IN QUEEN ANNE'S TIME 55 appearance of the Park in the time of Queen Anne in his romance, St James's, where he says: "Well may we be proud of Hyde Park, for no capital but our own can boast aught like it. The sylvan and sequestered character of the scene was wholly undisturbed, and, but for the actual knowledge of the fact, no one would have dreamed that the Metropolis was within a mile's distance. Screened by the trees, the mighty city was completely hidden from view, while on the Kensington road, visible through the glade which looked towards the south-west, not a house was to be seen. To add to the secluded character of the place, a herd of noble red deer were couching beneath an oak, that crowned a gentle acclivity on the right, and a flock of rooks were cawing loudly on the summits of the high trees near Kensington Gardens." A proposal was made by Sir John Soane to erect a royal palace in the Park. Mr Larwood tells us that the idea was to build a palace and a series of magnificent mansions, the sale of which was estimated to supply the whole cost of building. This palace and these houses were to extend from Knightsbridge to Bayswater. Reverting for a moment to the "Ring," where 56 FAMILIAR LONDON the "quality" of the town displayed themselves and their coaches, we notice an amusing scrap in Southerne's play, The Maid's Last Prayer (1693). Lady Malapert says, "There are a thousand innocent diversions more wholesome and diverting than always the dusty mill-horse driving in Hyde Park." Her husband answers, 66 Oh, law! don't prophane Hyde Park: is there anything so pleasant as to go there alone and find fault with the company? Why, there can't a horse or livery 'scape a man that has a mind to be witty; and then I sell bargains [i.e., 'chaff'] to the orange-women." What refined amusement, and what delicacy! From 1569, when Elizabeth's pensioners appeared before her, until quite recent days Hyde Park has been used for military reviews. In October 1760 King George II. held his last review. He had been ailing for some few days, and in two days more the brave old man was dead. Many a duel has been fought here. In the time of Charles II. and James II. the duel mania was at its height. The Duke of Grafton killed Mr Stanley, Evelyn tells us; and on the 15th of November 1782 there was the celebrated combat between Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton. |