This practice, after a long discontinuance by the Roman emperors, was revived in the later empire in the 13th century, and performed with equal solemnitya. It was then called actus literarius, a literary or scholastic act; and as the distinction of a laureat was great, the ceremony of crowning him was performed with a proportionable publicity, and all possible form. The petition of the poet claiming the honour, the address of the personage conferring it, and the whole process of the literary Act, may be seen in Selden's Titles of Honour b.

The first person mentioned in Italy, as obtaining this distinction, was the celebrated Petrarch. It was conferred on him at Rome, and amidst a vast concourse of people. But though the laurel increased his honours,

a Neque puta, says Scaliger, upon Ausonius, (as quoted by Selden) aliunde Poetarum Laureatorum morem manasse. Nam et ipsi antiquitus ab ipsis Cæsaribus Germanis coronabantur. Magnoq. in pretio habiti semper apud Italos et Germanos qui id honoris virtute ingenii consecuti essent.

b Te itaq. Joannem Paulum Crusium Argentensem Liberalium Artium ac disciplinarum magistrum in hac florentissima assidentum Corona ob insignes ingenii tui dotes, præsertim vero Artis Poeticæ doctrinam singularem, peritiam eximiam, ut moris est, vigore et tenore Cæsarei hujus diplomatis, tanquam comes Palatinus, augustissima Imperatoriæ et Cesareæ Majestatis Auctoritate hac Laurea Poetica coronamus. The Count Palatine's Address to Crusius, who at the same time was presented by him with a gold ring. Selden, as above, p. 404.

• Quin et Senatum urbis Romæ idem magnifacere exinde constare potest, quod anno Christi 1341, desuefactum ab aliquot seculis morem coronandi revocaret, et Franciscum Petrarcham magna populi frequentia et acclamatione in Capitolio Laurea donavit, quam ille deinceps, ingenti nobilium pompa comitatus, tholo et umbilico altitudinis Templi Petrini, exemplum posteritati, suspendit. Matthæus Stephani, de Jurisdict. Lib. ii. p. 1, as quoted by Selden, ut sup. p. 404,

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it seems not to have improved his fortunes; and of what he makes others say in contempt, he lived to feel the realitya.

France never conferred this degree; but in England we read of Sir John Gower, as being poet-laureat in the 14th century; and he was buried in St. Mary-Overy's church, in Southwark, with all his blooming honours upon him, his statue being crowned with ivy intertwined with roses. It does not appear how he was laureated; but John Shelton, or Skelton, rector of Diss, in Norfolk, who flourished in Henry the VIIth and Henry the VIIIth's reign, was laureated, that is, graduated in the University of Oxford, and at the same time Robert Whitington. So that, to speak of the laureatship, in treating of our-college, is certainly not out of place.

Qual vaggezza di Lauro? Qual de Mirto ?
Povera, i nuda va Filosophia.

b Blomefield's Ess. towards a Topograph. Hist. of Norfolk, Vol. i. p. 20.

c Phillips' Theat. Poet. Ang. p. 41.

• Who calls himself Grammaticæ Magister, et Protovates Angliæ, in florentissima Oxoniensi Academia Laureatus. In opusc. aliquot Londini tunc editis, as quoted by Selden, Titles of Honour, p. 412. It is remarkable, that Phillips, in his Theat. Poet. omits Whitington, and Ritson, in his Bibl. Poetica, omits Skelton, who, besides that he was a poet-laureat, is called, by Erasmus, the light and honour of the British learning. Dr. Knight (Life of Dean Collet, p. 121) observes, speaking of Whitington's graduating, " And this may discover the error of some, who, not considering the crown of laurel as the ensign of a degree, have been apt to think that a poet-laureat of old, as well as of late, had that title, and a pension from the prince, when it came from the University, in commencing the degree of doctor of grammar; as it came thus to Bernard Andrea, tutor of Prince Arthur, to John Skelton, tư tor of Prince Henry, &c."

To what has been said on our degraduating a laureat in this country, should it be objected, that his title is, in fact, a diploma given by the king-who, by his royal mandate, can, in like manner, create doctors in the several professions-it may be conceded there is some appearance of resemblance; but our concession is made with this caution, that laureatship be considered as a personal honour, and left in possession of its ancient privileges.

