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BLITHEFIELD is an ancient seat of the family of Bagot; and came into possession of the family by the marriage of Sir Ralph Bagot with the heiress of Blithefield, in Edward the Third's reign, 1367. The Park, which is at some distance from the House, is remarkable for its towering oaks, which for number, height, straightness, and value, are esteemed the finest in England. The Mansion surrounds a quadrangle, and still retains its ancient simplicity; but has within these few years received considerable improvements, with an attention to comfort and propriety not always observable in the alteration of houses of so ancient a date. The best rooms are the Hall, over the chimney, in which is a good sculpture in stone, of King John signing Magna Charta, the Library, and a large Drawing-room lately added. The collection of coins here are considered the most valuable and instructive in England; they are the bequest of Thomas Anson, Esq. We are obliged to contract our account, that we may include

A List of the principal Pictures at Blithefield.

Boors at Cards, Teniers-Head, a Study, C. Maratti
-A Poor Family, Le Nain-Portrait of a Young
Lady, Rosalba-Petrarch's Triumph of Time, Old
Franks. This Picture contains the Portrait of
Petrarch, and of several of his friends and favourites
Cupids at Play, Rothenamer—Virgin and Infant
Christ, Italian School-A Landscape with Goats,
&c., P. Brill, the figures by An. Caracci-Portrait
of Walter Chetwynd of Ingestrie, Sir P. Lely—A
Battle-piece, Borgognone-A Piper, Fr. Hals--
The Virgin Mary, C. Maratti-Christ Bearing the
Cross, Van Eyck-The Nativity, Ditto-The
Scourging of Christ, Ditto-A Flemish Officer and
Woman on Horseback, Blekers-An Improvisario
with a Guitar, supposed to represent Ariosto,
Lanfranc-A Landscape after Booth, De Heusch—
A Friar in the Character of Diogenes, Lanfranc—
A Man driving Cattle, Castiglione-An Old Man
Reading, Viscountess Dowager Anson-Landscape,
Van Goyen.

The Rape of Europa, Albano-St. John Baptizing Christ, a Landscape, Zuccarelli-St. Jerome presenting his Works to the Infant Jesus, Corregio -Rachel at the Well, C. Loti-The Flight into Egypt, Zuccarelli-Birds, Hondekæter-A Boy's Head, Fr. Bartolomeo-The Annunciation, Rothe-A View of St. Peter's at Rome, G. Orchiati—— namer, when he painted at Venice-A Storm, G. Poussin A Singer, Murillo-Nativity of St. John, P. Veronese-Virgin and Child, Raphael--Players at Minciati, Albert Durer-Landscape, G. Poussin -A Portrait, Vandyke-Burning the Vatican, Raphael-A Magdalen, Guido-Boors Drawing Wine from a Vat-A Concert, Palamedes-A Supper with Singers-Palamedes-Virgin and Dead Christ (an Altar-piece in the Chapel), Dan. de Volterra-Head of St. John, Guercino.-Three Marys with the Body of Christ, a copy from A. Caracci-A Head of Moliere, Spanish School Stoning of St. Stephen, Filippo Laura-Boors Drinking, -Altar-piece with Virgin and Child, Benv. Garofalo-Fruit and Dead Game, Fyt -Landscape with a Mill-pool, Van Goyen-A Head, an oval, Tintoret-A Pass of the Alps, Colomba-Ruins of Roman Buildings, P. PaniniThe Duke of Buckingham, Giorgione-A Landscape, P. Brill-The Angel appearing to the Shepherds, And. Sacchi-A Landscape, P. Brill-æt. 52-Lewis Bagot-A Portrait unknown, with Jacob's Journey, Castiglione-The Trinity, exemplified by Christ in the lap of the Deity, who wears a Tiara, a dove above, painted on a gold ground, Albert Durer-Virtue Triumphing over Vice, a sketch of the great picture in the Council of the Palace of St. Marc at Venice, Paolo Veronese-Lot and his Daughters, Guercino. This is painted in his light manner, and has been engraved by Strange—of the gay court of Charles II.-William Legge, The Continence of Scipio, Seb. Concha-The Judgment of Solomon, S. Vouet-The Feast of Levi, a sketch, P. Veronese-Interior of a Kitchen, Giac. Bassan-Women preparing Pot-herbs, OstadeLandscape and Figures, Holbein-A Sketch. C. Cignani-Two Neapolitan Officers, Valentino

And the following Portraits.

Walter Devereux, Earl of Essex, in rich armour, and inscribed " Virtutis Comes Invidua”—Sir Walter Aston of Tixall-Villiers, Duke of Buckingham— Henry, Earl of Huntingdon, with the date 1588,

the date 1622, æt. 40-The Lord Treasurer Burleigh, a head-Colonel Richard Bagot, who fell at the battle of Naseby-Mrs. Salusbury of Bachymbed Denbighshire-Sir Edward Bagot-Elizabeth Bagot, afterwards Countess of UxbridgeCharles Salusbury-Mary Countess of Aylesford, Hudson-Mary Bagot, Countess of Dorset, a beauty first Earl of Dartmouth and his Lady-Henry, Earl of Bolingbroke, when young, in his robesHugo Grotius, School of Rembrandt-Landscape, Cattle and Figures, Patel-A Fish-Market, Batt. Bassan-St. Paul shaking off the Viper, Guercino. Painted in his dark manner.

