only to attract the notice of vifitors in general, but the admiration of naturalists and

virtuofos.

To the fouth-east of London across the Thames, we find an agreeable ride in the vicinity of Blackheath. Greenwich-park and hofpital are greatly to be admired: the one for its beautiful extenfive views, which have invited to a refidence feveral crowned heads; the other for its coftly edifice and laudable institution.

Greenwich, commonly diitinguifhed by the name of Eaft Greenwich, is fituated on the margin of the Thames, and was called in Saxon, Grenavie, fignifying the Greentown or dwelling. The royal hofpital ftands partly on the ground where once ftood the royal palace, in which Mary and Elizabeth, the two queens, were born; and here King Edward the VI. died. This palace was built by Humphry, duke of Gloucester, brother to King Henry V. and by a grant from his nephew, Henry VI. he was empowered to erect a caftle and inclofe a park. The tower of this caftle, which was placed on the highest part of the park, was finished by Henry VIII. but is now quite deftroyed; an obfervatory was erected on this fpot by King Charles II. for the ufe of an astronomer royal, and from one of thofe celebrated characters, Flamstead, it took its prefent name of Flamftead-houfe. King Charles II. alfo began the present superb hofpital, and finished one wing for 36,000l. King William III. built the other wing; Queen Anne and King George I. continued the work, and King George II. finished this noble defign.

The

The following anecdote, as queen Elizabeth was fetting off in her progrefs into Effex, 1579, is recorded by Stow, and is a ftriking inftance of her courage. 17th of July, the queen's majefty being on the river Thames, between her highness's manor of Greenwich and Deptford, in her private barge, accompanied with the French ambaffador, the earl of Lincoln, &c. with whom he entered into discourse about weighty affairs; it chanced that one Thomas Appletree and fome others, being in a boat rowing up and down the fame part of the river, he had a caliver or harquebuze, with which he had discharged bullets, three or four times at random very rafhly, and by great misfortune fhot one of the watermen, labouring with his oar, (within fix feet of her highnefs) clean through both his arms; the blow was fo great and grievous, that it moved him from his feat, and forced him to cry out piteously, faying he was flain through the body. The man bleeding abundantly, the queen's majefty fhewed fuch noble courage as is moft wonderful to be heard and spoken of; fhe never bashed thereat, but bid him be of good cheer, and faid, he should want nothing that might be for his eafe, &c. &c For which fact, the faid Thomas being apprehended and condemned to death, was, on the 21st of July, brought to the water-fide, where was a gibbet set up, directly placed between Deptford and Greenwich; and when the hangman had put a rope about his neck, he was by the queen's most gracious pardon, delivered from execution.

Not far from hence, the late Sir Gregory Page, baronet, (whofe father was a brewer at Greenwich,) built a moft coftly and fuperb manfion, one of the largest private feats. in England, which at his death, 1775, was bequeathed, with a large eitate, to his nephew Sir Gregory Turner, of Ambrofeden, in Oxfordfhire, who has refided but little here; and finding, I imagine, fo noble a place in the vicinity of town, rather an incumbrance than a convenience, all the furniture and infide decorations, but the bare ftone walls, were fold by public auction, and nothing but the fhell ftill remains. Thus are the nobleft fabricks of men deftroyed by the caprice or neceflities of their pofterity. Could they but unfold the dark volume of events, what mortification muft they feel to

think that their labours are fo foon demolished, their coftly palaces laid low, and their glories buried in oblivion.

Near this is a charming fituation much frequented, where the archers used to perform their exercises upon particular occafions, and frequently in the presence of fovereigns:

whence it took its name of Shooter's-hill.

