^fRSt UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS SB 97 S96 1718 v.l r R E s S 4.1 * .-^i^'"'^ >^ --,^- Ichnographia Ruftica : OR, THE Nobleman,Gentleman,and Gardener's RECREATION. CONTAINING Directions for the general Di- ftribution of a Country Seat, into Rural and Extenfive Gardens, Parks, Paddocks, &c. And a General Syilem of Agriculture., 'illustrated With great Variety oi COPPER - PL ATES, done by the beft Hands, from tlie AUTHOR^s Drawings. VOL. L By Stephen Switzef, Gardener, Several Years Servant to Mr London and Mr. Wife. ihceptumq-^ una decurre iaborcm : decus ! fama ! merito pars maxima nojira^ Mstcer^s i^Uroq^ solans da yelapnenti. Virg. Georg. 2. LOKDO iV, Printed for D. Browne v/lthout Ternvle-Bar, B. Bailer and C Kinghi Wejhmt Jeimally 11^. Mean without Temple- har, arid R. Goflhg in Fleet ftrect, 1 7 1 S. To the Moft Noble the Marques o{ LINDSEV, Lord Great'Chamhrlain of ENGLAND, And one of the L o R d s of his Ma- jefty'sMoft Honourable PRIVY- COUNCIL, Ssjc. This TREATISE of GARDENING Is humbly Dedicated By his Lordship's Mofl obedient J Humble Servanty Stephen Switzer. THE PREFACE HAT the Politure and Be- nignity of /^^t?//o (the Patron of Refined Pleafure) was more eligible than the furly Afpefts and tragical Attri- butes of Mars, the tempeftu- ous Surges of Neptune^ or the amazing Thun- ders of Imperial Jove 5 and (as Fhosbus) by his benign Beams, took Gardening into his Protedion more immediately than any of the reft, not excepting ^he Delightful Mufes^ otherwife the darling Favourites of his Em- pire. That Minerva (hone brighter in her Paci- fick and Emolumental Drefs, than in her moft polifti'd Habihments of War 5 and the beautiful and chafte Diana u^as eclips'd by the more dazling Rays of (her own felf ) in Cynthia and Phcebe^ by whofe Monthly Re- volution the vrhole Scene of Nature, and Vol. I Vege- ii The PREFACE. Vegetation in particular, was by themfuppo- fed to be direded. That Ceres and Pomona prefided o'er the Deities of their refpedive Countries 3 and that Flora (before the Attraftion of thofe in- delible Spots of Proftitution, with which (he is fince tainted) was more amiable than Venus herfelf^ is not rational, but delightful to fup- pofe, from the Benefit and Happinefs that accrued to Mankind from thofe benign Pow- ers, more than many of that numbqrlefe train of Deities (many of them the imperious VaiTals of Ambition, Cruelty, and Revenge,) and rather ador'd out of Fear than Love bf thofe deluded Heathens. The Medicinal and Salutary Virtues of Kitchen- Vegetables are fo univerfally known, that all Mankind daily recdve bounteous Afliftance therefrom 3 being fuch as mix themfelves with, and qualifie the violent Ferment of the Blood, purifying and fweet- ning the Chylous Spirits of the Body, ^c. But the happy (I had almofl faid Supernatu- ral ) Power of the Vine, and the Ambrofial Juices of Fruits, are fuch, that all, both Ancient and Modern, feem very ready to confefs its Virtue, how Reviving to the drooping Spirits of the fatigued Statefman and Senator, how Quickning to the Studious and Learned, and RefreQiing to the laborious Artizan and Mechanick : The fovereign Qiialities of this is fo great, that all feem wiiiing to join in Wreathing the Teinples of that Jhe PREFACE. ifi that cheerful Deity with his beauteous Pro- duce, and in elevating his Statue above the Rabble of thofe fiditious and bloody Damons^ rather than Deities, common amongft the Antientis. But that Agriculture and Gard'ning, ab- ftraded from the Profits of it, was fo very folid, durable, and delightful an Employ, plac d above the moft refined Pleafures of An- tiquity (not inferior to the Seraphick Enter- tainments of Mufick and Poetry) ancient Hiftory undeniably proves 5 and that the ancienteft and politeft Heathens formed the greateft Conceptions, and the moft elevnted Notions they had of Heaven and a Future State, from the incomparable Beauties of the Garden 5 the Writings of their Poets and Hiftoriahs do every-where declare 3 their Elyziu7n being no other than the happy and regular Diftribution, and cheerful Afped of pleafant Gardens, Meadows, and Fields, and had its Original and Etymological Deri- vation fi^m the feveral Roots out of the Ori- ental Languages, implying the exalted No- tions of Joy, Happinefs, and Pleafurc, and the other unbounded Felicities of Nature, in her greateft Glory, the fublimeft Height thofe adumbrated Minds could at that time poffibly amount to. -Of the like. Import doubtlefs was Paradife, which properly fignifics Gardens of Pleafi^rej the Refidence of Angelick and Happy Souls, unfuUied with Guilt, and of Duration equal a 2 with iv The PREFACE. with Time : And tho' the