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ART. XII. The Environs of London; being an Hiftorical Ac count of the Towns, Villages, and Hamlets, within Twelve Miles of that Capital: Interfperfed with Biographical Anecdotes. By the Rev. Daniel Lyfons, A. M. F.A. S. Volume the Firft. County of Surrey. 4to. l. 11s. 6d. Cadell,

VARIOUS

VARIOUS are the claims to literary praife: the talents of the mind which are calculated to animate the reader with a kindred ardour, and those which, confined to an humbler path, aim only at the communication of facts in fimple unadorned language, equally demand the attention of the reviewer, for both are of utility to mankind. We will not say, that age and abftraction have made us forget the paffions and pro penfities of our youth, or that we do not feel a glow from perufing the effufions of genius, beyond that which any proficiency in antiquarian lore can poffibly infpire. But the calm habits of reflection have inftructed us not to be deluded by the glare of outward appearances, to prefer the good of the community to felfish and folitary pleasures, and to render intrinfic merit its due portion of praife, wherever our fagacity. will enable us to difcern it. If the moft indefatigable induftry, the most minute and accurate attention to facts, activity in acquiring, and care in arranging a vaft quantity of matter, involving much that is ufeful, and no fmall portion of amufement, be entitled to praife, we can moft confcientiously and warmly commend Mr. Lyfons.

The prefent we understand to be the introductory volume of a much more extenfive work. Perhaps the author would have done well to have been a little less reserved on the fubject of his future intentions; of which we have no other opportunity of forming any reasonable conjecture, than what the mere title page affords us. This volume, however, is confined to the County of Surrey; and it is our defign to do the author ample justice, by placing before our readers an exact account of what has already been performed, that they may the better regulate their future expectations.

A map of that part of Surrey is prefixed, which lies within twelve miles of London, and Mr. Lyfons commences his account of the Towns, villages, hamlets, &c. not with any regard to their relative fituations, but in their alphabetical order. Thus Addington, of which we have a defcription in the first page, is at one extremity of the map, and Barnes, which follows, at the other. This method is liable to fome objection, and involves fome difficulties to the reader. The hiftory of contiguous places is fometimes intimately blended; but the account of them, acgording to the prefent arrangement, is to be fought in diftinct

parts

parts of the work, which is the caufe of occafional perplexity and trouble. We do not, however, mention this as materially detracting from the general usefulness and importance of the publication.

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The plan pursued by the author is confiftently the fame throughout. He explains the name of each place, points out the boundaries, defcribes the nature of the foil, the local peculiarities, antiquities, manors, and church hiftory, not omitting the more remarkable anecdotes of perfons, places, and circumstances. Thus an infertion of the account of any one parifh will enable our readers to form an adequate judgment of the nature and fubftance of the whole. We felect Kew as fufficiently adapted both to answer this purpose, and do juftice to the author:

* KEW.

The most ancient record in which I have feen this place mentioned, is a court roll of the manor of Richmond, in the reign of Henry VII. It is there written Kayhough; in fubfequent records its name is varied to Kayhowe, Kayhoo, Keyhowe, Keye, Kayo, and Kewe. Its fituation, near the water-fide, might induce one to feek for its etymology from the word key, or quay.

Kew, which was heretofore a hamlet to Kingston, and which is ftill included within the manor of Richmond, firft became a parish by an act of parliament paffed in 1769. It is of very small extent, and is bounded by the river Thames on the north; by the parish of Mortlake on the caft; and by Richmond on the fouth and weft. It lies in the hundred of Kingston, about fix miles from Hyde-park-corner. The foil is fandy, and the fmall quantity of land, that is not included in the royal gardens, is for the most part arable. The parish is charged 1261. 138. to the land-tax, which in the year 1791, was at the rate of 9d. in the pound.

Amongst the early proprietors of lands and houfes here, I find Charles Somerset, the firft Earl of Worcester of that family.

Sir Henry Gate, temp. Edw. VI. held a capital manfion, called The Dairie-houfe," which afterwards became the property of Robert Dudley, the famous Earl of Leicester.

Edward Earl of Devon had a capital meffuage here in the reign of Queen Mary.

In a court-roll, 6 Eliz. mention is made of a capital manfionhoufe, called Suffolk Place, then pulled down and deftroyed.

