The House itself was built at the Publick Expence; 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.

L. E

Y,

DIT C H L

THE SEAT OF

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

THE EARL OF LITCHFIELD.

ITCHLEY is a modern Fabric, lofty, and ele

I gantly built, fituated on an Hill, which com

mands much of the Country, having Blenheim, Oxford, and the Hills beyond it in full View. Over the Front of the House are two grand Statues, Loyalty and Fame, with their proper Emblems. The offices, which form two beautiful Wings, have a communication with the principal Building by circular Colonades. In the House are many valuable and mafterly Portraits by Rubens, Vandyck, Sir Peter Lely, JohnSon, and Wotton.

THE HALL.

This Room is finely proportioned and elegantly decorated. Its Sides and Roof are ornamented with Stucco, which is at once bold and delicate. Its Doorcafes, 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

Compartments are filled with hiftorical Pieces from the Æneid, by the fame Hand; one of which reprefents Æneas meeting Venus, his Mother, in the Wood near Carthage; and the other, Venus presenting Eneas with the new Armour. The Sciences are introduced as Ornaments, with Bufts of Philofophers, Poets, Hiftorians, and Orators, viz. Socrates, Virgil, Homer, Cicero, Sappho, Shakespeare, Dryden, Milton, and Livy. Over the Statues are Bafreliefs, copied from Antiques out of the Florentine Museum, properly difpofed; and a Statue of the Venus de Medicis. Here is also 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 Akerman. THE MUSIC-ROOM,

Is well conftructed for Musick, and has several 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..

THE DINING-ROOM,

Is ornamented with feveral masterly Portraits. Henry VIII. by Hans Holben, in his highest finishing. Charles I. with Charles II. at his Knee, by Vandyck. Sir Harry Lee, with the Maftiff which faved his Life, by Johnfon.The story of this piece is founded on an escape of Sir Harry, from being affaffinated by one of his own Servants, who had formed a defign of robbing the House, after having murdered his Mafter. But on the Night it was to be put in execution, the Dog, though no Favourite with, nor ever before taken notice of by his Mafter, accompanied him up E 2

Stai

Stairs, crept under the Bed, and could not be driven away by the Servant, when Sir Harry ordered him to be left and in the dead of Night, the fame Servant entering the Room to execute his defign, was inftantly feized by the Dog, and upon being secured, confeffed his intentions.

In one Corner of the Piece is the following Line. "More faithful than favoured.”

Lord Henry, by Richardfon; and the old Dowager Lady, by Vander bank, both in their Coronation-Robes.. The Duke of Monmouth and his Mother. Prince Arthur by Johnfon, Sir Charles Rich, killed at the Isle of Rhée, 1627. Sir Chriftopher Hatton. Four Portraits of Sir Henry Lee's Brothers, by Corn. Johnson, in his best manner.

THE

DAMASK

BEDCHAMBER.

The Tapestry which is executed with uncommon Expreffion, represents Boys engaged in feveral Sports and Employments, fome fqueezing Grapes, others at Play, &c.

PAINTING S.

Admiral Lee. The Queen of Bohemia, by Johnfon. Lord and Lady Tenham.

TAPESTRY DRAWING ROOM,

Is furnished with Tapestry not lefs masterly than that last described. The fubjects are, the Mufes and Apollo finging and playing on their feveral Inftruments; Bacchanalian Scenes, and a Vintage.

The Paintings are

The Countess of Rochester, by Sir Peter Lely. The Countess of Lindefey, by the fame. Sir Francis Harry Lee, by Vandyck. Sir Harry Lee, full Length, in the Robes of a Knight of the Garter, by Johnson. In this Room we are fhewn a large beautiful India Cheft.

From this apartment we have an entertaining View

of

of a winding Valley, with a ferpentine Canal, over which is thrown an elegant Bridge from a Design of Palladio's.

THE SALON.

The Ceiling and Walls are richly Stuccoed; in the middle Compartment of the Roof Flora and the Zephyrs and on the Walls Minerva and Diana.

ANTIQUE S.

a

The Goddess Health, three Feet in Height, formerly in Dr. Mead's Collection. On its Pedestal is Bas Relief of Efculapius. A Medallion of a Sleeping Cupid, the Diameter of which is nine Inches. THE GREEN DAMASK DRAWING ROOM.

The marble Chimney-Piece and Table in this Room are of the most beautiful Sorts. The two Corinthian Columns to the Chimney Piece and high finishing of the Whole are worthy of Scheemaker, who was the Artist. The Landscape in the middle is by Mr. Wotton, who has gained great Applause in this Species of Painting. Over the Doors are striking Paintings of Ruins, Rocks and Cafçades. The Italian Table in this Room is a valuable and beautiful Curiofity.

GILT

DRAWING

ROOM. This was formerly called the Best Dining Room. Paintings, viz.

A full length Portrait of Charles II. and of the Duchefs of Cleveland, by Lely. The prefent Duke of Grafton's Great Grandfather, and Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, his Lordthip's Grandmother, by Kneller.

The Decorations of the Wainfcot are gilt; and the ftuccoed Ceiling is correfpondent to the Taste and Splendor of the reft. Here are two Tables of Egyptian Marble, which juftly demand our Obfervation. The Chimney-Piece of this Apartment is finely executed; and over it a Landscape by Wotton.

E 3

THE

THE VELVET BEDCHAMBER, So called from the Bed and Hangings, which are of a fingular Figure, made at Genoa. The elegant Chimney-Piece is by Shemaker, ornamented with an Italian Profpect of a Ruin. The Dreffing Table is of Tortoife-Shell, curiously inlaid. It was made in France.

THE TAPESTRY ROOM,

The laft we are fhewn, is curiously ornamented in the Chinese Tafte, and has two elegant and coftly Sconces. The Tapeftry reprefents the Cyclops forging the Armour for Æneas, and Neptune, properly attended, directing the refitting a Veffel, which has been shipwrecked. The Chimney Piece is of white Marble. Over, it is a capital Picture by Sir Peter Lely of the Duke and Duchefs of York, and the Princeffes Mary and Anne. Two Landscapes over the Doors are by an Italian Mafter. The Chairs in this Room are each ornamented with one of the Fables of fop. In this Apartment is a beautiful Fire-Screen of Needle Work, by the Dowager Lady of Henry Earl of Litchfield. The Subject is the Rape of Proferpine. Proper to this Apartment are the Chinese Lady and the Porter with a Cheft of Tea. Two rich Branches on each Side the Chimney Piece; one fupported by a Black-moor, the other by a Mullatto.

HEY THRO P,

THE SEAT OF

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY Tis fituated feventeen Miles North of Oxford, and about four and an half from the Seat of the Earl of Litchfield. It ftands on an Eminence and has every de