Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-05-01
BUCKINGHAM
P ALACE

London. EnaIand.-In. Stuart d9ys rlu'-
berry trees grew where Bucllirg CHAM
Palace now stands. Bird Gag Wax ard
The Mail are both names be,orgirE to
the town OF the Seventeenth and e rh-
teenth centuries. the Restoration A
Queen Anne. Swift in his letters to S a.
witnesses to the fashion to be met "
in the Mall of an evening. ut is prod. y
ious," he remarks, ito see the rumber of
ladies walking there" Stretching along
the Mali on the north sid was once a
row of fine old trees which overhung
the road by the park wall
In the shade of these trees near the en-
trance to Spring Gardens was the memoir
able Institution of the Milk Fair, estab-
hshed probably when the game Of Man
began first to be PLAYED. The keeping
OF cows and the selling of milk TO the
rank and fashion was a privilcg e granted
by royal decree to the gate keepers, the
practice being kent up by the descend
ants Of the original milk sellers until
quite late period. EVELYN in his Diary
records having treated divers ladies of
his relations in the Spring Gardens in
June, 1919. but five years later Cromwell
and his Puritans had shut m the gar
den. and the diarist in May 1854 is taken
by My Ladv Gerard" to Mulb Try Gar
dens, now the only place of refreshment
about the towne for persons of the best
I quality to be exceedingly cheated at"
Arlington House was the first to stand
on the site of King James Mulberry Gan
den. In 1903 it gave place to n red brick
structure built by John Sheffield. Duke
of Buckingham. a view of the Mall, the
canal and other walks being one of the
subsequently bought, and settled on
Queen Charlotte in exchange for Old
Somerset House in the Strand. 1t be-
Fame known then as Queens House, At
that time. just as in after days, when
the palace was practically rebujlt4 moth
ing could be said to the credit of its
appearance. Commonplace it was and
commonplace it has remained at any
rate in its external appearance
Two royal interviews which took place,
in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth cen
turtles, between George III and Or. john
son. and Charles Dickens and Queen VIC
toria, relieve somewhat the tedum of the
palace chronicles. DR.. Johnson had what
may seem, at this distance Of time pc
some of the kings of England. He had
notably an extraordinary Partially for
Charles IL" and took fire" whenevr
anything was said against that monarch.
James II. too. he thought a very good
King. except that he ''unhappily believed
that it was necessary for the salvation of
Catholics" On one occasion johnson
drew a comparison between Charles II
and George 7. all to the advantage Of
Charles-"George the First knew moth
ing. and desired to know nothing: did
nothing and desired to do nothing, etc
AS for George TT. the worthy doctor
..'roared with prodigious violence against
him. The storm was happily allayed by
an Irishnan present who exclaimed comi-
cally. Poor George IT,"
Johnson appears to have put up with
George III Snd to have gone SO far, after
an interview. to compare him favor
ably with Louis XIV Of France ard
Charles II. ''Sir," he said to the Kings
librarian, they may talk Of the King
as they will, but he is the finest gentle
man I have ever seem. DIR. Johnson
was in the habit of frequenting. the IL
brary at the palace, which he had helped
to form. and King George. on being
informed of his visits, "signified a de-
sire that he should be told the next time
that Johnson did come" Boswell de-
scribes the interview: accordingly, the
next time that Johnson did come, as soon
as he was fairly engaged with a book.
which. while he sat by the fire, he
seemed quite intent Mr.. Barnard stole
round to the apartment where the King
was, and. in obedience to His Maiesty's
commands. mentioned that DR. Johnson