70 LONDON PARKS & GARDENS 



skirts, thick boots, and warm or mackintosh coats. It 

 must have been much more distressing in the days of 

 powdered hair, picture hats, and flimsy garments. No 

 wonder M. Grosley was astounded at the persistence 

 of the poor draggled ladies. 



All foreign visitors to London naturally went to 

 see the Mall. Here is the account of a German baron, 

 describing the man of the world : " He rises late, dresses 

 himself in a frock (close-fitting garment, without pockets, 

 and with narrow sleeves), leaves his sword at home, takes 

 his cane, and goes where he likes. Generally he takes 

 his promenade in the Park, for that is the exchange 

 for the men of quality. 'Tis such another place as the 

 Garden of the Tuileries in Paris, only the Park has a 

 certain beauty of simplicity which cannot be described. 

 The grand walk is called the Mall. It is full of people 

 at all hours of the day, but especially in the morning 

 and evening, when their Majesties often walk there, with 

 the royal family, who are attended only by half-a-dozen 

 Yeomen of the Guard, and permit all persons to walk at 

 the same time with them." 



A writer in 1727, waxing eloquent on the charms 

 of the Park, gives up the task of describing it, as " the 

 beauty of the Mall in summer is almost past description." 

 " What can be more glorious than to view the body of 

 the nobility of our three kingdoms in so short a compass, 

 especially when freed from mixed crowds of saucy fops 

 and city gentry .? " But more often the company was 

 very mixed, and manners peculiar. This brilliant and 

 motley assembly indulged in all kinds of amusements. 

 Even the grandest frequenters afforded diversion some- 

 times to the " saucy fops." Wrestling matches between 

 various courtiers attracted crowds, or a race such as 