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Sir John Puckering, lord keeper of the great feal, was an inhabitant of this place. In the Harleian Collection of MSS. in the British Museum, is the following paper, which appears to have been written by his fteward:

"Remembrances for furnyture at Kew, and for her majeftie's entertainment, 14 Aug. 1594.

"A memorial of things to be confidered of, if her majestie should come to my lord's house.

1. The maner of receyvynge bothe without the house and within, as well by my lord as my ladye.

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2. What

2. What prefent fhall be given by my lord, when and by whome it fhall be prefented, and whether any more than one.

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3. The like for my ladye.

4. What prefents my lord fhall beftowe of the ladyes of the privye chamber or bedchamber, the groomes of the privye chamber, and gentlemen ufhers and other officers, clerks of the kitchen or other, wife.

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5. What rewards fhall be given to the footemen, gardes, and other officers.

"6. The purveyed diet for the queen, wherein are to be used her own cooks, and other officers for that purpofe.

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7. The diet for the lords and ladies, and fome fit place for that purpofe fpecially appoynted.

8. The allowance for diet for the footemen and gardes, 66 9. The appoyntment of my lords officers, to atten

on their feve

ral offices, with fufficient affiftants unto them for that time.

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10. The orderinge of all my lords fervants for their waiting, both gentlemen and yeomen, and how they fhall be forted to their feveral offices and places.

66 II. The proporcyon of the diett fitted to eche place of service plate, linen, and filver veffels.

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12. To furnish how there will be uppon a foddeyne provifion of all things for that diett made and of the beft kinds, and what several perfons thall undertake it.

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13. As it must be for metes, fo in like forte for bredd, ale, and wynes of all fortes.

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14. The lyke for bankettynge fuffe.

15. The fwetynynge of the howfe in all places by any means.

16. Grete care to be had, and conference with the gentlemen ufhers, how her majeftie would be lodged for her best eafe and likinge, far from heate or noyfe of any office near her lodgyng, and how her bedchamber maye be kept free from anye nøyfe near it.

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17. My lords attendance at her departure from his howfe and his companye.

"Ladies diet for bedchamber.

"Ladies fome lodged befydes ordinarie.

"Lord chamberlayne, in the howfe.

"Lord of Effex nere, and all his plate from me, and dyett for his fervants at his lodgyngs."

If this vifit took place, her majefty was probably well pleafed with her entertainment; for it appears by the following paffage in a letter from Rowland White to Sir Robert Sydney, that the honoured him with one in the enfuing year:-"On Thursday her majeltie dined at Kew, my lord keaper's how fe, (who lately obtained of her majeftie his fute for 100l. a yeare land, in fee-farm). Her inter"tainment for that meale was great and exceeding coftly; at her firft

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lighting, fhe had a fine fanne, with a handle garnisht with diamonds. "When the was in the middle way, between the garden-gate and the "howfe, there came running towards her, one with a nofegay in his hand, delivered yt unto her with a fhort well pened fpeach; it had "in yt a very rich jewell, with many pendants of unfirld diamonds,

valewed

valewed at 400l. at leaft; after dinner, in her privy chamber, he "gave her a faire paire of virginals. In her bed-chamber he prefented her with a fine gown and juppin, which things were pleafing "to her highnes; and to grace his lordship the more, fhe, of herself, tooke from him a falt, a fpoone, and a forke of faire agate."

Sir Peter Lely, the celebrated painter, purchased a houfe at Kew, to which, during the latter part of his life, he frequently retired: after his death, it efcheated to the crown, but through the good offices of Lord Keeper North, was reftored to his family, fome of whom were remaining there about fifty years ago. The houfe, which is now pulled down, ftood upon the fite of Mrs. Theobalds's beautiful gardens, on the north fide of the green.

Stephen Duck, whofe native genius broke through the obstacles of his humble origin, and recommended him to royal patronage, was fettled in a houfe at Kew, by Queen Caroline. It is well known that

he afterwards entered into holy orders. The curiofity of the public had been fo much excited by his ftory, that for fome time whenever he preached, prodigious crowds flocked to hear him; and the newspa pers of the day abound with accounts of the petty disasters which happened on thefe occafions.

