MORNING AT OXFORD.

WE rose the next morning at a tolerably early hour, and sallied forth, the weather being fine, for a stroll before breakfast. Anna and Susan accompanied us, and our walk was very agreeable. We first came to Christchurch, the monument of Cardinal Wolsey's munificence, and repaired to the cathedral, where they were nearly finishing their morning service. I was ready to think that the young men who came out after the service, were of a more sober cast than those whom I used to see rush out of chapel five and twenty years ago. Our chief object in visiting the cathedral was to look at the statue of Dean Cyril Jackson. As one enters the cathedral, one has a fine view of the venerable old gentleman, sitting in state between two pillars, and surveying from his throne the arches and aisles of his gloomy domain. The statue, by Chantrey, is very fine, and wonderfully like the man. Dr. Cyril Jackson was a person of extraordinary parts; remarkable, I believe, for a mixture of dignity and

kindness, with an infusion of dry humor. He possessed unbounded authority in the college-being well versed in the art of government—and engaged both the reverence and love of the students. He was tutor to King George IV, when Prince of Wales, and to the Duke of York, both of whom he used to treat with that honest familiarity which was rendered the more admissible, by his determination to receive no favor at their hands. He repeatedly refused to be made a Bishop, and died in retirement.

Christ-church meadow can never be visited without pleasure. The magnificent avenue of elms, which probably knows no rival, continues to be an imposing spectacle. But it was affecting to see some of the old trees shattered by the storm, lopped by the axe, and ready to perish. Alas! for the instability of all things temporal! how impossible to replace the elms of Christ-church! The view of the stout square tower of Merton College, and of the far more elegant one of Magdalen, is very striking from the walk under the elms. We proceeded by Merton College into High street, which I think I shall always admire, as the most beautiful of streets; partly because of the old colleges on each side, and Magdalen tower at the end of it; and partly because of its sweeping curve, which, to my eye, is peculiarly pleasing. The splendid edifice of All Souls', St. Mary's church, and the square of Radcliffe library, cannot be passed through without some elevating emotions: and the schools, with

their several inscriptions, have a truly venerable and Athenian air. Finally, a walk through Broad street, past the Clarendon press, the Theatre, and Trinity and Baliol colleges, brought us to our Inn and our breakfast.

Adorned as Cambridge is with new buildings, we were constrained to confess, that in point of scale, and grandeur, and classic beauty, Oxford is far the superior. It is indeed a delightful city-rendered peculiarly pleasant, by the intermixture of broad streets, noble buildings, and extensive gardens. We returned, after breakfast, to the Radcliffe library, from the roof of which very handsome edifice there is quite an enchanting coup d'œil, which fully justifies this description. As we moved round the roof, from buttress to buttress, we quite feasted on the classic scene which surrounded us on every side. The inside of Radcliffe library furnishes some objects of great interest. It is a library of medicine and natural history, with the exception of a few theological books. Amongst these there are two Bibles, well worthy of particular notice. The first is a most finished and delicate manuscript of the Hebrew Scriptures, exquisitely illuminated. The second is Dr. Kennicott's own manuscript, from which was published his Hebrew Bible with collations. He was, I suppose, one of the most industrious of men, for he is said to have collated six thousand Hebrew MSS. And this copy, from which his great work was printed, affords an evidence that the genius of order came to the assistance of his industry. A slip, containing a single verse of printed

Hebrew, is pasted on the top of every blank space; and below those slips the Dr. has notified all the various readings, with a neatness and beauty of penmanship which are quite uncommon. He is said to have been taught writing by his father, who was a merchant's clerk. From this work, of elaborate assiduity, we turned to some of the ever-varied, ever-easy sports of nature—a thousand admirable specimens, collected and arranged in beautiful order, of marbles, alabasters, gypsums, lavas, porphyries, agates, &c. The collection was made and presented to the University by Corsi, the Italian naturalist. The various beauty of these stones, which are all finely polished, almost overwhelms the mind with a sense of the profusion with which God has scattered his ornaments among created things-even where they lie deeply hidden from the eye of man.

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,

And waste its sweetness in the desert air."

I now proposed to make a call on Dr. Macbride, the master of Magdalen hall. He married the sister of our friend Harriet Alexander; and though I had never seen him, I had carried on, through her, that sort of communication with him, which justified, and even demanded the visit. He is a man who bears the character of much literary acquirement, as well as talent, and what is better,

of decided piety. He has supported the Bible Society at Oxford with a noble spirit of independence, and I believe the institution still flourishes under his hand. One of the great advantages of this excellent society is, that it opens an easy door of communication between persons who have no previous acquaintance with each other, but who are acting, in a very important respect, on a common principle. Dr. Macbride occupies a capital house in the quadrangle of his hall. We found him at home, and with his lady he received us very courteously. I had sent him a copy of my Biblical Notes, which I was pleased to find had met his approbation, and we soon fell into conversation. He told me that the number of religious young men in the University was increasing, and that many of them bore the stamp of sober piety. One preacher at Oxford, known to both of us, flies high in doctrine, and holds out glowing expectations of the outward reign of the Messiah-even venturing to declare in what year He may be expected to appear.

MACBRIDE. "These new fancies are much to be regretted. Persons who occupy their speculative powers with calculations of the year of Christ's coming, may easily forget to prepare themselves for the event, (whenever He may be pleased to come,) by watchfulness and prayer. Such persons, instead of preaching the home truths of practical Christianity, convert religion into a sort of Romance." The Dr. now put on his cap and gown, and kindly guided us to the New Press. As we walked