THE LIFE OF

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S E C T. X.

A Catalogue and soort Description os the Surveyors Desgns ofBuildings , in the Service of the Crown.

I. /GENERAL Plan of the Situation, with the Plan and Orthography of0 s the royal Palace at the City of Winchejlcr (the Venta Belgarum of theRowans, a military Station, the Seat of the Wejl Saxon Kings.)

This Palace was begun by the Commands of King Charles the Second,

(March 23, 1683) and prosecuted with that Expedition, that the greatest Partwas covered in, and finished, as to the Shell, before the King’s Decease, Fe-bruary 1684-5. It extends to the West 326 Feet, to the South 216 Feet.

“ There was particularly intended a large Cupola, 30 Feet above the Roof, CamdenV Fri." which would have been seen a great Way to the Sea; and also a regular tannia, If*“ Street of handsome Houses, leading in a direct Line down the Hill, from the P- > 4 --

" Front of the Palace to the West-gate of the Cathedral; for which, and for" the Parks, the Ground was procuredand Preparations made for proper Plan-tations, a necessary Ornament for that open Situation. The Surveyor had pro-jected also to have brought from the Downs a River through the Park, whichwould have formed a Cascade of 30 Feet Fall. The whole Disposition of thisPalace was such, as made it esteemed by the best Judges an excellent Model ofa Royal-hunting-seat. In this Place, (where probably had been the RomanPrcetorium) “ stood an ancient Castle, which had been often besieged, but< c never so straitly, as when Maud the Empress maintained it against King" Stephen. In digging for the new Foundations, were discovered divers Roman" and Saxon Antiquities, as Coins of Conftantine the Great, and others;—a Brick“ Pavement of the tessellated Work ; a round * J 3 rafs Seal, with a Head en- # p enes Col-ic graved, and this Inscription in Saxon Characters, lcctorem.

SIGILLUCR S6CR6TI. . Gfr,

From a Tourney through England. zv.ir. p.z

Loud. 1722.

K ING Charles the second taking a Liking to the Situation of Winchester,by reason of the Deliciousness of the Country for all manner of CountrySports, set Sir Christopher Wren, that great Architect, (who had the Honour ofmaking the Plan of St. Paul’s Church in London, laying the first Stone, andliving to fee it finished) to make a Plan for a Royal Palace where the old Castlestood; and King Charles was so fond of it, and forwarded it with so much Di-ligence, that the whole Cafe of the Palace was roofed, and near finished, whenthat Prince died. It will be. the finest Palace in England, when finished, andinferior to few abroad. It fronts the City to the East, by a noble Area betweentwo Wings. The Marble Pillars sent by the Duke of Fuse any, for supportingthe Portico of the great Stair-case, lie half buried in the Ground. The Stair-case carries up to the great Guard-hall, from whence you enter into sixteen spa-cious Rooms on each Wing, nine of which make a Suite to the End of eachWing. There are also two Entries under the Middle of each Wing, to theSouth and North, above which are to be two Cupola’s; and the Front to theIPest extends 326 Feet, in the Middle of which is another Gate, with a^Cupolato be also over it. Under the great Apartment, on each Side from the Ground,

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