THE CITY OF LINCOLN.

SOUTH-EAST VIEW.

LINCOLN is situated on the side of a high hill, which slopes with a steep descent on the south, where the river Witham flows at its base. This river is navigable, and falls into the sea at Boston Deeps, the great bay between Lincolnshire and Norfolk.

The Cathedral, the pride and glory of the city, possesses a situation of commanding eminence; it covers the summit of a hill, and rises in three lofty towers which were originally surmounted by spires: the centre spire, higher than Salisbury, was blown down in 1547, and the spires of the two western towers were removed in 1808. The Rood Tower, 300 feet to the top of the pinnacles, exceeds in height any tower in the kingdom, rising from the centre of the church and not having a spire. spire. It is a conspicuous object at the distance of twenty miles.

The eastern end of the Cathedral is seen to great advantage. The principal window at this end, was most probably the first of such large dimensions ever erected in England; none at least now exist of so great a size and so early a date. Of all the ancient edifices

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of this description remaining in the kingdom, not one deserves the attention of a curious inquirer more than this a great part is of Anglo-Norman architecture, while the nave and transepts exhibit a very fine example of the lancet or acutely-pointed style. The great western front was built by Bishop Remisius, and finished by Hugh Burgundus.

In 1254, Bishop Lexington added five arches beyond the upper transept. The central tower and choir were the work of Bishop Grostête, and the whole structure was completed by Bishop D'Alderby in 1306. The Cathedral was repaired about 1780 by Essex, at the expense of the Chapter; at the same time an improvement was made in the approaches to that part of the city, and a new market-house was afterwards erected. Lincoln chiefly consists of two large streets, through one of which passes the road to Boston from Newark, and through the other, the road from Wragby to Louth. It has a great trade in corn and wool with Yorkshire, whence is obtained coal.