rVlKDO. 



OXFORD, 



u aofat. and rather unhealthy. The product* are tome com, flue, 

 r*pi emj, puke, potatoee, garden fruit*, plum* in great abundance, 

 md tome wood, especially oak and alder. There are great numbers 

 of wild fwo*, fiah, and bee*. The inhabitant* derive their chief 

 ubaistniee by cattle breeding and by digging peat for exportation. 

 The pactana are very rich, especially in the wertern parta of the 

 proTinoa, aud great numbers of oxen, sheep, and hone* are bred. 

 Considerable profit U derived from the breeding of beet and the 

 naberia*. The manufacture* are liuen, woollen*, cotton, paper, wicker- 

 wan, and matt : then aro iron-work* at Devcuter. 



TV***. ZtroiU, the capital of the province, i* a well-built town on 

 the Zwarte-Water, between the Y*Kd awl the Vechte. It ia defended 

 by a rampart, which i* planted with avenue* of tree*, and by very 

 trong outwork*. It has three gatoa, leading to a* many suburbs, 

 eight churches, a boiue of correction, and a Latin school. The 

 inhabitant* nuuibtr about 17,000, and carry on a considerable trade 

 in grain, *eeds, cattle, wool, akin*, ic. Besides the ordinary handicraft* 

 there are tanyards, *ugar and salt refineries ; and woollen, cotton, and 

 linen factorial. DEYEMTKH. Almeto, on the An, a feeder of the 

 Regge, which i* a tributary of the Vechte, ha* about 3500 inhabitants, 

 who manufacture woollen* and linen. A'anijxn, i* a fortified seaport 

 town near the mouth of the Yssel, with a population of about 9000, who 

 manufacture woollen-cloth. It i* a place of considerable trade; 

 kteaui-boaU ply regularly up the Yuel to Aruhem on tho Rhine, and 

 ocroe* the Zuyder-Zee to Amsterdam. Ilaaell, on the Zwarto- Water, 

 X. of Zwolle, ia a fortified town, with about 2000 inhabitant*. Among 

 the other town* are the following : Kuschede, 3000 inhabitant* , 

 Ommen, 2000 inhabitant* ; Raalte, 5000 inhabitant* in the commune ; 

 and Steenwyck, 3500 inhabitant*. 



OVIEDO, a city of Spain, capital of the ancient province of Asturia* 

 and modern province of Oviedo, is situated between the Nalon and 

 iU affluent the Nora, in 43 22' N. lat, 6 67' W. long., nbont 

 245 mile* N.X.W. from Madrid, 65 miles N. by W. from Leon, and 

 20 mile* S.S.W. from the small pott of Uijou on the Bay of 

 It U the see of a bishop, and the residence of the provincial authorities, 

 and contained in IS JO a population of 10,500. 



The four principal street* of Oviedo branch from a large and hand- 

 some plaia near tho centre of the city, and terminate in alainedaa, or 

 public walk*, which extend respectively S. towards Leon, N. towards 

 Uijoa, E. towards Seutander, and W. towards Qrado. Several other 

 regular street* connect these four main thoroughfares, and the 

 whole of them are well-paved and kept clean. Many of die houses 

 are old, but they are solidly built, and the architecture ia in many 

 p*rt picturesque. An aqueduct, well-constructed of freestone, and 

 i ted on 41 archex, brings an abundant supply of pure water, 

 which i* delivered from 11 public fountains. The cathedral is not 

 Urge, but i* a very beautiful specimen of gothio architecture. The 

 main portion i* of the 14th century, subsequent to tho building of 

 the cathedral of Leon, to which in plan and i-ize it bears some 

 resemblance, but the style of architecture is lighter and more pleasing. 

