CAMBRIDGE, the seat of a celebrated university, and capital of a county of the same name, is situated on the banks of the river Cam, and is supposed to be the Granta of the Romans. Many absurd traditions have been circulated concerning the origin of this city, which have afforded a fruitful theme of disputation to the an tiquaries of the sister universities. But though much has been written upon this subject, little is yet known with any degree of certainty. Some have even referred the foundation of this university to the 375th year before the Christian era, and have not scrupled to affirm that Anaximander and Anaxagoras were teachers of philoso phy at Cambridge! Be this as it may, of the great anti quity of this city there can be no dispute. It holds a distinguished place under the name of Caergrant, in the lists of the British cities given by Gilclas and Nennius; and numerous traces of Roman labour and civilization point it out as a station once belonging to that people. Ancient roads diverge from this place to Ely, Haverill, Ashwell, and Godmanchester; and various fragments of urns, as well as many Roman coins of Vespasian and his successors, have been found in the adjoining fields. Dr Mason, in a manuscript• quoted by Mr Gough, ob serves, that " in a gravel-pit, near a rill of water, called the Vicar's Brook, many curious paters' of fine red earth were found, one large vase three leet long, brass ltzgence, a brass dish embossed, the handle of a sacrificing-knife, the brasses of a nugillaris, or table hook, some large bones, and Roman coins, now in Trinity college." The ancient town is supposed to have been much su perior to the modern Cambridge, both in extent and po pulation; and is said to have reached from the castle of Grantchester on the south, to the castle of Chesterton on the north, about three miles along the western bank of the river. At present, it is only about a mile in length, and half a mile in breadth, being nearly of an oval form, diminishing towards each extremity. The principal streets are, Bridge-street, which, crossing the river by a stone bridge of one arch, extends the whole length of the town, and, at its south-east end, takes the name of St Andrew's-street ; and Trumpington-street, through which is the entrance from London, and which, near its junction with Bridge-street, is called St John's lane. These streets, however, arc not uniform in breadth, but in many places are narrow and crooked; and the houses are in general old, ill-built, and crowded closely together_ The best houses are in the market-place and the conti guous streets; but, though this town cannot boast of much elegance in its appearance, it possesses both con venience and neatness, and contains some of the finest buildings in the kingdom.
The church of St Sepulchre, usually called the Round Church, or, as it was originally named, " the church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Jewry," affords a curious specimen of ancient architecture, and is supposed to have been erected by the Knights Templars, or by some persons concerned with the Crusades, in the reign of Henry the First.* It was built after the model of the church of the Resurrection, or Holy Sepulchre at Jeru salem, in the Saxon style of architecture ; and, in its primary form, was completely round, with a peristyle in the interior, of eight circular pillars, supporting a coni cal roof. The semicircular arch over the west door, is ornamented with round zig-zag mouldings, which spring from Saxon capitals. It has, however, been much dis figured by subsequent alterations, and, in its present state, appears under many disadvantages. " It is evidently," says Mr Essex, a story higher than its original architect intended it should be. This alteration was made in the reign of Edward II. for the reception of bells, when the windows were also altered, the chancel added, and the ornaments about the door defaced, and partly hidden by a wooden portal." Great St Mary's, or the University Church, which stands in the middle of the town opposite the Senate house, is built in the Gothic style, and has a lofty tower crowned with four elegant pinnacles, but is remarkable neither for its beauty nor uniformity of architecture. It is about 120 feet long, and 68 broad, and consists of a nave, a chancel, and side aisles. Here the members of the university generally attend divine service on Sundays and holidays. A handsome gallery raised between the nave and chancel, contains the seats of the vice-chancel lor, heads of colleges, noblemen, and doctors. The proc tors, masters of arts, fellow-commoners, &c. are accom modated in the lower part of the church ; and the bache lors and under graduates sit in the galleries over the side aisles. This church was erected by voluntary contribu tion in 1478 ; but was not finished till more than a cen tury afterwards, in 1608. Besides these, there are eleven other parish churches in Cambridge, but none of them arc deserving of particular observation.