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PLEASANT

AND EASY

TOURS

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

STOW, that of the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM,

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BLENHEIM CASTLE,

THE SEAT OF HIS GRACE

THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.

WITH A CATALOGUE OF

THE PRINCIPAL PORTRAITS AND STATUES,

A DERCRIPTION OF THE

TAPESTRY, PAINTINGS, GARDENS, PARK, &c.

T

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

From the Town we enter the Park through a spacious Portal of the Corinthian Order; from whence a noble Profpect is opened to the Caftle, the Bridge, the Lake with its Valley, and other beautiful scenes of the Park. The best View of the Caftle is from a few Paces within the Portal.

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 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 Martial Style of Architecture. This leads us into a Quadrangle chiefly confifting of Arcades and Offices. From hence we pass into the grand Area.

Through the fuperb Portico elevated on maffy Columns we enter

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The HAL L.

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 several Marble Termini, with two excellent Statues of a Nymph and a Bachanal.

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

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 the Right Hon. Lord Robert Spencer, Brother to the Duke of Marlborough, having been purchased by him in 1768, from the Cappella degli Anfidei at Perugia.

Over the three Doors,

A Battle Piece, by Woovermans -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 Countess of Sunderland, by Sir Godfrey Kneller. The Affumption, by Tintoret.-AWoman's Head, by Rubens.-Monkies in Monk's Habits, by Teniers.A Madona, by Lionardo da Vinci.

The Tapestry in this Room reprefents the Battle of Blenheim, and other Battles of the Duke of Marlborough.

The

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Venus and Adonis; and Venus and a Satyr;
Our Saviour in the Virgin's Lap crowning

two Female Martyrs,

by Titian.

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 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 Baptifm 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.--Lord Henry and Lady Charlotte Spencer, by Sir Joshua Reynolds.

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