he parted with South Lodge, the succeeding proprietor greatly neglected it; but the late Mr. Alderman Skinner, who afterward purchased it, restored this delightful spot to its former beauty. The plantations, which are well wooded, are laid out with great taste, and adorned with two fine pieces of water; the views across which, from different parts of the grounds, into Epping Forest, are rich and extensive. It was lately purchased by Mr. Gundry. SOUTHWEALD, a village near Brentwood, where is the handsome house of Christopher Tower, Esq. in whose park is a lofty building, upon an elevated point, that commands an extensive prospect.

SPENCER GROVE, the beautiful villa of Miss Hotham, delightfully situate on the Thames, at Twickenham. It was fitted up with great elegance by Lady Diana Beauclerk, who decorated several of the rooms herself, with her own paintings of flowers. It was afterward the residence of the late Lady Bridget Tollemache.

SPRING GROVE, at Smallberry Green, near Hounslow, the neat villa of Sir Joseph Banks, Bart., who is President of the Royal Society, and who accompanied Captain Cooke in one of his voyages round the world.

STAINES, a market-town in Middlesex, 16 miles from London. An elegant stone bridge has been built here, from a design by Thomas Sandby, Esq. R. A. It consists of three elliptic arches; that in the centre 60 feet wide; the others 52 feet each. One or two of the piers having sunk, the opening of this bridge was retarded for some time. At some distance, above this bridge, at Coln Ditch, stands London Mark Stone, the ancient boundary to the jurisdiction of the city of London on the Thames. On a moulding round the upper part, is inscribed "God preserve the city of London. A. D. 1280 !"

STAMFORD HILL, the upper part of Clapton, where are many well built houses raised on an eminence, and whence is a pleasing prospect of the adjacent country.

STANMORE, GREAT, a village in Middlesex, ten miles from London, in the road to Watford. Here is the seat of James Forbes, Esq. built by the first Duke of Chandos, for the residence of his Duchess, in case she had survived him. Mr. Forbes enlarged it, and has greatly improved the gardens, in which he has erected a small octagon temple, containing groups of figures, in Oriental sculpture, presented to him by the Brahmins of Hindos

tan, as a grateful acknowledgment of his benevolent attention to their happiness, during a long residence among them. They are ancient, and the only specimens of the Hindoo sculpture in this island. In the gardens is also an elegant structure, containing a cenotaph, inscribed to the memory of a deceased friend; and here is a rustic bridge, part of which is composed of a few fragments of a large Roman watch tower, which once stood upon the hill.

The villa of George Heming, Esq. in this place was originally a pavilion, consisting only of a noble banqueting-room, with proper culinary offices, and was built by the first Duke of Chandos, for the reception of such of his friends as were fond of bowling; a spacious green having been likewise formed for that amusement. See Belmont and Bentley Priory.

The church, rebuilt on the present more convenient spot, in 1633, is a brick structure; and the tower is covered by a remarkable large and beautiful stem of ivy. The situation of the old church is marked by a flat tombstone, which has been lately planted round with firs. The inhabitants had been long accustomed to fetch all their water from a large reservoir on the top of the hill; but a well was dug in the village, in 1791, and water was found at the depth of 150 feet. Upon this hill is Stanmore Common, which is so elevated, that the ground-floor of one of the houses upon it is said to be on a level with the battlements of the tower of Harrow church; and some high trees on the Common are a landmark from the German Ocean.

STANMORE, LITTLE. See Whitchurch.

STANSTED ABBOTS, a village of Hertfordshire, once a flourishing borough, above two miles south-east of Ware, near the river Stort. Stansted Bury, in this parish, is the seat of Mr. Porter.

STANWELL, a village in Middlesex, two miles from Staines. In this parish is Stanwell Place, the seat of Sir William Gibbons, Bart. It is a flat situation, but commands plenty of wood and water.

STEPNEY, a village near London, whose parish was of such extent, and so increased in buildings, as to produce the parishes of St. Mary Stratford, at Bow; St. Mary, Whitechapel; St. Anne, Limehouse; St. John, Wapping; St. Paul, Shadwell; St. George in the East; Christ

Church, Spitalfields; and St. Matthew, Bethnal Green; and it contains the hamlets of Mile-End Old Town, MileEnd New Town, Ratcliff, and Poplar.

On the east side of the portico of the church, leading up to the gallery, is a stone, with this inscription :

Of Carthage great I was a stone,
O mortals, read with pity!
Time consumes all, it spareth none,
Men, mountains, towns, nor city:
Therefore, O mortals! all bethink
You whereunto you must,

Since now such stately buildings
Lie buried in the dust!

The hamlet of Ratcliff, which lies in the western division of this parish, contained 1150 houses, of which 455, with 36 warehouses, were destroyed by a dreadful fire, on the 23d of July, 1794. Tents were fixed in a walled field belonging to the Quakers, for the immediate accommodation of the poor inhabitants; and active subscriptions were set on foot for their more effectual relief. At the gate of the camp, and at the different avenues to the ruins, donations were received to the amount of 4707. nearly, in half-pence only; including these, the whole amount of the subscriptions was nearly 17,0007.; and such was the liberality of the public, that the hand of charity was stopped long before it would have ceased to contribute, by an intimation from the managers, that this sum was fully adequate to the relief of the poor sufferers. How honourable to British humanity!

