The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-06-06
THE r E PUBL G..
nh. Parks OF London.

r..
published, present graphic pictures oil h.ng'isN
scenery and country life The following ac-
count of the Parks of London-Tnow that we
are 10 have National Park at Washington
something we trust worthy of the name-will,
perhaps, interest our readers
My DEAR SIa If my English letters have told
YOU mostly of country places, and country lie, 1t
Is not that have been insensible TO sight seeing IN
town London is great world in itseii. INK
enough has, however. already been expended upon
il 70 fill the Grand Canal, and still il is city
which no one can understand without seeing It:
Its vastness, its grave aspect Of business the gran
deur of parts, the poverty OF others the arr OF
order, and the faint of smoke, that pervade IL
everywhere, are its great features 10 an Amer
can eye, accustomed to the clear, pure tahsat-
Iantic atmosphere, there is at first, something
really repusive in the black and dingy look OF al
most all buildings, whether new old, (not paint
ed within the last monthly In some of the oldest.
like Westminster Abbey, il is an absolute cover
ing of dirty SCOT. That hoary look OF age
which belongs to time honored building, and
which meows and softens all its lines and FORMS
is MS delicious to the of sight as the tone Oh
old pictures, or the hue of old wine. But there Is
none of this in the antiquity Of London. You are
repealed by the sooty exterior ofal the old facades
rs you would be by that Of a chimney sweep VINO
has made the circuit of fifty hues In morning.
and whose outer man would almost defy an entire
hydropathic institution.
If have shown you the dark side of the picture
of the great metropolis fret, let me hasten TO pre-
sent You with some Of its lights, which made
much stronger impression upon me. mean the
grand and beautiful parks of London.
If every thing sees in England leads one TO
the conviction that the English do not, like the
French and Germans, possess the genius OF hign
art, there is denying that they Tar snrpass All
other nations in a profound sentiment OF nature.
Take, for example, the West End OF London, and
what do you see there! Magnificent palaces, enor.
NOUS piles OF dwellings, in the shape OF terraces,
souares', and places - the same costly
town architecture that you lind everywhere IN the
better portions of populous and wealthy capitals
Bot if you ask me what Is the Pecuiiar ana olst'h
gushing iurmy of this part of London, answer,
in its holding the country in s lap In the midst
of London lie, in almost connected Series the
great parks-Hyde Park, Regents PARKS, 81.
James's and Green Parks. These names are al
,nost as familiar to you the Battery and wash
ington Square, and fear you labor under the de-
fusion that the former only an enlarged EDITION
great an error as if you took the "Brick Meeting
house" for suggestion OF st. Peters. Inc LONDON
parks are actually like districts OF open country
meadows and feids country estates, iakes ana
streams gardens and shrubberies-with az much
variety as il you were in the heart OF CainDTdge-
shire, and much seclusion in some parts at GER
tain hours, if you were on farln IN the interior
of Pennsylvania. And the whole ID laid out and
treated In the main with broad and noble feel
ing of natural beauty quite the reversed OF what you
see in the public parks OF the continental cities.
This makes these parks douoiy refreshing 10 GU
zens tired of straight nes and formal Streets While
the contrast heightens the natural charm. Unac-
customed to this breadth OF limitation oil nature
this creating piece Of widespread country large
enough to shut out for the time all trace OF the
houses though actually in the midst OF q city, an
American is always half inclined to believe (not-
withstanding the abundance OF evidence TO the con-
trary) that the London parks are bit OF the nahre
c)untry surprised and iairy taken prisoner by the
outsiretched arms of this giant Of modern cities.
ST. James, Park and Green Park are enormous
pieces of real pleasure ground scenery--wth proad
glades Of turf, noble trees, rich masses oil shrub
berry, and Towering plants-lakes hlled with rare
wafer fowl and the proper surroundings, IN TACT,
TO two royal palaces and the finest private houses
in London; but STILL all open to the enjoyment OF
hundreds Of thousands daily. You look out upon
the forest Of yerdure in Green Park, as you SIT In
the windows of our present minister,s me man,
sion in Piccadily, astopished ut the breadth ana
beauty of the green landscape, which seems to you
like glimpse into one OF the loveliest plea
sure grounds on the Hudson, than the belongings
of the great metropolis.
But the pride Of London ia in Hyde Park and
Kensington Gardens, which, together, contain
nearly eight hundred acres, so that you have to
make circuit Of nearly screen miles to go over the
entire circumference. II you enter Hyde Park be-
tween seven and eight in the morning, when all
the world Of fashion asleep, you Will fancy after
you have left the great gateways and the hne-co
iossal statue Of Achilles tar enough behind you TO De
quite of light, that you have made mistake and
strolled out into the country unawQres. Scarcely
person is to be at this time of day unless it be
some lonely foot passenger who looks as II ne nae
lost his way, his wits, at this early hour. But
YOU see broad grass meadows with scattered groups
of trees, not at all unlike what you remember on
the smooth banks of the Connecticut, and your i'm
precision that you have got astray and quite out OF
the reach OF the metropolis, Is confirmed by bearing
the tinke of sheep bells, and seeing tocks OF these
and other pastoral creatures feeding quietly on the
short turf OF the secluded portions OF the Park You
walk on till you are quite weary, without hnding
the end Of the matter-for Remington Garden,
which ia only another and larger park, is but the
continuation of Hyde Park-and you turn back III
sort of bewidered astonishment at the vastness
and wealth of city which afford such an
illimitable space for the pleasure OF air and exer
else of its inhabitants
That is hyde Parke in dishabille. Now go IN
again with in the afternoon, any time during
the London season, and you shall see the same
place in full dress, and altered and animated by
the dramatis erson0 that you will hardly identity
il a5 the locale Of the solitary country raInble you
took in the morning.
is half past four in the afternoon, and the fash
ionable world (Which dimes at seven all over Eng
land) is now taking ito morning airing. Hyou
will sit down one Of these soiid looking seats
under the shadow OF this large elm, you will see
such display of equiPagc pass you IN the courae
OF single hour as no other part OF the world can
parallel. This broad, well macadamized carriage
drive, which makes a circuit OF some four or five
miles in Hyde Park, is at this moment fairly filled
with private carriages of all degrees. Here arc
heavy coaches and four. with Positions and foot.
men, and massive carriages embiazoned with fam
lily cress, and gay with all the brilhancy OF gold
and crimson liveries; yondcr superb barouche with
eight spirited horscs and numerous ouriders is the
royal equpage, and, you lean forward 10 catch
glimpse of the sovereign, the close coach Of the
hero OF Waterloo--tbe servants with cockadcs in
their hatsdashes past you the other way al a rate
80 rapid that you doubt if he who rides within is
out merely for an airing. Yonder tasteful turn
out with hyeries of a peculiar delicate mulberry,
With only single tall figure In tho coach, IL the
Duke of Devonshirc's Here is the carriage Of one
of the foreign ambassadors, lees snowy and lighter
than the English vchioles, and that pretty ph@ton
drawn by two beautiful blood horses is, you sec,
driven by a woman Of extraordinary beauty,
with extraordinary skill. She Is quite alone,
and behind her sits footuan with his arms
folded, his face grave and solemn stones
that have serruofis in them. As you express YOUR