 The western facade is striking, though one of the two towers is 

 unfinished, and is terminated by a spire of later workmanship. The 

 interior has been ditfigured by modern alterations, especially the side- 

 chapel*. The chapel to the Virgin, now called La Capilla del Re 

 Ca*to (Alonao II., who died in 843), contains the remains of this king 

 ad of several other of the early prince* and- kings of Asturias and 

 Oviedo. The churches of San Tirso and San Juan are ancient ; also 

 the two churches of Santa Muria and San Miguel, on the side of a 

 kill called La Cuota de Naranoo, a short distance from the city, are 

 very curious and interesting from their grunt antiquity and their 

 peculiar *tyle of architecture. The convent of San Francisco is now 

 ouateitid into a hospital, and the ex-college of San Vicente is used for 

 goveraui out-offices. The convent of San Pelayo has also been con- 

 verted to ipecoUr use*. The university ia a handsome structure, is 

 nil endowed, and possesses a large and valuable library. Tho city 

 also contain* an episcopal palace, a theatre, a military hospital, public 

 reading-rooms, and several schools. The manufactures consist of 

 linen*, woollens, hat*, leather, and fire-arms. A magnificent road 

 extend* from Leon to Oviedo, and i* continued to the small port of 

 Gijon. The commerce however is very limited. 



The origin of Oviedo is generally assigned to Kruela I., grandson of 

 Pelayo, who U supposed to have built it in A.P. 759, soon after his 

 ace union to the throne of Aiturias. According to other authorities, 

 Oviedo wan a considerable town before the time of that sovereign, 

 who i* said only to have made it the capital of hi* new conquests 

 from the Moon. During the early part of the middle agea Oviedo 

 wa known throughout Christendom a* the City of the Bishop* 

 (' CiviU* EpUcoporuui ' ), owicg to tho great number of dignitaries 

 of the church who took refuge there. Oviedo was originally the seat 

 of a bishop, but a council having been held there in 901, the bishopric 

 was by the Pope derated into an archbishopric. Tho dignity how- 

 ever was in the course of time transferred to the church of Santiago, 

 and Oviedo became a bbboprie a* before. 



"idbook of Spain; Florcz, Jitpaiia Sayrada, Mndrid, 1754.) 

 [AI.KMAMDRIA.] 

 SASDWHII ISLAND*.] 



"'' USOOLMUlRtJ 



OX BORo I."UH. [ X oBroLX. J 



OXFORD, the capital of Oxfordshire, an episcopal city, municipal 

 and parliamentary borough, and university town, i* situated near the 

 junction of the Cherwell with the Thames, in 51 45' N. lat, i 

 \V. long., distant 54 miles W.N.W. from London l>y ruul, and M 

 by the Great Western railway. The population of Oxford r 

 wa* 27,978. The city is governed by 10 aldermen and 30 councillors, 

 one of whom ia mayor ; but a co-ordinate jurisdiction over the night 

 police, the market*, &c. is held by the university authorities. Oxford 

 return* two members to the Imperial Parliament. Tho livings are in 

 the archdeaconry and diocese of Oxford. For poor-law purposes the 

 city is managed tinder the provisions of a local Act. 



The origin of Oxford is unknown. ID the Danish ravages Oxford 

 wa* repeatedly injured or destroyed. Edmund Ironside resided at 

 Oxford, where he died in tho year 1016. Canute, his successor, held 

 the great council of the nation here several times. On the in 

 of England by William the Conqueror, the townsmen of < ' 

 refused to admit the Normans, and in the year 10U7 the town was 

 stormed by William, and the townsmen burdened \vitli a great 

 increase of taxation. A castle wna built l>y Robert dc Oilli on the 

 site now partly occupied by the county jail aud the house of 

 correction. The foundation of Oseney Abbey by Robert de Oilli, 

 nephew of the builder of the castle, and the erection of a new hall 

 or palace by Henry I., who was educated in Oxford, contributed to 

 the prosperity of the town. In 1142 the empress Hand . 

 in Oxford castle by Stephen. After enduring a siege of nearly three 

 imm'hs, aud when the provisions in the castle had 1 e-n exhausted, 

 the empress, ou the night of the 20th December, escaped with three 

 attendants, and the castle surrendered next morning. The accommo- 

 dation between Stephen and Henry II., by which the civil war between 

 these princes was terminated, took place at a council held at Oxford. 

