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Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The squat, square tower of its chapel is one of the city's landmarks. Mob Quad, built in the 14th century, is the oldest quadrangle (or courtyard) of any Oxford or Cambridge college and set the pattern for collegiate architecture for future generations (though this claim is disputed by Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, who say their Old Court is older). The other quads are Front Quad, Fellows Quad, St. Albans ("Stubbins"), and Rose Lane, across the magnificent Fellows Gardens. The garden fills the SE corner of the old walled city of Oxford. The walls may be seen from Christ Church Meadows.
Another remarkable, and little known, architectural feature is the tunnel, which has an opening in the old drying room, located in a subterranean realm of the college known as The Underworld, and which leads to a door to the stock room of the college bar. The door is locked and the whereabouts of the keys have been unknown for many years, since a former bar steward left the college.
History The college was founded in 1264 by Walter de Merton, making it one of the earliest-established colleges of the University. (The title of earliest-established is disputed between Merton College, Balliol College and University College.) With the egregious interruption of the English Civil War it has been a fairly sleepy place ever since. Since the early 1980s its peaceful nature has been disturbed once a year by the infamous Time Ceremony, in which students dressed in formal 'sub fusc' walk around Fellows Quad backwards while drinking port in order to maintain the integrity of the space-time continuum as British Summer Time ends in October. The ceremony was invented by two undergraduates in 1970 as spoof on other Oxford ceremonies. In recent years, the college has achieved high placings in the Norrington Table.
Notable former students
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Grace The college preprandial grace, always recited before formal dinners in Hall and usually by the senior Postmaster present, is based on verses 15 and 16 of Psalm 145. The precise words of the Latin are:
Oculi omnium in te respiciunt, Domine. Tu das escam illis tempore opportuno. Aperis manum tuam, et imples omne animal benedictione tua. Benedicas nobis, Deus, omnibus donis quae de tua beneficentia accepturi simus. Per Iesum Christum dominum nostrum, Amen.
This is fairly long by Oxford standards, but at least there is no postprandial grace.
Roughly translated it means: "The eyes of the world look up to thee, O Lord. Thou givest them food in due season. Thou openest thy hand and fillest every creature with thy blessing. Thou blessest us, O God, with all the gifts which by thy good works we are about to receive. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Amen."
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