he Cottonian library, even ascertain the precise date of this great
baron's undertaking, viz. A.D. 1071. No question, therefore, can remain,
but that this illustrious chieftain either repaired or rebuilt the
castle; but as we have shown, upon equal authority, there was a Saxon
castle, fit for a royal residence at Oxford, long previous to D'Oiley's
time. About the year 1794, several Saxon remains were discovered here;
but our engraving represents the castle in Norman times, with Robert
D'Oiley's magnificent additions, and is a facsimile of a plan by Ralph
Agas, in 1538, which, allowing a little for bad or unskilful drawing,
may be taken as a perfect specimen of Norman military architecture, and
will, we are persuaded, be received by our readers as a popular and
interesting illustration of the warlike character of the age in which
the castle was erected.

For the description we are indebted to a MS. account of Anthony Wood, in
the Bodleian library, who informs us that at one of its entrances was "a
large bridge, which led into a long and broad entry, and so to the chief
gate of the castle, the entry itself being fortified, on each side, with
a large embattled wall; and having several passages above, from one side
to the other, with open spaces between them, through which, in times of
storm, whenever any enemy had broken through the first gates of the
bridge, and was gotten into the entry, scalding water or stones might be
cast down to annoy them."

On passing through the gate, at the end of this long entry, the
fortification stretched itself, on the left hand, in a straight line,
till it came to a _round_ tower, that was rebuilt in the 19th of Henry
III.[1] And from thence went a fair embattled wall, guarded for the most
part with the mill-stream underneath, till it came to the high tower
joining to St. George's church.[2]

From hence, says the manuscript, the wall went to another gate, now
quite down, opposite to the abovementioned; and leading to Osney, over
another bridge; close to which joined that lofty and eminent mount,
sometime crowned with an embattled tower. The manuscript adds, that for
the greater defence of this castle, there was, on one of the sides of
it, _a barbican_; which seems to have not merely been a single tower,
but (according to an ancient deed) _a place_, or outwork, containing
several habitations; and from other accounts it further appears, that
there were more barbicans than one.

The ruins