Hyde Park, from Domesday Book to Date. By John Ashton.
(Downey and Co.)—There is not much to be said about the early history of Hyde Park. It was a hunting ground for Royal sportsmen till quite recent times. In 1768 two Princes of Saxe- Gotha had a day's sport, and with the help of a numerous and distinguished company, killed a dear. The deer remained till the beginning of the century. Foxes were shot (!) up to the same date, and quite recently a badger took up its abode in one of the drains. In 1652 the Park, along with royal demesssz, was sold. It was divided into three lots and fetched about £17,000. The purchasers made a bad bargain, for the sale was annulled at the Restoration. Some time afterwards it was chiefly used for races. About 1712 the first of many duels was fought there ; it was the famous encounter between Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton. The practice of driving also grew up. Pepys tells us of having been there with his wife and " Deb ; " but " being in a hackney and they undressed, was ashamed to go into the tour." Some of the Jubilee rejoicings of 1810 took place in the Park, and seem to have been not a little discreditable. Public gaming-tables were permitted ; but what was to be expected in the days of the lottery? The next event of any great importance was the Exhibition of 1851, to the history of which Mr. Ashton devotes a good deal of space. From this we pass on to the Reform League of 1866 and Mr. -Edmond Besles, to whom Mr. Ashton has neglected to give his distinction of M.A. This affair was not without good results. The Park got new and handsome railings, and Mr. Beales was made a County-Court Judge. At an earlier date robberies were frequ.nt in the Park. To judge from the letters in the Times the days of lawlessness seem to be returning. These outlines Mr. Ashton fills in with abundance of details more or less in. teresting. There is nothing said about the angling. Mr. Ashton should have got some veteran to give a chapter on it. We have seen some fine baskets of fish taken out of the Serpentine. If Tennant is to be trusted, the biggest perch on record, a monster of nine pounds, was caught in it.
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