36 KEW GARDENS 



after the King's escape from assassination by a 

 mad woman, the road over Kew Green was 

 found crowded by all the inhabitants, "lame, 

 old, sick, blind, and infants," with a band of 

 musicians "who began God Save the King! 

 the moment they came on the Green, and 

 finished it with loud huzzas" a neighbourly 

 demonstration that moved the Queen to tear- 

 fully declaring, " I shall always love little Kew 

 for this." 



George succeeded to his mother's interest in 

 Kew Gardens, now enlarged and improved as will 

 be told in another chapter. He also carried on 

 a large home-farm that extended into the parish 

 of Mortlake, while the Old Deer Park was 

 turned into pasture for a flock of merino sheep 

 which he imported into England. The young 

 princes were brought up to the same tastes. 

 Before getting into their teens, the two eldest 

 had a plot of ground given them, where, a la 

 Sandford and Merton, they planted a crop of 

 corn, weeded, reaped, thrashed and ground it 

 with their own hands, and saw it made into 

 bread, of which the whole family duly partook. 

 Up till our own time was standing in Kew 

 Gardens a miniature structure said to have 



