Antient

Inhabi

tants.

Name:

The Face

of the Country.

The antient British Inhabitants were the Dobuni, fuppofed to have obtained that Name from the low Situation of their Country, which can only be true of fome Part of it, there being a great many Hills, of a confiderable Height, interfperfed through

out.

As to the Name of Oxford, Oxenford or Oxneyford, given to the City by the Saxons, and communicated afterwards to the County; fome fuppofe it to be derived from a Ford near the Town, where Droves of Oxen used to pass over; while others affect to call it Oufney Ford, from a Ford over the River Oufe, (now Ifis) a Name common to many Rivers antiently; but as these are mere Conjectures, and it is of no great Importance, which of them is right: I proceed in the next Place to take a View of the Face of the Country.

The County of Oxford affords an agreeable Variety of Hills and Valleys, unless on the North-eaft, which is a perfect Level for ten Miles, namely, from Oxford to Bicefter, which in the Winter Seafon is too much fubject to Floods. The Hills on the North and Eaft give us very extenfive Profpects. Towards the South-east, on the Confines of Buckinghamshire, we meet with large Woods, which are much wanted in the North : There is scarce a Tree or Hedge to be feen for feveral Miles in the North, particularly between

between Chipping Norton and Banbury, unlefs near Gentlemens Seats or Parks, and even there we meet with but little Timber of any confiderable Growth; great Part of this Country is heath, barren Ground, fitter for Sport than Husbandry, being all Rock within a Foot of the Surface, so that a Tree cannot take deep Root, and confequently must be ftinted in its Growth: This is obvious for twenty Miles riding in the North of Oxfordshire, and yet near the Towns of Chipping Norton and Banbury, where they have Plenty of Compoft, are fine, fruitful Corn Fields, and fome good grazing Grounds.

The Noblemens and Gentlemens Seats are Palaces a great Ornament to this Part of the County, and Seats. being fome of the fineft in England.

And among these Woodstock or Blenheim Woodstock. Caftle has generally the Preference given to

it.

This Palace is fituated on an Eminence in Woodstock Park, about a Furlong South of the Place where the Old Palace ftood; the principal Front ftands to the Northward, and (with all the Courts and Out Offices) extends 850 Feet in Length. Through a magnificent Gate we enter the grand Court, being 320 Foot long, and 220 broad. On the Right whereof is another fquare Court, 160 Foot long, and 140 broad, formed by Stables, Coach-houses, and an elegant Greenhoufe; and on the Left, oppofite to this, is a Court of the like Dimensions, formed

by

by the Kitchens, Laundry, and another Greenhouse; at the upper End of the grand Court ftands the Body of the Palace, which has a Communication with the Offices by a Colonade on each Side.

In the Front of the Houfe is a magnificent Portico, afcended by feveral Steps, from whence we pass into the great Hall, 50 Foot long, and 40 broad, and of the full Height of the House, there being no Rooms over it. The Cieling of this Room is finely painted, and on the right and left is an arch'd Corridore, by which it has a Communication with the reft of the Palace. Beyond the Hall is an elegant Salon or leffer Hall, fronting the Garden, 40 Foot long, and 35 broad, painted, as the Hall, with Battle and other historical Pieces, and particularly we see here the late Duke driving the Chariot of Victory, and ftopt by the Hand of Peace.

On the left of the Salon is a spacious Anti-chamber, and within it a Drawing Room, beyond which is a large Bed-chamber, and beyond that a grand Cabinet, being the furtheft Room on the left in the Front next the Garden. Within the Salon on the right Hand is an Anti-chamber of equal Dimenfions with that oppofite to it on the left, and beyond the Anti-chamber a Drawing Room, and within that a Bed-chamber,

which leads into the South-End of a long Gallery.

This Suit of Rooms open into one another, and are feen at one View conftituting a Front next the Garden of 320 Feet in Length, exceeding beautiful and uniform.

In the East Front of the House is a grand Vestibulum, and within it on the left an Anti-chamber, beyond which is a Bed-chamber, adjoining to the grand Cabinet already mentioned. On the right of the Vestibulum is a Bed-chamber, and beyond that the Wardrobe Closets and Dreffing Rooms.

The Gallery takes up the whole Weft Front of the House, being 180 Foot long on the Infide, and generally 20 Foot broad. The fine Statue of Queen Anne, placed here by the Dutchess Dowager of Marlborough, is the principal Ornament of it. On the oppofite Side of this Gallery we fee the Rapes of the Heathen Gods, by no Means proper Companions for that virtuous Monarch, and lefs fit for the Neighbourhood of a Christian Chapel, into which the Gallery looks, though, it is true, this Edifice has very little the Appearance of a Chapel, there being as yet neither Altar or Altar Piece in it. The late Duke's Tomb is the only Thing worth our Attention here, and the Room, which is exceeding fmall, feems to have been built principally to cover that admirable Tomb, on which are the Effigies of

the

the Duke and Dutchefs and their two Sons, exquifitely carv'd: Upon taking Notice that the Chapel had fewer Ornaments than any Room in the Houfe; it was answered, There were not indeed thofe gaudy Paintings and Carvings that were to be met with in the Chapels at Oxford, a plain Simplicity better.

.

became the Sacred Place. There are feveral Stair-cafes in the Palace, but not one grand Stair-cafe; nor are the Rooms above ever fhewn to Strangers; they are, however, very well worth feeing, as I have been informed by the People of Woodstock, tho' far from being fo magnificent as thofe already. defcribed.

The Roof of the Palace is adorn'd with a Stone Ballustrade, and a good Number of Statues; but there are several Towers, or as fome call them Cupola's (tho' they refemble neither) which have a very heavy Afpect These are far from being an Ornament, and seem fuch a useless Weight, that one would think they were intended to fink the Fabrick beneath the Surface of the Earth. There certainly has been a great deal of Money buried here in Heaps of Stone, and, other Materials, which add little to the Beauty or Commodioufness of the Palace. Which occafioned the following Epitaph on the deceased Architect Vanburgh. Lie heavy on him Earth, for he Has laid many a heavy Load on thee.

But