when or for what Reafon it was dug, is not agreed upon by Authors. Seats of the Nobility and Gentry. Palace of the Bishop of Salisbury in that City, Marlborough House, near Marlborough, Earl of Northumberland's. Wilton House, Earl of Pembroke's, near Salisbury. Ramsbury-place, four Miles from Marlborough, Mr. Jones's. Eddington, Duke of Bolton's, 3 M. from Weftbury. Charleton, Earl of Suffolk's, fix Miles from the Devizes. Longleat, Lord Weymouth's, 5 M. from Warminster. broke's. Wardour Caftle, 11 M. from Salisbury, it belongs to the Lord Arundel of Wardour, mentioned above, p. 45. Wolf Hall, Mr. Seymour's, near Luggershal. Bowden Park, 5 M. from the Devizes, Brumbam Houfe, 3 M: from the Devizes. Chute-lodge, 11 M. from Marlborough. King's and Queen's Manor, both in Clarendon Park, 2 M. from Salisbury. Tottenham Park, 5 M. from Marlborough, a fine Seat of Lord Bruce, the building of which was directed by the late Earl of Burlington. I HAMPSHIRE S bounded on the W. by Dorfetfhire and Wiltshire; on the N. by Berkshire; on the E. by Surrey and Suffex; and on the S. by the English Channel. According to Templeman's Survey it is 64 M. in Length, from N. to S. and 36 in Breadth from E. to W. is above 150 M. in Circumference, contains 39 Hundreds, one City, 18 Market Towns, and 253 Parishes. The Soil of Hampfhire is various as to its Fertility, the hilly Parts being barren barren like other Downs, and fit only for Sheep; but the lower Grounds are very fruitful both in Corn and Pafture. No County in Engl. exceeds this for good Bacon, and fine Woods, in which there ftill remains an immenfe Quantity of excellent Timber, notwithstanding the prodigious Confumption that has been made of it fince the Revolution, in building and repairing Ships, both for the Navy and Merchants Service. The chief Rivers are the Avon, the Anton, the Alre, the Teft or Tefe, the Stowre and the Itchen. Winchester, or Winton, 67 M. from Lond. is the Metropolis of this County; it stands on the River Itching, in a Vale, where another fmall River joins it. This City lies in a Bottom, like an Amphitheatre, furrounded with Chalk Hills, and is of great Antiquity. It was very famous in the Time of the Romans, when, according to Cujacius, there were Looms here for weaving Cloths for the Emperors and their Armies. On St. Catharine's Hill, near the City, is a Camp; and on the Side of the W. Gate, was a Caftle, where the W. Saxon Kings kept their Court. That there was a College here for religious Men in the earliest Ages of Chriftianity, is very probable, and the old Piece of Wall, near the W. Gate of the Cathedral, is thought to be the Remains of it. 'Tis of great Strength and Thicknefs, with feveral Windows in it, and built with small Flint and Mortar as hard as Stone. The Cathedral is a large Structure, and has a venerable Afpect, but not very elegant. Inftead of a Steeple or Spire, it has only a flat Tower. The most remarkable Particulars in this Structure are the Font, which confifts of black Marble; the Afcent to the Choir, the Bishop's Throne, the Stalls of the Prebendaries, the Afcent to the Altar, the Altar Piece, efteemed by much the nobleft in Engl. and the great E. Window curiously painted: There are befides the Cathedral 6 other Churches. The City is almoft furrounded by a Wall, and plentifully fupplied with Water. The Hofpital of St. Crofs, founded by Bishop Blois, is worth the Obfervation of the curious; where D there there is Provifion made for the comfortable Subfiftance of 12 decayed Gentlemen or Tradesmen. Here is a College founded by William of Wickham; befides feveral public Schools for Promotion of Knowledge; and an Hofpital built and endowed in 1672, by Bifhop Morley, for 10 Clergymen's Widows. The Roman Highway leads from this City to Alton, and thence, as fuppofed, to Lond. The Plains and Downs about this City render it pleasant and healthful, notwithstanding it lies in a Bottom. The River Itching, which runs on the Borders of it, is made navigable from Southampton to this City. Beyond the River Eaftward is a high Hill, called St. Giles's, where is a very large Fair for Cheefe; and on that called Maudlin Hill, a fmall Distance from thence, a Fair on the 24th of O. efteemed the largest One-Day Fair in England. Among the feveral elegant Buildings of this City, the royal and Bishop's Palaces, the Affize Hall, and Council Houfe, merit Attention. The royal Palace was begun by King Charles II. but Death prevented his finishing the Structure, nor has any Monarch fince refumed the Work, fo that it is now almost in Ruins. Southampton, 12 M. from Winchester, 78 from Lond. ftands between two large Rivers, the Itching on the E. and the Tefe on the W. that fall here into that called Southampton