incidents are mentioned. In 1498, Perkin Warbeck, after he had escaped from his keepers, sought sanctuary ing out, as the owner informed us, fresh shoots annually. Tradition, which in every place where Elizabeth has been-and in a good many where she has not here. Shortly after the battle of Flodden, the corpse associates her name with some remarkable tree, declares this to have been planted by her: though it might with far more probability have been said that she sat under its shadow. Another tree, to which was also ascribed the honour of having been planted by the hand of the maiden monarch, formerly stood on the green, between the old gateway and the theatre. It had long been lifeless, but was covered with ivy to its upper branches, and had a most venerable appearance. It used to attract a good deal of notice from strangers, and was carefully preserved; but it became so much decayed that about four years ago it was found necessary to remove it. The Green was an important adjunct to the palacein whose palmy days it was the scene of the jousts and tournaments that then occurred so often; in our degenerate days the most important games it witnesses are games of cricket. Kept as it is in excellent order, and surrounded with good houses, it now is to the town what the report says it was to the palace-a special ornament.' When the report was drawn up there were standing about it one hundred and thirteen elm trees; they are mostly gone, but the Green is now once more being planted. Horace Walpole, writing to Sir Horace Mann, on the 4th June, 1749, gives a singular notice of the aristocratic contests which, in the eighteenth century, had succeeded the tournaments of the sixteenth :-" As I passed over the Green, I saw Lord Bath, Lord Lonsdale, and half-a-dozen more of the White's club, sauntering at the door of a house which they have taken there, and come to every Saturday and Sunday to play at whist. You will naturally ask why they can't play at whist in London on those two days as well as on the other five: indeed I can't tell you, except that it is so established a fashion to go out of town at the end of the week, that people do go though it be only into another town. It made me smile to see Lord Bath sitting there, like a citizen that has left off trade!" The Park belonging to the palace lies a little northward of the Green, extending to Kew Gardens, with which it is now mainly incorporated. It was known as the Old or Little Park, and is sometimes called the Lower Park. The Lodge stood in this park. It was occasionally employed as a residence by George II., and was the favourite abode of Queen Caroline; George III. also lived in it: it was pulled down about 1776. On a spot of ground now included within the limits of the Old Park, and marked by some ancient trees, and a slight unevenness of the surface, once stood a famous religious establishment-the priory of Sheen, which was founded by Henry V. in 1414, for the support of forty monks of the Carthusian order, whom he incorporated by the name of the House of Jesus of Bethlehem at Sheen.' The house continued to flourish till the suppression of monasteries. Very little in its history calls for record, but one or two rather unusual of the gallant James IV. is said to have been enclosed in lead, and brought to this monastery for interment. Stow tells us, that, after the dissolution of the house, " in the reign of Edward VI., he was shown the same body so lapped in lead, close to the head and body, thrown into a waste room amongst the old timber, lead, and other rubble." Dean Colet built himself lodgings within the walls of the priory, in which he died in 1519: and to these lodgings, Cardinal Wolsey, in his disgrace, retired for spiritual consolation. The priory was suppressed in 1539. The site of the priory was granted to Edward, Earl of Hertford, afterwards Duke of Somerset. On his attainder it was given to the Duke of Suffolk, father of Lady Jane Grey, who resided here. The property was resumed by Mary, who replaced the monks in their cells; but a few months after the succession of Elizabeth to the throne, it was again suppressed, along with all the restored monasteries. The monks of Sheen then migrated to Flanders, where the community existed till near the close of the last century. An ancient gateway, the last vestige of the priory of Sheen, was taken down in 1769, and the whole site enclosed within the limits of the Lower Park. At the same time the hamlet of West Sheen, consisting of eighteen houses, was also demolished and similarly enclosed. After the Restoration, the site of the priory of Sheen was given by Charles II. to the Earl of Lisle; somewhat later, it was rented by Sir William Temple, whose residence here must not be left unnoticed. Sir William was remarkably fond of what he called his little corner at Sheen,' and where, he says in one of his letters, he spent all the time he could, and never saw anything pleasanter than his garden. He was a zealous horticulturist, and is said to have here made many of those experiments that resulted in adding not a few new fruits to the English orchard. In a letter dated August, 1667, he writes, "I am contriving this summer how