Thy dark eyes opened not

Nor first revealed themselves to English air,

For there is nothing here,

Which from the outward to the inward brought

Moulded thy baby thought.

Far off from human neighbourhood,

Thou wert born on a summer morn, A mile beneath the cedarwood. Thy bounteous forehead was not fanned With breezes from our oaken glades, But thou wert nursed in some delicious land Of lavish lights and floating shades: And flattering thy childish thought, The oriental fairy brought,

At the moment of thy birth,
From old wellheads of haunted ril's,
And the hearts of purple hills,

And shadowed coves on a sunny shore,
The choicest wealth of all the earth,
Jewel or shell, or starry ore,
To deck thy cradle, Eleänore.

Every turn and glance of thine,
Every lineament divine,
Eleänore,

And the steady sunset glow,
That stays upon thee? For in thee
Is nothing sudden, nothing single;
Like two streams of incense free

From one censer, in one shrine,
Thought and motion mingle,
Mingle ever. Motions flow
To one another, even as tho'
They were modulated so

To an unheard melody,
Which lives about thee, and a sweep
Of richest pauses, evermore
Drawn from each other mellow-deep,
Who may express thee, Eleänore?

I stand before thee, Eleänore;

I see thy beauty gradually unfold, Daily and hourly, more and more. I muse, as in a trance, the while

Slowly, as from a cloud of gold, Comes out thy deep ambrosial smile. I muse as in a trance, whene'er

The languors of thy love-deep eyes Float on to me. I would I were

So tranced, so rapt in ecstasies, To stand apart, and to adore, Gazing on thee for evermore, Serene, imperial Eleänore!

ALFRED TENNYSON,

ST.

The church of St. Mary is an elegant structure in the later style of English architecture, consisting of a nave, side aisles, a tower crowned with a spire, in the decorated style, on the north side, and a large chancel. The entire length is 250 feet, the breadth 50 feet. The height of the roof is 70 feet. From the basement of the tower to the vane is 180 feet. "The tower is square and plain, and consists of two stories, the upper containing six bells, and having one large pointed window or opening in each side, over which, upon the north and south sides, is the face of a dial. The outer angles of the tower are supported by buttresses, which above the ornamented parapet are covered with niches containing statues on the outward face, and terminating in small enriched pinnacles: there are also openings at the base of the spire, which are crowned with tabernacles, ornamented with crockets and finials. From this rich cluster the octagonal spire rises with perfect plainness to the vane." The effect of so many clustered ornaments, as contrasted with the plainness of the tower and spire, is not good: the proper character, simplicity of form, is thus materially interfered with.

The front of this church is in the best style of the period of Henry VII.; but there is a curious porch, which somewhat disfigures it, at the west end of the south side. It is a remarkable specimen of the use of columns with twisted shafts. It is constructed with admirable skill, but is certainly incongruous when applied to a building in the pointed style. This porch was "built at the expense of Morgan Owen, D.D., of Jesus college, chaplain to archbishop Laud, chancellor of the university in 1637, upon a design of Nicholas Stone, sen., a pupil of Inigo Jones, who adopted the twisted columns from those used by Michael Angelo in the altar at St. Peter's in Rome. They are of the Corinthian order, and support a broken pediment, bearing in the centre over the entablature a statue of St. Mary the virgin, and the infant Christ, illustrative of the dedication of the church. Soon after it was completed, this statue was defaced by the parliamen

tary soldiers in 1642; and the circumstance of its erection was actually made one of the articles of impeachment against Laud, that he did oblige the said Dr. Morgan Owen to build it, permitted him as chancellor of the university, and connived at all when 'twas finished.''

The interior is beautiful. The nave is divided from the aisles by clusters of light pillars, which support high pointed arches, above which are the clerestory windows. The piers and arches are richly moulded; and above each pier are elegant niches, from which spring corbels, carrying the wooden arches of the lofty and finely carved ceiling. The wooden pulpit is moveable, but usually stands in the centre of the nave. The vicechancellor's seat is at the west end of the middle aisle, elevated a few steps; a little below which are seats for the proctors, and on each side for the heads of houses and doctors: below these are seats for noblemen, and in the area benches for masters of arts. At the west end, extending into the aisles, are galleries for the bachelors of arts and undergraduates.

There are various monuments in this church to

distinguished individuals; among the more moof Dr. Wallis, Savilian professor of geometry, and dern of which may be named those to the memory

Sir William Jones.

The windows are enriched with good tracery. The east window in the upper compartments contains some painted glass. The font, of an octagonal form, is of oak, lined with lead.

On the north side of the chancel is the sepulchral chapel of Adam de Brome, founder of Oriel college, almoner to king Edward II. It was through his interest that this church was granted, as already said, to the college just named.

Altogether this church is an ornament to the noble city in which it stands; and, whether its architectural beauties be considered, or the remarkable events remembered, which have occurred within its walls, especially at the period of the Reformation, Oxford may with good reason be proud of her university church.