Water. It has a Wall almoft all round it of a hard Kind of Stone. The chief Street is one of the broadeft and longeft in England; it has one large Key, and one other called Weft Key, where the Guernsey and Jersey Veffels always anchor, with which Islands they carry on a confiderable Trade. There are feveral curious Springs about the Town, and Conduits which supply the Inhabitants with Water. Portsmouth, 73 M. from Lond. the great Key of England, is regularly fortified, and ftands at the Entrance of a Creck, on the Ifland of Portfea. It is alfo defended by South-Sea Caftle, Blockhoufe Castle, and a Chain that goes across the Harbour from the round Tower to the oppofite Shore. This is the narrowest Point of En trance trance to a large and fafe Harbour. The Dock Yard is as convenient as can be imagined. capable of docking 25 or 30 Ships in a Fortnight: In the Dock is likewife a royal Academy. The Common, as it is called, is the Residence chiefly of the Artificers and Officers of the Dock; but at this Time has more Houses and Inhabitants than the Town itself. All Kinds of Provifion, Lodging, &c. are exceffive dear during the Time of War. Befides the Chapel, there is one very magnificent Church, having on the Top of its Steeple a Ship for a Weather-Cock: Here is a large Gun Wharf deferving Notice. and indeed all public Offices are adapted to render it a compleat naval Magazine. Petersfield, 55 M. from Lond. is a populous Town in a pleafant fruitful Soil, and accommodated with many good Inns; feveral Gentlemen alfo refide here, it being fituated in the Midst of a fine woody Country. Stockbridge, 6 M. from Andover, 69 from Lond, is a Borough, and a thoroughfare Town, with fome good Inns in the S. W. Road from Lond. Chrift Church, is a large populous Borough, at the Conflux of the River Avon with the Stowre from Dorfetfhire; is 101 M. from Lond. Its chief Manufactures are Silk Stockings and Gloves. Limington, 85 M. from Lond, is a fmall Sea-Port Town, remarkable for large convenient Salterns, and Brick-Kilns. It lies oppofite to the Weft End of the Ifle of Wight near the Needles. Whitchurch, 58 M. from Lond. though a fmall Town, is pleasantly fituated on the Skirts of the Foreft of Chute. Its principal Trade is in Shalloons, Serges, and other Articles in the Woollen Manufactory. The great W. Road from Bafing-ftoke is through this Town. Andover, 16 M. from Bafing-floke, 66 from Lond. a large, handfome, well-built, and populous; pleasantly fituated on the Side of the Downs, which makes it as healthy as it is delightful. "Tis a great malting Town, and its chief Manufacture is Shalloons. On the W. of it is a Village, at the Beginning of Salisbury Plain, called Wey-Hill, which, though containing only a defolate D 2 Church Church on a rifing Ground, and a few ftraggling Houses, is remarkable for one of the largest Fairs in England, for Hops, Cheese, and Sheep. Ringwood, 97 M. from Lond. is a large thriving Place, full of good Brick Houfes, on the River Avon; ftands in a Valley, well watered by the Streams, into which the River here divides itself, and frequently overflows great Part of the adjoining Meadow. The New Foreft, on the E. Side of the River Avon,«‹ is a Name given about 700 Years ago by William the Conqueror, to a large Tract of Land in this County, of near 30 M. in Circumference, which had many Villages and Towns in it, and no less than 36 Mother, Churches: All which this inhuman Tyrant destroyed, and turned the whole into a Forest. W. Rufus was killed here. Hurt Cafle, or rather a Block House, built by King Henry VIII. for Defence of the New Foreft, which had lain feveral Ages open and expofed to a foreign Enemy, ftands on a fmall Neck of Land, which runs from Milford 2 M. into the Sea, and makes the fhort Paffage called the Needles. 'Tis join'd to the Terra firma by a narrow Neck of Land, against which the Sea beats with prodigious Violence, efpecially in Spring Tides and ftormy Weather. The Caftle, which commands the Sea on every Side, has very thick Stone Walls with regular Platforms, mounted with Ordnance. Calfhot Castle, fome M. to the N. E. of Hurft Castle, over against Corus in the Isle of Wight, has also a small Garrison, and a commodious Harbour. It was built by Henry VIII. to defend the Entrance into what is called Southampton Water. Rumfey, 79 M. from Lond. on the River Tefe, is a pretty farge, as well as ancient Town, in the Road between Southampton and Salisbury; very delightfully fituated, with Woods, Meadows, Hills, Corn Fields, and Rivulets, around it. The Church is very magnificent, arched with Stone in the Form of a Crofs, and has femicircular Chapels in the upper Angles. In the old Church (which was formerly a Nunnery, founded by King Ed gar |