a succession of cherries may be compassed from May to Michaelmas; and how the riches of Sheen vines may be improved by half-a-dozen sorts which are not known there, and which I think much beyond any that are." From a passage in his Essay on Gardening,' we learn that he was successful in his efforts; and, further and better, that he did not confine his naturalizations to himself, but freely distributed them to others who had gardens in which they could be cultivated-" for I have ever thought all things of this kind, the commoner they are made the better." Swift resided with Sir William at Sheen for a considerable period. At this time William III. used often to visit Temple, and Swift was accustomed to attend his majesty-who was troubled with the gout, and needed some one to lean on-in his walks about the garden. The king was much pleased with the young Irish parson, and bestowed such uncommon civility upon him, that Swift reckoned somewhat confidently upon the royal favour. William did reward him, but after | shall defer our notice of it till we have glanced at the a manner Swift little expected or relished. The king offered him an ensign's commission in a regiment of horse, and initiated him into the mystery of cutting asparagus after the Dutch fashion! Thus, at least, Swift told the story; but probably it was a little embellished. It was at Sheen that Swift became acquainted with Stella, whose story forms so sad a chapter in his Biography.' She was the daughter of Sir William Temple's steward. A small convent was attached to his palace by Henry VII. in 1499, for observant friars of the order of Franciscans; being one of six houses of the same order established by that monarch in different parts of the country. It was suppressed, with other similar houses, in 1534. The site is still indicated by the name of a contiguous passage, Fryer's-lane. But it is fully time that we turned to look at the present state of Richmond. We shall hastily traverse its streets, and then carry the visitor to the Hill and the Park. Richmond is one of the largest villages in the kingdom; it is indeed larger than many a considerable country town. At the census of 1841 it contained 7760 inhabitants. A good part of the population consists of persons of independent means, who reside here on account of the beauty and healthiness of the situation and its proximity to London; and for similar reasons many of the wealthier class of citizens also reside here. The distance from the General Postoffice, London, by the road, is eleven miles; by the river, from London-bridge to Richmond-bridge, it is sixteen miles and a half. The village consists of several streets of good houses, and is well paved and lighted. No branch of manufacture is practised in Richmond, except of articles required for local consumption. The streets are chiefly filled with shops, many of which are of a superior order, and every kind of business is carried on requisite to meet the tastes and requirements of a large and wealthy population; while to supply the wants, of the continuous influx of visitors, there is an unusual number of inns-ranging from the most luxurious hotel to the humblest house of entertainment. In the street architecture there is nothing above the ordinary commonplace character. Some of the older dwelling-houses about the Green, and elsewhere, are of a better kind; and there are numerous excellent mansions about the outskirts. The completion of the railway appears likely to produce some change in the appearance of The rage of building' has spread hither, and the kind of tenements so well known about the suburbs of London, under the name of villa residences,' are rapidly shooting up on every unoccupied plot of ground. There are few public buildings in Richmond beside the places of worship, and of these not many have much that is noticeable even as architectural objects. The Parish Church, which is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, is interesting from its monuments; but we other buildings. The district church, in Kew-lane, called St. John's Chapel, is a respectable edifice, in the early English style, erected in 1831 from the designs of Mr. Vulliamy. It cost about £6,000, and has sittings for twelve hundred persons. The Roman Catholic chapel, a very neat building, was erected and endowed by Mrs. Doughty in 1824. The Independent chapel, a good sized brick structure-an odd attempt at the Norman style-was built in 1830. There are also chapels belonging to the Wesleyans, Baptists, and one or two smaller sects. At the back of Richmond Terrace stands the recently finished Wesleyan Theological Institution, for the education of young men for the ministry. This is the largest and handsomest college connected with that denomination, and is well worthy of a visit. The building is 248 feet long, by 65 feet in its greatest depth, and has a lofty central tower and projecting wings. The style adopted is the Tudor, of that variety sometimes termed the Collegiate; and, though rather sparingly ornamented, has a very excellent and somewhat imposing effect; and reflects great credit on the skill of the architect, Mr. Trimen-especially when the comparatively moderate sum (about £11,000) expended on its erection, is taken into account. From the upper story of the tower, which is intended for an observatory, there is said to be obtained a most extensive prospect, reaching from Shooter's Hill in one direction, to Windsor Castle in the other. In connection with these religious establishments, we may mention that Richmond is not deficient in charitable institutions. Near the Hill will be noticed an old range of almshouses, having inscribed over the entrance-gate, “I will pay the vows I made to God in my trouble." They were founded by Bishop Duppa, the year before his death, in consequence of a vow made during the exile of his pupil, Charles II. Ten poor women are supported in them. At Marsh-gate is a very pretty building, of the Elizabethan order, erected a few years back, from the designs of Mr. Vulliamy, in which twenty poor persons are maintained, from the accumulation of a fund left by Mr. Hickey in 1728. It consists of a chapel in the centre, with ten houses on the one side for as many men, and ten on the other side for the same number of women. In front is a large space, neatly laid out with a lawn and shrubbery. There are one or two other alms-houses in Richmond, and also a dispensary, a savings-bank, schools, &c. The other public buildings comprise a Literary Institution, which is a substantial structure, with a good sized lecture-room; a Mechanics' Institute; and Theatre. The theatre stands at the further end of the Green, and is a brick building, remarkably plain externally, but said to be well adapted internally to the purposes for which it is designed. It was erected in 1776. Two or three of the hotels are handsome buildings, especially the river fronts. The Castle with its assembly-rooms, the Royal Hotel with its terraces, and the famed Star and Garter, will be sure to attract attention. Perhaps no other village in Great Britain can boast of such an array of mansions, villas, and genteel residences; but although some of them are very pleasing examples of architectural skill and taste, as they are all strictly private houses, it does not seem necessary to mention them further. We return to the Church. Here we must stay awhile. The dust of genius bids us tread softly. The church itself, with the exception of the tower, is modern and mean. The tower, which is rudely built of flint and stone, is low and embattled; and though somewhat injured by modern alterations, has a venerable air. The body of the church is of brick, and very plain. The interior has no beauty of any kind, but presents a rather striking appearance from the number of monuments that cover the walls. Of these, the finest as a work of art, is, perhaps, that by Flaxman, to the memory of Mrs. Lowther; but the most interesting, though the least prominent, is a plain brass plate, tarnished and blackened by age and neglect, and placed against the wall under the west gallery, in a place where it can scarcely be read. An inscription on it informs us, that, "In the earth below this tablet, are the remains of James Thomson, author of the beautiful poems, The Seasons,' 'The Castle of Indolence,' &c., who died at Richmond on the 27th of August, and was buried there on the 29th, O. S., 1748. The Earl of Buchan, unwilling that so good a man and so sweet a poet should be without a memorial, has denoted the place of his interment, for the satisfaction of his admirers, in the year of our Lord 1792”—and then follow some lines from 'The Seasons.' Of all the famous men who have resided in Richmond, Thomson has conferred most renown upon it. It was in the maturity of his genius that he dwelt here; the larger portion of his immortal Seasons' was written here, as was also the whole of the Castle of Indolence' the most delightful poem of its class in our language, and displaying a luxuriance of imagination infinitely surpassing what is shown in the more popular 'Seasons;' and here he died: while his description of the view from the Hill is what always recurs to the mind of every visitor to Richmond, when he for the first time gazes upon that matchless scene. Thomson lived in Kew-lane, in a house which now forms a part of Rosedale House, the residence of the Countess of Shaftesbury. It is the last house in the lane, and stands just opposite to the tall campanile (as it appears to be, but really the chimney) of the 'Queen's laundry, in Kew Gardens. A good deal has been preserved of what belonged to Thomson's house. The parlour in which he composed yet exists, with the furniture in it, as when he lived. Some portion of the garden, too, is said to remain nearly as when "The bard more fat than bard beseems," is also preserved. A tablet over the entrance informs you that "Here Thomson sung the Seasons and their change;" and his employment of it is further commemorated by a long and rather inflated (the books call it' an appropriate') inscription, set up by Lord Buchan, the author of that in the church. This commences, "Within this pleasing retirement, allured by the music of the nightingale, which warbled in soft unison to the melody of his soul, in unaffected cheerfulness, and genial though simple elegance, lived James Thomson." Thomson wanted not poetic companions while at Richmond, and the esteem in which he was held by them says much for the qualities of his heart. Savage lived here some time in close intercourse with him, and, as Dr. Johnson observes, (Life of Thomson) "always spoke with the most eager praise of his social qualities, his warmth and constancy of friendship, and his adherence to his first acquaintance, when the advancement of his reputation had left them behind him." Collins, too, resided at Richmond the last year or two of Thomson's life, and left it-unable to endure it longer-on his death. The Ode on the Death of Thomson,' in which he gave expression to his affection and grief, is well known to every poetic reader. 