We now proceeded on our tour, Auguft 26th, through the remaining part of Middlefex, more familiarly known by the name of the Uxbridge road. On our left, for fome time we have a view of Hyde-park and Kensington-gardens; the former, remarkable for its noble sheet of water, the Serpentine river, and other pleafing charms; the latter, for their beautiful walks, and ornaments defigned by Queen Mary, and improved and greatly enlarged by Queen Anne and Caroline. The palace was originally an old manfion of the earl of Nottingham, bought and enlarged by King William, but of late years little honoured with a royal refidence. Farther on, we view the back of Hollandhouse, built by Sir Walter Cope, mafter of the court of wards, in the reign of James I. whofe daughter and heir, Ifabel, by the interest of the court, carried it in marriage to Henry Rich, earl of Holland. It at prefent belongs to Henry Fox, who takes his title of baron from thence. It is beautifully fituated on an eminence; the ground, which is of a fine verdure, falls in gentle declivities; and the trees are grouped with a pleasing:

effect.

The next remarkable object is the noble structure of Gunnersbury-house, which was built by Inigo Jones, and was the feat of Sir John Maynard Knight, one of the commiffioners of the great feal in the reign of William III. It afterwards belonged to Mr. Furnese, and was bought by the late Princess Amelia of his executors, and fince her death fold by public auction. It is fituated between Acton and the great western road, with the principal front to the latter. Though the external part fhews fome of the bold and fimple graces of that great mafter, yet the apartments are by no means adequate to this idea. The hall and faloon are the most magnificent rooms; the latter, a double cube of 25 feet, and fuperbly furnished. The reft are very inferior; not fufficiently large, nor well adapted for a place of state, nor convenient enough for private com forts. From the portico, which is grand and elevated, but too large, engroffing most of the front, the profpect is beautiful, and the adjacent grounds, are well adorned and

modernized.

Betwixt this and the neatly formed village of Ealing, is another noble house belong-ing to the duke of Argyle, but the fituation is too flat, and the whole too much concealed to attract much notice.

About two miles farther we deviated a small distance to the left, to see the magnificent ftructure of Ofterley-house, built in a park by Sir Thomas Grefham. Though Sir Thomas had purchased very large estates in feveral counties of England, yet he thought a country feat near London, to which he might retire from bufinefs, and the hurry of the city, as often as he pleafed, would be very convenient. With this view he bought this place, and here he built a very large and fplendid feat, at which he sumptuously entertained Queen Elizabeth, about 1577. Her majefty found fault with the court of this houfe, as too great, affirming that it would appear more handfome if divided with a wall in the middle; upon which Sir Thomas, in the night time fends for workmen : to London, (money commands all things) who fo fpeedily and filently apply their bufinefs, that the next morning discovered the court double, which was only fingle the night before. It is queftionable whether the queen next day was more contented with the conformity to her fancy, or more pleafed with the furprize and fudden performance thereof; whilft her courtiers difported themfelves with their feveral expreffions; fome

avowing

avowing it was no wonder he could fo foon "change a building," who could "build a change;" others (reflecting upon fome known differences in this knight's family) affirmed that a houfe is eafier divided than united.* This feat is thus defcribed Ly Norden: "Ofterley, or Oyfterley, the houfe now of the ladie Grefham's; a faire and ftately building of bricke, erected by Sir Thomas Gresham, knt. citizen and merchantadventurer of London, and finished about 1577. It ftandeth in a parke by him alfo impaled, well wooded, and garnifhed with manie faire ponds, which afforded not only fifhe and fowle, as fwanes and other water fowle, but also great ufe for milles, as papermilles, oyle-milles, and corne-milles, all which are now decayed (a corne-mille excepted.) In the fame parke was a very faire heronrie, for the increafe and prefervation whereof, fundry allurements were devised and fet up, fallen to ruine." "Sir Thomas was fo good a manager, that he knew how to make the beft ufe of his pleafures, and even to render them profitable, as appears by the mills erected by him in this park. But no fooner was he gone, than this fine feat began to fall to decay, which has paffed through feveral handst, fince his time, and is now in the poffeffion of Sir Francis Child, alderman of London, and member of Middlefex." Thus far have we its former ftate, from Ward's life of Grefham, p. 17.

