an inland county of England, in the Norfolk-circuit, and diocese of Lincoln; bounded on the east and south, by Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire; on the west, by Buckinghamshire; and on the north, by Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. It is of an oval form, about 22 miles long, 15 broad, and 73 in compass; within which it contains 260,000 acres, 9 hundreds, 10 market towns, and 124 parishes. The air is pleasant and healthy; and the soil fruitful, especially towards the north, where it is a deep clay. Towards the middle, the face of the country is somewhat hilly and woody, and the soil sandy. Towards the south, though the soil is not very rich, yet it produces abundance of excellent barley. A great part of the country is watered by the windings of the Ouse, which divides it into two parts; and, being navigable, affords an easy conveyance for commodities to or from it. It yields also a great deal of fuller's earth, plenty of wood except on the east side, woad for dyeing, butter and cheese. Its principal manufactures are bonelace and straw-hats. It sends four members to parliament, namely, two for Bedford, and two knights for the shire.