pleasing circumstances of situation. The contiguous scenery is rural, attractive, aud, at several points, extremely picturesque. The approach from Oxford is over two stone bridges, the first of which is a handsome structure, built by the Earl of Abingdon, across the Isis. The village is, in itself, extensive and cheerful. The church is a handsome Gothic edifice; and, between that building and a well-endowed school-house is a cross, with a taper shaft of conspicuous beauty.

Eynsham was a place of considerable consequence in the very early periods of our national history. From Camden, who faithfully copies the Saxon chronicle, we find that Cuthwulfe, the Saxon, was the first who rested the place from the Britons, after that important battle which decided the fate of Mercia. It formed a royal vill, and gained an accession of importance from an abbey, founded by Ethelmar, Earl of Cornwall, in the reign of King Ethelred. That king confirmed the foundation in the year 1005, "and signed," says Camden," in the words of the original, the privilege of liberty with the sign of the Holy Cross." King Ethelred continued to bestow much favour on the place; and here, in the year 1009, he held a general council, at which time were established many decrees, of consequence to the government, both in church and state.

Shortly subsequent to the Conquest, Remigius, Bishop of Lincoln, wished to append the foundation at Eynsham to the monastery of Stow, near Lincoln; but the reverse ultimately took place, and the monastery of Stow, which was founded and endowed by Godiva, wife of Leofrick, Earl of Chester, was annexed to Eynsham abbey, as a cell.

This acquirement, however, produced an augmentation of influence, rather than of revenue; and, in 1109, the building had fallen into great decay. It was repaired by Henry I. who, at the same time, renewed the confirmation of its endowment and liberties. These acts of royal favour appear to have engendered an emulative spirit of liberality, and the donation in this and several succeeding reigns were numerous and munificent.

Among the benefactors were Reginald de St. Walery, who, "for the health of the souls of King Henry II. and Eleanor his wife, as also for the good estate of himself and Bernard, his son," gave the churches of Tetbury and Legis; and Maud, the empress, who granted to the monks the church of Combe, to which John de St. John, of Stanton, was witness, who also gave the church of Stanton. *

There is a catalogue extant of the Abbots, twenty-eight in number. Miles Salley, the twenty-sixth abbot, being Bishop of Llandaff, held the abbey in commendam. Anthony Kitchen was the last abbot; who, with his prior, sub-prior, and thirteen monks, subscribed to the king's supremacy, and surrendered the abbey in 1539, upon the promise of an allowance of 1351. 6s. 8d. per ann. He was soon afterwards promoted to the Bishopric of Llandaff.

At the Dissolution the value was returned at 4411. 12s. 2d. ob. 9. per ann. Subsequent to this period the abbey site became the property of the Earls of Derby. After passing through a younger branch of that family, it came to a nephew, Sir Edward Stanley, K. B. one of whose coheirs was Venetia, the wife of Sir Kenelm Digby, concerning whose beauty and accomplishments so much has been heard. The only remains of the building are two windows, now used as doorways; one of which is in the vicarage garden, and is adorned with a coat of arms, and marked with the date 1300.

Among the privileges granted to the monks of Eynsham was a market, allowed by King Stephen to be held in the village,

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Among the minor contributions were certain quantities of corn, to be paid yearly. The prices of those rendered by the manor of Stokes, in this county, anno 1256, are as follows:

8 Quarters of wheat, at 4s. per quarter.

11 Quarters of miscellane, at 18d per quarter.

8 Quarters of oats, at 12d. per quarter.

In 1501, the prince of Wales, afterwards Henry VIII. visited this abbot, at Ey sham,

" on every Lord's day." The Bishop of Lincoln, in 1230, permitted the " observance of processions, and other solemnities at Ensham church, in obedience to the mother church at Lincoln, in Whitsun week; and many of the Oxford scholars, repairing thither to see jovial doings, were assaulted by the country people, who killed some, and wounded others." The bishop, in conse

quence of this affray, " excommunicated the authors and abetters of the sedition, in all the churches of Oxfordshire; excluding them the society of all Christians, and depriving them of the benefit of confession, till the feast of St. Bartholomew.”

Dr. Plot mentions a curious" ancient custom of the royalty of Ensham, where it was formerly allowed to the towns people, on Whit-Monday, to cut down, and bring away, where-ever the churchwardens pleased to mark it out by giving the first chop, as much timber as could be drawn by men's hands into the abbey yard; whence if they could draw it out again, notwithstanding all the impediments which could be given the cart by the servants of the abbey, (and, since that, by the family of the lord,) it was then their own, and went, in part at least, to the reparation of their church." This custom remained in force till the latter part of the 17th century.

The school in this village was founded by John Bartholomew, and is endowed for the instruction of twelve poor boys, one of whom is annually apprenticed.

John Rogers, D. D. was born, in the year 1670, at Eynshain, of which parish his father was vicar. He received the early part of education at New College School, Oxford; and was afterwards scholar and fellow of Corpus Christi College. His first church preferment was the vicarage of Buckland, in Berkshire. In 1712 he was chosen lecturer of St. Clement's Danes, London; and, soon after, of the united parishes of Christ Church, and St. Leonard's, Foster Lane. In 1716 he resigned his fellowship, and married the Honourable Lydia Hare, sister to Lord Coleraine, who had been his pupil in the University. His subsequent perferments in the church were various, and he was shortly

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shortly appointed chaplain to the prince of Wales. He resided chiefly at Wrington, in Somersetshire, the rectory house of which parish he rebuilt. His last preferment was to the valuable living of St. Giles, Cripplegate, to which he was presented by the dean and chapter of St. Paul's. He died, in his fiftieth year, in London, May 1, 1720, having preached at court, as king's chaplain, only a few days before. A handsome marble monument was erected to his memory, in Eynsham church, by his widow.

His chief work is " A Discourse concerning the visible and invisible Church." For this performance the University of Oxford conferred on him the degree of D. D. by diploma.

He also published a series of sermons on the necessity of a Divine revelation; and reasons against conversion to the church of Rome, in a letter to his guardian, a late convert to that church, by a student in the temple."

STANTON HARCOURT is three miles from Eynsham, on the south-west. We are indebted for many particulars concerning this place to an account written by the late Earl Harcourt, and printed for private accommodation, though never regularly published. The manor has been in the possession of the Harcourt family for upwards of six centuries. It was granted by Adeliza, the second Queen of Henry I. to her kinswoman, Milicent, wife of Richard de Camvil, whose daughter Isabel married Robert de Harcourt.

The estate was held of the Crown by the following service: "The Lord of Stanton Harcourt must find four browsers in Woodstock park, in Winter time, when the snow shall happen to fall, and tarrye for the space of two days; and so to find the said browsers, there browsing, so long as the snow doth lye; every browser to have to his of wood, the length of his axe lodging upon the edge of his axe. demesnes, or the hundred, of Wootton, coming to give warning for the said browsers, shall blow his horn at the gate of the man

lodging every night, one billet helve, and that to carry to his And the king's bailiff of the

nor