and coheiresses, one of whom married William Vachell, Esq. the other George Hardinge, Esq. one of the Welsh judges.

There are three subordinate manors held under the bishop, the most antient of which is GUNNERSBURY, in old records called GONDYLDESBURY, or GUNNYLDSBURY, so called probably from having been the residence of princess Gunyld, niece of Canute the Great, who was banished from England in 1044. It came afterwards into the possession of a very different character, Alice Perrers, mistress to Edward III.; she also was banished: but upon the reversion of her sentence, and marrying Sir William Wyndesor, this, and her other property, were restored to her husband. Sir Thomas Frowick died possessed of the manor in 1485; his second son was lord chief justice of the Common Pleas. The daughter of the judge married Sir John Spelman, grandfather of the celebrated antiquary. The manor afterwards became the property of sergeant Maynard. In 1761, it was purchased by the late princess Amelia, aunt of his present majesty. Since her decease the manor house, which was built by Webbe, a pupil of Inigo Jones, for sergeant Maynard, in 1663, has been levelled to the ground, and the materials sold.

The other manors are COLDHAWE, and PITS-HANGER.

The manor of Pits-hanger, in 1605, was in the possession of Sir Arthur Atye, and contained one hundred and forty acres. In 1690, it was the property of Mrs. Margaret Edwards, whose grandson, Thomas Edwards, Esq. was the author of a work called The Canons of Criticism; that gentleman spent his early years at Pits hanger, till he removed to an estate which he purchased in Buckingbamshire. After his death, in 1757, this estate was sold by his nephews, Joseph Price, Esq. and Nathaniel Mason, Esq. to King Gould, Esq. whose son, Sir Charles Morgan, bart. alienated it to Thomas Gurnell, Esq. from whom it came to Jonathan Gurnell, Esq. whose widow married John Peyton, Esq. The manor is the property of the present resent, John Soane, Esq. who has improved

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proved the house to a retirement from the fatigues of the metropolis, a dwelling equally classical and convenient.

The front of the building is obscured from the road by a shrubbery, and a stately fir tree, the whole being encom passed by an iron railing. The entrance to the gardens is by an iron gate, supported by two picturesque square pillars, composed of brick and flintwork. A serpentine

walk leads to the house, on the north side of which are various offices for the domestics, contrived with every attention to utility. Adjoining to these is an apartment in which Mr. Soane has deposited several curious specimens of architecture, particularly the entablature belonging to the temple of Jupiter Stator.

The entrance to the house is ornamented by four Ionic pillars, surmounted by figures copied from the antique; these project from the building, and give an air of lightness and elegance to the front. Between these the door opens to an elegant saloon, ornamented with arches, composed of various kinds of marble, to which the stained glass over the door gives a pleasing effect. To the left is the large Dining Parlour, the windows of which are almost upon a level with the lawn; on the south side is a fine picture, by J. DURNO, Esq. from the Boydell collection, representing a scene in the Merry Wives of Windsor.

On the west side is a fine portrait of Mr. Soane and his two sons, by W. OWEN, Esq. The north side has two niches, in which are placed the figures of the Venus de Medicis, and the Antinous.

The apartments to the north of the saloon, are a Library beautifully fitted up, in which is a fine collection of valuable classics, and professional books; this room is decorated with large and curious Etruscan vases. The Retiring Parlour, is ornamented with some fine pictures, by CANALETTI; and by the eight original pictures, by HoGARTH, descriptive of The Rake's Progress.

The Conservatory, facing the garden, is an object of great curiosity. Here the antiquary and the artist may be sefully gratified, in ascertaining the inscriptions on the

several

several Roman altars, and curious urns, which Mr. Soane has collected into this place; in contemplating the fine statue of the Dea Naturæ; or, in looking over the fine landscape at the back of the house, comprehending beautiful shrubberies on each side, a fine lawn in the centre; and the distance ornamented by two fine pieces of water, and scparated by an extensive spot, representing a park in mi

niature.

The whole of this domain comprises whatever can bestow comfort and elegance to the man of refined education, and of elegant taste.

At Faling are also many handsome villas; the most distinguished of which are EALING HOUSE, the seat of Edward Payne, Esq.; Hicks-upon-the-Heath, formerly the residence, in 1684, of Sir William Trumbull, secretary of state to William III. and the friend of Pope; in 1688, it became the property of Dr. Hedges, secretary to queen Anne; and of Dr. Egerton, bishop of Durham, of whose heirs it was purchased by the present possessor, Frederick Barnard, Esq..

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EALING GROVE, was successively the property of earl Rivers; the earl of Rochford, in 1722; Dr. Peters, whose widow married admiral Sir Edward Hughes, and of Joseph Gulston, Esq. whose son was a famous collector of prints, other curiosities. The grove then passed to the dukes of Marlborough and Argyll, and was lately the property of James Baillie, Esq. ROCKWORK GATE HOUSE, is the residence of Thomas Matthias, Esq. and a house has been lately built by Thomas Wood, Esq. on a hill in the road from Acton to Hanwell. At Little Ealing are PLACE HOUSE, the seat of Cuthbert Fisher, Esq. The late lord Heathfield, when general Elliott, lived some years on Castle Bear Hill, now the seat of Mr. Smith.

Ealing was formerly the residence of Dr. Owen, a respectable and voluminous writer among the Non-conformists in the eighteenth century; he died here in 1583. Heary Fielding, Esq. had a house in this parish; as had William Fleetwood, Esq. recorder of London, in the reign of queen Elizabeth.

3

Elizabeth.

Bishop Pearce, ånd Oldmixon, the historian, were also inhabitants here.

The church of Ealing is dedicated to St. Mary. In the year 1729, the old fabric fell, when an act of parliament was obtained for rebuilding it; to which was added a brief; but with all these helps, the new church was ten years in completing. The present church is a neat brick building; at the west end of which is a square tower, with a turret. There are several monuments, but none very rémarkable.

The Sunday schools in this parish, instituted in 1786, by the rev. Charles Sturges, the present vicar, have been par ticularly efficacious, in consequence of the persevering attention of Mrs. Trimmer, so well known by her useful treatises, tending to increase the comforts, and reform the manners of the poor. About sixty boys, and more than one hundred girls, are now educated in these schools, which are conducted on a plan that affords great encouragement to the meritorious, and is admirably calculated to excite a spirit of emulation and improvement. A school of industry for girls has been some time established; at present, they are forty in number, and are employed in making coarse shirts. A school of industry for boys has also been lately opened.

We now cross the road to Hounslow, whence another road passes to Twickenham, &c. which having already noticed, we return by ISLEWORTH.

This pleasant village is situated on the banks of the Thames, at the distance of eight miles and a half from Hyde Park Corner, and gives name to the hundred. It abounds in market gardeners, some of whom raise great quantities of raspberries, which are sold to distillers, and conveyed to London in swing carts. Those for the use of the table, however, are carried by women, who come principally from Shropshire, and the neighbourhood of Kingsdown, in Wilts *.

The

The fruit is gathered very early in the morning, during the season, and twelve women are employed in gathering a load of twelve gallons,

each