Annals of the cit about a Quarter of a Mile Weft of Oxford, where Oxen ufed more eafily But when they had made a compleat Conqueft of this Ifle, after Cadwallader's Death, A. D. 689, they formed the Name of Ryd-ychen after their own plain and more familiar Etymology, into Oxnaeɲond, Oxonaɲord, Oxeneɲord', &c. for the fame Reafon as before.-Vide_Ryd-ychen. A. D. 727. Didan, ftiled Subregulus, Vice-Roy, or Earl of Oxford, who often honoured this City with his Prefence, founded a Monastery in Honour of the Trinity, where, with his Q. Safrida, he was honourably interred; which Monaftery his Daughter Fridifwida was Governess of, and here dyed, 14 Cal. Nov. Algar, Earl of Leicester, had been inflamed with the Love of this Lady, and coveted her, though facred and forbidden, for his Wife.-On her concealing herself from him in a Wood at Benfon, 12 Miles from Oxon, the City was threatened with Destruction by Fire, on Condition fhe was not found. Such Tyranny and Prefumption could not escape Divine Vengeance; he was ftruck blind.-Hence arofe fuch a Dread to the Kings of Britain, that none of his Succeffors dared enter Oxford for fome Time after". We find it next, in the Reign of King Alfred, A. D. 886, the Residence of himself and his three Sons, Edward, Athelward, and Alfward. Money was coined here in this King's Name, called Ocfnafordia, or as others will, Okfnafordia. Ks vel cs for x being often used. 902. King Edward, his eldest Son, fpent almost all his Time here', much oppofed by his Uncle's Son Ethelwold, Earl of Mereia, who, in Competition for the Crown, bringing a numerous Army into thefe Parts, and deftroying all before him with Fire and Sword, frightened the City into a Surrender to him: But King Edward marching hither, gained a compleat Victory • Verftegan and Alii. Bellofitum olim Antiquitas, poftmodo Oxen- Nomen non Mutarunt Saxones fed explicuerunt the Weft Part of the City, Bullocks Lane, Mr. Ex Lib. de Vit. S. Frid. p. 342.-In Leland's d Twyne, p. 189. Id. 204. * Penes Sir And. Fountaine.Anton. Iter. In Leland, V. 3. p. 153. Twyne, 166. 1 over him, and reduced those Cities which had rebelled against him.-A- Annals mong which, the Chief were London and Oxford. 908. After the Death of Edred, Duke of Mercia, the Citizens were very tumultuous, and hardly to be restrained within their Duty, which occafioned Edward to watch them very narrowly, and to truft none of his Subjects at London or Oxford with the Rule of these Cities'. 910. A great Fear came on this Place, on hearing that the Danes were on their March from Leicester and Northampton, and had committed great Slaughter on the English at Hooknorton and its Neighbourhood; and indeed, unless the admirable Bravery of Egelflede, or Elflede, had stopped their Fury, and protected the University her Kinfwoman, and Daughter of Alfred, it had been utterly deftroyed; for the fortified and encompaffed the City with a Wall,-Whence the Poet : Quippe iter adverfos alacris dum tendis in Hoftes, 912. Died Ethelred, Earl of Mercia, whofe Province was committed to the Government of his Widow Ethelfleda, by her Brother King Edward, excepting the Cities of London and Oxford, and all the Lands belonging to them, which the King retained in his own Hands as a Pledge of his · Sifter's Fidelity. 979. Was Oxford burnt by the Danese. And, 1002. Among the many Pillages and Devastations committed by the Danes that fwarmed in all thefe Parts, this City, among others, was burnt to the Ground by thefe Savages'. And here it were worth obferving, the repeated Fires which feemed to be leveled against this Place for its utter Deftruction, would have broken the Spirits, one would have thought, of the Oxonians, and they would have despaired of ever raifing it anew out of fuch Heaps of Afhes and Ruins. But like true Courage, they rofe more eager to the Work of Re-building it, all agreeing and joining in the Words of Claudian on his Mother Rome, whom he prophefied fhould be eternal. Surge precor, veneranda Parens, et Certa fecundis Ken. Par. Ant. p. 39. Rob, Burhill in Brit. Schol. MSS. in Bodl. Hen. Hunt. Leland, V. 4. 168. f Wood, Univ. Hift. Leland's Coll. V. 1. 195. C 2 And Annals And with the Benevolence of the Nobles and others, affected to Lea rn ing, it was foon raised. 1009. The incenfed Danes, under General Ulfketel, marching his Troops through the Chiltern Country in Oxfordshire, wafted Oxford and its adjacent Parts with a miferable Depopulation.-Swain set the City on Fire, but departing foon after, the Flames were extinguished. 1011. Among the Counties, that upon Conqueft and Compofition, paid a certain Tribute to Swayne, this of Oxford is recounted. 1012. The Danes having committed many great Infolences to the King and Government, King Ethelred commanded all of them to be murdered on the Feast of St. Brice; which Orders were executed with the greatest Violence in this County, and especially at Oxford, where great Numbers had fled to the Churches and Altars; but the Churches and Altars were no Protection to them from a general Maffacre". It is added, the Oxonian Citizens burnt all their Ornaments and Books out of Revenge and Hatred to the infatiate Danes. e Among the Slain, was Lady Gunhild', Sifter to Swaine, King of Denmark, murdered by Edric, Earl Godwin's Uncle.-She had been a great and continual Friend to the English, and was fent hither as an Hoftage, upon Condition of Peace, with her Husband Polingus, who were both Christians. 1013. This did but whet the Edge of the Fury of Swain, for the next Year he marched with his Army from Gainsborough in Leicestershire into these Parts of Mercia, and on this Side of Watling-Street he gave Command to his Soldiers to plunder the Country, to burn the Villages, to deface the Churches, to murder the Men, and to ravish the Women.