Hyde Park from Domesday-book to Date. Ashton John
them Toying and devouring Cheese Cakes, March-Pane, and China Oranges.”23 And this in the sober days of William and Mary!
About this time the name of “the Lodge” was generally dropped, and it was called the Cake House or Mince Pie House, until it was pulled down early middle of the century. It was situated nearly on the site of the present Receiving House of the Royal Humane Society, as is shown in a “Plan of Hyde Park, as it was in 1725. From a Plan of the Parish of St. George, Hanover Square, in the Vestry Room of that Parish.”24 It was made of timber and plaster, and must have had a very picturesque look when the accompanying illustration was taken in 1826. The other view of it, in 1804, shows its surroundings in the Park. “The Cake House” furnished the title of one of Charles Dibdin’s table entertainments, first performed in 1800.
Then too there were the Orange girls, whose vocation was not entirely confined to the theatres,
and who were chaffed by, and gave saucy answers to, the beaux. In a play by Thomas Southern (the author of Isabella and Oroonoko), published in 1693, called The Maid’s last Prayer, Or Any, rather than Fail, we find (p. 37) Lord and Lady Malapert discussing the propriety of visiting their country seat.
L. Mal. Well, well, there are a thousand innocent diversions.
La. Mal. What! Angling for Gudgeons, Bowls, and Ninepins?
L. Mal. More wholesome and diverting than always the dusty Mile Horse driving in Hide-Park.
La. Mal. O law! don’t profane Hide-Park: Is there anything so pleasant as to go there alone, and find fault with the Company? Why, there can’t a Horse or a Livery ’scape a Man, that has a mind to be witty. And then I sell bargains to the Orange Women.
CHAPTER IV
Foot and horse racing in the Park – Prize fighting – Duelling – The duel between Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton.
Then, also, there were races run in the Park, both horse, coach and foot. In Shirley’s Hide Parke we read, —
L. Bonavent. Be there any races here?
Mr. Lacy. Yes, Sir, horse and foot.
Mistress Bon. Prethee, sweetheart, who runnes?
La. An Irish and an English footeman!
M. Bon. Will they runne this way?
La. Just before you, I must have a bet!
M. Bon. Nay, nay, you shall not leave me.
Mistress Carroll. Do it discreetely, I must speak to him,
To ease my heart. I shall burst else.
Weele expect ’em here, Cousen, do they runne naked?
M. Bon. That were a most immodest sight.
M. Ca. Here have bin such fellowes, Cousen.
M. Bon. It would fright the women!
M. Ca. Some are of opinion it brings us hither.
Harke what a confusion of tongues there is.
Let you and I venture a paire of Gloves
Upon their feete; I’le take the Irish.
M. Bon. ’Tis done, but you shall pay if you lose.
M. Ca. Here’s my hand, you shall have the Gloves if you winne.
M. Bon. I thinke they are started.
Omnes. A Teag, A Teag, make way for shame.
La. I hold any man forty peeces yet.
Venture. A hundred pound to ten! a hundred peeces to ten!
Will no man take me?
M. Bon. I hold you, Sir.
Ven. Well, you shall see. A Teag! a Teag! hey!
Tryer. Ha! Well run, Irish!
Bon. He may be in a Bogge anon.
The horse race is thus described.
I. What dost thinke, Jockey?
II. The crack o’ th’ field against you.
Jo. Let them crack nuts.
I. What weighte?
II. I think he has the heeles.
III. Get but the start.
Jo. However, if I get within his quarters, let me alone.
M. Ca. They are started.
Ri. Twenty pounds to fifteene.
L. Bon. ’Tis done we’e.
Fa. Forty pounds to thirty.
L. Bon. Done, done, Ile take all oddes.
Tr. My Lord, I hold as much.
L. Bon. Not so.
Tr. Forty pounds to twenty.
L. Bon. Done, done.
M. Bon. You ha’ lost all, my Lord, and it were a Million.
L. Bon. In your imagination, who can helpe it?
La. Venture had the start, and keepes it.
L. Bon. Gentlemen, you have a fine time to triumph,
’Tis not your oddes that makes you win.
Within—Venture! Venture!
Julietta. Shall we venture nothing o’ th’ horses?
What oddes against my Lord?
M. Ca. Silke stockings.
Ju. To a paire of perfum’d gloves, I take it.
M. Ca. Done!
M. Bon. And I as much.
Ju. Done with you both!
M. Ca. Ile have em Spanish sent.
Ju. The stockings shall be scarlet, if you choose
Your sent, Ile choose my sent.
M. Ca. ’Tis done, if Venture
Knew but my lay, it would halfe breake his necke now,
And crying A Jockey! hay!
Ju. Is the wind in that coast, harke the noyse.
Is Jockey now?
M. Ca. ’Tis but a paire of gloves.
Ju. Still it holds.
How ha’ you sped, my Lord?
L. Bon. Won, Won, I knew by instinct
The mare would put some tricke upon him.
M. Bon. Then we ha’ lost; but, good my Lord, the circumstance.
L. Bon.
L. Bon. Great John at all adventure and grave Jockey
Mounted their severall Mares, I sha’not tell
The story out for laughing, ha, ha, ha,
But this in briefe; Jockey was left behind,
The pitty and the scorne of all the oddes,
Plaid ’bout my eares like Cannon, but lesse dangerous,
I looke all still: the acclamations was
For Venture, whose disdainful Mare threw durt
In
“Amusements Serious and Comical, Calculated for the Meridian of London.” Lond. 1700, p. 55.
“Environs of London.” D. Lysons, 2nd ed. vol. ii. part i. p. 117.