with rapture of the conversion of a disused gravel-pit, which had been left remaining, into a cultivated dell; but it would seem as if this exploit on the part of the gardeners was rather in the hope of making the best of what they considered a bad thing, than intended as an advance towards something better; for they laid out the Queen's additional acres in the same formal style as King William's.

Long, straight gravel-walks, and clipped hedges, prevailed throughout, undiversified with the present mixture of freer growing wood. An alcove or two, still existing, were added; and Anne, exerted herself so far as to build a long kind of out-house, which still remains; and which she intended, it is said, for the balls and suppers which certainly took place in it; though we suspect, from the narrow

ness of its construction, it never was designed for anything but what it is, a green-house.

These most probably constituted all those elegancies of art," with which a writer of the time gives her credit for improving the Gardens. Such, at any rate, was the case in the more public portions of them; and if the private ones enjoyed any others, we may guess what they were, from Pope's banter of the horticultural fashions of the day, in a paper which he contributed to the " Guardian," the year after the appearance of that of Addison's in the "Spectator." The following is a taste of them. The poet is giving a catalogue of plants that were to be disposed of by auction:

"Adam and Eve in yew; Adam a little shattered by the fall of the Tree of Know

ledge in the great storm; Eve and the Serpent very flourishing.

"St. George, in box; his arm scarce long enough, but will be in a condition to stick the Dragon, by next April.

"An old Maid of Honour, in wormwood. "A topping Ben Jonson, in laurel.

"A quick-set hog, shot up into a porcupine, by its being forgot a week in rainy weather."

The "old Maid of Honour, in wormwood" might have told the little satirist, that he was an old bachelor in stinging-nettle.

Maids of Honour, we take it, have never been very famous for growing old. Their maiden state has generally passed into that of Ladies of the Bed-chamber, whether royal or otherwise. They were by no means in their sprightliest condition during the reign

of Anne; and yet it is at Kensington in that day, that, for the first time since the reign of Charles the Second, we again meet with particular mention of the sisterhood.

CHAPTER V.

KENSINGTON PALACE AND GARDENS CONTINUED - MAIDS

OF HONOUR-PROPOSED HISTORY OF THEM BY SWIFT AND ARBUTHNOT QUEEN ANNE'S HUNTING-RISE OF THE KENSINGTON GARDEN PROMENADES IN THE TIME

OF GEORGE THE FIRST-FAIRY STORY IN TICKELL'S POEM ON THE GARDENS-PRINCESS OF WALES, AFTERWARDS QUEEN CAROLINE-MISS HOBART-MISS HOWETHE MISS BELLENDENS-MISS LEPELL-MISS PITT

OTHER PROMENADERS OF BOTH SEXES-ADDISON, STEELE,

AND GARTH-VOLTAIRE AND WATTEAU.

THE institution of Maids of Honour, or

something like it-great stars, or "spark