St. Catherine’s.—­This college was founded in 1473 by Robert Woodlark, Chancellor of the University, and dedicated to “the glorious Virgin Martyr, St. Catherine of Alexandria.”  Undergraduate slang, alas! reduces all this to “Cat’s.”  It was originally called St. Catherine’s Hall, and is one of the smallest of the colleges.  Although not claiming the strong ecclesiastical flavour of Corpus, it has educated quite a formidable array of bishops.  From Trumpington Street the buildings have the appearance of a pleasant manor-house of Queen Anne or early Georgian days, and, with the exception of the wing at the north-west, the whole of the three-sided court dates between 1680 and 1755.  Both chapel and hall are included in this period.

Jesus.—­Standing so completely apart from the closely clustered nucleus, Jesus College might be regarded as a modern foundation ranking with Downing or Selwyn by the hurried visitor who had failed to consult his guide-book and had not previous information to aid him.  It was actually founded as long ago as 1497, and the buildings include the church and other parts of the Benedictine nunnery of the Virgin and St. Rhadegund.

Bishop Alcock, of Ely, was the founder of the college, and his badge, composed of three cocks’ heads, is frequently displayed on the buildings.  The entrance gate, dating from the end of the fifteenth century, with stepped parapets, is the work of the founder, and is one of the best features of the college.  Passing through this Tudor arch, we enter the outer court, dating from the reign of Charles I., but finished in Georgian times.  From this the inner court is entered, and here we are in the nuns’ cloister, with their church, now the college chapel, to the south, and three beautiful Early English arches, which probably formed the entrance to the chapter-house, noticeable on the east.  In this court are the hall, the lodge, and the library, but the most interesting of all the buildings is the chapel.  It is mainly the Early English church of the nunnery curtailed and altered by Bishop Alcock, who put in Perpendicular windows and removed aides without a thought of the denunciations he has since incurred.  In many of the windows the glass is by Morris and Burne-Jones, and the light that passes through them gives a rich and solemn dignity to the interior.

Christ’s.—­Perhaps the most impressive feature of Christ’s College is the entrance gate facing the busy shopping street called Petty Cury.  The imposing heraldic display reminds us at once of Lady Margaret Beaufort, who, in 1505, refounded God’s House, the hostel which had previously stood here.  Although restored, the chapel is practically of the same period as the gateway, and it and the hall have both interesting interiors.  From the court beyond, overlooked on one side by the fine classic building of 1642 attributed to Inigo Jones, entrance is gained to the beautiful fellows’ garden, where the mulberry-tree associated with the memory of Milton may still be seen.