Page images
PDF
EPUB

and the Sons of Clergymen, Gentlemen, and Tradefmen, who live at their own expenfe, but many deferving young men, whofe friends could not afford to fend them to the University, are fupported by the affiftance of the Society, and the noblemen and gentlemen, and who do not unoften rife to confiderable ftations in the Church.

The Town, including the Suburbs, is a mile in length from east to west, 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 fpaces are comprehended within thefe limits, befides the many courts and gardens belonging to the respective Col. leges.

[ocr errors]

a

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 suburbs, 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 fome part remains as á boundary to New College; beginning near where Eaft-Gate ftood, and continuing almoft to the Clarendon Printing-house, where there was a Portal and a Chapel; fome remains of which are ftill vifible. The walls make an entire boundary to the east and south fides of Merton and Cor pus Chrifti Colleges. The fortifications and out-works raised by the Royalists in the time of the Civil Wars, are now almost entirely demolished.

The principal Street of the City runs from east 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

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. Cook E.

A 2

remainder

[ocr errors]

remainder is from Carfax to the end of Cagle-freet. The High-ftreet is perhaps without a rival, being of a fpacious width and length, adorned with the fronts of three well-built Colleges, St. Mary's and All-Saints Churches, terminated at the east end with a view of Magdalen College Tower, and the beautiful new bridge, which confifts of fix large arches, and five fmaller ones. Every turn of this street prefents a new object, and a different view, each of which would make an agreeable picture in perfpective; whereas, had it been ftrait, every objec would have been seen at one and the fame inftant, but more forefhortened than at prefent.

The second street is that which runs from fouth to north, croffing the street already described, from whence the centre has obtained the name of Quatres Vois, or the four ways, corruptly called Carfax. The Conduit was erected in the year 1610, at the expense of Mr. Otbo Nicholson, Master of Arts of Chrift-Church. The water is conveyed from Hinkley, two miles from the city. The fouth fide of this fecond ftreet is called Fish-fireet, and the other the Corn Market; from whence we pafs into Magdalen Parish, and St. Giles's, which form a very spacious ftreet, 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 east fide of Fish-ftrect (commonly called St. Old's, by corruption from St. Aldate's) ftands 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 County Seffions, and the Affizes, are held; which was rebuilt with proper conveniences for the feparate Courts, at the expense of THOMAS ROWNEY, Efq. late reprefentative in Parlia ment, and High Steward of the City.

The chief bridges are, firft, Magdalen new bridge, over the Cherwell, the terrace of which is 526 feet long, and confifts of eleven ftone arches. The old bridge be

ing much decayed, and the entrance to the City both at the east and north being found very inconvenient, an A&t 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 ftreets, and to remove all nuisances. In purfuance alfo of the fame Act of Parliament, on the north fide of the High-ftreet, between Carfax and All Saints churches, was erected the New General Market, 347 feet long, and 11,2 wide, exceeding any thing of the kind, as well in fize as ufe, in the kingdom. The town was originally well laid out, but, like most others, was unhappily embarraffed with many unfightly and inconvenient obftructions, which are most of them cleared; and by removing the East and North Gates, the whole City has undergone fuch improvements by paving and widening as renders it truly elegant and useful.

The fecond, on the fouth fide of the town, is over the Thames, where formerly ftood an arched entrance, over which were apartments called 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. By two Acts of Parliament of the feventh and eighth of Geo. III, a beautiful new road has been made at an uncommon expenfe from St. Peter's le Bailey church through the Caftle-yard to Borley, which there divide to Fifield on the left, and Witney on the right. This fingle mile, which before was a very inconvenient narrow caufeway, is now completely finifhed with four new bridges, and is become as ornamenta! as it is an useful key to the weft and north-west parts of the kingdom.

There are in the City of Oxford, its Suburbs, and Liberties, fourteen parishes, viz. 1. St. Mary's. 2. AllSaints. 3. St. Martin's, or Carfax. 4. St. Aldare'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 east.

A 3

10,

10. Holywell. 11. St. Giles's. 12. St. Thomas's. 13. St. John's. 14. St. Clements.

Of the Churches which give names to the feveral parishes already enumerated, there are but three which are remarkable, viz. St. Mary's, All Saints, and St. Pe ter'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 Holidays. It is well-proportioned, and handfomely built in the Gothic ftile. The Porch is in a more modern tafte, built at the expenfe of Dr. Morgan Owen, Chaplain to Archbishop Laud, An. Dom. 1637. 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 kind of throne elevated fome few steps; a little below which fit the two Proctors; on either hand, defcending, the Heads of Houses and Doctors; below thefe, the young Noblemen; and in the Area, on benches, the Masters of Arts. At the weft end, with a return to the north and fouth ifles, are galleries for Bachelors and Under-graduats; and under the middle one are feats for the La dies. The Tower and Spire which rifes to the perpendicular height of 180 feet, is a very noble and beautiful structure, and contains a ring of fix large bells. The room on the north fide of the Chancel, lately repaired in the ftyle of the reft of the Church, is now the Common Law School, where the Vinerian Profeffor reads his Lectures.

All Saints Church ftands in the fame ftreet, a little to the weftward of St Mary's, and is a very beautiful fa bric of white ftone. 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-pièce, 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 some of the new churches in London. The Architect, the Rev. Dr. Aldrich, formerly Dean of Chrift-Church.

St.

St. Peter's in the Eaft, near Queen's College, built by St. Grymbald, was the first Church of ftone in this part of the kingdom. It was formerly the University church; and the Univerfity ftill go to it every Sunday in the afternoon during Lent. This parish has more to boast of, perhaps, than any one in Europe befides; for it contains five Colleges; viz. University, 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 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 equeftrian ftatue of Charles I, at Charing Cross: it is allo furnished with the Portraits of 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, the late Bishop of St. Asaph, bequeathed his valuable Collection of Manufcripts to the University, together with a fum of money to erect proper Cafes for them; they are here depofited, near the entrance into the Gallery; and Mr. Willis's, and other Collections of Books and Coins.

Dr. Edward Butler, late Prefident of Magdalen College, gave 200l. to carry on the wainscotting of the Gallery; which the late Duke of BEAUFORT, in the year 1749 approving, ordered it to be completely fi nifhed at his expenfe, as a teftimony of his affection for

the

« PreviousContinue »