226 
was there again in 1692. In 1702 she succeeded to the Crown 
and her first excursion as Queen was to her old quarters at Bath. 
This visit is not unknown, although not recorded in local histories, 
but to make this narrative complete, it must be just touched upon. 
Now at last, like Bristol in earlier days, the visit and reception 
are recorded in pamphlet form — 
The famous Progress, or Her Majesty’s Royal Journey to the Bath 
and happy return. With the most remarkable particulars of her royal 
entertainment at Oxford and glorious, triumphant reception at Bath 
and all other places going and coming thence ; her liberal bounty to 
the poor and touching many of the Evil; as also how 200 virgins 
clothed in white met the Queen with bows and arrows by their sides , 
with the numbers of shepherds that met her Majesty in her return 
with their croks and tarboxes, singing and playing on pipes of reeds, 
&e. ; as also a great number of spinners with their country wheels 
dancing and singing by her Majesty’s coach and how the Queen was 
graciously pleased to reward them with her charitable bounty. To 
which is added several ingenious poems and verses spoken to her 
Majesty at Oxford, &c., by persons of great quality with her Majesty’s 
gracious speech to the University. 
All this title for eight small pages of letterpress. Generally 
then, coming from Oxford on the 27th to Cirencester, where she 
slept, and next day by Badminton, where she dined, the Queen 
arrived at Bath about eight o’clock in the evening of Friday 28th 
August. On Lansdown she was met by Samuel Rodbert, Esq., 
the sheriff of Somerset, with a splendid train, and so descended to 
Hide Park within half a mile of the city. Hide or Hyde Park 
was “the first place appropriated for taking the air and exercise 
“ in coaches or on horseback,” and was ‘‘a small ring in imitation 
“of the ring in Hyde Park near London.” It was ‘‘six hundred 
yards in circumference, almost upon a level, upon a gravelly soil, 
highly situated, defended from the winds,” and was “ part of the 
Town Common.”* Here she was met by a great number of 
citizens clad as Grenadiers, and by two hundred virgins divided 
* Wood’s Hist. of Bath, pp. 439, 440. 
