OXFORDSHIRE, one of the central counties of Eng land, is bounded on the north by the counties of War wick and Northampton ; on the West, by Gloucestershire ; on the south, by the rivers Isis and Thames, which divide it from Berkshire ; and on the east, by Buckinghamshire. Its figure is very irregular ; at Oxford, near the centre of the county, it is not more than seven miles in breadth, a little farther north it is thirty-eight, and at no part south of Oxford does it exceed twelve. Its greatest length, from north-west to south-west, is fifty miles ; and its circum ference, 130. The superficial extent is estimated at 742 square miles, or 474,880 acres. It is divided into fourteen hundreds, and these again into 207 parishes : it contains one city and twelve market towns ; lies in the diocese of Oxford ; and returns nine members to parliament.
Oxfordshire, together with part of Gloucestershire, was originally inhabited by the tribe called the Dobuni. When the Romans, under Aulus Plautius, invaded Britain, the Dobuni were at variance NN 11.11 the Cattieuchlani, a neigh bouring tribe ; and, instead of joining the rest of their countrymen against the common enemy, they entreated the assistance of the Romans, and received their forces into their territory. From the inhabitants thus submitting quietly to the invaders, there are fewer traces of encamp ments and military stations in this county than in most other parts of England, yet there are numerous other vestiges of their establishment. Near Alchester there ap pears to have been a Roman station, the remains of which are of a square form, with a ditch and mound facing the four cardinal points. Of the four great Roman roads, which stretched across the island from sea to sea, the one named the Ikencild-street passed through the southern part of the county. It enters at the parish of Chinnor, and
may be traced for several miles running in a south westerly direction. There are also many cross roads, which passed from one colony or station to another ; the principal of these is the Akeman-street, the outline of which can be well traced. Various Roman coins and fragments of tesselated pavement have been discovered, and there are several funeral mounds which are supposed to be of Roman origin. Under the Saxon heptarchy this county formed part of the kingdom of ,Mercia. When Mercia was divided into five bishoprics, the name of the inhabitants was changed from Dobuni into that of \Viccii. During the Danish invasion, Oxfordshire was repeatedly ravaged ; several important battles were fought in it; and, at the beginning of the eleventh century, it was principally inhabited by Danes. In the wars of York and Lancaster it was just once the scene of contest : an engagement having taken place between the forces of Edward the IV. and an undisciplined army, composed chiefly of the com mon people of Yorkshire, in which the former were de feated. In the civil wars of the seventeenth century this county did not declare for either party ; but from Oxford being chosen for the residence of the court, it unavoidably became the seat of warfare ; skirmishes took place in every quarter, and it was plundered alike whichever party was victorious : since that period nothing connected with it has occurred deserving of notice.