his Daughters, by Rubens, Given by the Emperor.Queen Anne, whilst Princess of Denmark, by Sir Godfrey Kneller.--Venus and Adonis, by Rubens, Given by the Emperor.--A moft noble Landscape, by Claude · Lorrain. Over the other door. The Rape of Europa, by Paul Veronefe. Six fmall Landscapes, by Wootton. The SALON. THIS Room, which is nobly decorated, is proportioned to the magnificence of the reft. The lower Part is lined with marble, which affords a cool retreat in the warmeft weather. The feveral compartments reprefent the different Nations in their various Habits and Modes of Dress, by La Guerre. The cieling is emblematic, reprefenting John Duke of Marlborough in the midst of his Victories ftopt by Peace, and Time reminding him of the rapidity of his his own Flight, painted alfo by La Guerre. Over the right-hand chimney as we enter from the hall, a Buft of Carracalla. Over the other, a Bust of a Roman Conful. Drawing Room to the Right of the Salon. HE Tapestry reprefents other of John Duke of T Marlborough's Battles. Over the chimney. A Buft of the Emperor Adrian. Over the nearest door to the Salon, is A Portrait of a Young Knight of St. John of Jerufalem, by Barrocio. Over the oppofite dobr.. Meleager and Atalanta, very mafterly, by Rubens. On On the pannel near the window, next the Salon, The Adoration of the Shepherds, by Luca Giordano. Under it is, A Madona and Child, by Nic. Pouffin.-A Garland of Flowers, with Figures in the middle, by Rotten bammer. In the pannel oppofite this is, The Offering of the Magi, by Luca Giordano.-A Holy Family, by Nic. Pouffin-A Garland of Flowers, with Figures in the middle, by Rottenhammer.-A Marble Statue of Diana on a Mahogany Therm. Middle Drawing Room Right of the Salon, HE Tapestry reprefents more of the Battles of Over the chimney. A capital Painting upon Black Marble, by Alessandro Veronese. Over the first door going in, is A Picture of a Sea-Port, with a Stone Pedestal and Figures, by Weenix. Over the oppofite door, is St. Lawrence diftributing the Ornaments of the Altar, by Il Prete Gencefe. The State Bedchamber. N the chimney a Buft of Diana. ON Over the chimney. A very capital Picture of Seneca bleeding to Death, by Lucca Giordani. In the pannel to the left of it is, A Portrait of King Edward VI. by Holbeins.-A View of Architecture, by Panini.--The Burning of Troy, by Old Frank. Over the doors. Two Pieces of Still-life, by Malteze. The F The LIBRARY. ROM a feries of fmaller, yet magnificent Apartments, we are fuddenly ftruck at entering this fuperb Room, which is 183 feet 5 inches long; in the middle it is 31 feet 9 inches wide, and at each end 28 feet 6 inches wide. The Doric Pilafters of Marble, with the complete Columns of the fame, which fupport a rich Entablature, the Window Frames, the furrounding Basement of Black Marble, and the stuccoed Compartments of the vaulted Cieling, are in the highest tafte both of Defign and Finishing. It was originally intended as a Gallery for Paintings; but the late Duke adding utility to elegance, furnished it with the noble collection of books, made by Lord Sunderland, his Grace's father. Their number amounts to about 24,000 volumes, which have been allowed to be the best private collection in England. At one end of the room is a highly finished Statue of Queen Anne, by Ryfbrack, with this Infcription, To the Memory of Queen ANNE, Under whofe Aufpices JOHN Duke of MARLBOROUGH And to whofe Munificence Owe the Poffeffion of BLENHEIM, Over the marble door, is A Buft of Milo Crotonienfis, by Wilton. A Buft of Charles Earl of Sunderland, who collected the Books belonging to this Library. Över each chimney are Landscapes after Gafpard Pouffin, Over the right-hand chimney, is A Buft of Charles Spencer Duke of Marlborough, by Rybrac. At the farther End of this Room, is A fine Greek Buft of Alexander, in very good pre'ervation, on a Therm, defigned by Sir William Chambers. The Whole-length PORTRAITS are, John Duke of Marlborough. Sarah Duchefs of Marlborough. Charles Duke of Marlborough.. Elizabeth Duchefs of Marlborough. Francis Earl of Godolphin. Anne Countefs of Sunderland. Elizabeth Countess of Bridgwater. The Hon. John Spencer. The Right Hon. Lady Georgiana Spencer, now Countess Cowper. John Duke of Montagu. A Lady in Blue. In the Galleries above stairs there is a large Collection of Family Portraits, by different hands. Before we leave this Gallery, I must direct the Spectator to its bow-windows, from whence we have a delightful profpect of the declivity defcending to the water, and the gradual afcent to the groves which cover the oppofite hill. T The CHAPEL. HIS is one of the Wings; in which is a fuperb Monument to the memory of the Old Duke and Duchefs, by Ryfbrack. They are reprefented with their two fons who died young, as fupported by Fame and Hiftory. Beneath, in a Baffo-relievo, is the Taking of Marfhal Tallard. The Altar-Piece is Our Saviour taken down from the Cross, by Jor daens, of Antwerp. K The The CHINA-ROOM. HIS Apartment, which is fituated below stairs, will afford entertainmcat to the Curious. It is furnished with a moft elegant and valuable collection of Drefden China, given to the Old Duke by the King of Poland, in return for a Pack of Stag-hounds. It confifts of tureens, fets of plate, and fantaftic figures. The Colours are remarkably lively, and the Representations highly natural. Here are likewife fome beautiful and coftly Jars, collected at a great expense by the late Duchefs Dowager.. The GARDENS are spacious and agreeable: They originally confifted of about 100 acres, but the present Duke has made very large additions and elegant improvements. The noble defcent to the water on the fouth and weft, covered with flowering fhrubs, and embellished with other natural beauties, will hardly be parallelled. About the middle of the grand approach, is a magnificent BRIDGE, chiefly confifting of one arch, in the ftile of the Rialto at Venice: the water is formed into a spacious lake, which covers the whole extent of a capacious valley, furrounded by an artificial declivity of a prodigious depth, and is indifputably, both with regard to its accompanyments and extent, the moft capital piece of water in this kingdom. The PARK is eleven miles in circumference, and contains many delightful fcenes. The lover of rural variety will be entertained here with every circumftance of beauty, which he can expect from diverfi-' fied nature; from hill and valley, water and woods. In this Park originally ftood a royal palace, where King Etheldred called a parliament. Alfred is reported to have tranflated Boetius de Confolatione Philofophia, |