declining lawn. This river winds pleasantly through the grounds, and forms a very beautifu! piece of water. On the left, entering the park, at fome distance, the ground takes a ferpentine form; and the heights being planted with clumps of firs and other trees, have a rich and bold effect. On a further advance, to the right, the eye is attracted by a fine open country. An elegant fummer-house, fituate on the most elevated spot in the park, commands a variety of rich and pleasant profpects. Among the nearer views, are Richmond Hill, Hampton Court, Harrow on the Hill, Windfor Castle, the windings of the Thames, &c. and, on the other fide, are Claremont, and other fine feats.-Another building, called The Bower, is overhung with ivy, the maffy foliage of which is at once beautiful and picturesque. Almolt every step affords a new and pleafing object; and, to enrich the fcene, the river frequently prefents itfelf through the trees, or in full view from an open space; and it is again obfcured by the intervention of some object, perhaps not less pleating.

These enchanting scenes are immortalized in the charming poetry of Thomfon:

Efher's groves,

Where, in the sweetest folitude, embrac'd

By the foft windings of the filent Mole,

From courts and fenates, Pelham finds repose.

And the unaffuming mufe of Dofldey has feated the Genius of Gardens

In the lovely vale

Of Efher, where the Mole glides, lingering; loth
To leave fuch fcenes of fweet fimplicity.

The philofopher too will here find subjects of meditation; efpecially when he is difpofed to reflect on the inftability and vanity of all earthly grandeur. To this place (then called After) was the magnificent Wolfey cominanded to retire, juft after he had perceived, for the first time, that he had for ever loft the favour of his fovereign; and the great mafter of the human heart has made him give utterance to his feelings in this affecting exclamation:

Nay, then, farewell!

I have touch'd the highest point of all my greatness ;
And, from that full meridian of my glory,

I hafte now to my setting; I fhall fall

Like a bright exhalation in the evening,

And no man fee me more.

The world that had paid him fuch abject court during his prof perity, now deferted him (ali but the faithful Cromwell) on this, fatal reverie of fortune. He himself was much dejected with the change, and from the fame turn of mind which had made him fo vainly elated with his grandeur, he felt the stroke of adversity with double rigour.

In full-blown dignity fee Wolfey stand,
Law in his voice, and fortune in his hand :

To him the church, the realm, their pow'rs confign,
Through him the rays of regal bounty fhine:
Turn'd by his ned the ftream of honour flows:
His fimile alone fecurity beltows.

Still to new heights his reftlefs wishes foar;
Claim leads to claim, and pow'r advances pow'r;
Till conqueft unrefifted ceas'd to please,

And rights submitted, left him none to seize.
At length his fov'reign frowns-the train of ftate
Mark the keen glance, and watch the fign to hate;
Where'er he turns, he meets a ftranger's eye;
His fuppliants fcorn him, and his followers fly.
Now drops at once the pride of awful state,
The golden canopy, the glitt'ring plate,
The regal palace, the luxurious board,
The liveried army, and the menial lord.
With age, with cares, with maladies opprefs'd,
He feeks the refuge of monaftic reft.

Grief aids difeale, remember'd folly ftings,
And his laft fighs reproach the faith of kings.

JOHNSON. ETON, a village on the Thames, in Bucks, oppofite Windfor, famous for its royal college and fchool, founded by Henry VI. in 1440; for the fupport of a provoft and feven fellows, and the edu cation of feventy youths in claffical learning. It confifts of two quadrangles; one appropriated to the fchool, and the lodging of the mafters and fcholars; in the midit of which is a copper ftatue of the founder, on a marble pedestal, erected at the expence of Dr. Godolphin. In the other quadrangle are the apartments of the Provoft and Fellows. The library is one of the finest in England. The chapel is a stately structure, apparently by the fame hand who defigned 'King's College, Cambridge. At the weft end of this chapel is a marble statue, by Bacon, of the " ill-fated Heny."