6 A monument on the wall of the south aisle records the virtues of Gilbert Wakefield, a voluminous, and as some affirm a good writer; but unquestionably a quick one: "My Translation and Commentary on St. Matthew," he says (Memoirs of his own Life, i. 235), was begun and completed within the compass of a few weeks; my Treatise on Baptism,' in nine days; and the first edition of these 'Memoirs' (a goodly octavo volume) were finished, all to a little polish, within twelve days from their commencement, in spite of imperfect sleep, multifarious occupations, and an aching head." Edmund Kean, after fretting his brief hour upon the stage, rests here. A neat marble slab, with a medallion portrait, erected by his son,' is placed against the western end of the church, close by the tower. Many other men, and some ladies, eminent in their day, are also buried here, and have memorials either inside the church, or in the churchyard. In the New Cemetery, close by the church, is a monument to the memory of Dr. John Moore, the author of Zeluco,' and father of General Sir John Moore. Lady Di. Beauclerc, the wife of Dr. Johnson's friend, Topham Beauclerc, a lady celebrated for her talents, and in some other respects also, lies in this ground. In both the church and cemetery are interred many persons of rank and official consequence. Before ascending the Hill we will turn aside to look at the bridge. Richmond Bridge is a substantial stone structure, erected from the designs of Payne, an architect of considerable celebrity in the last century. The was wont to saunter into it at mid-day, and, as Leigh first stone was laid in August, 1774, and it was comHunt relates, Each in a waistcoat pocket (so that all "slipper'd, and with hands Might yet repose that would) was seen one morn Eating a wondering peach from off the tree!" pleted in December 1777, at a cost of £26,000. The river is here 300 feet across the bridge has five arches, of which the central arch is sixty feet wide and twentyfive high. Toll is now taken from foot passengers From the crown of The summer-house, which he used as his poetic study, who cross it, only on Sundays. 3. GATEWAY OF OLD PALACE. 2. THE PARK, the bridge a fine prospect is obtained both up and down the river, and none who visit Richmond should fail to walk thus far for the sake of enjoying it. Looking down the river, the grounds of Twickenham Park on the one side, and the lofty trees of Richmond Old Park, with Cholmondeley Walk on the other; the broad stream covered with pleasure-boats between; the aits, with their willows and poplars; the glimpse of Isleworth in the distance; and Asgill House, the Castle and Royal Hotels, with their garden-terraces close at hand, together make up a lively and pleasing picture. Looking up the river we have a prospect of a different and quieter, but still more agreeable character. In that direction the Hill, with its neat residences crowning the summit, the richly-wooded meadows of Ham on the one hand, and Twickenham on the other; the Duke of Buccleugh's and other handsome villas skirting the banks of the clear river, along which a team of stout horses drags slowly a deep-laden barge, with, perhaps, a few fishing-punts dotting the surface, are what combine to form a scene which, though simple, can never be looked upon without pleasureable emotions. While here, too, the visitor should be reminded that Cholmondeley Walk, which he sees extending for some distance along the river side by the Old Park, is a very favourite and very delightful promenade. The bridge looks well from this side. Its proportions stand out admirably, and some very beautiful snatches of scenery are caught through its arches. Mr. Harvey's view of the Bridge, and Hill, looking up the stream, is taken from the Isleworth meadows, on the opposite bank. In this point of view the three small aits, just mentioned, appear to form one larger island. (Cut, No. 1.) A short walk will bring us to Richmond Terrace, where suddenly the long anticipated prospect bursts upon the view. However the imagination may have been raised, the view will fully satisfy it, that is, supposing that the visitor has not been led to expect the sterner or wilder features of nature. It is a purely beautiful landscape that is spread before us, holding to the rugged grandeur of other famous scenes the same relation as the soft grace of feminine loveliness does to the severer character of manly strength. Scott's description in The Heart of Mid-Lothian,' eulogistic |