ST. JAMES'S & GREEN PARKS 79 



verted a Dutch canal into a fine flowing river, with 

 incurvated banks, terminated at one end by a planted 

 island and at the other by a peninsula." A permanent 

 bridge was first made across the water about this time. 

 Previously a temporary one had been made when the 

 Allied Sovereigns visited London in 18 14 — a kind of 

 Chinese design by Nash, surmounted by a pagoda of 

 seven storeys. It was this flimsy edifice which made 

 Canova say the thing that struck him most in England 

 was that Waterloo Bridge was the work of a private 

 company, while this bridge was put up by the Govern- 

 ment. It was on the canal in St. James's Park that skates 

 of a modern type first appeared in London. Bone ones 

 were in use much earlier on Moorfields. Both Evelyn and 

 Pepys saw the new pattern first in the Park in 1662. 

 Two years later Pepys notes going to the canal with the 

 Duke of York, " where, though the ice was broken and 

 dangerous, yet he would go slide upon his scates, which 

 I did not like, but he slides very well." Just before the 

 alterations began, and the complete change of the canal 

 was taken in hand, the Park was lighted with gas lamps, 

 an innovation which caused much excitement. At the 

 same time orders were issued to shut the gates by ten 

 every evening. A wit on this occasion wrote the follow- 

 ing lines, which were found stuck up on a tree : — 



*' The trees in the Park 



Are illumined with gas, 

 But after it's dark 



No creatures can pass. 



<' Ye sensible wights 



Who govern our fates, 

 Extinguish your lights 

 Or open your gates." 