The feventy King's scholars, as thofe are called who are on the foundation, when properly qualified, are elected, on the first Tuesday in Auguft, to King's College in Cambridge, but are not removed till there are vacancies in that college, and then they are called according to feniority; and after they have been three years at Cambridge, they claim a fellowship. Befide thofe on the foun

dation, there are feldom lefs than 300 noblemen and gentlemen's fons, who board at the master's houfes, or within the bounds of the college. The fchool is divided into upper and lower, and each of these into three claffes. To each school there is a master and four affiftants. The revenue of the college amounts to about 5000l. a year.

EWEL, a market town in Surry, 13 miles from London. Here a fpring breaks out in different fpots, and becomes the head of a

fine ftream, called Hog's Mill River, that falls into the Thames at Kingston. Here are the elegant feat and pleasure-grounds of the late Philip Rowden, Efq. and the manfion of Sir George Glyn, Bart.

F

FAIRLOP, a celebrated oak, in the parish of Barking, and foreft of Hainault, in Effex. See Hainault Foreft.

FAIRY HILL, a villa at Mottingham, a hamlet of the city of Rochester, near Eltham, in Kent, was many years in the occupa tion of the late Earl Bathurst, who greatly improved the grounds. It is now the refidence of John Randall, Efq.

FETCHAM, a village near Leatherhead, in which is the fine feat of Mrs. Hankey.

FINCHLEY, a village in Middlefex, near a noted common, feven miles from London, in the road to St. Alban's.

FITZROY FARM, the villa of Lord Southampton, near Highgate. The grounds are kept in the highest cultivation of the ferme ornée.

FITZWALTERS, the feat of Thomas Wright, Efq. at Shenfield, near the 21 mile stone, in the road to Chelmsford. Being of an octagon form, it is commonly called the Round Houfe. Mr. Wright has formed a fine ferpentine piece of water in the front of the house, over which he has built a beautiful little bridge; and, next to the great road, he has erected two lodges for porters.

FOOT's-CRAY PLACE, 12 miles from London, in the road to Maidstone, was built by Bouchier Cleve, Efq. a pewterer of Cheapfide, after a defign of Palladio's. It became the property of Sir George Yonge, Bart. who married Mr. Cleve's daughter, and was fold for lefs than a third part of the original expence, to Benjamin Harence, Efq. The hall is octagonal, and has a gallery round, which leads to the bed chambers. It is enlightened from the top, and is very beautiful. The houfe, which is built of Rone, stands on a rifing ground, with a gradual descent to the water, which, from the houfe, appears to be a small river gliding through the whole length of the ground; and in that part of the water oppofite to the houfe, is a fine cafcade; but this water, which appears to be fuch a pretty natural stream, is an artificial one brought from the river Cray.

FROGMORE HOUSE, near Windfor, lately the feat of the Hon. Mrs. Egerton, of whom it was purchafed by Her Majefty, who has made very confiderable additions to the house and gardens. The house adjoining, the refidence of the late Mrs. Macartney, has been taken down, and its gardens added to those of her Majesty. In different parts of the grounds, Gothic temples, rural huts, &c. have been erected. Thefe give relief to the gardens, which, from their being a dead flat, would otherwife have too great a fameness. Nearly adjoining, on the oppofite fide of the road, is a neat houfe,

the

the feat of the late Earl of Pomfret, as Ranger of the Little Park, within the limits of which it is fituated. Near the house is the Queen's dairy.

FULHAM, a village of Middlesex, fituated on the Thames, oppofite Putney, to which it has a wooden bridge. It is four miles from London and to the prelates of that fee the manor belonged a confiderable time before the conqueft. In the church-yard are the tombs of the Bishops Compton, Robinfon, Gibson, Hayter, Terrick, and Lowth. The epifcopal palace, on the bank of the Thames, is neither of a very ancient date, nor does it contain any thing re markable: but the gardens have been very curious. They were firit noted in the time of Bishop Grindall, one of the earliest encouragers of botany, and the firft who imported the tamarifk-tree into this country, about the year 1560. Bishop Compton, who was himself an excellent botanist, made them ftill more celebrated by the introduction of many new plants and foreft trees, particu larly from North America. Of thefe, the following only were remaining, on a survey of the garden in 1793; and these may be regarded with fome veneration by the botanift, as the parent stocks of their respective races in this kingdom. The girths, which were accurately taken at three feet from the ground, are here given, with their computed height :

Acer Negundo, Afh-leaved Maple
Cupreffus Semper vivens, Upright Cypress
Juniperus Virginiana, Virginian Red Cedar
Juglans Nigra, Black Walnut-tree

Pinus Pinafter, Chefter Pine

Girth Height. feet in feet.

