fchool is divided into upper and lower, and each of thefe into three claffes. To each chool 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 M. F. L. Here a fpring breaks out in feveral different spots, and becomes the head of a fine ftream, called the Malden, that falls into the Thames at Kingston. Here is the feat of Sir George Glyn, Bart.

F.

AIRY HILL, the villa and beautiful plantations of
Earl Bathurst, near Eltham in Kent.

FA

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

FINCHLEY, a village, in Middlesex, which gives name to a fine common, feven M. F. L. 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. See Shenfield.

FOOT's-CRAY-PLACE, 12 M. F. L. in the road to Maidstone, was built by Bouchier Cleve, Efq. a pewterer of Cheapfide, after a design of Palladio. It became the property of Sir George Yonge, who married Mr. Cleve's daughter, and was fold, for less 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 stone, stands on a rifing ground, with a gradual defcent to the water, which from, the house, appears to be a small river gliding through the whole length of the ground; and in that part of the water oppofite to the house, is a fine cascade conftantly flowing out of it: but this water which appears to be fuch a pretty natural stream, is an artificial one brought from the river Cray,.

FROGMORE, a village in Berks, near Windfor. A house here, formerly the refidence of the Earl of Pomfret, is now the Queen's Dairy; and oppofite to this, on the

other.

other fide of the road, her majesty has a farm; near which is the feat of the Hon. Ariana Margaret Egerton.

FULHAM, a village, four M. F. L. oppofite Putney, has been the demefne of the Bps. of London, ever fince the Conqueft; and here they have a palace. Here likewise are the handsome villas of Philip Stephens, Efq. Mr. Woodcock, and Mifs Chauncey.

G

GATTON, in Surry, 19 M. F. L. in the road to Rye

gate has fent members to Parliament ever fince Henry VI, and was formerly a populous place, but is now a mean village. The members are returned by its conftable, annually chofen at the Lord of the Manor's court. Upper Gatton is the feat of Mark Currie, Efq. and Gatton Park, with the fole property of the borough, belongs to Robert Ladbroke, Efq. Near Gatton Park is Ladbroke House, the feat of Richard Ladbroke, Efq. Gatton is famous for a quarry of white ftone, which, though very foft, will endure the fire admirably well, but neither the fun nor the air; on which account it is much ufed for glafs-houses, and by chemifts and bakers.

GIDEA HALL was an ancient feat, near Rumford, 12 M. F. L. It was begun by Sir Thomas Cooke, who obtained a licence from Edward IV, to make here a park and castle; but being feverely fined, and his houfe plundered, on a charge of treafon, for refufing to lend money for the ufe of the house of Lancaster, he left it unfinished at his death in 1478. Sir Anthony, his grandfon, one of the preceptors of Edward VI, finished it in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; whom he had the honour of entertaining here in 1568.* Mary de Medicis was lodged here,

in

*This Sir Anthony Cooke was particularly fortunate in his four daughters, who were all eminent for their great literary attainments. Mildred, the eldest, was above forty-two years the wife of that great statesman William Cecil Lord Burleigh. She was learned in the Greek tongue, and wrote a letter in that language, to the univerfity of Cambridge. She had, moreover, great political talents; was a patronefs of literature; and diftinguished for her numerous charities. Anne, the fe

cond,

in 1637. In the beginning of the present century, this venerable place was purchafed by Sir John Eyles, bart. who took down the old manfion and built the present ftructure, which he fold, in 1745, to Govenor Benyon, whofe fon, Richard Benyon, Efq. is the prefent proprietor. The house has been raifed, enlarged, and repaired by Mr. Benyon, who has much improved the grounds by extensive plantations, and a fine piece of water, which the great road croffes, over a bridge of three elliptic arches defigned by Mr. Wyatt.

GOBIONS, in the parish of North Mims, took its name from the family of the Gobions, its ancient lords. It was afterward the feat of Lady More, mother-in-law of that illuftrious character Sir Thomas More; on whose execution it was wrefted from her by the tyrant Henry, notwithstanding it was her jointure from her first hufband. This venerable manfion, once famous for its fine gardens in the ancient tafte, is now the property of John Hunter Efq. an East India Director, who has here devoted his principal attention to tillage and grazing. His teams and ploughs are drawn by oxen, which is a great fingularity in this country.

cond, was the fecond wife of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper, and mother of the great Lord St. Alban's. This lady, who was eminently fkilled in Greek, Latin, and Italian, had the honour of being appointed governess to King Edward VI. To her inftructions was probably owing the surprising knowledge of that excellent young prince. Her fons Anthony and Francis were not a little indebted, for the reputation they acquired, to the pains taken with them, by this excellent woman, in their tender years. When they grew up, they found in her a fevere, but admirable monitor. She tranflated from the Italian, the Sermons of Barnardine Ochine; and, from the Latin, Bifhop Jewel's Apology for the Church of England; both which met with the highest applause. Elizabeth, the third, was equally happy in improving the advantages conferred upon her; for fuch was her progrefs in the learned languages, that the gained the applaufe of the moft eminent fcholars of the age. She was first the wife of Sir Thomas Hobby, ambaffador to France ;. and, afterward, of John lord Ruffel, fon and heir of Francis Ruffel, Earl of Bedford. For the tombs of both her husbands, the wrote epitaphs in Greek, Latin, and English. Catherine, the fourth, married to Sir Henry Killegrew, was famous for her knowledge in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin tongues, and for her skill in poetry. She was buried in the chancel of the church of St. Thomas the Apoftie, in Vintry Ward, London, where there is an elegant monument erected to her me→ mory, with an infcription compofed by herself.

