LON 
footfieps were earneft! y direfted towards London. The 
circutnffance exemplified that feature of modern manners 
which leads thoufands of thofe engaged in the aftive bu- 
finefstyf the metropolis to fieep and keep their families 
in the neighbouring villages. Thefe thoufands walk or 
ride thereiore every day to and from London at hours 
correfponding with the nature and urgency of their em¬ 
ployments. Before nine o’clock the various roads are co¬ 
vered with clerks belonging to the public offices, bankers’ 
and merchants’ clerks, who are obliged to be at their pofts 
at that hour.” It is well known that the bufinefs at the 
Bank commences at nine, and that a finall fine is levied 
upon every clerk who is not prefent within a few minutes 
after that time. A few years ago, thefe gentlemen pre- 
fented a memorial to Mr. Abraham Newland, to be laid 
before the directors, praying that an additional hour might 
be allowed them in the morning, at lead in the winter, 
“becaufe many of them flept out of town, and found it 
extremely difficult to get their breakfafts and arrive at the 
Bank fo early as nine o’clock.” But they were politely in¬ 
formed, in reply, that the public bufinels could not be im¬ 
peded, merely becaufe gentlemen whole employment was 
in town chole to live out of it.—“From nine till eleven, 
you fee fhop-keepers, dock-brokers, lawyers, and princi¬ 
pals in various edabliffiments, budling along with careful 
and anxious countenances, indicative of their various 
profpetffs and refponfibilities. At twelve, faunters along 
the man of wealth and eafe, going perhaps to look at his 
balances, orders, or remittances; and indicating the folly of 
wealth by his gouty legs, or cautious rheumatic dep. Such 
is the routine of the Park, through which no carriages are 
allowed to pafs; but other avenues into the metropolis 
prefent, through every forenoon, befides the lines of pe- 
dedrians, crowded dage-coaclies, private coaches, and 
chariots, numerous gigs and chaifes, and many equedri- 
ans. I amufed myfelf with a calculation of the probable 
number of perfons who thus every day, between eight and 
fix, pafs to and from London within a didance of feven 
miles. In the prefent route I concluded the numbers to 
be fomething like the following: 200 from Pimlico, 300 
from Chellea, 200 from the King’s Road and Sloane-dreet, 
50 from Fulham and Putney, and 50 from Batterfea and 
Wand (worth ; making 800 per day. If then there are 
twenty fuch avenues to the metropolis, it appears that the 
total of the regular ingrefs and egrefs will be 16,000 per¬ 
fons, of whom perhaps 8000 walk, 2000 arrive in public 
conveyances, and 6000 on horfeback, or in open or clofe 
private carriages ! Such a phenomenon is prefented no¬ 
where elfe in the world ; and it never can exid except in 
a city which unites the fame features of population, wealth, 
commerce, and varied employment, which belong to out- 
own vad metropolis. 
“ It concerned me to obferve that this Park prefents at 
this time a neglected appearance. The leats are old and 
without paint, and many vacancies exid in the lines of the 
trees. The railing round the centre is heavy and decayed ; 
and the appearance of every part is.unworthy of a metro¬ 
politan royal park, adjoining to the confiant refidence 
of the court. My heart ached, and the'tears darted from 
my eyes, as I brought to mind the crowds of beauty, rank, 
and faffiion, which till within thefe few years, uied to be 
difplayed in the centre Mall, on Sunday evenings during 
the fpring and fummer! How often in my youth had I 
been a delighted fpeflator of the enchanted and enchant¬ 
ing aflemblage ! Here uled to promenade, for one or two 
hours after dinner, the whole Britifii world of gaiety, beau¬ 
ty, and fplendour! Here could be feen in one moving 
mafs, extending the whole length of the Mall, ten thou- 
fand of the mod lovely women, in this country of female 
beauty, all fplendidly attired, and conipanied by as many 
well-dreded men ! What a change has time wrought in 
thefe once happy and cheerful perfonages ! How many of 
thole who on this fpot delighted my own eyes are now 
mouldering in the filent grave ? And how altered are all 
f he perfons, and perhaps the fortunes and feelings, of others 1 
DON. 