Quercus Alba, White Oak

Quercus Suber, Cork-tree

Acer Rubrum, Scarlet-flowered Maple

Quercus Ilex, Ever-green Oak

Gleditfia Tricanthus, Three-thorned Acacia, on the

lawn

Another, near the Porter's Lodge

On the fide of the Thames are likewife the handfome villas of Dr. Milman, Sir Philip Stephens, Bart. Sir Andrew Snape Hammond, Dr. Cadogan, and Mrs. Chauncey; and Stourton House, a beautiful cottage, the property and refidence of William Sharp, Efq. See Walham Green.

G

GAD'S HILL, 26 miles from London, in the road to Rochester, is rendered famous, by Shakespeare's defcription of the frolics of Henry V. when Prince of Wales, and his loofe companions. Falftaff's adventure at Gad's Hill is likely to be, according to the poet's prediction, not only an argument for a week, laughter for a

I

month,

month, but a good jeft for ever. The late Sir Francis Head built on the top of the hill, towards Rochester, a neat cottage, which he denominated Gad's Hill Cafa; and, on its being licenced for a public-house, he directed that the sign should have, on one fide, a portrait of Henry V. and on the other, a reprefentation of the fat knight and his affociates, as defcribed by the poet, A& II. Scene. 4. After the death of Sir Francis, this fign was removed, and in its place a plough was put up, with the motto, God speed the Plow. This change does not feem to have been propitious to mine bost of the Falstaff; for the new fign foon disappeared, and one of the rooms being converted into a feed-fhop, the motto would be far more pertinent than it was before. It must, however, be a fatisfaction to the traveller to fee that the fubject, which has for centuries rendered this fpot fo memorable, is revived on both fides of the sign before another public houfe lately erected.

GATTON, in Surry, 19 miles from London, in the road to Reigate, was formerly a very populons place, but now only a mean village. Ever fince the reign of Henry VI, it has fent members to Parliament, who are returned by its Conftable, annually chofen at the Lord of the Manor's court, by feven el Etors. At the entrance of this place from London, is Upper Gatton House, the property of William Petrie, Efq. and refidence of Mark Cur, rie, Efq. This is furrounded by fine plantations, and commands rich and extenfive prospects.-A mile further is Gatton Park, or Lower Gatton Houfe, a new and beautiful fru&ure. This is the manfion-house, which carries with it the entire property of the horough, and was purchased by Mr. Petrie of Robert Ladbroke, Efq. for 110,000l. The approach to this house is thought to equal any thing of the kind in the kingdom. From the lodge, which is on the fummit of the hill leading to Reigate, the road winds beautifully down the park, for a mile, amid woods and groves of fir; prefenting, here and there, through breaks, fome enchanting views of the country below. From the fouth front of the houfe, the prospects are rich, various, and extenfive. At the foot of the Aloping eminence on which it is fituated, is a fine lake of 40 acres, enriched with two beautiful well-planted islands, the haunts of fwans and other kinds of water-fowl. The adjacent country is finely broken and diverfified by wood-crowned hills and luxuriant vales. Farther on is Ladbroke Houfe, the refidence of Mifs Ladbroke.

GIDEA HALL, the feat of Richard Benyon, Esq. near Rumford, was originally a venerable mansion, begun in the reign of Edward IV. by Sir Thomas Cooke, whofe fufferings, during the civil wars, obliged him to leave it unfinished at his death, in 1478. Sir Anthony, his grandfon, one of the preceptors of Edward VI. finished it in the reign of Elizabeth; whom he had the honour of entertaining in 1568*. Queen Mary de Medicis was lodged here,

Sir Anthony Cooke was particularly fortunate in his four daughters, all eminent for their literary attainments. Mildred, the

eldcft,