of the Society, and who often rife to confiderable ftations in the Church.

The Town, including the Suburbs, is a mile in length from east to weft, and almost as much in breadth from north to fouth, being three miles in circumference; but it is of an irregular figure; and feveral airy spaces are comprehended within these limits, befides the many courts and gardens belonging to the refpective Colleges.

The City, properly fo called, formerly furrounded by a wall, with baftions at about 150 feet distance from each other, is of an oblong form, and about two miles in circumference. Magdalen College, with the eastern as well as the northern fuburbs, which contain the parifhes of Holywell, Magdalen, and St. Giles, with Balliol, Trinity, St. John's, and Wadham Colleges, are without the old walls, of which some part remains as a boundary to New College; beginning near the east end of the High-Street, and continuing almoft to the Clarendon Printing-house, where there was a Portal and a Chapel; fome remains of which are still visible.

The principal Street of the City runs from eaft to weft, the entire length of the Town, but under different names; the High-Street, beginning at Magdalen Bridge, includes at least two thirds of that length; the remainder is to the end of Cafle-Street. The Highfreet is perhaps without a rival, being of a fpacious width and length, adorned with the fronts of three Colleges, St. Mary's and All-Saints Churches, terminated at the east end with a view of Magdalen Coldege Tower, and a beautiful bridge. Every turn of

a See Agas's Plan of Oxford, as it was in 1578; in which are given the form of the Caftle, its baftions, walls, and ditch; the gates and walls of the city; and the Colleges, as they were originally built, Wadham and Jefus Colleges excepted, which were not then founded.-Printed for D, PRINCE and J. COOKE.

A 2

this

this street presents a new object, and a different view, each of which would make an agreeable picture in perfpective; whereas, had it been ftrait, every object would have been seen at one and the fame inftant, but more foreshortened than at prefent.

The fecond street is that which runs from fouth to north, croffing the ftreet already defcribed. The south fide is called Fish Street, and the other the Corn Market; from whence we pafs into Magdalen Parish, and St. Giles's, which form a very fpacious street, and in fome refpects is preferable to either of the former, it having the pleafure and advantage of the country, though connected with the town. One end of this ftreet is terminated by St. Giles's Church, and adorned with the front of St. John's College.

On the eaft fide of Fish-street (commonly called St. Old's, by corruption from St. Aldate's) stands ChriftChurch College, the magnificent front whereof is extended to 382 feet in length. On the fame fide is the TOWN HALL where the Town and Country Seffions, and the Affizes, are held; which was rebuilt with proper conveniences for the feparate Courts, at the expenfe of THOMAS ROWNEY, Efq. late reprefentative in Parliament, and High Steward of the City.

The chief bridges are, firft, Magdalen new bridge, oyer the Cherwell, the terrace of which is 526 feet long, and confifts of eleven ftone arches. The old bridge. being much decayed, and the entrance to the City both at the eaft and north being found very inconvenient, an Act was obtained 11 Geo. III, to make a commodious entrance through St. Clements to Magdalen Bridge, to rebuild the Bridge, to take down the gates, to pave and light the streets, and to remove all nuifances. In pursuance alfo of the fame Act of Parliament, on the `north fide of the High-street, between St. Martin's and All Saints churches, was erected the New General Market

Market, 347 feet long, and 112 wide, equal to any thing of the kind in the kingdom. The town was originally well laid cut, but like most others, was unhappily embarraffed with many unfightly and inconve nient obftructions, which are moff of them cleared; and by removing the Eaft and North Gates, the whole City has undergone fuch improvements by paving and widening as renders it truly elegant and ufeful. The fecond, on the fouth fide of the town, is over the Thames, where formerly stood an arched entrance, over which was the celebrated Friar Bacon's Study. This is the entrance from Abingdon in Berks, and is itself in that county, and confifts of three ftone arches. The third, on the weft fide, is likewise over a branch of the Thames, and is called High-Bridge.

