SQUARES 221 



Squares in the new quarters of London, being cast in 

 brass or copper, have nothing remarkable in them but 

 their lustre ; they are doubtless kept in repair, cleaned 

 and rubbed with as much care as the larger knockers at 

 gentlemen's doors, which are of similar metal." The 

 usual plan now is to place the statue facing the street, 

 where a background of green shows it off to the 

 passer-by. Thus Lord George Bentinck is prominent 

 in Cavendish Square, from which the equestrian central 

 statue of the Duke of Cumberland has gone ; and from 

 Hanover Square, built about the same time as Cavendish 

 (between 1717-20), Chantrey's statue of Pitt gazes 

 down towards St. George's Church. In Grosvenor 

 Square no statue has replaced the central one of 

 George I. by Von Nost, which was placed there in 1726, 

 and is described by Maitland as a " stately gilt equestrian 

 statue." This Square is older than the two last men- 

 tioned, having been built in 1695. In those days each 

 of the spacious houses had its large garden at the back, 

 with a view of the country away to Hampstead and 

 Highgate. The garden was designed by Kent, but a plan 

 of it about 1750 shows a considerable difference between 

 the arrangements then and now, although some details 

 are the same. The raised square of grass in the centre 

 where the statue stood has now a large, octagonal, covered 

 seat, apparently formed with the old pedestal. The 

 walk round and the four wide paths to the centre are 

 retained, but the smaller intersecting paths are replaced 

 by lawns on which grow some fine old elms. The rail- 

 ings with stone piers and handsome gates, shown in the 

 engraving, have given place to much less ornamental 

 iron rails. 



Manchester Square is of later date. It was an open 



