On The North Side Are Several Fine Walks Of Elms And Limes
Half A Mile In Length, Of Which The Mall Is One.
The palace of St.
James's, Marlborough House, and the fine buildings in the street
called Pall Mall, adorn this side of the park.
At the east end is a
view of the Admiralty, a magnificent edifice, lately built with
brick and stone; the Horse Guards, the Banqueting House, the most
elegant fabric in the kingdom, with the Treasury and the fine
buildings about the Cockpit; and between these and the end of the
grand canal is a spacious parade, where the horse and foot guards
rendezvous every morning before they mount their respective guards.
On the south side of the park run shady walks of trees from east to
west, parallel almost to the canal, and walks on the north;
adjoining to which are the sumptuous houses in Queen Street, Queen
Square, &c., inhabited by people of quality: and the west end of
the park is adorned with the Duke of Buckingham's beautiful seat.
But what renders St. James's Park one of the most delightful scenes
in Nature is the variety of living objects which is met with here;
for besides the deer and wild fowl, common to other parks, besides
the water, fine walks, and the elegant buildings that surround it,
hither the politest part of the British nation of both sexes
frequently resort in the spring to take the benefit of the evening
air, and enjoy the most agreeable conversation imaginable; and those
who have a taste for martial music, and the shining equipage of the
soldiery, will find their eyes and ears agreeably entertained by the
horse and foot guards every morning.
The Sanctuary, or the abbey-yard, is a large open square, between
King Street and the Gate-house, north-west of the abbey, and was
called the Sanctuary, because any person who came within these
limits was entitled to the privilege of sanctuary - that is, he was
not liable to be apprehended by any officers of justice.
This privilege, it is said, was first granted to the abbey by
Sebert, king of the East Saxons, increased by King Edgar, and
confirmed by Edward the Confessor, by the following charter:-
"Edward, by the grace of God, king of Englishmen; I make it to be
known to all generations of the world after me, that, by special
commandment of our holy father Pope Leo, I have renewed and honoured
the holy church of the blessed apostle St. Peter of Westminster; and
I order and establish for ever, that what person, of what condition
or estate soever he be, from whencesoever he come, or for what
offence or cause it be, either for his refuge in the said holy
place, he is assured of his life, liberty, and limbs: and over
this, I forbid, under pain of everlasting damnation, that no
minister of mine, or any of my successors, intermeddle with any of
the goods, lands, and possessions of the said persons taking the
said sanctuary:
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 46 of 78
Words from 23752 to 24262
of 40922
