Parish Conduit The Third, Godfrey of Bullen, crowned with Thorns,-On his Shield, a Crofs Potent between four Croflets Topaz. The Fourth, Arthurus,—On his Shield, four Crows volant. The Fifth, Charlemaine, On his Shield, Party per Pale, Topaz and Sapphire. The Sixth, King James I.-On his Shield, England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, quartered. The Seventh, Hector of Troy,-On his Shield, Topaz, a Lion Rubie fejant in a Chair, Purpure holding a Battle-Axe Pearl. The Eighth, Julius Cæfar,-On his Shield, Topaz, an Eagle difplayed with two Heads, Diamond. Above these eight Worthies, ftand out at fome Distance, several curious Figures, reprefenting the liberal Sciences; one of which is Orpheus with his Harp, embellished with feveral Sorts of mufical Inftruments, as Trumpets, Lutes, &c. On the Top, over all the Niches, and above the four grand Arches which fupport the reft, ftand two Figures of Human Shape, Back to Back, representing Janus, an old Man, looking Weftward, holding in his Left Hand a Shield, whereon is carved a Batt with Wings difplayed; The other is a young Woman with a Sceptre in her Hand; both ftanding under a Canopy.-Above which is an Iron Rod, on the Top of which a Vane fhewing the feveral Points of the Wind. Over this is a Crofs, reprefenting the Points of the Heavens. Alfo, above the Niches, wherein tand the eight Kings, are contained Ornaments; confifting of a Woman upwards, and Scales of Fish downwards, and tapering towards the Feet. Under which are interchangeably tranfpofed, the Royal Badges of the four Kingdoms;-The Rofe for England, the Thistle for Scotland, the Fleur-de-Lis for France, and the Harp for Ireland. Thus far concerning the Conduit, which for Usefulness, Beauty, and Neatness, is not to be exceeded in the three Kingdoms." See a map of this in gent. Mag. Dec. 1761. p. 633. At the Survey of Oxford, within few Years after the Conqueft, there were but 24 Houfes remaining without the Wall. Where or in what Quarter of the City the 24 Houfes ftood is not menor Brugsette S.flemtioned, nor is very material to know.All the Manor of Bragset then belonged to the Kings of England, and was not within the Liberty of the City; neither was the Suburb without North Gate, being then an Hundred of itself, and belonged alfo to Headington; neither Holiwell, becaufe a Manor of itself, and whofe Houfes were Ingeldable, and therefore in Grand Pointe or Pont, or without Weft Gate, in St. Budock's Parish, on Part of which the Castle was built, where all the Places or Suburbs that the Binseye has from Burgeffes of Oxford had antiently a Jurifdiction over: 1ft, of the North vity ensient time, heen. Eaft Ward. within the with furisch dian. Near the North Gate, ftands ST. 21 て I North-gate ave 18 Yards A broad. An s the North, ich is erected rch, and the long before that Priory everal other ards William he parochial faid Church ich Decree, in the 17th hat Manner, Lincoln, for he was then being given be united to iate Church being thus nd Chapter hd the Year ly that the hes, fhould DLE Eccl. 3. Conduit The Third, Crofs Potent be The Fourth, The Fifth, C The Sixth, and Ireland, qur The Sevent! fejant in a Cha The Eighth with two Head Above the fe of the four K At the Sui were but 24 Where or "or Brugsette. S. Alemtioned, nor i Parish belonged to Burgeffes of Gent. Mag. Dec. 1825. PL1p 189 S.W.VIEW OF ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH, OXFORD. 1 21 1825.] Mr. URBAN, A St. Michael's Church, Oxford. Dec. 3. LL the parish Churches of Oxford are, or till lately were, remarkable for their antiquity and interest. Several of these buildings have already been described in your Magazine. We shall now present your readers with some remarks on St. Michael's Church, situated on the East side of the Cornmarket. The annexed Engraving represents a S. W. view of the Edifice, (Plate I.) no part of which is distinctly seen by reason of a high, and not very. ancient wall towards the South, and an accumulation of old and shabby tenements on the East and North sides, excepting the tower, which is at the West end, and though the plainest, is by many years, perhaps a century, the most ancient part of the whole edifice. In a word, it is Norman, having small windows of that character in the upper part, and having had one of longer dimensions in the West front towards the basement. The walls are, built of rubble, but they are of great substance, and very strong; and though cracked in several places, and lately threatened with destruction, have been repaired, and are likely to stand securely for ages yet to come. On the North side of the body and chancel is an aile, to which is attached a small chapel, occupying the place, and having the appearance of a transept; and on the South side is a spacious chapel, which constitutes the chief ornament both of the exterior and interior of the Church. The space between this chapel and the tower is occupied by a very handsome window of the fifteenth century, and the porch, which, though plain, is not inelegant. The lancet style of architecture appears on the South side of the chancel; but the altar window, and that of the lateral aile, appearing over the roof of the low and ancient vestry, are in the style of the fifteenth century, and very elegant; and the heads carved on the corbels possess considerable merit. The chancel arch has been modernized, but its ancient wooden screen retains its situation, and most of its ornaments. All the other arches of the interior have a handsome character; there are two on the South side of the body, three on the North side, and one on the same side of the chancel: the pillars are octagonal, and the capitals plain. GENT. MAG. December, 1825. 