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Lord of the Domain causes a hedge and ditch to be formed round the site, for the term of seven years, until the expiration of which period no person possessed of commonable right can enter with his cattle. The following abstract shews the allotments into which the forest is divided:

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In the vicinity of Stanton St. John are considerable tracts of woodland, in which the oak is frequent, called the quarters; and 、there are many expanses of nearly a similar description in various other parts of the county.

The great price lately paid for timber, and the high rent offered for arable land, have acted as irresistible temptations with many landlords; and considerable ranges of wood have accordingly been grubbed up. But, on the other hand, recent plantations are numerous throughout the county; and, as an instance, it may be observed, that the present Duke of Marlborough entirely planted the great Belt at Blenheim, the extent of which is not less than thirteen miles.

The RIVERS of Oxfordshire form the most pleasing feature in a detail of its natural circumstances; and the CANAL, which unites its main stream with the great flow of the Severn, is an honourable proof of the commercial and enterprising spirit which pervades the county. The natural historians, who have stated

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the number of rivers which find a course through Oxfordshire, to be no less than three score and ten, have not at all exagge rated. Each valley of length has its stream, and it may be confidently asserted, that no district of England is better watered than this.

Among these numerous meanders, the Thame, the Isis, the Charwell, the Evenlode, and Windrush, claim priority of rank; but the great pride of the county is that confluence of the former two, which constitutes the river Thames *, a stream that opens an access to every part of the globe, since a bale of goods may now be placed on " the frail footing of a plank," at one extremity of Oxford; and, after performing a complete circumnavigation, through the medium of different vessels, may be restored at another point of the city, without having once touched land. That the commercial advantages arising from the ready mode of conveyance afforded by the Thames are inestimable, must be obvious to every person who views the heavy freights which are drawn with comparative ease over its bosom ; and, as a natural circumstance productive of ornament, of health, and pleasure, neither native nor traveller can easily bestow on it an undue height of character. Respecting the course of this majestic river through Oxfordshire, and the pictorial beauties formed by its progress, Mr. Skrine + has so ably anticipated our intended description, that we are induced (though compelled on taking

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It is with much reluctance, that we adopt this modern division of the Thames into two rivers. The impropriety of such à division has been before stated in the Beauties of England, &c. under the article Berkshire, page 86; and, assuredly, in the Saxon Chronicle (and in several charters still older many parts of the Saxon Chronicle) the river is styled Thames, or Tems, in districts much above Dorchester, where the confluence takes place between the Thame and presumed Isis. But the distinction, however improper, has been lately countenanced in the proceedings of the supreme legislative court, and is uniformly taken as correct in common usage. It is obviously a vul garism; but when the learned and the high stoop to the language of the ignorant, a writer must fall into the tone, for the attainment of perspicuity.

* In his " General Account of all the Rivers of note in Great Britain."

taking some freedoms of abbreviation) to profit by his blended accuracy and elegance. After observing that the original fountain of the Thames, like the source of the Nile, has occasioned much controversy, Mr. Skrine proceeds to say, that the streams which afford subject of contention" unite near Letchlade, and creep in obscurity through the plain of Oxfordshire, by the parallel canal which has been lately made to join the Severn with the Thames. After the Coln and the Lech have added their tributary forces, the navigation of this river (under the name of Isis) properly commences; but it is understood to be long very imperfect, from its winding course, and its prevailing shallows; neither is the country it first traverses, dividing the counties of Oxford and Berks, at all pleasant, as it pursues its way almost unseen in the midst of an unwearied plain, first towards the east, and afterwards inclining towards the north. In this level the Windrush joins it from Burford and Witney, and the more pleasant stream of the Evenlode, pursuing nearly the same direction from the north-west, descends from Whichwood Forest, and the great Ridings of Charlbury, united, at last, with a smaller stream, which forms the great Lake in Woodstock Park. The Isis, thus augmented turns suddenly, to the south, washing the ruined walls of Godstow Nunnery. The vale now expands into a spacious amphitheatre, bounded by some striking hills, in the centre of which the majestic towers, domes, and spires of Oxford burst upon the sight, appearing proudly ranged behind the thick shade of the venerable groves. Here the Isis divides itself into various small channels as it traverses the meadows of Witham, leaving Oxford on the left, and passing through several handsome stone bridges, connected by a grand causeway, which forms its principal approach from the west. These streams soon re-uniting, the river turns round the city towards the orth-east, and, crossed by an ancient stone bridge, glides beautifully through the enamelled and ornamented meads of Christ-church. A superb walk of elms beneath this spacious college fronts its meadow, over the deep foliage of which the Gothic buildings of

