-law, that is, the common customs of the nation, which in procefs of time have obtained the force of laws. It is a fummary of the laws of the Saxons and Danes, to which William the conqueror having added fome of the good customs of Normandy, he caufed them all to be written in his own Norman dialect, and fo they have continued hitherto.

Befides the common-law, they have the statute-law, that is, the laws made from time to time, by king and parliament, as occafion requires, and where the commonlaw is deficient, or thought to be fo.

The martial-law, which concerns only foldiers and mariners, in time of actual war. The foreft-law, concerning forefts. By which the will is reputed for the fact; fo that a man, found hunting of a deer, may be arrested, as if he had taken it.

The civil-law, made use of particularly in the court of admiralty, in the two univerfaties, in all spiritual courts, in the earl marfhal's court, and treaties with foreign princes. This is the law of nations, looked upon as the product of the common reason of mankind, and made use of where common and flatute-law takes no cognizance.

The laws of Rhodes and Oleron, concerning maritime affairs, have been long fince incorporated into the volumes of the civil-law. Rhodes is an island in the Mediterranean, not far from Anatolia, and now belonging to the Turks; whofe ancient inhabitants being great traders at sea, made fuch regulations in all maritime concerns, that the very Romans, who excelled in making good laws, left their sea-affairs, and referred all debates and differences of that kind, to the judgment of the Rhodian laws. Oleron is an island of Aquitain, not far from Rochelle; where Richard I. caufed fuch excellent laws to be made, relating to sea-affairs, that they were almost in as great repute, in these western parts of Europe, as the Rhodian laws were in the Mediterranean.