489 A modern font occupies the place of one of considerable antiquity and beauty, which was some years back disgracefully turned into the Church-yard, from which indignity it was rescued by the venerable Alderman Fletcher, who had it conveyed to Yarnton, erected on a pedestal, and placed in the Church of that village in the room of a plain, but still more ancient font, which, however, is carefully preserved in another part of the interior. The pillars and walls are ornamented in many places with richly-carved panels and canopied niches, the remains of altars long since displaced. The following curious particulars are taken from a manuscript in the Museum at Oxford. Dionysia Burewald, an opulent lady residing in this parish, did about the year 1260 build one of the chapels on the South-side of the Church, and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and had therein a chantry instituted by her, as also a priest to pray for her soul, and the souls of her relations; and also for the soul of one Burold who lived here in the reigns of Henry the First and Stephen; for the soul of Gilbert and Radulph Burewald her sons, together with Hugh Burewald; for Robert the son of Gilbert, and for several others of that name, "men of great wealth and possessions within Oxford, and benefactors to religious houses, as appears from St. Frideswide's, Osney, and Godstow Books." Another chantry seems to have been founded in the Virgin Mary's Chapel by one of the same name and family, if not by Dionysia herself. John Odyham, a rich Burgess of Oxford, who died anno 1342, maintained one or two priests for the souls of himself, and all his relations. John Archer, another rich Burgess of Oxford, who died on the last of November, anno 1524, and who with his wife Agnes was buried in the Church, maintained two priests to pray for their souls. There are numerous relics of painted glass in the windows, particularly in those on the North side of the body; but there are no perfect figures, or considerable patterns. 2 On the walls and pillars are several monumental tablets, and the floor is thickly strewed with records of mor tality. !, ut North-gate Nave 18 Yards ards the North, vhich is erected hurch, and the de long before ch that Priory feveral other wards William the parochial e faid Church vhich Decree, ¡I. in the 17th that Manner, f Lincoln, for 1 he was then 1 being given ɔ be united to giate Church being thus and Chapter and the Year ally that the ches, fhould en built and ders are yet ry III. Circ. Church; it id therein a Divine Ser Eccl. The Third, Crofs Potent t The Fourth The Fifth, C The Sixth, and Ireland, q The Sevent fejant in a Ch The Eighth with two Hea Above theft Figures, repre his Harp, em pets, Lutes, i grand Arches Back to Back ing in his Le played; The standing unde which a Vane Cross, reprefe wherein tand Woman upw the Feet. U of the four K the Fleur-deThus far Neatness, is gent. Mag. At the Sur were but 24 Where or "or Brugsette. S. femtioned, nor i Parish. belonged to City; neither of itself, and nor of itself, Pointe or Po which the C Binsya has from Burgeffes of Eaft Ward. IT Mr. URBAN, Leicester, Dec. 5. Tis really astonishing that nearly all the attempts which have been hitherto made to personify Death, should have proceeded on the assumption, that the "potent Conqueror" is a skeleton-one of his own victims ! An old acquaintance of mine, (Mr. Bisset of Leamington) once told me, that when a boy, and residing in his native country (Scotland), he was asked by a relation what he thought of Death?-and that his answer was, that if Death were what he was represented to be in his book of pictures, young as he then was, if he had his Golf club," and was attacked by a score of such fellows, he would batter their sculls to atoms, and break every bone of their ribs! This anecdote most forcibly struck me, and has led me to my present communication. -one The finest ideas on record as to Death, are those contained in the admirable Burial Service of our National Church-a service principally extracted from that fountain of light and truth, the Holy Bible. Now what are these ideas? Why, that Death, so far from being a "Skeleton," is the "last enemy to be destroyed,"who shall put all things under his feet," one who at the last day, through the Divine Atonement, shall, to the righteous, lose his "sting," and claim no "victory." Can any representation therefore be correct which depicts this Hero as a chop-fallen and fleshless spectre-which depicts him as a shadow, who, the Bible tell us, is to "reign until flesh' shall be no more?" Death rides throughout the world dispensing happiness and misery, but he rides not as a skeleton, but as an illustrious conqueror; - his steed, though "pale," is fiery, and recognizes no distinctions-with one foot on Royalty, another on Shakspeare, a third on Pitt, and a fourth on Byron, he "wings his way," while his rider flourishes sword above his head entrusted to him by Omnipotence, and reads to all who now tarry in this earthly passage, a lesson of humility [Dec. and of truth, which is too often disregarded, but which conscience and reflection will sometimes enforce : "Mors ultima linea rerum est," was the sentiment of the ancient Bard, and the idea was perfectly correct, and who could be more capable of forming it than one who indulged every sensual appetite in this world, and who would therefore be the more cautious and reserved in his allusions to a state, the anticipation of which to him could afford no pleasure? I am quite aware that my ideas on the subject are liable to criticism; that however I invite, for although a lover of antiquity, I never can allow that predilection to induce the advocacy of a practice, which, (as I view it) outrages common sense, and (what is of far more consequence) insults the Deity. J. STOCKDALE HARDY. one AS I have too much regard for you to suffer you to figure before the present generation and posterity as of the long-eared tribe, without a serious effort on my part to prevent it, I impose on myself the very disagreeable penance of writing a long letter, in the hope it may prove a means of deterring you from the unphilosophical and Quixotic attempt to change the name of the parish over which you have had the honour to be appointed spiritual pastor. Why, the hot summer, which, partly through your instrumentality, has caused me so much bodily inconvenience, must surely have totally evaporated your modicum of common sense; and the heat which has cracked the pannels of your doors and cupboards, must certainly have cracked your poor brain also. To hear a man, a full-grown man, a man who can read and write-a man who has mixed with cultivated society-a man who can talk very rationally about many matters, -a Scotchman, -a clergy man |