The Merry Past 



state, to the Earl of Coventry. The agreement was 

 that he should produce the bills of what he had paid 

 for the work, so far as it had gone. This the Earl 

 repaid him, and then finished it himself, and called it 

 Coventry House. The price that Lord Coventry 

 paid for it, in its unfinished state, was ten thousand 

 pounds — a fact which shows the moderate expense 

 of building in those days. It may be added that this 

 house is now the St. James's Club. 



Apsley House was erected from the same idea as 

 the other mansions which have been mentioned. 



Lord Apsley, afterwards Earl Bathurst, when he 

 was Chancellor, procured a gift from his royal master 

 of a piece of ground within Hyde Park, being de- 

 termined that his residence should be the last mansion 

 of the town on that side. 



It should be mentioned that till 1825 there was a 

 toll-gate at Hyde Park Corner, and near Jiere once 

 was the inn known as " Hercules' Pillars," where 

 Squire Western is described as having alighted on his 

 visits to London. The tavern in question stood near 

 the site of Apsley House, and in its day marked the 

 extreme West End of London. The exact situation 

 of this inn was probably between the present Apsley 

 House and Hamilton Place. 



After Apsley House was finished, it is said that 

 King George the Third called upon his Chancellor 

 and desired to see the new building. After he had 

 gone over it. His Majesty turned to the Chancellor 

 and wished him joy of his promotion. The noble 

 lord, not having had notice of anything of that sort, 



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