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Christ-church appear in stately pride as they display themselves gradually, with a succession of all the numerous towers of the University, in the descent of the Isis. A little lower it is joined by the Charwell, flowing from the north of Banbury, and passing on the eastern side of Oxford through the arches of the magnificent Bridge of Magdalen.

"The country becomes now, for a while, more inclosed, and the numerous plantations surrounding Lord Harcourt's noble seat of Nuneham are finely opposed by the thick woods of Bagley, in Berkshire, The Chiltern hills occupy all along the back ground at a distance, forming a waving line towards the south, sometimes cloathed with thick woods of beech, and at others protruding their chalky sides and downish summits into the plain. The windings of the river through this great level are frequent; but its direction is mostly southward, a little inclined to the east, as it passes between two high Berkshire hills, and the long straggling town of Dorchester, in Oxfordshire. Somewhat below this place the Thame advances from the north-east to meet it, passing through the ancient bridges of Wheatley and Dorchester, and joining the Isis a little above the point where the more modern pile of Shillingford Bridge crosses both combined. At this junc tion the Thames first," (popularly)" obtains its name.

Shillingford Bridge occupies a romantic position, which strikes the eye more strongly from being unlike the rest of the country, which bears an open and dreary aspect; the more ancient pile of Wallingford Bridge succeeds, below its town, and Mongewell, a seat of the Bishop of Durham, graces the Oxfordshire bank of the Thames. The inclination of the river from Wallingford to Pangbourn is almost due south; but it there begins to form a considerable circle by the east to the north, below Reading, till it reaches Henley."

After it quits Wallingford, the scenery assumes a thousand fresh graces of aspect. "The river now forms an indented valley through the range of the Cotteswold hills, which, losing insensibly their downish character, become at last adorned with

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most of the varied beauties of art and nature that could be comprehended within their outline. High beech woods cover their sides and summits, while rich meadows attend the descent of the river. Towns and villages are sprinkled about in all directions, and magnificent seats appear on the heights which over hang the Oxfordshire and Berkshire banks. Reading, the handsome county town of the latter district, occupies a pleasant position; and the valley formed by the Thames expands into a rich plain, full of verdure, woods, and population. The Kennet here joins its tributary waters, flowing eastward from the Down's of Wiltshire, where it rises near a village of that name. The Loddon brings a further increase somewhat lower, and the Thames, thus augmented, swells into a majestic river, full of commercial craft, and glides, in a broad silver mirror, through the plain, till it becomes engulphed amidst the fine chain of hills surrounding Henley. A more beautifully marked country than this cannot easily be formed by the most romantic fancy; and Nature has placed this British paradise within forty miles of the capital of our country, to decorate the banks of its principal river. The Thames throughout divides the counties of Oxford and Buckingham from Berkshire, rolling, in a broad transparent stream, between hills cloathed profusely with beech woods, and ornamented with the splendid seats of some of our nobility. The extensive and finely-disposed territory of Lord Malmesbury bears among these a strong pre-eminence, covering several bold hills with its plantations, between the hollows of which delightful lawns descend to the margin of the river. Immediately below, the handsome town of Henley covers the Oxfordshire bank, whose lofty flint tower, and elegant stone bridge, form distinguished objects, from which ever side they are viewed."*

In general character, though the Thames is by no means a rapid stream, it is far from being sluggish in its course, but proceeds with majestic and sedate deliberation. It has been poetically described as "without o'erflowing, full;" and such is, indeed, strictly

Skrine, p. 319, &c.

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