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PLEASANT

AND EASY

TOUR S

FROM OXFORD

то

BLENHEIM CASTLE, the Seat of His Grace the Duke of MARLBOROUGH.

DITCHLEY, that of the late Earl of LITCH

FIELD.

HEYTHROP, of the Earl of SHREWSBURY,

NUNEHAM, of the Earl of HARCOURT.

AND

Srow, that of the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM,

BLENHEIM CASTLE,

THE SEAT QF HLS GRACE

THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.

WITH A CATALOGUE OF

THE PRINCIPAL PORTRAITS AND STATUES,

A DESCRIPTION OF THE

TAPESTRY, PAINTINGS, GARDENS,
PARK, &c.

TH

HE Caftle of BLENHEIM, the feat of His Grace the Duke of MARLBOROUGH, is fituated Weft of Woodstock, a Market and Borough Town, about feven Miles and a half from Oxford.

From the Town we enter the Park through a fpacious Portal of the Corinthian Order; from whence a noble Profpect is opened to the Castle, the Bridge, the Lake with its Valley, and other beautiful scenes of the Park. The House in particular, which we furvey from this Point obliquely, is probably no where viewed to greater advantage.

The Front is 348 Feet from Wing to Wing,, and confifts of a variety of Architecture, defigned by Sir John Vanbrugh. On the Pediment of the South Front towards the Garden is a noble Bufto, larger than the Life, of Louis XIV. taken from the Gates of Tournay.

We enter the Houfe on the Eaft, through a Portal. built in the Style of Martial Architecture, on the top of which is a Refervoir, which fupplies the Houfe with Water from the River. This leads us into a

Quadrangle

Quadrangle chiefly confifting of Arcades and offices. From hence we pafs into the grand Area,

Through the fuperb Portico elevated on mafly Columns we enter

THE HALL.

THIS magnificent Room is of the Height of the Houfe, and of a proportionable Breadth. It is fupported by Corinthian Pillars.

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 Faun, 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 Bachanal.

The Ceiling, painted by Sir James Thornhill, allegorically reprefents Victory crowning John Duke of Marlborough, and pointing to a Plan of the Battle of Blenheim.

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The Bow-Window Room.

OVER 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 Lord Robert Spencer, Brother to the prefent Duke of Marlborough, having been purchased by him in 1768 from the Capella degli Anfidei at Perugia.

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 An. Caracci, by Sir Joshua Reynolds.—A Head , of Anne Countefs of Sunderland, by Sir Godfrey Knel

Ler.

ler.-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 the Duke of Marlborough.

The Duke's Dreffing Room.

OVER the Chimney, Charles Earl Sunderland,

A Field Marshal,

An Academy Figure,

by Sir Godfrey Kneller.

by Nic. Caffana.

by Vandyck.

Efther and Áhafuerus,

by Paulo Veronefe.

Anne Duchefs of York,

Louise Renée, Duchess of Portf

mouth,

Two Landscapes,

The Infide of a Church,

The Bones found in the Wildernefs,
The Circumcifion of Our Saviour,
A very fine Holy Family,

A Magdalene.

St. Mark writing.

Over the Doors.

by Sir Peter Lely.

by Wooton.

by Steenwyck. by Old Frank. by Rembrandt. by Rubens.

Venus and Adonis; and Venus and a Satyr;

Our Saviour in the Virgin's Lap crowning
by Titian.

two Female Martyrs,

The Eaft Drawing Room. OVER the Door going in from the Dreffing-Room, is a Holy Family-The Duchefs of Buckingham and her Children by Vandyck.-The Marchionis 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 Anunciation, 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

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