of Gloucester Hall and Durham College. The present cathedral church is likely to remain for ages, an interesting specimen of the former importance of the priory dedicated to St. Frideswida. The following are the most interesting fragments of the houses dissolved by Henry VIII. In the western suburbs are some mutilated relics of Rewley Abbey ;* and, on the side opposite to New Inn Hall, near St. Peter's in the Bailey, is a gateway, formerly attached to St. Mary's College,† the building in which Erasmus studied during the years 1497 and 1498.

The palace of Beaumont, built by Henry I. and finished in 1128, stood on the west side of the city. A small low fragment, which appears to have formed a part of one of the subordinate divisions, but which is termed, by vulgar tradition, the room in which King Richard I. was born, still remains. This palace was given to the Carmelite Friars by Edward II. in consequence of a religious vow; but was occasionally visited by many succeeding kings. At the Dissolution the whole was pulled down, except the hall, the materials of which were afterwards used by Archbishop Laud in his addition to St. John's College.

The town and county Gaol is a spacious stone building, with separate lodgings and yards of exercise for the debtors and felons. From the frequent alterations which take place, it would appear that there were some defects of judgment in the original design; but, certainly, much more architectural taste is here displayed than is usual with structures devoted to a similar gloomy purpose. The buildings are arranged in imitation of Gothic castellated towers; and the principal entrance is between two low embattled turrets. This gaol is erected on the site of the castle built in the reign of William I. by Robert de Oilgi, and which contained, besides the customary appendages of a castle of government, a church, or chapel, and accommodations for students. The Nor

man

Rewley Abbey was founded about 1280, by Edmund, Earl of Cornwall, son of Richard, (second son of King John,) King of the Romans.

+ St. Mary's College was founded in 1435, for student canons of the order of St, Austin.

man castle* was built with prodigious strength, and occupied a large extent of ground. After surrendering to King Stephen, the fortress was constituted a royal ward. The dungeons of the ancient castle were first granted, as prisons, to the University and the county at large, by Henry III. The whole buildings were repaired, and put in a posture of defence, by Charles I. "The stately towers," says Peshall, "were standing till Colonel Ingoldsby, the governor's time, in 1649, when the castle being designed by the Parliament for a garrison after the city works were slighted and decayed, they were all, being four in number, besides that on the gate, pulled down, and bulwarks on the mount erected in their places; yet, though the said bulwarks, with other edifices, were above a year finishing, and cost many hundred pounds, when Charles II. came from Worcester here, in August, 1652, they were, in four days' space, quite pulled down and demolished." The only remains now to be seen of D'Oilgi's massive structure, are the mount, a crypt, and the shell of one tower. The tower is square, and lighted only by a few loop holes. A narrow stone stair-case winds up a projecting turret at one of the angles.

The City Bridewell is situated in an extensive area, and is a substantial and well-arranged building, finished in 1789. Before that period, the offenders within the jurisdiction of the mayor of Oxford were placed in a prison over the north-gate, called Bocardo. In that dreary gaol were confined the martyrs, Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer; and thence they were led to the mournful triumph of the stake. When the Bocardo was pulled down,

Mr. King, in his "Vestiges of Oxford Castle," supposes that a Saxon castle was built on this spot long before the Norman invasion. He chiefly supports his opinion by observing, that, though several of the Saxon monarchs are known to have held their court at Oxford, there is not any men. tion, in the survey taken by order of the Conqueror, of "the remains of any other palace, or place of royal residence, that they could possibly have dwelt in." Mr. King likewise observes, that some Saxon remains have been discovered by digging within the castle area.

down, in consequence of the act obtained for improving the city, Mr. Alderman Fletcher, whose reverence for all vestiges, connected with the history of the city and University, has often been displayed, procured the door said to have led to the cell of the bishops' confinement, and caused it to be preserved in the new Bridewell. It is placed in a small room which forms an entrance to the prison. The massive iron hinges, and ponderous key, cause the spectator to shudder, while he remembers that they once presented an impassable barrier to talent, piety, and old age.*

The general Market is a commodious range of buildings, erected under that act of Parliament which has led to the chief recent improvements of the city, and was opened in 1774. There are three divisions for the different classes of purveyors: the first, which has three approaches from the north side of the High-street, is occupied entirely by butchers. The second is provided with stalls for the venders of poultry, bacon, &c. and the third partition is allotted to the sale of vegetables and fruit. An arcade, with ranges of shops, proceeds along the whole of the outside; and the interior of the market is aired by three avenues across, and one up the centre. Provisions, excellent in their respective kinds, are supplied in abundance. By royal grant to the University,

