BLENHEIM CASTLE, The Seat of his Grace the Duke of MARLBOROUGH, near Woodstock. T HE Caftle of Blenheim is a magnificent Pile of From Woodstock, (the farthest House of which on the Right Hand was the Birth-Place of the great English Poet Geoffrey Chaucer) we enter the Park through a spacious Portal of the Corinthian Order. The beft View of the Caftle is a few Paces within the Portal. The Front is 138 Feet from Wing to Wing: The Roof is adorned with a Stone Baluftrade, and Statues : but there are several Towers or Cupola's which have but an heavy Afpect; the feeming Weight of which occafioned this Epitaph on the Architect Sir John Vanbrugh. Lie heavy on him, Earth! for He Laid many a heavy Load on thee. The South Front is lefs loaded with Ornament; on it is a Bufto of Louis XIV. taken from the Citadel 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 fuperb Portico on maffy Columns we enter The HAL L, Which is the Heigth of the House, fupported by Corinthian Pillars. The Ceiling, by Sir James Thornhill, represents the Duke of Marlborough crown'd 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 Athletæ, and Saltator. Over these is a Series of Painting, reprefenting the Loves of the Gods, by Titian, a Present to the Duke from the King of Sardinia. In the Arcades on each Side, is a beauti ul Arrangement of Termini. Beføre we leave the Hall it may be proper to observe the Buft of John Duke of Marlborough, placed over the Door of the Saloon. From the Hall we are conducted into the Rooms, in the firft of which is begun the Tapestry Hangings, reprefenting Alexander's Battles, from the Paintings of Le Brun, which are continued in two other Apartments. Those of the Duke of Marlborough are contained in four. The FIRST APARTMENT. TAPESTRY. 1. Alexander entering Darius's Tent. 2. His Converfation with the Magi and Diogenes. PICTURES. 1. S. Auftin, in his Youth, by Titian. 2. Pope Gregory, by the fame. 3. The Woman taken in Adultery, by Rembrant. 4. Mary de Medicis, by P. P. Rubens. In this Apartment are alfo Copies of two Pictures, viz. Titian's St. Auftin, from No. 1. above. And The Holy Family; both by Lady Bolingbroke, Sifter to the present Duke. The SECOND APARTMENT. PICTURES. 1. The Holy Family, by P. P. Rubens. 2. St. Jerom, by Tintoret. 3. John Duke of Marlborough, by Van Loo. 1. Peter Paul Rubens, and his Family, by himfelf. 2. The 2. The Dutchefs of Portsmouth (Louise de Qurrouaille) a French Lady. 3. Mrs. Eleanore Guin. 4. Lord Strafford dictating to his Secretary. Thefe three by Vandyke; the laft of which is esteemed one of his principal Performances. The FOURTH APARTMENT, which concludes Alexander's Battles. TAPESTRY. 1. Alexander's Paffage of the Granicus. 2. Alexander's Entry into Babylon. PICTURES. 1. P. P. Rubens's Wife. 2. Catherine de Medicis. These two by Rubens. 3. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, by Vandyke. The FIFTH APARTMENT, or Picture Room, in which are the Capital Paintings of feveral eminent Mafters, and many fmall Pieces well deferving the Attention of the Curious, viz. CAPITAL PICTURES. 1. The Holy Family. 2. The Offering of the Magi. 3. The Angel directing Let out of Sodom, 4. The Flight into Egypt. These four by Rubens. 5. An unfinished Piece. 6. A Madona, by Carlo Maratti, 7. Mary Magdalene, by Carlo Dolci. 8. Two Madonas, by Titian. 9. Herod's Cruelties, by Paul Veronefe.. 12. Another by Hans Holben. 13. The Paffage of the Red Sea, by Old Franks. 14. The Deftruction of Troy, by Brugbl. 15. The Holy Family, by Carrachi. SMALL PIECES. Four Pieces, by Teniers. Two A Portrait of Paracelfus. The SIXTH APARTMENT, which is the first of the Battles of John Duke of Marlborough. TAPESTRY. 1. A futtling Booth. 2. Forragers. 3. A Battle and Siege. PICTURE S. 1. Chrift receiving the Children, by a Difciple of P. P. Rubens. 2. Lord Sunderland, by Sir Godfrey Kneller. 3. Mr Dobjon, the Painter, and his Family, by himfelf. The Mafter-Piece of this Artist. The SEVENTH APARTMENT, in which the Duke of Marlborough's Battles are continued. 3. The Battle of Oudenard, and Siege of Donawert. PICTURES. 1. Jupiter and Europa, by Paul Veronefe. The EIGHTH APARTMENT. 1. The Three Graces. 2. Venus and Adonis. 3. Silenus, Egle, Satyrs, &c. 4. Roman Charity. P. P. Rubens. These four inimitably done by 5. Egyptian Fortune-Tellers, by M. Angelo Caravaggio. Alfo two Battle Pieces, by Bourguignion; and fix Landscapes, by Wotton. Between the EIGHTH and NINTH we come into the SALOON, Whis is proportioned to these Apartments in Heighth, Breadth, and Decorations; the lower Part is lined with beau beautiful Marble, which renders the Room very cool in the warmest Seasons. In the Compartments on the Walls are the Dreffes and Caracaturas of all Nations by La Guerre; in one of which he has taken Occafion to introduce himself. The Ceiling, by the fame Artift, represents Peace ftopping the Duke of Marlborough in his Conquests, while Time admonishes him of the Rapidity of his own Flight. From hence we proceed to The NINTH APARTMENT, further continuing the Duke's Battles. TAPESTRY. 1. Battle of Blenheim. 2. Battle of Malplaquet. 3. Seige of Life. PAINTINGS. Two Hunting-Pieces, by Schneider; and one other Dutch Piece. The TENTH APARTMENT, which concludes the Tapestry of the Duke's Battles, contains, TAPESTRY. The March towards the Siege of Bouchain. 1. Ifaac giving his Bleffing to Jacob, by Rembrandt. The ELEVENTH APARTMENT, which is the last we fee on the Eaft and South Fronts of the Caftle PICTURES. Two Pieces of Still-Life, by Maltefe. And, Sarah, late Dutchess of Marlborough, by Sir Godfrey Kneller. From hence we turn on the Right-Hand to The LIBRARY or GALLERY, Which is 180 Feet in Length, of a proportionable Breadth and Heighth, and is truly worthy our Admira L3 tion. |