BLENHEIM CASTLE, The Seat of his Grace the Duke of MARLBOROUGH, near Woodstock. With a Catalogue of the Paintings, Tapestry, Portraits, &c. T HE Castle of Blenheim is a magnificent Pile of From Woodstock (thefartheft House 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 beft 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 Front is 138 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 Eaft Gate, which leads us into a Quadrangle confifting of Offices. From thence, oppofite the Entrance, we proceed into the Area. Through the superb Portico on maffy Columns we enter W The HALL, 7Hich is the Height of the Houfe, fupported by Corinthian Pillars. The Ceiling, by Sir James Thornhill, reprefents the Duke of Marlborough crown'd L by by Victory, who points to the Plan of the Battle of Blenheim. In the Receffes are well finished Cafts from the antique Statues of the Venus of Medicis, the Roman Slave, the Athlete, and Saltator. Over these is a Series of Painting, reprefenting the Loves of the Gods, by Titian, a prefent to the Duke from the King of Sardinia. In the Arcades on each Side, is a beautiful Arrangement of Termini. Before we leave the Hall it may be proper to obferve the Buft of John Duke of Marlborough, placed over the Door of the Saloon. The two Statues in Bronze, the Venus of Medici, and the Fawn, were executed by Maximi Soldani Benzi, of Florence, from the Original of both in Marble in the Duke of Tufcany's Collection.. Above, are feveral Marble Termini, on the Right and Left, and two well-executed Statues of a Bachanel and a Nymph. FIRST APARTMENT, the Bow Window Room. THE HE Hangings begin the Tapestry, with the Victories and Atchievements of Alexander, as a Prelude to thofe of John Duke of Marlborough, which compofe the Tapestry of fome fucceeding Rooms. The Spectator will be entertained with the Difpofition of the Military Trophies and appofite Emblems in the Compartments and Borders of the Tapestry. 1. Alexander entering Darius's Tent. 2. His Converfation with the Magi and Diogenes, after Le Brun. 3. Over the Door next the Paffage, a Virgin and Child, by Vandyck. 4. Over the Chimney, Chrift taken down from the Crofs, by Jordaens of Antwerp. 5. Over the Door next to the Bedchamber, a Saint Jerome. 6. Over the oppofite door, a Magdalen, by Palma the Younger. 7. In 7. In the Pannel to the Left of the Chimney beginning from the top, is a Head after Han. Carrache, by Reynolds. 8. A Head of Anne Countefs of Sunderland. 9. A Head of Diana, by Guido Rheni. 10. A Woman's Head, by Rubens. 11. A Head of John Duke of Marlborough. The Duke and Dutchess's Bedchamber. VER the Chimney is a whole length Portrait of ΤΗ The Duke's Dreffing Room. HIS Tapestry reprefents more of Alexander's Battles, viz. the Battle of Arbela and the Defeat of Porus, after Le Brun. 2. Over the Chimney is a Portrait of Sarah first Dutchess of Marlborough. 3. Over one Door is Lot and his Daughters, by Del Prete Genoefe. 4. Over the other Door is a Battle Piece, by Bourguinone. The Breakfast Room. 1. N the fide oppofite the Chimney, the middle Rubens, his Wife and his Child, by Rubens. 2. On the fide nearest the Window, is a Portrait, of the Marchionefs de Havre, by Vandyck. 3. On the other fide, Mary de Medicis, by Vandyck. 4. A fmall Piece underneath, by Rothenbamer. 5. Under the Rubens and his Wife, a Battle Piece, by Bourguinone. 6. Under the other Vandyck, another Piece by Rothenhamer. L 2 7. On 7. On the next fide on the middle, is a very Capital Piece of Baccanalians, &c. by Rubens. 8. On one fide of it is a fine full length Portrait of Philip III. of Spain, by Titian. 9. On the other, Andromeda, by Rubens. 10. Under thefe are the following, beginning from Philip III. of Spain: 11. The Baptifm of our Saviour, by 12. A Man's Head, by Holben. 13. A Landscape with Cattle, by Rofa de Tivoli. 14. A Man's Head, by Titian. 15. The offering of the Magi, by Rubens. 16. On the Chimney Side, upper row, beginning next to the Andromeda, is a Day Light, by Vanderneer. 17. Over the Chimney St. John writing the Revelation, by Spagnoletto. 18. A naked Man tied to a Tree, of the Flemish School. 19. Under the Vandermeer, the Bones found in the Wildernefs, by Old Franck. 20. Under the Naked Man, is the Circumcifion of our Saviour, by Rembrant. 21. Over the next Door, is a Holy Family, by Raphael. 22. Over the oppofite Door, is a Holy Family, by Rubens. 1. The Blue Drawing Room. VER the Door adjoining to the Breakfast 2. Over the Chimney, a Mandona flanding on a Globe furrounded by Angels, by Carlo Maratti. 3. Under this are two fmall Pictures, the Right Hand one, by Agof. Caracci. 4. The Left Hand one, by Tintoret. 5. Next the celebrated Roman Charity, by Rubens. 6. Lot's 6. Lot's Departure out of Sodom, by Rubens. 7. Over the Door going into the Bedchamber, The Flight into Egypt, by Rubens. 8. The Offering of the Magi, by Rubens. 9. The under Row, beginning at the Chimney, a Capital Picture of our Saviour bleffing the Children, by Rubens. 10. Dorothea, a Capinal Picture, by Raphael. 11. Pope Gregory, and a Female Martyr, by Titian. 12. A Portrait of Paracelfus, by Rubens. 13. A Holy Family, by Agostino Caracci. 14. A Magdalene, by Carlo Dolce. 15. A Virgin and Child, by Solimani. O The Grand State Bedchamber. VER the Door next the Winter Drawing Room, is the Original Picture of Mrs. Kil ligrew and Mrs. Morton, two celebrated Beauties, by Vandyck. 2. Over the other Door is a Picture of Lord Straf ford and his Secretary, by Vandyck. 3. Next to this, a Young Woman's Head, and its Companion, by 4. Time cutting Cupid's Wings, by Vandyck. 6. George Duke of Marlborough, by Reynolds: 7. Caroline Dutchefs of Marlborough,and her Daugh ter Lady Coroline Spencer, by Reynolds. 8. Under thefe, in the bottom Row is an Angel, by Correggio. 9. A Landscape. 10. A Holy Family, very Capital, by Han. Caracci.. 11. A Landscape. 12. A Circular Landscape. 1.3. A Landscape, by Vanderneer. 14 Ditto, by Wovermans. L 3 |