and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
THE MIRROR
OF
LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.
| VOL. XX, NO. 582.] | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1832. | [PRICE 2d. |
THE YORK COLUMN.
Five years have now elapsed since the improvements in St. James's Parkwere commenced, by order of Government, for the gratification of thepeople. We were early in our congratulation, as well as illustration, ofthe prospective advantages of these plans for the public enjoyment, aswill be seen on reference to our tenth volume; and, with respect to there-disposal of St. James's Park, we believe the feeling of satisfactionhas been nearly universal.
At the period to which we have just alluded, the removal of CarltonHouse, (for it scarcely deserved the name of Palace,) had been decidedon. The walls were dismantled of their decorative finery, and theirdemolition commenced; the grounds were, to use a somewhat grandiloquentphrase, dis-afforested; and the upper end of "the sweet, shady sideof Pall Mall" marked out for public instead of Royal occupation. Thus,within a century has risen and disappeared from this spot the splendidabode and its appurtenances; for, it was in the year 1732 that Frederic,Prince of Wales, first purchased the property from the Earl ofBurlington; though it was not until 1788 that the erection of CarltonHouse was commenced for the late King, then Prince of Wales; so that theexistence of the Palace must be restricted within forty years—a termreminding us of the duration of a pavilion, rather than of a kinglymansion.
Upon the precise site of the courtyard and part of Carlton House havebeen erected two mansions, of splendid character, appropriated to theUnited Service and Athenaeum Clubs: the first built from the designs ofMr. Nash, and the latter from those of Mr. Decimus Burton. They frontPall Mall West, or may be considered to terminate Waterloo Place.
The site of Carlton House Gardens is now occupied by palatial houses,which are disposed in two ranges, and front St. James's Park. Thesubstructure, containing the kitchens and domestic offices, forms aterrace about 50 feet wide, adorned with pillars of the Paestum DoricOrder, surmounted with a balustrade. The superstructure consists ofthree stories, ornamented with Corinthian columns. The houses at eachextremity have elevated attics. Only small portions of these superbelevations are shown in the Engraving, with the Athenaeum Club House inthe distance.
In the space between the two ranges, it was proposed to erect afountain, formed of the eight column's of the portico of Carlton House,(which was in elaborate imitation of the Temple of Jupiter Stator,at Rome,1) to which eight on the same model were to be added. Thebalustraded