Let us now view its prefent condition in the poffeffion of Mrs. Child, widow of Mr. Child, an eminent banker in London, defcended from Sir Francis. The park is near five miles round, well watered and planted, but too much upon a flat; deer are pretty numerous, and on one fide is a moft elegant menagerie, with a choice and large collection of birds. The houfe ftands nearly in the centre, is built in the form of an half H, with an immenfe portico in front, through which you enter, by steps, to the court leading to the hall. This room is the grand entrance, it meafures 63 feet long, and is otherwife proportionable; the apartments are mostly large and convenient, and made elegant by the tafte of Mr. Adam, the architect, and Zucchi, the painter, who was first employed here on his arrival into England; he has fince diftributed the graces of his pencil in many parts of the kingdom, particularly in the noble houfe of Mr. Lafcelles, at Harewood, in Yorkshire. The collection of paintings here are the admiration of moft vifitors, and contain fome of the finest strokes of many excellent mafters. On the ceiling of the ftair-cafe, is the apotheofis of William, prince of Orange, who was affaffinated at Delft, by Ballages Gerrard, 1584; painted by Rubens. The breakfaft room, good common fize, unadorned, except by fome tolerable pictures. The library is very handfome, 33 feet by 25. Dining-room is 36 by 24; here the exertions of Zucchi, &c. are beautifully confpicuous. The gallery is one of the noblest private rooms I ever faw. Its dimenfions, 136 feet by 27, and elegantly furnished, but more particularly with thofe enchanting fubjects of contemplation, which ufually adorn fuch noble walls; amongst which I had time to remark, with the affiftance of a catalogue, two full-fized pieces, at the extremities of the room, of Charles I. on horfeback, with the duke de Pernon holding his helmet, by Vandyke; the other, Villiers, duke of Buckingham, by Rubens. A charming landscape of gipfies dreffing their dinner, by Salvator Rofa; morning and evening, which difplay all that rich and foft colouring of their admirable painter, Claud Lorrain; alfo two others of the fame fize, with the Angel and Tobit; Apollo and the Sybil, by S. Rofa; two more fine landscapes, by Gafpar Pouffin; Lord Strafford, by Vandyke; Cain killing Abel, by Late; Jonas and the Whale, S. Rofa; Conftantine's arch, with figures and cattle, by Viviano and

Fuller's Worthies, Middlefex, 177.

This was the feat of the famous Parliament-General, Sir William Waller.

Bombaccio ;

Bombaccio; the lights and fhades on the building are very clear and beautiful. The drawing-room anfwers to the dining-parlour in fize; here are two pieces, Jacob and Rachael, and Samuel anointing David, by Titian; Vandyke's head, by himfelf, thought to be an original. Beyond this are three fquare rooms, called the French, English, and Italian; the first distinguished by most exquifite tapestry, of the richest French manufacture, interspersed with several of Mr. Child's favourite birds; the fecond by a magnificent state-bed and furniture; the last by curious Italian paper. The views from the feveral windows are picturefque, and from Mrs. Child's elegant dreffing-room, the profpect towards Hampstead is very fine.

From hence to Uxbridge the country is very flat and unpleasant, nothing but the distant view of Harrow on the hill to attract the eye, which is an agreeable object for many miles; thofe however who are fond of the bufinefs of agriculture, may fhake off the general dulness by an attention to the nature and improvement of the foil, which is peculiarly rich. Hefton parish, adjoining to Ofterley, is defcribed by Norden, (p. 15.) as "a moft fertile place of wheate, yet not fo much to be commended for the quantitie as the qualitie; for the wheat is most pure, accompted the pureft in many fhires; and therefore Queen Elizabeth hath the most part of her provision from that place for manchet for her highness's diet, as is reported."

In the neighbourhood of Hays, are found two kinds of foil: one very heavy, and' the other light turnip-land. The former they ufe chiefly for wheat and beans; but fow them in a course peculiar to themselves; they fallow for wheat, and after that fow beans; whereas in land ftrong enough to yield thofe crops, beans fhould be the fallow, by means of a thorough good cleaning, and wheat fucceed them; which is the practice in the richest parts of Effex. Very few oats or barley are fown in these heavy tracts; in the lighter ones their method is, 1. turnips; 2. barley, or, 3. clover; 4. wheat; than which none can be better.*

Between Hillingdon and Uxbridge, on the right is a white house, pleasingly fituated, and well adorned with wood, the ground falling in gentle declivities around it.. It lately belonged to Mrs. Talbot, aunt, I believe, of Lord Talbot, but is now inhabited by the marchionefs of Rockingham.

