the O Downs, was first built by a fociety of gentlemen, called the Hunters Club, to whom the land for that purpose was given by Mr. Lambert, whence it was called Lambert Oaks. General Burgoyne purchased it of this club, made many additions to the houfe, and bought more land adjoining. He fold it to the Earl of Derby, who has made it a very elegant feat. The fituation is very fine; and it was here that Lord Derby gave the celebrated fête-champêtre, which gave rife to a very pleafing mufical entertainment, called "The Maid of the Oaks," written by the General. OATLANDS, adjoining to Weybridge, in Surry, is the feat of the Duke of York, who purchased it of the Duke of Newcastle. The park is four miles round. The house is fituated about the middle of the terrace, whose majestic grandeur, and the beautiful landscape which it commands, words cannot defcribe, nor the pencil delineate, fo as to give an adequate idea of this fine fcene. The ferpentine river which you look down upon from the terrace, though artificial, appears as beautiful as it could do were it natural; and a stranger, who did not know the place, would conclude it to be the Thames; in which opinion he would be confirmed by the view of Walton bridge over that river, which, by a happy contrivance, is made to look like a bridge over the ferpentine river, and gives a pleafing finish to this beautiful profpect. The grotto, which is uncommonly beautiful and romantic, may bring to recollection the fanciful fcenery of an Arabian Night's Entertainment. It was constructed and finished by three perfons, a father and his two fons, and is reported to have coft near 12,000l. There was formerly a noble palace in this park, a good view of which is in the back ground of a portrait of Anne of Denmark, Queen of James I, painted by Vanfomer, and now in the Queen's gallery at Kenfington. Henry Duke of Gloucester, fourth fon of Charles I, was born in this palace, which was demolished by the Parliamentarians in the civil wars. 1673, was remaining the gardener's lodge, in which I 3 In Queen Queen Anne of Denmark had a room, for the breeding of filk-worms. There is ftill a gate, erected from a defign of Inigo Jones, and which has been removed a small distance from its original fituation, and repaired, with the addition of an infcription, by the Duke of Newcastle. OCKHAM, four miles from Woking, where Lord King has a feat and park. It was purchased by Sir Peter, King, afterward Lord Chancellor. The houfe was beautified by the late Lord, and the prefent Lord King has made great improvements in the park and gardens. The church stands almoft oppofite to the houfe; and in the churchyard is a stone over the grave of John Spong, a carpenter, on which is the following punning epitaph : Who many a sturdy oak had laid along, Fel'd by Death's furer hatchet, here lies Spong; OLDFORD, near Bow, in the parish of Stepney, and on the banks of the River Lea, over which, in this place, paffed one of the Roman military ways. Here are two ancient gateways, yet entire, fuppofed to be the remains of a royal palace. ORPINGTON, a village in Kent, on the river Cray, between Foots Cray and Farnborough. Henry VIII granted the manor to Sir Percival Hart, who built a feat here, in which he magnificently entertained Queen Elizabeth, July 22, 1573; who, on her reception here, "received," fays Philipot (Hift. of Kent, p. 259)" the firft careffes of a nymph who perfonated the genius of the house: then the fcene was flifted, and from feveral chambers, which, as they were contrived, reprefented a fhip, a fea conflict was offered up to the fpectators view, which fontuch obliged the eyes of this Princefs with the charms of delight, that, upon her departure fhe left upon this houfe (to commemorate commemorate the memory both of the author and the artifice) the name and appellation of "Bank Hart." By this it is ftill called, and is part of the eftate of Sir John Dixon Dyke, bart. OSTERLEY PARK, in Middlefex, the feat of Lord Ducie, 9 M. F. L. to the north of the great weffern road. This eftate anciently belonged to the convent at Sion. At the diffolution it was granted to the Duke of Somerfet, on whofe attainder it reverted to the Crown. Queen Elizabeth granted it to Sir Thomas Grefham, by whom a noble edifice was erected. Here this great merchant magnificently lodged and entertained Queen Elizabeth. Of this vifit the following anecdote is recorded, in Mr. Nichols'' Progreffes of that Queen: "Her Majefty found fault with the court of this houfe, affirming it would appear more handfome, if divided with a court in the middle. What doth Sir Thomas, but in the night-time fends for work. men to London (money commands all things) who fo fpeedily and filently apply to their bufinefs, that the next morning difcovered the court double, which the night had left fingle before. It is queftionable whether the Queen, next day, was more contented with the conformity to her fancy, or more pleafed with the furprife and fudden performance thereof. While her courtiers difported themselves with their feveral expreffions: fome avowing it was no wonder he could fo