REGENT'S PARK 93 



with groves, lakes, and villas, . . . while through the 

 place there is a winding road, which commands at 

 every turn some fresh feature of an extensive country 

 prospect." This enthusiast winds up by saying, " We 

 do not envy the apathy of the Englishman who can 

 walk through these splendid piles without feeling his 

 heart swell with national pride." We may smile at such 

 high-sounding language, but, after all, it was an innocent 

 form for national pride to take. 



The special feature which the plan of the Park em- 

 braced, was the villas, standing in their own pleasure 

 grounds. These were all built in the same Grecian style 

 — most of them designed by Decimus Burton, who was 

 also the architect of Cornwall Terrace, the only one not 

 by Nash. St. Dunstan's Villa, now belonging to Lord 

 Aldenham, and containing his precious library, was his 

 work. It was built by the Marquis of Hertford, and 

 the name is taken from the two giant wooden figures of 

 Gog and Magog, which formerly stood by St. Dunstan's 

 Church in Fleet Street. They had been placed there in 

 1 67 1, and struck the hours on a large clock (the work 

 of Thomas Harrys), one of the curiosities of the City. 

 It was with reference to them that Cowper's lines on a 

 feeble, uninspired poet were written : — 



"When Labour and when Dullness, club in hand, 

 Like the two figures of St. Dunstan's stand, 

 Beating alternately, in measured time, 

 The clock-work tintinabulum of rhyme, 

 Exact and regular the sounds will be, 

 But such mere quarter strokes are not for me." 



Lord Hertford used to be taken to see them as a 

 child, and had a child's longing to possess the monsters. 

 Unlike most childish dreams, he was able, when the 