Farther on the right, before we came to Uxbridge, we left Harefield, once famous for the refidence of the countess of Derby, before whom Milton's Arcades was there prefented. Norden, as cited by Mr. Warton, thus defcribes it in his Speculum Bri tannia (about 1590.) "There Sir Edmund Anderfon, knt. lord chief justice of the Common Pleas, hath a faire houfe, ftanding on the edge of the hill. The river Colne paffing neere the fame, thro' the pleafant meddowes and fweet paftures, yealding both delight and profit." I viewed this houfe (adds Mr. Warton) a few years ago, when it was for the moft part remaining in its original state. Milton, when he wrote Arcades, was ftill living with his father at Horton, near Colnbroke, in the fame neighbourhood.‡ Uxbridge is a small market town. In Leland's time it confifted of one long street, built of timber. The church is only a chapel of eafe to Hillingdon, a proof it is not very ancient. In Camden's time it was full of inns; thofe which it has at prefent are very indifferent, particularly, when we confider its propinquity to London. It gives the title of earl, to lord Paget, whofe ancestors had a feat, called Drayton, in this.

Young's Six Weeks Tour, p. 81, 82.

In his Edition of Milton's Juvenile Poems, p. 95.

This lady Derby afterwards married lord chancellor Egerton, for whofe fon, Jol.n earl of Bridgewater, Milton wrote his Comus.

neighbourhood.

neighbourhood. We ftopt to dine at the principal inn, the Crown, and afterwards entered the county of Bucks, pursuing the Oxford road about three miles.

Far on our left hand lay Stoke Pogeis, which anciently belonged to the family of Pogeis, whofe heirefs in Edward IIId's time marrying lord Molines, he in the 5th of that king's reign, obtained a licence to make a caftle of his manor-houfe here. From him it defcended to the lords Hungerford, and from them to the Haftings's, carls of Huntingdon. Edward Haftings, created by Queen Mary, lord Loughborough, was buried in the chapel here of his own erection, and many others of the Molines's, Hungerfords, and Haftings's, were buried in the church. This manfion feems afterwards to have belonged to lord chancellor Hatton. The mother of Mr. Gray, the poet, had a fmall house in this parish, and here that incomparable genius fpent many days of the earlier part of his life. of his life. And the inanfion before mentioned was the scene of that beau. tiful poem of his, called the Long Story, which opens with the following excellent description of this, and all other feats of that age.

In Britain's ifle no matter where,

An ancient pile of building ftands,
The Huntingdons and Hattons there,
Employed the power of Fairy hands.

To raife the cieling's fretted height,
Each pannel in atchievements cloathing,
Rich windows that exclude the light,
And paffages that lead to nothing.

Full oft within the fpacious walls

When he had fifty winters o'er him,
My brave Lord keeper* led the brawls,
The feal and maces danc'd before him.

His bufhy beard, and fhoe-ftrings green,
His high-crown'd hat and fatin doublet,
Mov'd the ftout heart of England's Queen,

Tho' Pope and Spaniard could not trouble it.

Lady Cobham then refided here. I cannot help here obferving what facred ground we were now upon. Milton refided long at Horton in this neighbourhood before mentioned. Waller lived at Beaconsfield, as we fhall presently have occafion to notice. Pope long dwelt no great distance from hence, at Binfield in Windfor Foreft, and Stoke Pogeis was much frequented by the fublime, and the pathetic Gray. I must here break out in the words of one of these authors.

"I feem thro' confecrated walks to rove,
"I hear foft mufic die along the grove,

"Led by the found I roam from fhade to fhade,
"By godlike poets venerable made."

We now left the Oxford road, and took another through an agreeable valley and excellent road, on our way to Amerfham. About five miles beyond Uxbridge, at a distance on our left, we paffed Bulftrode-park, the paternal feat of the duke of Port

* Hatton preferred by Queen Elizabeth for his graceful perfon, and fine dancing. Pope's Windfor Foreft, verfe 265.