Whittock, Nathaniel: The Oxford Drawing Book, Or The Art Of Drawing, And The Theory And Practice Of Perspective: In A Series Of Letters Containing Progressive Information On Sketching, Drawing, And Colouring Landscape Scenery, Animals, And The Human Figure: With A New Method Of Practical Perspective: Detailed In A Novel, Easy, And Perspicuous Style, For The Use Of Teachers, Or For Self-Instruction. Embellished With Upwards Of One Hundred And Fifty Lithographic Drawings, From Real Views, Taken Expressly For This Work (Oxford , London, 1825)

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siege till he had taken the empress prisoner. But such was the strength of the Castle,
that it defied his utmost efforts for more than three months; at the end of that time,
the garrison being reduced to the utmost extremity by famine and incessant fatigue,
the empress determined to effect her escape. The river being frozen over, and the
ground covered with snow, she dressed herself and three attendants in white, and
issuing silently, about midnight, from a postern of the castle, crossed the river, and
creeping along on the snow, passed all the enemies’ centinels in safety. She travelled
on foot to Abingdon, and reached Wallingford on horseback before daylight. The
garrison surrendered the Castle to Stephen the morning after her departure.
The tower represented in this drawing, is all that remains of the original buildings ;
on the site is now erected the county gaol, in the Gothic style of building, and it is
still called Oxford Castle.
In commencing this drawing, I should advise you to mark the centre of the pa-
rapet of the bridge, first making a slight outline of the arch and the banks before
you begin the tower. When you have done this, make the outline of the angle of the
t/nver nearest the bridge. You will observe in this building, that the outline is not
perpendicular; as the tower tapers towards the top, the outline of course leans a little.