THE SEAT OF

THE HONOURABLE ROBERT CURZON.

HAGLEY HALL is situated at the north-east extremity of Cannock Chase, on the confines of the Hundred of Cuttlestone, and within half a mile of the town of Rudgeley. The House is now extremely irregular in its front, arising from enlargements made at various periods. The late Viscount Curzon, in the improvements made under his direction, contributed greatly to render the seat interesting and picturesque in appearance, while the greatest attention was paid to comfort in the interior: the House is environed with beautiful woods and plantations.

This was the patrimonial estate of the Weston family, from the early period of King Edward III.

Sir Richard Weston, Knt., was a Bencher of the Inner Temple, and a Baron of the Exchequer; he died in 1658: his eldest son was a colonel in the army of King Charles I., and was slain, in the Isle of Man, in his majesty's service. Sir Richard Weston, created Earl of Portland by King Charles I., was also descended from this family, the principal branch of which were settled at, and derived their name from, Weston-under-Lizard, in this county.

Hagley afterwards became the property of the late Viscount Curzon, who was a younger son of Sir Nathaniel Curzon, Bart., of Kedleston, in Derbyshire, by Mary, daughter and co-heir of Sir Ralph Assheton, Bart., of Middleton, in Lancashire, and younger brother of the late Lord Scarsdale; he was born February 2nd, 1729, and was elected Member of Parliament for the borough of Clitherow in 1754, for which place he retained his seat until his elevation to the Peerage by the title of Lord Curzon, by patent, dated August 13th, 1794, from whence he was advanced to be Viscount Curzon, February 27th, 1802. His Lordship married Esther, only daughter of William Hanmer, Esq., of Betterfield, Shropshire, and had issue the Hon. Penn Assheton Curzon, who married Sophia, eldest daughter of Richard, Earl Howe, K.G., at whose death, in 1799, she became, eventually, Baroness Howe in her own right, the Barony being limited to his daughter, and her issue male.

On the decease of the late Viscount Curzon, March 21, 1820, at the very advanced age of 92, his Lordship was succeeded in his title and estates by his grandson, Richard William, now Earl Howe, who married, in 1820, Lady Harriet Georgiana, daughter of the Earl of Cardigan; and on July 14, 1821, His Majesty, George IV., in consideration of his descent from the late distinguished Admiral, was pleased to advance his Lordship to the Earldom.

Hagley Hall was left by the late Viscount Curzon to his son, the Honourable Robert Curzon, brother to Earl Howe.

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Bishton Hall, Staffordshire;

THE SEAT OF

JOHN SPARROW, ESQ.

BISHTON HALL stands on a commanding and beautiful situation near Wolseley Bridge, having the river Trent and Grand Trunk Canal immediately in front, backed by the rich view of Wolseley Park, rising on the opposite side of the river.

The House is of regular architecture, and of modern erection; it consists of a centre nearly quadrangular, large, and three stories in height; from the cornice rises a small pediment ornamented with palms, and the angles of the building have rustic quoins. A very neat Portico, supported by four Doric columns, is placed at the entrance; the front is lengthened and improved by two wings slightly convexed. To the right of the House, in our view, is seen the ornamental Tower in the Garden. It is an hexagon, with a pointed arched window on every side, and embattled parapet; a pleasing object, erected with much taste. In the views, the Trent forms a noble and principal object: this river takes its rise from three springs, or heads, in the north-west extremity of Staffordshire, and, soon after the union of its three streams, passes Stanley, traverses the Staffordshire potteries, which extend through a series of villages for nearly seven miles, one of the most remarkable districts in the kingdom; in which part, Bucknall, four miles north-east of Newcastle, also belongs to Mr. Sparrow of Bishton. At Stoke, it meets the navigable canal from the Trent to the Mersey, commonly called the Grand Trunk. After passing Trentham, this noble river flows by the town of Stone, and waters the grounds of the noble mansions of Sandon, Ingestrie, and Tixall; from whence to Bishton, a distance of four miles, it flows through as beautiful a valley as is to be found in any part of England. Its various scenes, rich in every object of rural beauty, are luxuriantly picturesque, smiling with verdure, and crowned with plenty.

Having beautified and enriched the county of Stafford during a course of more than fifty miles, the Trent, swelled by the romantic Dove, runs eastward through Derbyshire, and at Shardelow, seven miles south-west of Derby, becomes navigable for large vessels; and here the Grand Trunk Canal terminates at the distance of ninety-three miles from its other extremity, where it joins the Mersey.

Bishton, or Bishopton, is in the hundred of Pirehill, two miles north of Rudgeley.

John Sparrow, Esq., the present proprietor, of an ancient family, served the office of High Sheriff for the county of Stafford in the year 1789, and was more than thirty years Chairman of the Quarter Sessions. He married Elizabeth, daughter and coheiress of Ralph Morton, Esq. of Wolstanton, in this county, an original descendant of the Ducie family.

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