 In the reign of Kdward III. and subsequently there occurred quan- U 

 between the students aud the citizens, as noticed under OXFORD 

 UNIVERSITY. 



The doctrines propagated by Wickliffe occasioned, in the reigns of 

 Richard II. and Henry IV. and V., much discussion at Oxford, giving 

 rise to tumults which, with the civil war of the Roses, several years 

 later, much depressed the place, and a dreadful pestilence soon after 

 the accession of Henry VII. nearly depopulated tho city and the 

 colleges. In Mary's reign, Bishops Ridley and Latimer, and Arch- 

 bishop Cranmer suffered martyrdom at Oxford, in front of Balliol 

 College, Near the spot where the martyrs suffered a beautiful me- 

 morial cross, iu the decorated gothic style, was erected in 1841, from 

 tho designs of Scott and Moffatt ; it is called the Martyrs' Memorial. 

 The structure is hexagonal, and consists of three stories, rusting upon 

 a platform reached by steps. The height is 73 feet. Statues by 

 Weekes of the three martyrs occupy the second story. 



In the civil wars of Charles I., alter once or twice changing masters, 

 Oxford became tho head-quarters of the king, who collected hero those 

 members of parliament who adhered to him. The members of the 

 University supported the royal causa with great zeal ; but Oxford 

 was at last obliged to surrender, after the battle of Naseby, to the 

 Parliamentarians under Fairfax. 



In the reign of Charles II. two parliament* were held at Oxford, iu 

 1665 and 1681. In the reign of James II. the University firmly 

 resisted the illegal proceedings of that prince, who paid Oxford a visit, 

 and sternly rebuked and then expelled the contumacious members, 

 whom however, from motives of fear, he afterwards restored. 



The city lies on a point of laud nearly insulated. On the R it iu 

 bounded by tho Cherwell, S. by the main chauuel of the Thames, 

 here popularly called the Isis, aud W. by the smaller channels < 

 river. A long bridge or succession of bridges over tho arms of the 

 Thames, and also over the Oxford Canal, is called the Seven J'.: 

 Oxford is irregularly laid out ; the two principal lines of street ore 

 Bridge-street, Fish-street, the Corn-market, and St. Giles's-streot, which 

 form one line running from south to north, from the Abingdc 

 to the Woodstock and Birmingham road ; aud (Magdalene) Bridge- 

 street and High-street, which run from the London road ou the cast 

 into Fish-street aud the Corn-market on the west, thus forming a ( 

 with the line just described. High-street, which bends with a graceful 

 curve, and is 8000 feet long, aud in parts 85 feet broad, presents a 

 splendid series of scholastic and ecclesiastical structures alternating 

 with quaint old houses, and* with shops of modern style. For 

 picturesque effect this street is unrivalled ill the kingdom. The town 

 is nearly surrounded by meadows. 



Oxford has much increased of late years; new street*, elegant 

 houses, both in rows and detached, and a number of smaller tenements 

 have been erected. The streets ore well-paved and cleansed, and are 

 lighted with gas. Tho public buildings, which are numerous, are 

 mostly noticed under OXFORD UNIVERSITY. 



The cathedral, which is the chapel of Christ's College, and noticed 

 under that head, is mostly of Norman date, cruciform, with a tower 

 and spire at the intersection of the nave and transepts. The length 

 of the building is 154 feet; its breadth 102 feet On the north of the 

 choir are the Dean's chapel and the Lady chapel ; on the south side 

 cloisters of perpendicular character, the chapter-house of the 

 early Kuglish period, and some other apartments. In the interior arc 

 many interesting monument*. The cathedral has been newly roofed, 

 and otherwise repaired and restored. St. Mary's, tho University 



