The History of St. James's Square and the Foundation of the West End of London; With a Glimpse of Whitehall in the Reign of Charles the Second (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1895 Excerpt: ...belles promenading. The scene of his Once a Lover, and Always a Lover is laid in St. James's Park. 17 from 1790 till his death. Writing to his dear friend Sir Thomas Chambers in April, 1791, he says: "In my situation there has been no sort of change, except that I have removed into a very convenient house in St. James's Square, where I believe I am at anchor for life. The name of the situation sounds well, but you would be much mistaken in concluding that I lived in a palace, or at all like a prince."' His choice of this locality for a permanent residence was inspired by recollections of his early visits to the elder Pitt at No. 10, when the "St. Paul's boy" was acting as the Minister's secretary. A bitter opponent of Warren Hastings, by the irony of fate he found himself living next door to Thurlow, whose impassioned oration at the close of the long trial contributed so much towards the great Proconsul's acquittal. The house was lent by Sir Philip's widow to Queen Caroline during her trial, and in the author's possession is a rudely executed print (reproduced on the opposite page) entitled "The Manner in which the Queen proceeded daily from Lady Francis's house in St. James's Square to the House of Lords." Lord Harley, afterwards second Earl of Oxford, lived at No. 3 during some portion of the time that his more celebrated father was a prisoner in the Tower of London. An intimate friend of Swift, Prior, Pope, and all the leading literary men of his day, he formed the collection known as the Harleian MSS. and sold to the British Museum by his widow. She 1 Memoirs of Sir Philip Francis, ii. 295. is said to have brought him a fortune of half a million, 400,000 of which he dissipated by indolence, good nature, and want of wo...