Alas, that gay and fafcinating fcene no longer continues! 
The change of manners has put an end to this unparalleled 
alfemblage, which alone was worth any facrifice. The din¬ 
ner-hour of four and five, among the great, having fhifted 
to the unhealthy hours of eight or nine, the walk after 
dinner, in the dinner full drels, is confequently lod. The 
prefent promenade, which is now fhifted to the Green Park, 
does not pofl’efs therefore the fplendour of high rank; and 
the morning aflemblage in Hyde Park, and Kenlington 
Gardens, though gay and impofing, has little fplendour 
of drefs, and loles the effedt produced by rank and diftin- 
guilhed character, owing to thole clalfes being fhut up in 
carriages. The modern cultom too of abandoning the 
metropolis for the fea-coaft, or the country, as Coon as the 
fine weather fets in, is another drawback from the fasci¬ 
nation and agreeablenels of thofe Sunday promenades. 
“ Thefe Parks may be denominated the lungs of the 
metropolis. They are ellential to the healthful refpiratioti 
of its inhabitants; they contribute to their innocent plea- 
lures; and, under a wife and benevolent adminiftration, 
they might be made to add greatly to the public happiwefs. 
It would be a fuitable homage of the government to the 
people, if the promenades were made as great a luxury as 
poffible; and particularly if the bands of the guards were 
to play in the Malls of St. James’s Park for two hours every 
evening, between Lady-day and Michaelmas. This would 
indicate a defire in the governors to contribute to the 
happinefs of the governed; and would make the former 
appear to tire latter in a more grateful character than as 
the mere afleflor of taxes, and as the organ of legal coer¬ 
cion.”—Thus far our friend Common Senfe ; who, it will 
be feen, cannot conclude without a touch of politics, and 
a fling at the “ powers that be.” We have jufl to men¬ 
tion, that the Mall, which proceeds between rows of lofty 
elms, chefnuts, and lime-trees, derives its name from an 
ancient game played there with flicks and balls, and flill 
ufed in the Champs Elilees at Paris, called maille. 
In the reign of Henry VIII. St. James’s Park was a de¬ 
folate marlby field ; but that prince, on his building the 
palace, inclofed it, laid it out in walks, and, collecting 
the waters together, gave to the new-inclofed ground, and 
new-raifed building, the name of St. James. It was af¬ 
terwards much enlarged and improved by Charles II. who 
added to it feveral fields, planted it with rows of lime- 
trees, laid out the Mali, which is a vilia half a mile in 
length, and was, at that time, formed into a hollow fmooth 
walk, inclofed by a border of wood on each fide, with an 
iron hoop at one end, for the purpole of playing the game 
above-mentioned. He alfo formed the water into a canal 
of one hundred feet broad, and two thoufand eight hun¬ 
dred longy with a decoy and other ponds for water-fowl. 
One of the avenues formed by him acquired the name of 
the Birdcage-walk, which it flill retains, from his aviary 
befide it, and the number of cages hung in the trees. 
“ Here,” fays Cibber, in the Apology for his Life, 
“ Charles was often feen, amidfl crowds of fpedlators, 
feeding his ducks, and playing with his dogs, and palling 
his idle moments in affability, even to the meaneft of his 
fubjedts, which made him to be adored by the common 
people.” It was upon one of thefe occalions that the 
duke of York, afterwards Janies II. cautioned his ma- 
jelty not to expofe his perfon lo freely. Charles’s anfwer 
is well known : “ Take care of yourlelf, brother; nobody 
will think of killing me to make you king.”—This park 
is nearly a mile and a half in circumference, furrounded 
by many magnificent ffrudlures, and always open for the 
accommodation and recreation of the public. 
On the north fide of the park, and about half way up 
the Mall, is fituated the royal palace of St. James. On 
the lite of this palace there was anciently an hofpital de¬ 
dicated to St. James, founded by the citizens of London, 
for fourteen women afflidted with the leprofy; afterwards 
the charity was extended, and eight brethren were added 
to adminirter divine fervice. This hofpital is mentioned 
in a manufcript in the Cottonian library, fo early as the 
year 
