r
time the air couldn't be got out of the Castle, and in the summer time
it couldn't be got in.... It was not naturally a fresh smelling house;
and in the window of the front parlour, which was never opened, Mrs.
Pipchin kept a collection of plants in pots, which imparted an earthy
flavour of their own to the establishment."

Little Paul afterwards went to Dr. Blimber's, which "was a mighty fine
house fronting the sea"; this has been identified as being on or near
the site now occupied by the Metropole. Thackeray, whose verdict on the
town is quoted at the head of this chapter, laid several scenes among
these squares and crescents and gave to one of his greatest characters
the town's best known feature as a title.

The extraordinary and incongruous building in the Steyne known as the
Pavilion was built by Nash at the instigation of George IV. The
architect cannot be entirely blamed for the monstrosity, the general
idea and "style" was no doubt conceived by his patron. This is how the
Pavilion impressed Cobbett: "Take a square box the sides of which are
three feet and a half and the height a foot and a half. Take a large
Norfolk turnip, cut of the green of the leaves, leave the stalk nine
inches long, tie these round with a string three inches from the top,
and put the turnip on the middle of the top of the box. Then take four
turnips of half the size, treat them in the same way, and put them on
the corners of the box. Then take a considerable number of bulbs, of
the Crown-Imperial, the narcissus, the hyacinth, the tulip, the crocus
and others; let the leaves of each have sprouted to about an inch more
or less according to the size of the bulb; put all these pretty
promiscuously but pretty thickly on top of the box. Then stand off and
look at your architecture."

[Illustration: THE PAVILION, BRIGHTON.]

The building now belongs to the town, and the stables (The "Dome") form
a very fine concert hall. The adjacent buildings, all part of the
Pavilion, are used as Museum, Library and Picture Gallery. The
residence of Mrs. Fitzherbert still overlooks the Steyne, up the steps
of this house Barrymore drove his carriage and pair to the great
detriment of both house and equipage. The Y.M.C.A. now occupy the
premises. One of the best descriptions of the Regent's Brighton is in
"Rodney Stone."

It was about 1826 that the greatest growth in building took place; from
about this period date those magnificent squares, Regency and