GODSTONE, a village in Surry, in the road to Lewes, 19 M. F. L. has its name from its excellent ftone quarries. See Marden.

GORHAMBURY, near St. Alban's, a manor, which anciently belonged to the church of that place, was granted at the diffolution, to Sir Ralph Rowlet, who fold it to Sir Nicholas Bacon, the great and good Lord Keeper, who built the late magnificent fpecimen of ancient architecture now demolished, and adorned it with gardens, which, in those days, were very famous. Sir Nicholas was fucceeded here by his fon Anthony, at whofe death, it devolved on that glory of our country, Sir Francis Bacon Viscount St. Alban's, whofe matchlefs talents, deplorable weakneffes, and merited fall, have been the subject of fo many able pens. Foreseeing his fall, this great man conveyed the estate to his faithful secretary Sir Thomas Meautys, from whofe heirs it paffed by fale to Sir Harbottle Grimfton, bart. ancestor of the prefent proprietor, James Viscount Grimfton of Ireland, and Lord Verulam of Great Britain.

Here, in 1577, Queen Elizabeth was entertained by Sir Nicholas Bacon, from Saturday May 18, to the Wednesday following, at the expence of 5771. 6s. 71d. befide. 15 bucks and 2 ftags. Among the dainties of the feathered kind, enumerated in this entertainment, we ob ferve herons, bitterns, godwittes, dotterns, fhovelers, curlews, and knots; and it may not be improper to add, that in Mr. Nichols' relation to her majesty's vifit to Cowdry, in Suffex, where fhe fpent fome days, we find " the proportion of breakfaft was three oxen and 140 geese !"

Mr. Horace Walpole complimented the late proprietor on his good taste in preferving the venerable manfion honoured by the vifits of Elizabeth, and the refidence of the great Lord St. Alban's. But, alas! we may apply to Fashion what the Poet fays of Love," Omnia vincit Amor, & nos cedamus Amori." The modern Gorhambury was built by the prefent Lord Grimston.

GRAVESEND, in Kent, the firft port on the Thames, 22 M. F. L. The parishes of Gravefend and Milton were incorporated by Queen Elizabeth, and are governed by a Mayor, 12 Jurats, and 24 Common Councilmen. It

has

has a market every Wednesday and Saturday. The manor of Gravefend being in the poffeffion of the Abbot of St. Mary le Grace, of Tower Hill, he obtained of Richard II, a grant to the men of Gravefend and Milton of the exclufive privilege of conveying paffengers to London, on condition that they fhould provide boats, and carry all perfons, at two pence per head, or the whole boat's fare at four fhillings. They ftill enjoy this privilege; but the fare is now nine-pence each. The boats depart on the ringing of a bell a quarter of an hour: they go to London with every flood, and return from Billingfgate with every ebb. Coaches attend the arrival of the boats, to convey paffengers to Rochefter, &c. at 1s. 6d. each.

In 1727 the church and great part of the town were confumed by fire. Soon after, the prefent church was erected, to the expence of which George II contributed liberally. The town-houfe was erected in 1764. In 1772 an act was obtained for new paving and lighting the Atreets.

GREENHITHE, in Kent, a hamlet of Swanfcombe, on the Thames, has a horfe ferry to Weft Thurrock, in Essex. Great quantities of lime are conveyed hence to London, for building; and not only the farmers on the Effex coaft, but coafting veffels alfo, from different parts of the kingdom, frequently take in here a freight of chalk. Extraneous foffils are frequently found imbedded in the chalk.

GREENSTED, a village near Ongar, remarkable for its ancient little church, a plate of which is engraved by the fociety of Antiquaries, Vol. II. Plate VII. Its walls are formed of the folid trunks of trees placed in rows, and seem calculated to endure for ages more, though anterior to the Conqueft.

GREENWICH, a village in Kent, 4 M. F. L. was the birth-place of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth: and here Edward VI died. A palace, erected here by Humphry Duke of Gloucefter, who named it Placentia, was enlarged by Henry VII, and completed by Henry VIII; but being afterward fuffered to run to ruin, was pulled down by Charles II, who began a magnificent edifice, and lived to see the firft wing finished. He alfo enlarged the park, walled it round, planted it, and erected a royal ob fervatory