foon change a building, who could build a change. Others, reflecting on fome known differences in the Knight's family, affirmed, that a houfe is eafier divided than united." This noble manfion afterward paffed into feveral hands, and, in the reign of Charles I, was the feat of Sir William Waller, the celebrated General of the army of the Parliament. In the beginning of this century, it was purchased by Sir Francis Child, an Alderman of London. and M. P. for the county. We enter the park by a gate, on each fide of which is a handfome lodge. The park, finely wooded, is fix miles in circumference. The houfe, (the thell of which was completely rebuilt by the late Robert Child, Efq. the first hufband of Lady Ducie) is a magnificent fquare ftructure, extending 140 feet from E. to W. and 117 from N. to S. At each end is a turret ; and to the east front is a fine portico of the Ionic order, which is ascended by a grand flight of fteps, and profufely adorned by antiques, &c. The apartments are fpacious, and were magnificently fitted up, by the late Mr. Child, with the richeft hangings of filk, velvet, and gobelin tapestry, elegantly fculptured marbles, and highly-enriched entablatures of mofaic work, &c. The decorations of the apartments difplay the great talents of the late Robert Adam, Efq. the architect, and of Signior Zucchi, the painter. The paintings in this houfe are by the most celebrated mafters. On the cieling of the staircase is the apotheofis of William I, Prince of Orange, affaffinated at Delft, in 1584. The Picture Gallery is 136 feet by 27: among the paintings, the principal are Charles I, on horseback, the Duke d'Epernon holding his helmet, Vandyck; Villiers, firft Duke of Buckingham, Rubens; Gipfies dreffing their dinner, Salvator Rofa; Morning and Evening, Claude Lorraine; the Angel and Tobit, S. Rofa; Apollo and the Sybil, Ditto; two Landscapes, G. Pouffin; the Earl of Strafford, Vandyck; Jonas and the Whale, S. Rofa; and Conftantine's Arch, with figures and cattle, by Viviano and Bombaccio. In the Drawing Room, are Jacob and Rachael, Titian; Samuel anointing David, Ditto; the Head of Vandyck, by himself; and others by Rembrandt, &c. From the Lodges at the entrance of the Park, we defcend a fpacious road, between two fine sheets of water, which, being on different levels, may be termed the upper and lower. The firft is oppofite to the east front, and in view of the house. Though not large, it gives beauty and variety to this part of the park. The lower water is of much greater extent, and partly inclofed by woods, through which it makes a noble sweep. On the north fhore of this lake, is a beautiful menagerie, containing a fine collection of exotic birds. Here the lake bends to the N. W. and, at some distance, has a bridge of ftone; beyond this it begins to contract, and is foon loft to the eye. OTFORD, a village, three miles N. of Sevenoaks, where Offa, King of Mercia defeated Lothaire, King of Kent, Kent, and reduced his kingdom to a state of dependence. Offa, the treacherous murderer of Ethelbert, (See Page 28) to atone for the blood he had fhed in this battle, gave Otford to Chrift Church, Canterbury, in pafcua percorum (as the deed fays) for pastures for the Archbishop's hogs. Such were the acts of piety, that were fo much esteemed in that ignorant and fuperftitious age, that Malmesbury, one of the best of the old English hiftorians, declares himfelf at a lofs to determine, whether the merits or crimes of this prince preponderated. Otford continued in the fee of Canterbury, till exchanged with Henry VIII, for other lands. P P. ADDINGTON, a village to the N. W. of London. The church which has been lately rebuilt, is a beautiful structure, which deferves particular attention. In this parish, 1 M. F. L. is Westburn Green, in which is the handsome feat and gardens of Jewkes Coulson, Efq. anchorsmith, in Thames Street: and, near Mr. Coulfon's, is a farm-houfe, which is occupied, as one of his country refidences, by the Moft Noble the Marquis of Buckingham. Although Paddington is now united to the metropolis, there are many rural fpots in the parish, which appear as retired as if at a distance of many miles. PAINE'S HILL, near Cobham, 20 M. F. L. the elegant feat and celebrated gardens of Benjamin Bond Hopkins, Efq. are fituated on the verge of a moor, which rises above a fertile plain watered by the Mole. Large vallies, defcending in different directions toward the river, break the brow into feparate eminences; and the gardens are extended along the edge, in a femicircular form, between the winding liver which defcribes their outward boundary, and the park which fills up the cavity of the crefcent. The moor lies behind the place, and sometimes appears too confpicuously; but the views on the other fides, into the cultivated country, are agreeable. They are terminated by hills at a competent diftance: the plain is fufficiently varied with objects, and the richest meadows, overspread the bottom juft below. The profpects, are, however, only pretty, not fine; and the river is languid and dull. Paine's Hill, therefore, is little benefited |