Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-06-17

"a vm in London by proposals to
~ make decided changes in St.
James Park. partly in connec-
ton with the placing of the King Ed
ward memorial A storm of protests
has arisen and some of the improve
ments" doubtless will be abandoned,
but the committee in charge adheres
to it's determination to remove the
famous iron suspension bridge and
substitute one of stone. This is de-
nounced as a "wickedly Philistine
project"
In Norman times what is now st.
James Park was a lonely expanse Of
fields and woodlands surrounding a
hospital for fourteen lepers. The in
stitution was dedicated to st. James.
Many generations of "leper maydens"
shook their cups and platters to so
licit aims from the wayfarers who
passed their solitary abode, before
Henry VIII cast covetous eyes upon
their woodland domain. He desired
to convert 1t into grounds for VOL
sey's palace Of Whitehall. which he
had lately appropriated. The leper
sisters received notice to quit and
were granted a sum in compensation.
The hospital was razed to the ground,
and upon the site Henry erected the
palace, or, as 1t was then termed, the
Manor House of st. James" Thither
he brought his new queen, Anne Bo-
leyn, and in the bright spring morn
lngs they rode forth a-Maying with
N 70 NJ al
country to Hampstead.
St. James Park attained its full
glory under the Stuarts as a fashion
able promenade and a beautiful pleas
ure ground The Sieur de la Serre
described the palace and park in
glowing terms when he visited the
court of Charles and Henrietta
Maria. He. was lost in admiration of
the two great grand gardens" plant
ed with fruit trees and bounded by "a
great park" filled with deer. Across
this same park Charles was taken to
Whitehall for execution.
After the Restoration, Charles II,
although he did not occupy st. James
palace, made a hobby of beautfying
the park and gardens. Pepys was an
enthusiastic chronicler of the great
and noble alterations" and was con-
stantly ito the park" to see how they
were progressing. He speaks of the
engines at work drawing up the wa
ter to make the lake. OF the Physique
Garden" which was planted, OF the
kings aviary and the wild fowl which
ha liant and H1xad IN feed
Skating was first introduced into
this country by the cavaliers of the
merry monarch on the canal Of ST.
James Park during the severe win
ter of 1852, and at the st. James
promenades gentlemen we're first seen
wearing NUTS" Smoking was not
tolerated in the park Charles II and
Catherine of Braganza rode there
daily in "a most elegant manner d"
The grand promenade was at the east
end of the Mall, in front of the Horse
Guards. The Mall was then smooth
hollow walk, bordered by box and
used for the game of Nell. which gave
Il its name. The duke of York made
the game fashionable and was the
leader in an animated scene of cava-
liers chattering, laughing and salut-
ing as they essayed to throw the ball
through the iron ring hanging from a
post.
The park OF that period was beau
tiful enclosure of grass and trees in
tersected by winding walks and. tray
ersed by a canal, at one end OF which
the king had constructed his duck
island and decoy. He had also an
aviary, which gave the name to Bird
cage walk. At the southeast end OF
the canal was Rosamond's pond, no
torious place for designations, and
their corollary. suicides. 1t was wood