MR. SMITH, THE GEOLOGIST. 207 masters, fellows, and undergraduates of the different colleges-convened in their distinctive and antiquated dresses for the purpose. The holidays too have just commenced; the colleges are becoming deserted; and the whole aspect of the place much less interesting than it would have been in term time, or even yesterday. After a half hour or more, I took my leave with an engagement to Professor Daubeny to take breakfast with him to-morrow morning, in company with Captain Bolton. And now by bringing up the record of the day, am prepared for the scenes and impressions of the morrow, which can scarce fail of being interesting and peculiar. 208 GENERAL SKETCH LETTER XXIII. UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD. General sketch of the city-Professor Daubeny-BreakfastVisits to the Theatre-Bodleian Library-Radcliffe LibraryPicture Gallery and Museum-Magdalen College—Its Chapel and walks Chapel and grounds of new College-—Habits and recreations of the Students-Christ Church College and walks along the Isis. DEAR VIRGINIA, Angel Inn, Oxford, We have given to Oxford as thorough an examination as could possibly be accomplished in a single day. And 1 feel at the close of it, both in body and in mind, much as one might be supposed to do, who literally, and not in mere imagination, had been living "The lives of all antiquity." It is truly unique and magnificent in its whole style and character. And calculated in all its fea tures, gazed upon either from within or from with out, to leave an impression upon the mind and affections of the scholar, at least, varying from those produced by any other place, however similar in its leading objects of interest, in the kingdom and throughout the world. I have, 1 believe, already given an outline of its general aspect when seen in the distance. And recollect no description of it, when thus viewed, so vivid and so true, as one which I have somewhere read, in which it is compared, in the magnificence of its towers, and fanes, and crowning dome, springing from the bosom of the green meadows and embowering groves by which it is encircled, to the QUEEN of the ADRIATIC, resting in splendour and dignity on the blue waters of her dominion. In its whole exterior it proclaims itself a City of the Muses; and within, at every turn, exhibits some palace of their abode. The appointed hour of the morning found us at the rooms of Dr. Daubeny at the museum. As he is a Fellow, we of course had no Mrs. D to do the honours of the table, the privileges of that fraternity being limited exclusively, as you are aware, to those in a state of single blessedness. We were served with a very nice breakfast, however, and entertained with much interesting conversation. After the inspection of the laboratory of our host, whose professorship is that of chemistry, we sallied forth under his guidance, for the sight-seeing of the day. Our first visit was to the theatre, as the edifice for the great exhibitions of the university is styled. This is a fine structure, from a design of Sir Christopher Wren, formed of the light, chalky, and, unfortunately, too perishable stone, constituting the general material of the colleges and other buildings. It is circular, the ground plan being that of the theatre of Marcellus at Rome, with a vaulted and painted roof, and is capable of accommodating three thousand persons. It is the scene of the most imposing spec 210 BODLEIAN LIBRARY.. tacles connected with the University; and in 1814, witnessed a pageant in the conferring of degrees upon the Prince Regent and the allied sovereigns, never surpassed in magnificence, it is probable, by any similar ceremony in any part of the world. Among the principal decorations of its walls, are the portraits of the Prince Regent by Lawrence, and of the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia by Gerard of Paris, presented by the monarchs respectively, in commemoration of the honour conferred upon them. The celebrated Bodleian Library-from the name of its principal founder-received our next attention ; and its hundreds of thousands of volumes, old and new, arrested a momentary glance. So far as I recollect, this gave rise to one general reflection only, that "to the making of books there is no end." What a weariness and wasting of flesh and spirit has there not been for ages, in the production of such ranges of worm eaten and rusty tomes! And how many of the authors, who, when their task was completed, felt themselves crowned with immortal honour, are now unknown, even by name, except to some one whose burden it is occasionly to correct a catalogue, or to form one anew! Some of the missiles and illuminated manuscripts are exceedingly beautiful, as specimens of art; and a modern work on the antiquities of Mexico, in seven volumes folio, printed on vellum, an unrivalled exhibition of splendid typography. The whole cost of the work was £60,000; and the copies on vellum are £500 each. The Radcliffe Library, both in its archi MUSEUM AND PICTURE GALLERY. 211 tecture and contents, forms a magnificent and leading ornament of the University. It is in Grecian style: a rotundo, the crowning dome of which adds so peeuliar a beauty to every distant view of the city. Besides a large and valuable collection of books, it contains many admirable pieces of art, in sculpture, casts, and painting; and was the scene of a magnificent banquet given by the University, to the imperial and kingly visitors, of 1814. The museum, picture gallery, repository of Arundel marbles and Pomfret statuary, and the new Clarendon printing house, are the additional objects of special interest attached to the University, as a whole, and not belonging to any particular College. The picture gallery is an extensive range of long halls, filled with portraits of persons of distinction, for many generations past, interspersed with landscape and historical paintings. It also contains some fine statues, particularly one in brass of the Earl of Pembroke, chancellor of the university in 1616-1630, and several busts of merit. Models, in plaster, of many of the finest specimens of architecture in the world, modern and antique, principally by a French artist, are also among its objects of interest: the temple of Neptune at Pæstum, the lantern of Demosthenes, theatre of Herculaneum, the Parthenon, &c. &c. There is a point in the vicinity of the Radcliffe Library, at which any one might readily imagine himself in the midst of ancient Rome, or in a venerable square of some famed city of Greece, in her olden times, without a single object before the eye to interrupt the fancy. On every hand are masses of |