convivial parties, says, "They met either in the lodgings of Louisa, Duchess of Portsmouth, or in those of Chiffinch, near the back-stairs, or in the apartment of Eleanor Gwynne, or that of Baptist May; but he losing his credit, Chiffinch had the greatest trust amongst them." Occasionally these agreeable supper-parties took place in the apartment of Miss Kirk, one of the maids of honour to the Queen. The company seems to have generally consisted of the Duke of Richmond, Lord Taaffe,— the admirer and apparently the seducer of Miss Kirk, Miss Stuart, the Count de Grammont, and, for the sake of appearances, the governess of the maids of honour. In the days of Charles the Second, the old palace of Whitehall was of vast size and magnificence. "It extended," says Pennant, "along the river, and in front along the present Parliament and Whitehall Street, as far as Scotland Yard, and on the other side of those streets to the turning into Spring Gardens beyond the Admiralty, looking into St. James's Park. The merry King, his Queen, his royal brother, Prince Rupert, the Duke of Monmouth, and all the great officers, and all the courtly train, had their lodgings within these walls; and all the royal family had their different offices, such as kitchens, cellars, pantries, spiceries, cyder-house, bake-house, wash-yards, coal-yards, and slaughterhouses." The source from which Pennant drew this sketch of the old palace is from the interesting plan taken by John Fisher in 1680, and engraved by The above view, Whitehall, which nearly much greater accuracy, is peculiarly interesting for the fine. & very OF WHITEHALL, resembles that by Silvester, but is drawn with • arrect representation it gives of the celebrated Gateway designed by Hans Holbein, as also for exhibiting some still more antient remains. of the palace, which adjoined the Worth end of the Banquetting Room and, which are to be found. in no other veu extant was made in the early part of the reign of "Charlest The Drawe |