the spring and summer.  Here used to promenade, for one or two hours after dinner, the whole British world of gaiety, beauty, and splendour!  Here could be seen in one moving mass, extending the whole length of the mall 10,000 of the most lovely women, in this country of female beauty, all splendidly attired, and accompanied by as many well-dressed men.  The present promenades in Hyde-Park lose the effect produced by rank and distinguished character, owing to those classes being shut up in their carriages.”  Another writer, speaking of the park in Charles’s time, with its Dorimants, Millamours, and Millamants, says, “every thing around breathes of beauty and gaiety, the air is courtly, silks are rustling, and feathers fluttering in the mall; fair forms are hovering, and bright eyes glancing round; at every turn you encounter lords and beauties.”  In the “neglected state” we have long concurred; and we sympathize with our tourist in his other lament; for the former we have a remedy at last, and it affords us pleasure to know that the first of these tourists possesses health and vigour to watch the progress of the improvements in the parks; and we hope that he may live many years to enjoy their completion.  But for the second evil, we fear there is no remedy, since the disease is mortal to social happiness; unless that the proffered improvements may once more reinstate the Montpellier promenades of the park in fashion’s favour.  Editors are, however, very subordinate personages, when

  ——­Fashion so directs, and moderns raise
  On fashion’s mould’ring base their transient praise.

Be this as it may, we, who are so unfashionable as to be occasional promenaders in the parks, rejoice to present our readers with the annexed plan of the improvements now in progress in St. James’s Park, and in conjunction with the palace works they denote the simultaneous study of the happiness of the sovereign and the subject.  Our country readers, surrounded by all the blooming attributes of health, will doubtless congratulate such important improvements of what has been termed “the lungs of the metropolis.”

The annexed plan is reduced from the engraving which accompanied the Treasury Minute, January 19, 1827; from which the following are extracts:—­

“The Earl of Liverpool and the Chancellor of the Exchequer lay before the Board a plan for building on the North and South sides of St. James’s Park, (in addition to the buildings already sanctioned upon the site of Carlton Gardens;) and also for making some considerable alterations in the distribution of the intermediate ground, whereby the appearance of the park would be much improved, while a very material accommodation would be afforded to the public.

“They state, that they have received the King’s commands to convey to the Board his Majesty’s most gracious approbation of this proposal, and his pleasure that the necessary