Produced by Graeme Mackreth and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) [Illustration: MAGDALEN BRIDGE AND TOWER] OXFORD DESCRIBED BY F.D. HOW PICTURED BY E.W. HASLEHUST [Illustration] DANA ESTES & CO. BOSTON _Printed in Great Britain_ Beautiful England _Volumes Ready:_ OXFORD THE ENGLISH LAKES CANTERBURY SHAKESPEARE-LAND THE THAMES WINDSOR CASTLE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page Magdalen Bridge and Tower _Frontispiece_ Magdalen College from the Cherwell 8 Oxford from Headington Hill 12 Martyrs' Memorial and St. Giles 16 The College Barges and Folly Bridge 20 Fisher Row and Remains of Oxford Castle 24 The Cottages, Worcester College Gardens 28 Old Clarendon Building, Broad Street 32 Christ Church 36 Brasenose College and Radcliffe Library Rotunda 42 Botanic Gardens and Magdalen Tower 48 Iffley Mill 52 [Illustration: OXFORD] For beauty and for romance the first place among all the cities of the United Kingdom must be given to Oxford. There is but one other--Edinburgh--which can lay any serious claim to rival her. Gazing upon Scotland's capital from Arthur's Seat, and dreaming visions of Scotland's wondrous past, it might seem as though the beauty and romance of the scene could not well be surpassed. But there is a certain solemnity, almost amounting to sadness, in both these aspects of the Northern capital which is altogether absent from the sparkling beauty of the city on the Isis, and from the genius of the place. The impression that Oxford makes upon those who, familiar with her from early years, have learnt to know and love her in later life is remarkable. Teeming with much that is ancient, she appears the embodiment of youth and beauty. Exquisite in line, sparkling with light and colour, she seems ever bright and young, while her sons fall into decay and perish. "Alma Mater!" they cry, and love her for her loveliness, till their dim eyes can look on her no more. And this is for the reason that the true lovableness of Oxford cannot be learnt at once. As her charms have grown from age to age, so their real appreciation is gradual. Not that she cannot catch the eye of one who sees her for the first time, and, smiling, hold him captive. This she can do now and then; but even so her new lover has yet to learn her preciousness.