Lincoln

the capital of the English county of that name. It is situated in a region noted for grazing and agriculture. The Lincolnshire sheep originated here. The village of Boston, for which the Massachusetts city was named, is in this county. The Lincolnshire fens are noted in history, but they have been drained and converted into fertile fields. The city has an inland situation on a small river, the Witham. It is about thirty miles from the North Sea. It is one of the most ancient cities in Great Britain. It was a military post during the days of Roman occupancy. The limits of the Roman fortifications may still be traced. Many Roman coins and other antiquities are found in improving the streets. An old Roman gate, found eleven feet below the present level of the street, is considered one of the most perfect specimens of genuine Roman architecture in England. An old military road leads straight north from it for twelve miles. The glory of the city is Lincoln Cathedral, a Gothic minister begun in 1086. Admirers claim that it is the earliest purely Gothic building in Europe. It formerly had three spires, but one of them was blown down in 1547, and the others have been removed lest they fall and crush the building. The body of the cathedral is 480 by eighty feet in size. The great bell, known as Great Tom of Lincoln, weighs 10,800 pounds. A considerable knowledge of architecture would be required to appreciate a description of the ground plan, portals, spires, screens, nave, transept, choir, and lady chapels. The edifice is built of durable limestone. One might spend days in studying the wonderful carvings and stained glass windows, and then feel that he had made but a beginning.