HYDE PARK 29 



Anthony Dean, a ship-builder, for £^oio, 8s. 2d. This 

 business-like gentleman presumably reserved the use of 

 the timber for his ships, and let out the pasture. His 

 tenant proceeded to make as much as he could, and 

 levied a toll on all carriages coming into the Park. On 

 some occasions he extorted 2s. 6d. from each coach. In 

 1653 John Evelyn in his diary complains on April 11 

 that he "went to take the aire in Hide Park, when every 

 coach was made to pay a shilling, and every horse six- 

 pence, by the sordid fellow who had purchas'd it of the 

 State, as they were call'd." Cromwell himself was fond 

 of riding in the Park, and crowds thronged him as he 

 galloped round the Ring. More than one plot was made 

 against the life of Cromwell, and the Park was considered 

 a likely place in which to succeed. On one occasion the 

 would-be assassin joined the crowd, which pursued the 

 Protector during his ride, ready, if at any moment he 

 galloped beyond the people, to dash at him with a fatal 

 blow. The plotter had carefully filed the Park gate off 

 its hinges so as to make good his own escape. It is a 

 curious fact that Cromwell more nearly met his death in 

 Hyde Park by accident than by design. He was pre- 

 sented with some fine grey Friesland horses, by the Duke 

 of Holstein, and insisted on driving the spirited animals 

 himself. They bolted, he was thrown from the box, and 

 his pistol went off in his pocket, " though without any 

 hurt to himself" ! 



The Ring, where all these performances took place, was 

 situated to the north-east of where the Humane Society's 

 house, built in 1834, now stands, near the Serpentine. 

 There are a few remains of very large elm trees still to 

 be seen, which probably shaded some of the company 

 assembled to watch the coaches driving round and round 



