bridge and lower piece of water, form an affemblage of great and beautiful objects in no other place to be met with. The ground on the fouth-eaft is a happy contraft to the fouth-weft fide: the Gardens here seem to lose themfelves in the Park, amidst a profufion of venerable oaks and interfected avenues, from whence they derive an air of most indeterminate extent, which is very pleafing. Laftly, the beautiful plain in the front of the House, and the picturefque effect of the Village rifing out of the Wood below, call for our attention. Thefe Gardens have been confiderably enlarged, and thrown into the form they now wear, by the prefent Duke, who has likewife farther beautified them by the addition of fome judicious and well-placed ornaments; particularly the Temple of Diana, and an elegant little temple in what is called the Flower Garden: To which we may add two noble Bronzes, and fome copies of Antique Vafes, in ftone... THE PARK Is eleven miles in circumference, and contains many delightful scenes. The lover of rural variety will be entertained here with every circumftance of beauty which he can expect from diverfified nature; from hill and valley, water, and woods. The pleafure-grounds have lately received a confiderable improvement and enlargement, by throwing a neat Chinete bridge over the lake, near the cascade; and inclofing and laying down, in the most elegant ftyle, a pretty large tract of the oppofite hill. In this delightful fpot feveral grottos are fo naturally introduced, that art fcarcely appears, But the most capital object is a magnificent fountain, a prefent to John Duke of Marlborough; which, after lying neglected for many years, has been recently erected in the vale, near the eaftern limits of the new improvements. On one fide of this fountain, is the fubfequent Latin inscription; and on the E thrie three other fides is the fame in three different languages, Greek, Italian, and Spanish. Ad Innocentium XI. Summum Pontificem. Excelc: D: D: Gazpar: De. Haro, et Guzman. At a fmall diftance from this noble piece of fculpture is a mineral fpring, commonly called Newfound Well; which, flowing into a beautiful antique bason, externally adorned with numerous figures in basso relievo, is from thence difcharged by the mouths of two Hons near the top, and immediately disappearing, soon enters the lake. About the middle of the grand approach is a magnificent Bridge, chiefly confifting of three arches, the centre one of which is larger than the Rialto at Venice: the water is formed into a-fpacious lake, which covers the whole extent of a capacious valley, furrounded by an artificial declivity of a prodigious depth, and is in difputably, both with regard to its accompaniments and extent, the most capital piece of water in this kingdom. In this Park originally food a Royal Palace, where King Etheldred called a Parliament. Henry I. inclosed the Park with a wall, part of which is now remaining. His fucceffor Henry II. principally refided at this feat, and erected in the Park a house encompaffed with a Labyrinth of extraordinary contrivance, for the habitation of his concubine Fair Rofamond. This romantic retreat, commonly styled Fair Rofamond's Bower, was fitu ated ated on the hill, to the north west of the Bridge, above a remarkable bath, or spring, called at prefent Rofa. mond's Well. In this Palace Edmund, the fecond fon of Edward I. was born, and thence denominated Edmund of Woodftock; as was Edward the Black Prince. The Princess Elizabeth, afterwards Queen, was kept a prifoner here, under the perfecutions of Queen Mary. This Palace retained its original fplendour, and was inhabited by our kings, till the reign of Charles I, but began to be demolished in the fucceeding times of confufion. Its magnificent ruins were remaining within the memory of man, near the bridge, to the north, on the fpot where two Sycamores have been fince planted as a memorial. The Park and Manor of Woodstock, with other appurtenances, were granted with concurrence of Parlia ment, by Queen Anne, in the fourth year of her reign, to John Duke of Marlborough, and his heirs, in recompence of the many illuftrious victories obtained under his command against the French and Bavarian armies ; particularly at Blenheim. The grant of the Crown, and the fervices of the Duke, are fully fpecified on the pedestal of a stately Column, 130 feet in height; on the top of which is a Statue of the Duke, fituated in a grand avenue. On one fide is the following Infcription, fuppofed to be written by the late Lord Bolingbroke. The Caftle of BLENHEIM was founded by Queen ANNE, In the Fourth Year of her Reign, In the Year of the Chriftian Æra 1705. Obtained over the French and Bavarians, On the Banks of the Danube, By JOHN Duke of MARLBOROUGH, The Hero not only of this Nation, but of this Age; E 3 Whofe Whofe Glory was equal in the Council and in the Field; Which no Rank, no Authority can give, Who by Military Knowledge, and irrefiftible Valour, When raised the highest, when exerted the moft's Afferted and confirmed the Liberties of Europe. The Houfe itfelf was built at the public expense; but the Bridge, the Column juft mentioned, and the Portal contiguous to the Town, were erected folely at the charge of Sarah Duchefs Dowager of Marlborough. DT ITCHLEY is a modern fabric, lofty, and elegantly built, fituated on an hill, which commands much of the country, having Blenheim, Oxford, and the hills beyond it in full view. Over the front of the house are two grand ftatues, Loyalty and Fame, with with their proper emblems. The offices, which form two beautiful wings, have a communication with the principal building by circular colonnades. In the boufe are many valuable and mafterly portraits by Rubens, Vandyck, Sir Peter Lely, Johnson, and Wotton. This room is finely proportioned and elegantly decorated. Its fides and roof are ornamented with fucco, which is at once bold and delicate. Its door-cafes, pediments, entablatures, and columns of the Corinthian and Compofite orders, are all richly ornamented with gildings, &c. The Ceiling contains an Affembly of the Gods, painted by Kent. Two of the compartments are filled with historical pieces from the Eneid, by the fame hand; one of which reprefents veas meeting Venus, his mother, in the wood near Carthage; and the other, Venus prefenting Æneas with the new Armour. The Sciences are introduced as ornaments, with bufts of Philofophers, Poets, Hiftorians, and Orators, viz. Socrates, Virgil, Homer, Cicero, Sappho, Shakefpeare, Dryden, Milton, and Livy. Over the ftatues are bas-reliefs, copied from antiques out of the Florentine Museum, properly difpofed; and a ftatue of the Venus de Medicis. Here is alfo a curious model of the Radclivian Library at Oxford. The Chimney-piece is fuperb and lofty, decorated with a portrait of Henry Earl of Litchfield, by Aker man. THE MUSIC-ROOM Is well constructed for Mufic, and has feveral paintings in it, viz. The Grandfather and Grandmother of the late Earl of Litchfield; the late Earl; the two late Dukes of Beaufort; the Honourable Mr. Lee, and Sir Watkin Williams Wynne, by Hoare; Rubens and his Son, hunting wild beafts; two Venetian Courtezans a Shooting-piece, and two Hunting-pieces, by Wotton. In the Shooting-piece the two late Lords are introduced, E 4 THE |