more picturesque. On the right of the garden front of the house is a hanging wood of tall spreading trees; and on the left, the rising hills are planted with clumps, that produce a pleasing effect. A fine shrubbery immediately before this front, and a serpentine piece of water, render the whole a very enlivening scene. The cedars of Lebanon are fine, and are shot up to a great height, with their leaders entire. One of them was planted with his own hands by the first Earl. The enclosed fields, adjoining to the pleasure-grounds, contain about thirty acres. Hornsey great woods, held by the Earl of Mansfield, under the Bishop of London, join this estate on the north, and have been lately added to the enclosures. A serpentine walk, nearly two miles in extent, leads round the most interesting parts of the grounds. Few noblemen's seats have been raised in a more charming situation.

CHEVALIER D'EON.

This extraordinary character was born at Tonnerre, in Burgundy, in 1727. His career was a most singular combination of intrigue and deception. He began life as a soldier, and distinguished himself in the army and afterwards as a diplomatist. On his return to the French Court he assumed the habit of a female, and as such was appointed to a situation in the household of the Queen in the year 1771, when the doubt first arose concerning his sex. This appears to have been first started in St. Petersburg; for when on a mission to that city from the Court of France he assumed the female garb for state purposes. The doubt once raised, a

remarkable trial took place before Lord Mansfield on a bet made on the surmise, which was quashed on account of the illegality of the wager. After the decision of this cause the Chevalier adopted the female attire, and continued to wear it till his death.

In 1785 he established a fencing academy, an art in which he excelled, and some curious broadsides of challenges given and accepted by him are in existence. The latter years of his life he spent in great poverty, and that he subsisted in a great measure on the donations of the benevolent is evident from the following advertisement in the English Chronicle of July 2, 1802:

"THE CHEVALIER D'EON.

"Mademoiselle D'Eon having been confined to her bed and room for the last four months by a severe illness, she trusts will be a sufficient apology to CHRISTIAN for not before acknowledging the kind present of £10, and which she received some time since. The second letter, directed under cover to Mr. Gold, she received from his hands yesterday, and entreats that if her good friend CHRISTIAN should continue to contribute to the support of Mademoiselle D'Eon (who is now between seventy and eighty years of age, and in actual need) that he will be pleased to send the letters, as formerly, directed to Mr. J. Gold, 103, Shoe Lane, who will immediately forward them."

He died at his residence in New Milman Street, May 21, 1810, in the 81st year of his age, and his remains were interred in the old St. Pancras Churchyard.

After his decease it was discovered by his confessor, what that gentleman had never suspected, that the chevalier was of the male sex.

ST. PANCRAS ALMSHOUSES.

These almshouses are situated at Haverstock Hill. They were founded in 1850 by D. Fraser, Esq., for the purpose of affording a shelter for decayed and aged parishioners. Candidates for admission must have a small independent income before making an application. The buildings consist of a very handsome row of attached cottages, built with pointed roofs and red brick facings. A spacious and well-kept lawn lies before them, which is enclosed by a light and elegant stone wall.

The situation and appearance of the whole is very pleasing. On a tablet at the side of the porter's lodge is the following inscription :—

"Supported by Voluntary Contributions.
To the glory of God

And for the comfort of poor old parishioners
These Almshouses were projected by
DONALD FRASER, M.D.,

And by the willing aid of public benevolence,
Were founded A.D. 1850,

And rebuilt on this site A.D. 1859.

REV. CANON DALE, M.A., Vicar.
HENRY BAKER, Architect.

'Cast me not off at the time of old age,

Forsake me not when my strength faileth.'”

RIVER OF WELLS.

"In Pancras parish, at the foot of Hampstead Hill, is the rise, spring, or head, of the ancient River of Wells, which has its influx into the Thames. After its pas

sage through the fields between Pond Street and Kentish Town, washing the west of that village, it passes to Pancras, and from thence by several meanders through Battle Bridge, Black Mary's Hole, Hockleyin-the-Hole, Turnmill Street, Field Lane, Holborn Bridge, to Fleet Ditch. Of this river, tradition saith, that it was once navigable, and that lighters and barges used to go up as far as Pancras Church; and that in digging, anchors have been found within these two hundred years: hence, by the choking up of the river, it is easy to account for the decay of the town of Pancras. In the Speculum Britannia' Norden mentions, there were formerly many buildings about Pancras Church then decayed, and from the great valley, observable from Holborn Bridge to Pancras, it is probable it was once flooded. In the neighbourhood of Clerkenwell there were several others, as Skinners' Well, Fagg's Well, Tode Well, Loder's Well, and Radwell; and the overflowing of all these, according to Stow, once fell into that river, and hence it was called the river of Wells."

EBENEZER CHAPEL, KENTISH TOWN. ·

This neat chapel is situated in the Kentish Town Road, and was erected by the friends of Mr. Gittens, a high doctrinal Calvinist, who for some years previously had held a Sunday service in what was then the fields, now covered over with buildings, near where this chapel is built. Appreciating his services, they united to form a Church, and electing him their pastor, built themselves this chapel; since then, their number having increased, they very much enlarged it, but he did not long live to officiate in his larger chapel, which since

then has had several pastors, none of whom met with a similar acceptance. The present pastor is Mr. James Palmer, who seems to have every encouragement, and will probably continue in his sphere of usefulness.

TOTTENHAM COURT FAIR.

This fair was kept annually in the fields on the righthand side of the hedgerow of the road leading from St. Martin's-in-the-Fields to the old tavern known as Totten Hall, or the Adam and Eve tavern, now known as Tottenham Court Road. It was held the beginning of August. Having become, however, a sort of carnival, in which every species of low buffoonery and comic interludes were publicly exhibited, the magistrates determined to suppress, so far as they could lawfully, all this species of entertainment; and we find in the Daily Courant of July 22, 1727, the following proclamation :

* "MIDDLESEX TO WIT:

"Ad General Quarterial Session Pacis Dom. Regis tent' pro Com' Midd'x apud Hicks-Hall in St. John St. in Com' prædicť per adjourn die Iovis scil' sexto die Julii anno Regni Dom' Georgii Secundi, nunc Regis Magna Brit' &c. Primo, coram Io. Milner, armig., Edwardo Lawrence, mil., Iohanno Gonson, mil., Danielo Dolins, mil., Roberto Thornhill, Willo' Dobyns, Io. Ellis, Roberto Jackson, Willo' Edwards, armig., et aliis Sociis suis Justiciariis dicti Domine Regis ad Pacem, in Com' prædict' conservand nec non ad divers. Felon' Transgr' et alii Malefacta in eodem Com' perpetrat' audiend et terminand' assign' &c.

"This Court being informed that several common players of interludes have for several years used and accustomed to assemble and meet together at or near a certain place called Tottenhoe, alias

* This proclamation is taken from the original in the possession of John Bullock, Esq., of Canonbury.