SQUARES 
241 
which he says was made by Aiglio, an eminent land¬ 
scape painter, in 1819. The arrangement is quite distinct 
from other squares—small paths, partly hidden by 
groups of bushes and larger trees, all round the edge, 
and from them twisting walks diverge towards the 
centre. At their meeting-point now stands a shell 
from the battle of Alma. The Square with its nice 
trees, standard hollies, and even a few conifers and 
carefully-planted beds, is further original in possessing 
a beadle. This gentleman, who lives in a delightful 
little house, with a portico in which the visitors to 
the Square can shelter from the rain, looks most im¬ 
posing in his uniform and gold-braided hat, and adds 
greatly to the old-world appearance of the place. It 
is sad to think the leases all fall in within the next 
few years, and this quaint personage and vast garden 
(it is 2 i acres) and funny little houses may all dis¬ 
appear from London. 
It is impossible in such a hasty glance to give 
more than a very faint sketch of the story of the 
squares, or a mere suggestion of the romance attached 
to them. Though the gardening in many leaves much 
to be desired, it is well to appreciate things as they 
are, and enjoy to the full the pleasure the sight of 
the huge planes in Berkeley or Bedford Squares, or 
Lincoln’s Inn Fields, can bring even to the harassed 
Londoner. When the sun shines through the large 
leaves, and the chequered light and shade play on the 
grass beneath, and sunbeams even light up the massive 
black stems, which defy the injurious fogs, they possess 
a soothing and refreshing power. They, indeed, add to 
the enjoyment, the health, and the beauty of London. 
Q 