-In which impious and fanguinary Method he went on to Oxford, and frightened the City into a Surrender, taking Pledges of them. Soon after, being repulfed from London, he returned to Wallingford, &c. ftriking fuch Terror into King Ethelred, that he sent his Queen and Children into Normandy, and soon followed them himfelf, leaving Swain in full Poffeffion of his Kingdom, who dying at Candlemas, 1014, left his Son Cnute elected by the Danes; but the Saxons recalled their old Mafter, King Ethelred who in 1015. King Ethelred, invited the Danes to a Conference at Oxford, where Edric, Earl of Mercia, caufed two of their Noblemen, Sigeferd and Morcar, to be treacherously murdered; whofe Death, when the Danes endeavoured to revenge, they were overpowered; and fome of them taking fanctuary in St. Frid's Church, were there burnt*. 1016. King Edmund Ironfide died, or was murdered by Edrick the Traitor's Son, as fome fay at Oxford, out of Revenge of the Murder of Annals. the Danish Noblemen. 1018. Cnute having abfolute Poffeffion of this Kingdom, fome Difpute árofe between the English and Danes upon the Obfervation of King Edgar's Laws; to end which Controverty, the King affembled a Council at Oxford, where an Agreement was made. b This King refided here many Years. с 1022. A great Council was held here, when the Laws of King Edward the First were tranflated into Latin, and enjoined to all Subjects, Danes and English. d 1026. King Canute confirmed, by his Royal Authority, in the Parliament at Oxford, the Laws of King Edgar. A. D. 1032. Per Saltum, qui Dicitur Chiltern Oxenefordiam adeunt Dani Eamque devaftantes Incendunt.f The Danes paffed the Chiltern into Oxford, and after Devastation, fet it on Fire. 1036. On the Death of King Chute a great Council of the Nation was again affembled, to fettle the Difputes of Succeffion, when it was agreed by the Conful Leofric, all the Chiefs of the Danes, with the Londiners, in Oppofition to E. Godwin, the Princes of Weft Saxony, who voted for Hardecanute Knute's Son, that Harold Harefoot should be advanced to the Crown. The fame Year he was crowned here." 1039. Died here this King, and was buried at Westminster; having done great hurt to Religion and Learning in these Parts. " h 1066. King Edward created Harold Son of E. Godwin E. of Oxford. And this Year we come to another, or fourth, new Master, by Conquest, William the Bastard Duke of Normandy. 1067. Soon after his Coronation, the King defigning a Journey to the North for the Quiet of those Parts, in his Way thither came to Oxford, which City refused to yield to him; but the King having stormed it on the North Side, and gaining an eafy Entrance, he gave the greatest Part of it to Robert de Oily, who at the Survey had within the Walls and without 42 Houses inhabited and eight lying wafte About which Time the King fearing that his new Subjects might turn Oxford as they had done Wallingford against him, he commanded the Lord of it, Robert de Oily, to fortify it with a new Castle, on the Weft Side of the City. In which Castle, Aldred, Abbot of Abendon, was imprisoned in the Year 1071.* Annals 1068. The Citizens, on Calculation, were numbered a Thousand and two Hundred. They had alfo the Liberty of coining Money.-Also divers Fraternities or Gilds Mercatorial, with a Conftable to prefide over them; which must be attributed to the Number of Students, as alfo for the Sake of Artificers, and the Concourfe of Merchants; for it did not then abound with Monafteries, nor did any publick Road lead through it at that Time." 1075. The Jews, at that Time very much frequenting Oxford, foon by their usual Extortion purchased as many Houfes in St. Martin's, Edward's, and St. Tole's Parishes, as gave them the Denomination of the Old and New Jewry. In one of which they built a Synagogue or School, wherein certain Rabbies taught the Hebrew Language, greatly to the Advantage of the Students in the University.They had befides feveral Habitations, entitled with the Name of Halls, of Lombard, Mofes, Jacob. 1086. In the 20th of the Conqueror was the Doomsday Book finished; we shall now see the Conqueror's Mind in Regard to our City, which is as follows: "In the Time of King Edward the Confeffor Oxeneford did pay to the King for Toll and Gable and all other Customs 20l. and fix Measures or Sextarys of Honey per Annum, but to Algar, the Earl of Oxford, 10l. befides the Mill which he had within the City. "When the King fetteth forth towards a War, twenty Burgeffes fhall go with him, for all the reft; or else they shall give 20l. to the King that they may be all free. Oxeneford payeth now 60l. ad Numerum de 20 in Ora. "In the fame Town are 243 Houfes, as well within as without the Wall, that pay or yield Geld; and 522 more, at least, that are fo wafted and destroyed, that they cannot pay Geld. "The King hath twenty Mural Manfions, which were Earl Algar's Temp. R. Ed. paying then and now 14s. 2 d. at least. "Therefore they are called Mural Manfions, because if need be, and the King commands thay fhall repair the Wall. "One whereof was the Predeceffors of Walter, by the Gift of King Edward, from 8 Virg. Customary Temp. Ed. Conf. "All the aforefaid Perfons hold their Manfions free, on Account of this Reparation of the Wall, "All Mansions that are called Mural, T. K. E, were free from all Cuftoms, except Expedition and repairing of the Wall. "Aluinus holds a Tenement free, for his Repairs of the Wall, and receives from it 32 d. per Annum. If the Wall be not repaired by him (when neceffary) whofe Duty it is to repair it, he shall pay 40s. to the King, or lofe his House. Wood MSS. ut prius An. Eod. bOres were certain Pieces of Money; twelve whereof was commonly 20s. 2d.-20d. and some times 16d. making an Ora.In Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire 2od. go for an Ora.A good round Sum, confidering how Oxford then laid waste. " All |