NORTH-WEST INTERIOR ANGLE OF THE OLD QUADRANGLE BEFORE THE ALTERATIONS OF WILLIAM THE FOURTH'S REIGN, SHOWING THE DIFFERENCE IN STYLE BETWEEN THE EARLIEST AND LATEST PORTIONS OF THE QUADRANGLE, THE ENTRANCE TO THE ANCIENT REFECTORY OF BROADGATES HALL (NOW THE LIBRARY), AND OVER IT THE LIBRARY BUILT IN 1709. THE UPPER OF THE TWO TOWER WINDOWS WAS JOHNSON'S CHAMBER

NEW BUILDINGS.

433

College on the top of the twelfth century wall remains nearly unchanged. But that is all. Within the last ten years creepers have been allowed to grow over the face of the quadrangle.

The beginning of the next Mastership was marked by a more important change in the appearance of the College, through the erection. of a new range of buildings on the site of the Back Lodgings-molem, magalia quondam-followed three years later by the building of a fine Dining Hall at right angles to the new rooms1. No such enlargement of any College had taken place for at least half-a-century. The growth of the Society under Dr. JEUNE made extension necessary; and, much as we may regret the disappearance of the time-honoured buildings and of the old-fashioned gardens between them and the city wall, the plan for a large inner court was certainly effective. Quadrangle it cannot in strictness be called, since the Chapel is the only building on the south side. To have built along this site would have necessitated the re-edifying of the town-wall from its foundations. With the irregular range of older buildings on the east, the 'New Quadrangle,' especially when the creepers, luxuriant as only Oxford creepers are, clothe the walls with their autumn hues, is very pleasing, though a passer-by, glancing in through the College gateway, might hardly suspect the existence of this spacious place, with its spreading lawn and diversified buildings. The sets of Rooms, for Fellows and Undergraduates, with Bursary and Senior Common-room, were finished in 1846, the plans having been finally approved on Nov. 14, 1844. They had been prepared by Mr. Charles Hayward, of Exeter, nephew and pupil of Sir Charles Barry. On Feb. 12, 1845, the tender of Mr. Daniel Evans and Mr. Symm for £5,286 14s. was accepted. The funds available were 'the residue of the money left by Dr. Radcliffe for repairing the College,' £1,366 14s. borrowed from Dr. Smyth's Trust, £400 offered by the Master, Dr. Jeune, on condition that the Fellows of the Ossulston Foundation should be entitled to rooms rent-free like the other Fellows-this was agreed to 'for ever'; the rest was raised by subscription. The massive carved furniture in the Common Room was given by the tutorial staff.

The energy of Dr. Jeune and the public spirit of the small and poorly-endowed College over which he presided are shown by the resolution come to in October, 1846, to take in hand the erection of

1 What the exterior of the Old Quadrangle facing west had looked like before it was remodelled may be seen from Storer's drawing in Chalmers. In 1843 it had been proposed to build new chambers for the reception of the new Fellows and Scholars on Mr. Francis Wightwick's foundation, his bequest being allowed to accumulate for the purpose.

F f

434

NEW BUILDINGS AND ALTERATIONS.

a new Hall and offices and the renovation of the east end of the 'New Court' and the west side of the Master's House, the plans being prepared by Mr. Hayward. The Hall was contracted for in March, 1847, by Mr. Matthew Awdrey, of London, for about £5,0001. Towards this outlay it was determined to use £3,000 belonging to the Phipps legacy as well as all other moneys in the funds over which the College had control, £3,000, however, being retained in the funds to accumulate at compound interest as a sinking fund for the replacement of the moneys sold out and of the caution money in the hands of the College, which also was used. Simultaneously with this expenditure £1,000 was advanced to the Master, then about to enter on the duties of Vice-Chancellor 2, for the enlargement and improvement of the Master's House, to be repaid by the Master for the time being in thirty annual instalments of £54 5s. 9d. each, the interest being calculated at 3 per centum. By April, 1858, however, it appeared that £1,473 35. 11d. had been expended, of which the College advanced another £300, £173 35. 11d. being reckoned for new fixtures and tenants' repairs. The 'increase and restoration' of the Lodgings had been principally the addition of another storey. The plans were drawn by Messrs. Fuljames and Waller.