There are in the City of Oxford, its Suburbs, and Liberties, fourteen parishes, viz. 1. St. Mary's. 2. All-Saints. 3. St. Martin's. 4. St. Aldate's, or St. Old's. 5. St. Ebb's. 6. St. Peter's le Bayly. 7. St. Michael's. 8.. St. Mary Magdalen's. 9. St. Peter's in the eaft. 10. Holywell. 11. St. Giles's. 12. St. Thomas's. 13. St. John's. 14. St. Clement's.

Of the Churches which give names to the several parishes already enumerated, there are but three which are remarkable, viz. St. Mary's, All-Saints, and St. Peter's in the east.

St. Mary's ftands on the north fide of the High-freet, and is the Church used by the University on Sundays and Holydays.. It is well proportioned and handfomely built in the Gothic ftile. The Porch is in a more modern tafte. The Church confifts of three ailes, and a large chancel, which is paved with black and white marble. The Vice-Chancellor fits at the west. end of the middle aile, on a throne elevated fome few steps; a little below which fit the two Proctors; on either hand the Heads of Houfes and Doctors; below

A 3

below these the young Noblemen; and in the Area, on benches, the Mafters of Arts. At the weft end alfo, with a return to the north and fouth ailes, are galleries for the Bachelors and Under-graduats; and under the middle ones are feats for the Ladies. The Tower and Spire which rifes to the perpendicular height of 180 feet, is a very noble and beautiful ftructure, and contains a ring of fix large bells. The room on the north fide of the Chancel, lately repaired in the style of the rest of the Church, is now the Common Law School, where the Vinerian Profeflor reads his Lectures.

All Saints Church stands in the fame street, a little to the weftward of St. Mary's, and is a very beautiful fabric. It is adorned both within and without with pilafters of the Corinthian Order, an Attic ftory and balluftrade elegantly finishing it without, a curious fret-work Cieling, a neat Altar-piece, and high finishing within. This Church is 72 feet long, 42 wide, and 50 high, without a pillar. The Steeple is built after the manner of fome of the new churches in London. The Architect, the Rev. Dr. Aldrich, formerly Dean of Chrift-Church.

St. Peter's in the Eaft, near Queens' College, built by St. Grymbald, was the firft Church of ftone in this part of the kingdom. It was formerly the University church; and the University ftill go to it every Sunday in the afternoon during Lent. This parish has much to boast of, for it contains five Colleges; viz. Univerfity, Queen's, New College, Magdalen, and Hertford Colleges, three Halls; viz. St. Edmund, Magdalen, and Alban Halls; two peals of ten bells, and one of fix, and three organs; two of which belong to College Chapels, where Cathedral fervice is performed twice a day, and the other to the parish church.

PUBLIC

PUBLIC BUILDINGS OF THE UNIVERSITY.

The PUBLIC SCHOOLS, with one fide of the Library on the weft, form a fquare of 105 feet. The principal front of the Schools on the outfide is about 175 feet in length, in the middle whereof is a gate, with a magnificent tower. Three fides of the upper ftory of the Schools are one entire room, called the PICTURE GALLERY, near the middle of which is a Statue in Brafs of PHILIP Earl of Pembroke, by the fame Artist who caft the equestrian statue of Charles I, at Charing-Crofs it is also furnished with the Portraits of moft of the Founders of the Colleges, many learned and famous men, feveral large Cabinets of Medals,, and fome Cafes of Books, being intended as a continuation of the Bodleian Library. Dr. Tanner, Bishop: of St. Afaph, gave his valuable Collection of Manufcripts to the Univerfity, together with a fum of money to erect proper Cafes for them; they are depofited near the entrance into the Gallery; as are Mr. Willis's,. Mr. Godwyn's, and other Collections of Books and Coins.

Dr. Butler, late Prefident of Magdalen College, and the late Duke of Beaufort, were at the Expense of new wainscotting the Gallery, which being done, and the Pictures cleaned and repaired, they are more advantageously dipofed than heretofore; and their number greatly increafed by late Benefactors.

The UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, ufually called the Bod-leian, from Sir Thomas Bodley, its principal Founder, is a large lofty ftructure, in the form of a Roman H, and is faid to contain the greatest number of Books of any Library in Europe, (except that of the Vatican) a: Catalogue whereof is printed in two folio volumes. The ground, on which the Divinity School was