On the south side of the town is a large house, formerly a priory: it belongs to the late Mr. Parsons’s family, and is beautified with plantations, and a large piece of water. It has two rooms, each fifty feet long, and of a proportionable breadth; but the ceilings are much too low. The house and gardens are on every side surrounded with hills, so as to render the prospect very romantic. In this town the late celebrated Lord Shaftesbury had an house, to which he retired to seclude himself from company. It is now in the possession of a private gentleman, who has laid out and planted a small spot of ground, in so many parts, as to comprise whatever can be supposed in the most noble seats. It may properly be called a model, and is called by the inhabitants of Reygate, _The world in one acre_. RHODES _yard_, Bishopsgate street.† RICHARD’S _court_, Lime street, Leadenhall street.† RICHBELL _court_, Red Lion street, Holborn.† RICHMOND, a village in Surry, twelve miles from London. This is reckoned the finest village in the British dominions, and has therefore been termed the _Frescati_ of England. It was anciently the seat of our Monarchs, and the palace from its splendor was called _Shene_, which in the Saxon tongue signifies bright or shining; Here King Edward III. died of grief for the loss of his heroic son Edward the Black Prince; and here died Anne the wife of Richard II. who first taught the English women the use of the side saddle; for before her time they were used to ride astride; Richard, however, was so afflicted at her death, that it gave him such a dislike to the place where it happened, that he defaced the fine palace; but it was repaired and beautified afresh by King Henry V. who also founded near it three religious houses. In the year 1497, this palace was destroyed by fire, when King Henry VII. was there; but in 1501 that Prince caused it to be new built, and commanded that the village should be called Richmond; he having borne the title of Earl of Richmond, before he obtained the crown by the defeat and death of Richard III. Henry VII. died here; and here also his grand-daughter Queen Elizabeth breathed her last. On the ground where formerly stood a part of the old palace, the Earl of Cholmondeley has a seat, as has also Mr. Wray. The present palace, which is finely situated, is a very plain edifice built by the Duke of Ormond, who received a grant of a considerable space of land about Richmond, from King William III. as a reward for his military services; but it devolved to the Crown on that Duke’s attainder, in the beginning of the reign of King George I. and this house was by his present Majesty confirmed to the late Queen Caroline, in case she became Queen Dowager of England.