STOCKWELL, a village in Surry, in the parish of Lambeth. Here is a neat chapel of ease, to which Abp. Secker contributed 500l. On the site of the ancient manorhouse, a handsome villa has been erected by Bryant Barrett, Esq. one of the proprietors of Vauxhall Gardens. Part of the ancient offices are still standing; but Mr. Lysons says, that the tradition of its having been the propeity of Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, is without foundation, as, in his time, it belonged to Sir John Leigh, the younger.

STOKE, a village in Bucks, 21 miles from London, called also Stoke Poges, from its ancient lords, named Poges. Edward Lord Loughborough founded here an

hospital, with a chapel in which he himself was interred. Henry, third Earl of Huntingdon, is supposed to have erected the mansion in Stoke Park, afterward the seat of Lord Chancellor Hatton. Sir Edward Coke next resided here, and was visited, in 1601, by Queen Elizabeth, whom he sumptuously entertained, presenting her with jewels, &c. to the value of 10007, and here, in 1634, he died. It became afterward the seat of Anne Viscountess Cobham, on whose death it was purchased by Mr. Penn, one of the Jate proprietors of Pennsylvania. John Penn, Esq. his representative, took down the ancient mansion, and has erected a noble seat, in a more elevated situation. He has likewise rebuilt Lord Loughborough's hospital, on a more convenient spot. In Lady Cobham's time, Mr. Gray, whose aunt resided in the village, often visited Stoke Park, and, in 1747, it was the scene of his poem called, A Long Story; in which the style of building in Elizabeth's reign is admirably described, and the fantastic manners of her time delineated with equal truth and humour.

The church-yard, must ever be interesting, as the scene of our poet's celebrated elegy; and, at the east end of it, he is interred; but without even a stone to record his exit,

"And teach the rustic moralist to die!"

In this parish is the handsome seat of the late Field Marshal Sir George Howard, K. B.; and, at the west end of the village, the neat residence of the Rev. Dr. Browning.

STOKE D'ABERNON, a village seated on the river Mole, near Cobham. Here is a spacious mansion, the property of Sir Francis Vincent, and residence of Admiral Sir Richard Hughes, Bart. In this parish is a mineral spring. See Jessop's Well.

STRATFORD, 34 miles from London, the first village in Essex on crossing the Lea, at Bow Bridge, is in the parish of West Ham. At Maryland Point, in this hamlet, is Stratford House, where Lord Henniker has extensive gardens, though the house itself makes no figure. The village is straggling, but there are some good houses, and considerable gardens belonging to them.

STRATFORD BOW. See Bow.

STRAWBERRY HILL, near Twickenham, the villa of

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the late Earl of Orford (better known in the literary world, and often quoted in this work, as Mr. Horace Walpole) is situated on an eminence near the Thames. It was originally a small tenement, built, in 1698, by the Earl of Bradford's coachman, and let as a lodging-house. Colley Cibber was one of its first tenants, and there wrote his comedy, called The Refusal. It was afterward taken by the Marquis of Carnarvon, and other persons of cousequence, as an occasional summer residence. In 1747 it was purchased by Mr. Walpole, by whom this beautiful structure, formed from select parts of Gothic architecture in cathedrals, &c. was built, at different times. Great taste is displayed in the elegant embellishments of the edifice, and in the choice collection of pictures, sculptures, antiquities, and curiosities that adorn it; many of which have been purchased from some of the first cabinets in Europe. The approach to the house, through a grove of lofty trees; the embattled wall, overgrown with ivy; the spiry pinnacles, and gloomy cast of the building; give it the air of an ancient abbey, and fill the beholder with awe, especially on entering the gate, where a small oratory, inclosed with iron rails, and a cloister behind it, appear in the fore court.

On entering the house, we are led through a hall and passage, with painted glass windows, into the Great Parlour, in which are the portraits of Sir Robert Walpole, his two wives and children, and other family pictures; oue of which, by Reynolds, contains the portraits of the three Ladies Waldegrave, daughters of the Duchess of Gloucester. Here is likewise a conversation in small life, by Reynolds, one of his early productions; it represents Richard second Lord Edgecumbe, G. A. Selwyn, and G. J. Williams, Esq. The window has many pieces of stained glass, as have all the windows in every room. These add a richness to the rooms, which, particularly on a bright day, have a very good effect. The Gothic screens, niches, or chimney pieces, with which each room is likewise adorned, were designed, for the most part, by Mr. Walpole himself, or Mr. Bentley, and adapted with great taste to their respective situations.

To enter into a minute description of the valuable col lection in this villa, would much exceed our limits. Some of the most valuable articles we shall endeavour to point out, in the order in which they are shewn.