BBBBB BLENHEIM CASTLE, The Seat of his Grace the Duke of MARL BOROUGH, near Woodstock. With a Catalogue of the Paintings, Tapestry, Portraits, &c. T HE Caftle of Blenheim is a magnificent Pile of From Woodstock (the fartheft Houfe of which on the Right Hand was the Birth-Place of the great English Poet Geoffrey Chaucer) we enter the Park through a fpacious Portal of the Corinthian Order. The best View of the Castle is a few Paces within the Portal; where likewise are the beautiful scenes of the Park, the Bridge, the Lake, and its Valley. The Architect of the Building was Sir John Vanbrugh. The Front is 348 Feet from Wing to Wing: The Roof is adorned with a Stone Balluftrade, and Statues. The South Front is not fo highly ornamented; on it is a Bufto of Louis XIV. taken from one of the Gates of Tournay. The common Entrance is at the East Gate, which leads us into a Quadrangle confifting of Offices. From thence, oppofite the Entrance, we proceed into the Area. Through the fuperb Portico on maffy Columns we' T HIS magnificent Room is of the Height of the Houfe, and of a proportionable Breadth. It is fupported by Corinthian Pillars. 13 Over Over the Door going into the Salon, A Buft of John Duke of Marlborough. Two Statues in Bronze, viz. The Venus of Medicis, and the Fawn, Both from the Originals in Marble, in the Duke of Tufcany's Collection at Florence, and executed by Max. Soldani Benzi, at Florence, 1711. Above, upon the Right and Left, are feveral Marble Termini, with two excellent Statues of a Nymph and a Bacchanal. The Cieling is painted by Sir James Thornhill, allegorically reprefenting Victory crowning John Duke of Marlborough, and pointing to a Plan of the Battle of Blenheim. Ο The Bow-Window Room. VER the chimney is a capital original picture of the Virgin and Child, St. John and St. Nicholas, by Raphael. This picture was brought over by the Right Hon. Lord Robert Spencer to his Brother the Duke of Marlborough, having been purchased by him in 1768, from the Cappela degli Anfidei at Perugia; of which Vafari gives the following History.Ritornò Raffaelle a Perugia, dove fece nella Chiesa dé Frati dé Servi in una tavola alla Cappella degli Anfidei una noftra Donna, San Giovanni Batifta, e San Nicola." Over the three Doors, A Battle Piece, by Wovermans.-A St. Jerome, by Giorgioni.-Naked Women, by Schiavone. In the pannel to the left of the chimney is a Head after Han. Caracci, by Sir Joshua Reynolds.-A Head of Anne Countefs of Sunderland, by Sir Godfrey Kneller.-The Affumption, by Tintoret.-A Woman's Head, by Rubens. Monkies in Monk's Habits, by Teniers.A Madona, by Lionardo da Vinci, The Tapestry in this Room represents the Battle of Blenheim, and other Battles of John Duke of Marlborough. OVE The Duke's Dreffing Room. VER the chimney, Fortune-Tellers, by Valentino. -A Field Marrecal, by Caffana.-An Academy Figure, by Vandyck.-Efther and Ahafuerus, by Paulo Verones. Anne, Duchefs of York,-Louife Renée, Duchefs of Portsmouth, by Sir Peter Lely.-Two Landfcapes, by Wooton-A very scarce Day-light, by Vanderneer. The Infide of a Church, by Steenwyck.-The Bones found in the Wilderness, by Old Frank.-The Circumcifion of Our Saviour, by Rembrandt.-A small Picture, in Chalks, of the prefent Duchefs of Marlborough, by Gainsborough.-A very fine Holy Family, by Rubens. A Magdalen.