In this year the advowson of St. Aldate's was sold to the Simeon Trustees for £1,040 6s. 3d. Consols, and it was proposed that the proceeds should become the nucleus of a fund for building a new Chapel. Fortunately another use was found for the money. In 1820 the advowson of Codford St. Peter, Wilts, had been purchased from Mrs. Sophia Kellow for £3000, for the benefit of Wightwick Fellows'. A glance at one of Dr. Ingram's pretty woodcuts will show what the back of the Master's House looked like before Dr. Jeune's alterations. The chief change is in the position of the windows. Three of the original gables still remain. The character of the buildings erected on the north side of the New Court is of a plainer Gothic than the earlier work of 1829, the chief adornment being the oriel windows on either side of the Fellows' staircase. The new Hall is a really excellent example of revived mediævalism. The dark hammerbeamed roof, though only the main timbers are of oak, is very striking. It has a prettily designed louvre. There is the usual large oriel on

1 Mr. Hayward, Dr. Jeune observed, was the only architect in his experience whose estimates were not exceeded by the expenditure.

2 H. R. H. the Prince of Wales was matriculated here by Dr. Jeune, Oct. 17, 1859. 3 From money, the Master thinks, given specifically for this purpose, as they did not share in the Phipps benefaction.

Before the louvre was begun,' Mr. Orger recalls, 'the space for it was covered with boards. One night, after midnight, the College was aroused by hearing the

THE WOLSEY ALMSHOUSE.

435 the dais, a minstrels' gallery, and a great baronial fireplace. The oak panelling is not remarkable, and the armorial glass in the windows is fortunately fading into gradual disappearance. A strange contempt for Church Latin is shown in more than one incredible barbarism carelessly inscribed on the glass'. As in the ancient refectories, there are two doors, at the opposite end to the high table, faced, as you go out, by the buttery hatch. The kitchen and its necessary suburbs,' without which (says Fuller) all is marred, were built in 1869 under the direction of Mr. Buckeridge. The kitchen had been the present servants' hall, and before 1847 was in the south-west corner of the Old Quadrangle. The tower of the Hall is used as a muniment room.

The present passage between quads' was widened in 1845. Before that a communication went through the present janitor's bedroom into the Master's backyard, to the Back Lodgings. A path led from this corner to the Chapel door. The view of the New Hall and Quadrangle is the subject of the Almanack top of 1858. It shows a doorway, abolished in 1869, on the basement, close to the steps.

In 1879, the ornamental open-work parapet of the Gateway Tower and the twisted chimneys of the College front being greatly decayed, though scarcely half a century old, and damaged by a storm, Messrs. Bodley and Garner designed the present plainer parapet, gurgoyles, and chimneys, and the niche in the face of the tower, containing, for want of something less commonplace, a shield carved with the College The tower was very slightly raised. The gateway armories and the one in the other quadrangle have lately been painted at the charges of the two tutors.

arms.

THE WOLSEY ALMSHOUSE.

In 1888 a very important addition was laid to the College by the purchase from Christ Church of the Wolsey Hospital, once, Wood maintains, a seminary dependance of St. Frideswyde's, but after the decay of learning a habitation for the Priory servants and retainers. One James Proctor occupied it at the time of the Dissolution. When 'the great child of honour, Cardinal Wolsey 2,' made the Priory into well-known voice of J. H. H. McS― singing at its full pitch his (and our) favourite song 'The Port Admiral.' He and another man (I think it was his great friend R. P. B—————) had taken advantage of the ladders which the workmen had left, first reaching to the parapet of the Hall and then up the roof to the place of the louvre. They carried a bowl of punch, and placed it on the boards, each sitting astride of the roof opposite each other, while they pledged each other, by turns and sang.' 'Such as 'Deaconus,' for Deacon, and for Dean; Episc. Amarch.' for the Primate of All Ireland, &c. Horresco referens. These things can only be told in a footnote, where they may be unobserved.

2 Shakespeare, Henry VIII, Act iv. Scene 2.