The architectural history of the University of Cambridge, and of the colleges of Cambridge and Eton . was probably about sixty feetlong by twenty feet broad1. The will of King Henry the Sixth,dated 12 March, 1447—48, provides a noble library, one hundredand ten feet long by twenty-four feet broad, on the westernside of the proposed quadrangle of Kings College, [and on 1 [History of Peterhouse, Vol. I. pp. 10, 16.] MERTON COLLEGE, OXFORD. 409 the east side of the quadrangle of EtonCollege, a Library of the same breadth,and fifty-two feet long1]. At QueensCollege, Catharine Hall, Jesus College,C
The architectural history of the University of Cambridge, and of the colleges of Cambridge and Eton . was probably about sixty feetlong by twenty feet broad1. The will of King Henry the Sixth,dated 12 March, 1447—48, provides a noble library, one hundredand ten feet long by twenty-four feet broad, on the westernside of the proposed quadrangle of Kings College, [and on 1 [History of Peterhouse, Vol. I. pp. 10, 16.] MERTON COLLEGE, OXFORD. 409 the east side of the quadrangle of EtonCollege, a Library of the same breadth,and fifty-two feet long1]. At QueensCollege, Catharine Hall, Jesus College,Christs College, S. Johns College, andMagdalene College, the Library formedpart of the original quadrangle, eitherbuilt or planned by the Founder, as hasbeen already related in the separatecollegiate histories. At Oxford, in thesame way, the Library is included in theFounders quadrangle at the colleges ofExeter, Lincoln, All Souls, Brasenose,Magdalen, and Corpus Christi. We will next review the older col-leges at the two Universities, and notethe gradual addition of a Library totheir SCALE of FEET *L 1 1 1 1 f 1 . 1 1 T Fig. 1. Plan of the Library of Merton College, Oxford. At Merton College, Oxford, founded about 1274, the Libraryis attributed by tradition to William Reade, Bishop of Chichester1368—85, but, as explained above (p. 250), the history of theearly buildings of Merton College is extremely uncertain, and theposition of the Library which preceded that built by Bishop Readein 1376, is unknown. Mr Gutch remarks with reference to it: 1 [History of Eton College and Kings College, Vol. I. pp. 356, 370.] THE LIBRARY. The Library, before the present very ancient one, we know nomore of, than that it was a room, at first with one Chest for books, andafterwards, as books increased, with more Chests in it1. Bishop Reades Library (fig. i) occupies the greater part ofthe upper floor of the south and west sides of the small quad-rangle to the south of the chapel, and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade188, booksubjectuniversityofcambridge