Original Compaft between God and Man was after that inva- lidated and broke, yet we may gather from After-Hiftory, how great a Share Gard ning, and the Pleafures of the Country, had in the Minds and Praftice of the moft Virtuous in all the fucceflive Centuries of the World. The ancient Jttick and Roman Worthies erefted magnificent Statues, and decreed Annual Honours to be paid to their Rural and HoYtmfidl Deities 5 and the Great Au- giifius, after that long Scene of Mifery, and the difmal Devaftation of his Country, thought it a Matter worthy of a Publick Infcription : Rediit Cnltus in Agris. And as he worthily efteemed it, fo he order- ed it to be placed amongft the greateft Glories of his Reign. But that Eternal Honour (Gardening') has received from the peculiar Act, the fole and manual Operation and Contrivance #f Omni- potence, in the beautiful Portraiture and har- monious Diftribution of Paradife^ carries with it fuch a kind of Divine Revelation, as is fufficient to lilence ks Enemies (were it poffibly that fo innocent an Employ cou'd have any) and to raife Idea's far above, and never to be raz'd out of the Minds of that part of Mankind who purfue Pleafures, and expend their Time and Treafure in Matters of a iefs refined Nature. And The PREFACE. And indeed, Gardening, and the other Bu- finefs and Pleafures of a Country Life, being Subjefts of fo noble and fublime a Tafte, be- yond any one Art (I might fay the col- leftive Body of Arts) carries with it its own Recommendation, were there no Examples or Precepts of this kind either in Sacred or Civil Writ^'j' no!ij:^;?^.>w Jit'IjooI i: '•.> .^nui.;') . Tis in the quiet Enjoyment 'of Rural Ite- lights, the refrelhing and odoriferous Breezes of Garden Air, that That Deluge of Vapours and thofe Terrors of Hypocondraifm, which croud and opprefs the Head, aredifpell'd, and that divine kind oiHalitus there drawn, perfpi- ring the Organs of the Body, which regulates the precipitate Palpitation of the Heart, and the irregular Pulfation of the whole Machine : 'Tis there Reafon, Judgment, and Hands are fo bufily employed, as to leave no room for any vain or trifling Thoughts to interrupt ^theirfweet Retirement: And 'tis from the Admiration of thefe that the Soul is elevated to unlimited Heights above, and modell'd and prepared for the fweet' Reception and happy Enjoyment of Felicities, the durableft as well as happieft that Omnifcience has treated. And confidering to what a pitch the Praftice and Efteem of Gard'ning is with- in thefe thirty Years laft paft arriv'd, it may not improbably be matter of fome Obferva- tion in the Nobility and Gentry of Great- Britain^ the Encouragers and Promoters oi it, that fo few Books have been originally a 3 pub- VI the P R E F A C E. publifli'd in their own Native Language, for the liluftration of the prefent Methods, and tnaking fuch farther Additions add . Improve^ ments, as upon mature Cbnfidcration may appear to be neceffary. .... . ; oci ■. .A There feems nothing, certainljrvfo mucH wanting to complcat its clear and folid Foun- dations, as a fuccinft Colledion of the. feve-:^ ral Rules.niadeufe of in our prefent Praftice, ft) methodically and intelhgibly difpos^d; that all Learners may not be to (e^k at Nootb day, and wamder at ^ time wh^ this Art kin its higheft M.eridiin. : .> And not only this, but likewife Agricul^ ture (with whieh Gard'ning is inextricably wove) and alfo all jthe Bufinefs and Pleafures of a Country Life (fcatter'd up and down as they are in loofc irregular Papers and Books I fay, if thefe were all collefted together intd Order and Method, 'twould : poflibly be a Work not unworthy fome laboriousTen : And fince 'twould make too large a Volume in one, it might be better to divide them into feveral Parts, into Books of this Size, which would not only make a handfome Sett in the Study, but would likewife be compleat Pocket Cora-? panions in the Field, eafily puird otlt and read on any Occafion. Towards this I have collated fome Materials, but their Publica* tion will entirely depend on the Succefs this meets with in the World. But to return nearer to our prefent Pur- pole: Whatever helps it may be thought that 7he PREFACE. vli that Books of this kind already publiflied may afford, (the greateft part of them being Ti an- flations from other Languages, and calcula- ted for Soils and Regions quite different from ours) they have been complain'd of as very deficient 5 and what Succefs thofe Gentlemen have had, after all their Care and Pains iit Abridging, ^c. ^ they themfelves beft know. And perhaps it might have been more cafy for them, as well as more inftruftive to the World, if they had begun de novo^ if on a Rafa