From Strype's Memoirs of Archbishop Cranmer we find that the three martyrs were confined in separate lodgings, but were suffered sometimes to eat together while in the Bocardo. The same writer gives extracts from a book of their diet; and it appears that they partook, both at dinner and supper, of several dishes, and regularly drank wine. The mention of such circumstances will not be deemed trivial, when it is recollected that they argue the existence of a constant serenity of mind. "In October, 1555, Ridley and Latimer were brought forth to their burning, and, passing by Cranmer's prison, Ridley looked up to have seen him, but he was not then at the window, being engaged in a dispute with a Spanish friar. But he looked after them, and, devoutly falling on his knees, prayed to God to strengthen their faith and patience in that their last, but painful, passage." The dignity of Cranmer's behaviour, when the same dismal hour occurred to himself, enforced the admiration even of his enemies.

versity, the vice-chancellor is empowered to superintend and govern the markets, to inspect weights and measures, to punish forestallers, regraters, &c. For the execution of these privileges, two clerks of the market are chosen from the Masters of Arts, and Bachelors of Divinity, Law, and Medicine.

Few circumstances of local improvement can more strongly mark the increase of liberal spirit than the construction of the new market. For many centuries the market people assembled in different quarters of the city, and exposed their articles for sale in the open air. But, while the venders of provision have thus been collected together on one spot, and accommodated with extensive buildings, it seems surprising that the farmers, who repair to so noble a city, should assemble on market-days in the open highway. Although the portico beneath the town-hall appears well calculated to receive them, they congregate, in the neighbourhood of Pennyless Bench,* at Quatrevois, in derision of all inclemency of weather. After making this observation, it is almost superfluous to add that corn is sold by sample in Oxford market.

Oxford has no staple manufacture; and the city, now, as in every past age, derives its chief importance from the University. The canal recently formed has opened, however, new sources of commerce; and the activity of the citizens appears too great to allow of their neglecting to profit by the opportunities thus presented.

No

* At the east end of Carfax church may still be seen some faint traces of this once celebrated seat. "Here," says Sir J. Peshall, "the mayor and his brethren met occasionally on public affairs; and, if tradition and history inform us right, this was the seat frequently of the muses, and many wits were Benchers here. To this they ascribe the celebrated poem, the Splendid Shilling, of Mr. John Philips, student of Christ Church; and that the author of the panegyric on Oxford ale was no stranger to this inpiring bench, may be concluded from these verses:

Beneath thy shelter, Penny less! I quaff

The chearing cup."

No dramatic representations are now allowed, although they were tolerated in the latter part of the seventeenth century. The former proficiency of the students in the histrionic art has been already mentioned, in our notice of the festivities provided for the entertainment of illustrious visitors, in eras previous to the civil war of Charles I.

The internal government of the city is vested in a mayor, high-steward, recorder, four aldermen, eight assistants, two bailiffs, a town clerk, two chamberlains, and twenty-four commoncouncil. Many of the mayors of Oxford have received the honour of knighthood; and the mayor for the time being acts in the buttery at the coronation feast of the kings and queens of England.*

Willis, in his Not. Parl. says, this city sent, ab origine, members to Parliament. The members are chosen by the citizens and freemen: the mayor and bailiffs are the returning officers.

Considerable curiosity is necessarily excited concerning the most celebrated natives of a place emphatically termed the seat of learning. The following list is not extensive, but it contains some valuable names.

Thomas Cowper, Bishop of Winchester, author of the Chronicle, and Latin Dictionary.

Thomas Harriot, with whom originated the mode of notation now used in algebra. Harriot was patronized by Sir Walter Raleigh, and accompanied that unwearied friend of science to Virginia. He afterwards received a pension from Henry, Earl of Northumberland, under whose protection he pursued his mathematical studies with comfort and honour. When Raleigh experienced the malignity of fortune, Harriot remained firm to his interest, and he retired to the country shortly after the execution of his first great patron. He died in 1621, in consequence of a cancer in the lip.

William

This privilege was originally granted by Henry I. The mayor receives a gilt bowl and cover as his fee.