a village of Middlesex, on the western road from London, near 2 miles from Hide-Park-Corner. It is extremely populous; and besides the palace, now neglected, contains many genteel houses, and several boarding-schools. The palace, which was the seat of the Lord Chancellor Finch afterwards Earl of Nottingham, was purchased by King William; who greatly improved it, and caused a royal road to be made to it, through St James's and Hide Parks, with lamp-posts erected at equal distances on each side. Queen Mary enlarged the gardens. Her sister Queen Ann improved what Mary had begun; and was so pleased with the place, that she frequently supped during the summer in the green-house, which is a very beautiful one: but Queen Caroline completed the design by extending the gardens from the great road in Kensington to Acton; by bringing what is called the Serpentine-River into them; and by taking in some acres out of Hide-Park, on which she caused a mount to be erected, with a chair on it that could be easily turned round for shelter from the wind, since decayed. This mount is planted about with evergreens, and commands a fine view over the noble gardens, and the country south and west. They were originally designed by Kent, and have lately been very much improved by Brown; and though they contain no striking beauties, which their flat situation will not admit, yet they have many pleasing parts, and afford much delight to the inhabitants of London, particularly to those whose professions will not allow of frequent excursions to more distant places. These gardens, which are three miles and a half in compass, are kept in great order. The palace indeed has none of that grandeur which ought to appear in the residence of a British monarch; but the royal apartments are noble, and some of the pictures good. It was at this place King William, Prince George of Denmark, Queen Ann, and King George II. died. The old church was pulled down in 1695, and a much better one built in its room. Part of this village, from the palace-gate to the Bell, is in the parish of St Margaret's, Westminster.