Soldiers rogering servant girls, old fellows fumbling little girls, and no end of the most unblushing indecency on every side; the fact being that if people, or rather couples, only get into the Green Park before the gates closed at ten p.m. they might stop there all night, or could at any time go out by the turnstile at the end of Constitution Hill into Grosvenor Place.

The one or two bobbies who patrolled the park seemed to take no notice, or were easily squared by the girls who used the place for business, in fact Charlie saw one stalwart guardian of the peace doing a glorious grind on the grass till a Lifeguardsman came up, and slapping his naked rump as hard as he could told him he ought to set a better example, which caused great fun to several who were looking on, especially

when the soldier challenged the policeman for half-a-crown to exhibit his p — k against his for that amount, the girl he was poking to be the judge.

(Continued on page 129)

MEMOIRS OF NELL GWYNN, THE CELEBRATED MISTRESS OF CHARLES II

Eleanor Gwynn, or Gwyn, had little or no education. What we learn of her is, that she was born in a night cellar (State Poems), sold fish about the streets, rambled from tavern to tavern, entertaining the company after dinner and supper with songs, her voice being very agreeable; was next taken into the house of Madam Ross, a noted courtesan; admitted afterwards into the Theatre Royal, as early as the year 1667 (see the drama of the Maiden Queen, and others of Dryden's plays for ten years successively); was mistress both to Hart and Lacy, two famous actors, and kept by Buckhurst, whom Charles II sent on a sleeveless errand to France, in order to favour his approach to her. From that period she began to be pretty well known, and is mentioned by Burnet and other historians.



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