-St. Mark writing. Over the doors, Favourite Horfes, by Stubbs.And Our Saviour in the Virgin's Lap, crowning two Female Martyrs, by Titian. Ο The Eaft Drawing-Room. VER the door going in from the dreffing-room, is a Holy Family.-The Duchefs of Buckingham and her Children by Vandyck.-The Marchionefs de. Havre, and Mary of Medicis, by Vandyck.-An oval Portrait of King William III. by Sir G. Kneller.-A French Camp, by Watteau.--The Annunciation, by Corregio. A Landscape, by Paul Brylle.-An oval Portrait of the Queen Mother, by Vandyck.-Philip the IId, King of Spain, by Titian.-A very capital Bachanalian Piece, by Rubens.-Andromeda, by Rubens.-The Bapifm of our Saviour, by A Flemish Hand.-A Man's Head, by Holben.-Cattle, by Rofa di Tivoli.-A Man's Head, by Titian,-The Offering of the Magi, &c. by Rubens. Rubens.-Lord Henry and Lady Charlotte Spencer, by Sir Jofbua Reynolds. Over the chimney. Rubens, his Wife and Child, by Rubens, Given to John Duke of Marlborough by the Town of Bruffels. A round Landscape.-Cattle and Figures, by Wovermans-An Angel, by Corregio.-King Charles the Ift, by Vandyck. Over the door. A Holy Family, faid to be by Raphael, Given to John Duke of Marlborough by the Town of Ghent.Henrietta Maria, King Charles the Firft's Queen, by Vandyck. The prefent Duke and Duchefs of Marlborough, by Dance. The Grand Cabinet. VER the door next to the East Drawing-Room, a Holy Family, by Rubens. Over the chimney. A Madona ftanding on a Globe, furrounded by Angels, by Carlo Marratti.-The Roman Charity, by Rubens.-Lot's Departure out of Sodom, by Rubens, Given to John Duke of Marlborough by the Town of Antwerp... Over the other door is The Flight into Egypt, by Rubens.-The Offering of the Magi, by Rubens. The under row. A very capital Picture of Our Saviour bleffing the Children, by Vandyck.--Raphael's Mistress, exceedingly fine, by Raphael.-Pope Gregory, and a Female Martyr with a Palm Branch, by Titian.-The Portrait of Paracelfus, by Rubens.-A Holy Family, by Ludovico Carracci.-A Magdalene, in his best manner, by Carlo Dolce.-A Head of Rubens, by Rubens: The The Blue Drawing Room. Over the two doors. Ifaac bleffing Jacob, and the Woman taken in Adultery, by Rembrandt.-Catherine of Medicis, by Rubens. -Time cutting Cupid's Wings, by Vandyck-William Marquis of Blandford, by Sir Godfrey Kneller.--An Aftronomer and his Family, by Dobfon.-Our Saviour, and St John, by Carlo Dolce.-A Young Woman's Head, and Ditto, by Paul Veronefe. Under row. Our Saviour and the Virgin in the Clouds, and a Monk worshipping, by Hanibal Carracci. Our Saviour and the Virgin in the Clouds, &c. by Tintoret.-Thirty Miniature Portraits in one frame.-A Holy Family, by Ludovico Carracci.-Cattle and Figures, by Bambocchio. -A Landscape, by Vanderneer.-A Dutch Family, by Oftade.-A Landscape, by Gafpard Pouffin.-Dorothy Countess of Sunderland, celebrated by Waller, by Vandyck. Another Landscape, by Gafpard Pouffin.-A fmall beautiful Family Piece, by Gonzales.-A very fine Land fcape, by Wovermans! The Winter Drawing-Room. HE Tapestry is a Reprefentation of the Car dinal Virtues. TH Over the chimney is A very fine Portrait of Mary Duchefs of Richmond, and a Girl presenting her Gloves, by Vandyck. Over the doors. Lord Strafford and his Secretary, and Mrs. Killigrew and Mrs. Morton, by Vandyck. Ο The Dining Room. VER the door going in from the Drawing-room, is A capital Piece of Cattle and Figures, by Caf tiglione. A Bacchanalian Piece by Vandyck.Lot and his |