In defcribing the prefent ftate of this place, the first object that demands attention is Kew-houfe, the occafional refidence of his prefent majefty. About the middle of the laft century, this houfe belonged to Richard Bennet, Efquire, whofe daughter and heir married Sir Henry afterwards Lord Capel, of Tewkesbury, who died Lord. Deputy of Ireland in 1696. His widow refided for many years at Kew, and dying in the year 1721, was buried in the chapel there.

The houfe was afterwards the property and refidence of Samuel Molineux, Efquire, who married her daughter. Mr. Molineux was Secretary to George II. when Prince of Wales, and is well known as a man of literature, and an ingenious aftronomer. Dr. Bradley's difcoveries, relating to the parallax of the fixed ftars, are faid to have been made with an inftrument of his contrivance. The late Prince of Wales admiring the fituation, took a long leafe of Key-house, from the Capel family; and it is now held by his prefent majefty on the fame tenure. The house, which is fmall, and calculated merely for an occafional retirement, was improved and ornamented by Kent, for the Princefs Dowager. It contains fome good pictures, amongft which are a portrait of the Lord Treasurer Burleigh, and the celebrated picture of the Florence gallery, by Zoffanii. In the long room above ftairs, is a fet of Canaletti's works, confifting of views in Venice, and two general views of London, the one from the Temple, the other from Somerset-gardens.

The pleasure grounds, which contain about 120 acres, were begun by the late Prince of Wales, and finished by the Princefs Dowager, who took great delight in fuperintending the improvements. Lord Melcombe, in his Diary, mentions working in the walk at Kew. Notwithstanding the difadvantages of a flat furface, the grounds are laid out with much tafte, and exhibit a confiderable variety of fcenery. They are ornamented with divers picturefque objects and temples, defigned by Sir William Chambers, among which is one called the

Pagoda,

Pagoda, in imitation of a Chinese building. It is forty-nine feet in diameter at the bafe, and 163 feet in height, which renders it a very confpicuous object in the neighbourhood.

The green-house is of very large dimenfions, being 142 feet long, 25 feet high, and 30 feet broad.

The exotic garden was established in the year 1760, by the Princefs Dowager. The prefent royal family being much attached to the fudy of botany, his majefty has biftowed great attention upon this garden, which now exhibits the finest collection of plants perhaps in Europe, which is daily increafing by the communications of the Prefident of the Royal Society, and fuch other zealous promoters of the fcience, as have frequent opportunities of procuring new feeds and plants from diftant parts of the world. As a proof of the rapid increase of this collection, it was found neceffary, about two years ago, to build a new houfe, 110 feet in length, for the reception of African plants only.

A catalogue of the plants in the exotic garden at Kew was pub lifhed in 1768, by Dr. Hill, under the name of Hortus Kewenfis; a much larger and more scientific work, under the fame title, was publifhed by the prefent ingenious gardener, Mr. William Aiton*, in the year 1789, in three volumes 8vo.

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Sir William Chambers, in the year 1763, published a defcription of the house and gardens at Kew, in folio, with upwards of forty plates, engraved by Rooker, from drawings of Kirby, Marlow, Sandby, &c. Kew gardens have been the subject also of two poems, one by George Ritfo in 1763, and the other by Henry Jones, author of the tragedy of the Earl of Effex, in 1767.

The old houfe, oppofite to the palace, was formerly the property of Sir Hugh Portman, who is mentioned in a letter of Rowland White, as the rich gentleman that was knighted by her majefty at Kew. Sir John Portman fold it in 1636 to Samuel Fortrey, Efquire; it was alienated by William Fortrey in 1697 to Sir Richard Levett, of whofe defcendants it was bought in truft for her majefty, in the year 1781: the late queen took a long leafe of it, which was not then expired. During this leafe, it was inhabited by different branches of the royal family. The Prince of Wales was educated there, under the fuperintendance of Dr. Markham, now archbishop of York. The house appears to have been built about the reign of James, or Charles I.

Kew chapel was built in the year 1714: it is fituated towards the east end of the green, and is a fmall brick ftructure, confifting of a nave and a north aifle; the fouth fide being appropriated for a schoolroom at the weft end is a turret.

Against the fouth wall is a tablet to the memory of Jeremiah Meyer, R. A. late painter in miniature and enamel to his majefty, with the following verfes by Mr. Hayley:

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Meyer! in thy works the world will ever fee "How great the lofs of art in lofing thee;

*This gentleman is fince dead.

" But

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