Ye woods and spreading groves, afford my muse
That bough, with which the sacred poets use
T'adorn their brows, that by their pattern led,

I with due honours may impale my head.

Evelyn's Translation of Renatus Rapinus's, Gardens, p.74.

With respect to Mr. Shadwell, the poet-laureat, from whom we have wandered, he was the author of seventeen dramatic pieces, of which his Epsom Wells is said to be the most admired.

Two or three words on the buildings. These in general display a neat collegiate air. The least perhaps to be admired are those things which seem to challenge our admiration most: the low gate of Humility, at the eastern entrance-the loftier arch of Virtue, with its portico and emblematical figures, conducting to Caius's court, and leading to the Public Schools-the gate of Honour, decorated with the peculiar ornaments of the different Grecian orders are in the style of the sepulchral monuments of Elizabeth's age, nuced from Italy about that period. Taking them all together, we may, perhaps, consider them as those little models of ships sometimes made by seafaring people, to explain the sails, masts, and different parts of a vessel; and we may then gather from

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them some hints concerning the orders, and we may further, with advantage, bring away the moral sentiments which they were intended to convey. But we may approve their utility of instruction, without admiring their architectural propriety. For to affect grandeur on a small scale, is not to be sublime. The revival of taste in England has overpowered much of conceit in the arts, and the dawn of science has dissolved many a charm.

Much of elegance is seen in the interior style of the chapel, in which lies the founder, entombed under a monument raised rather singularly against the northern wall. Over the altar is a good picture of the Annunciation, copied by Retz, from Carlo Maratti, so much admired for his style of painting the Maries. This picture will be thought very appropriate, if we recollect the college was dedicated to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. In the master's lodge are portraits of all the old masters, except Dr. Dell, the quaker master; there are also two portraits of Alderman Trapps and his wife, 1554, which are reckoned fine ones, and supposed to be by Holbein. There are likewise a few portraits in the hall of eminent physicians and others formerly members of the college, among which is one of Dr. Harvey.

The library is to be admired more for its contents, than its structure. It abounds in MSS. and some are valuable. Among these are a Hebrew Bible, incomplete, beginning with Joshua, and ending with Malachi, c. 44. Judging by the rules laid down by Dr. Kennicota, it is not so old as that in the public library, but older than that in Emmanuel, which he reckoned of the 13th cen

• Observationes Generales, &c. subjoined to his Hebrew Bible, where may be seen an account of this MS.

tury. The Four Gospels, in Greek, not so well written as the Epistles in Emmanuel, but ancient. A fair well-written Greek MS. but modern, of Simplicius's Commentary on Aristotle's Physics: there are some Latin translations of different parts of Aristotle more ancient. Several MSS. of the Latin Classics. Various MS. volumes of Visitations, in reference to heraldı y and genealogies, made in the 16th and 17th centuries-many medical MSS. also, given by Dr. Caius, among which are his own readings and observations on Galen, &c. The original MS. of Parker's Szos, Cantab. 1622. There is a peculiarity in his way of writing the Y, which has over it a dot; after the manner of the Saxon. Some MS. Collections, by Robert Hare, Esq.". But let this suffice for the present.

No college has less of a Rus in urbe than this; every where surrounded with the town, and public buildings; with little of garden, no agreeable walks, overshadowing groves, or refreshing water, and not a single outlet into the adjacent country. But buildings, like men, inust yield to circumstances, and bend to necessity. Garden, and wood and water, are not for every place. Moses himself could not strike water out of every rock, nor up on every occasion: and it is fruitless to complain. Con

* Some remarks on both are in Mills's Prolegomena ad Novum Testamentum Græcum, p. 148.

b What further I have to say is reserved for another occasion. It is many years since I took some memoranda in this library, except one or two lately made for the purpose of the present work. Near 200 volumes, I think, were brought here from the monastery of St. Edmund's Bury; and they have been remarkably fortunate in the preservation of them; for out of 247 MSS. in Wren's Catalogue, there is, if I am correct in my memorandum, but one missing, No. 16.