Tabula^ and an original Bafis of their own laying, they had fuperftrufted the pleafing Rules of Gardening ^ for tho' Inven- tion may not be put fo much to the Stretch in compofing, yet 'tis certain, Labour and Judgment are much more fo, by extricating the effential parts of thofe circumlocutory anl confus'd Rules that abound in one, and by making fiich Remarks as would be of any great Ufe in the other. The Theory andFra- 8ice of Gard'niTig, lately Tranflated by Mr. James of Greenwich^ is efteemed, in its way, the beft that has appeared iji this or any other Language, and feems to be the beft- laid De- lign, and carried on with the moft Judg- ment 5 but that being writ in a Country much differing, and very far inferior to this, in re- fbed of the Natural Embellifhments. of our Gardens, as good Grafs, Gravel, &c. makes a great Alteration in point oiBefign. Be- fides, there arc fome confiderable Defefts iii that way of Gardening, as well as in the ' 34 'Defigm vlii the PREFACE. Defigns thcmfelves, which I fliall take more notice of in due Time and Place. As for feveral other Books that have been printed in our own Language, I have neither the Vanity nor Ill-will of cenfuring or con- demning any thing that is contained in them ^ but rather pay a great deal of Refped to the Memory of their Editors, and fliall make ufe of thofe Writings^whete-ever they agree with our prefent Method : But many of them be-? ing writ fome Years ago, before Gardening was fo well known as 'tis now ^ ^nd others being of fo mean a Tafleas fcarce to Bear Read- ing at all 3 I cann't but after much Thought be of an humble Opinion, that the prefent Undertaking will be of fome Ufe to the World. Th6 Reafon of this Omiflion I have been hinting at, I mean the want of more and better Garden Originals, feems to be that great Hurry which thofe (^) Gentlemen have been always in, to whofe Share the chief Practice (as well as Profit) of Gardening has fallen 5 fince had their Leifure been equal to their Experience, the World might from them have reafonably expected the compleat- eft Syftem of Gard'mng that any Age or Country has produced : 'Tis to them we owe many of thofe valuable Precepts in Gardening now in ufe, and their Memory ought to be tranfmitted to Pofterity with the feme Care ■ ,^i I m II II I — (^a)- Mr, loUon and Wiic. as th^ PREFACE. ix as tliofe of the great eft and moft laborious Philofophers and Heroes, who by their Writ- ing and Praftice have defcrv'd fo well of the World. But fince they have nbt* been pleafed (or indeed, as their Bufinefs may not yet have permitted them) to anfwer the juft Expeda- tions of the World (b), and fuch as they have given Hopes of thcmfelves, and which may now probably be farther off than before, by the Lofs Gard ning has fuftain'd in the Death of one of the greateft Members of that Un- dertaking 5 it will, I hope, excufe the Pre- fumption of this Defign, and of any other that may tend to the Recording and Impro- ving this truly Innocent, Noble, and Emolu- Biental Employ. Every Man is at liberty, or rather he k indifpenfably oblig'd to make what Advances he can in the Art he is brought up to, and in the Age he lives 3 and whoever does not this, anfwers not one End of his Creation, and but little exceeds the Beaft that periflies. And in this refped, as no one's Meannefs of State can excufe him for his Negled, fo it can be no caufe for others in a more flourifh- ing Condition to malign or envy his Labours or Endeavours, much lefs to ufe them with that fcurvy Treatment that too often attends fuch Works. (b) Vtd, Prelkce to the Recx'd Gard'ncr. I muft the PREFA CE. I muft confefs, the Undertaking and Well* managing this Matter is a very arduous and! difficult Point, not to be attained to without. Diligence, Application, and tolerable Expe- rience, and a full Refolution of purfuing it with Vigour ^ fince this is an Age abounding with Wit, Learning, and Judgment too pe- netrating to be any-way impofed on 5 and that Perfon who dare alTurae it without thofe Qualifications and Refolves, is certainly guil- ty of an unpardonable Folly. I hope I fliail not be altogether unfit for this Work, by the Happioefs I have had in an Education none of the meanefl for one of my ProfefTion^ and of having a conliderable Share in all parts of the greateft Works of this Kingdom, and under the greateft Ma- ilers^ and even that which fome may proba- bly reckon otherwife, I mean fome fmall Re- volutions and Mcannefs of Fortune, as it has fometimes thrown me upon the greateft Sla- very^ fo it has at other times amongft the beft Men and Books 5 by which means, and I hope an allowable Induflry and Ambition, and an eager Defire of being acquainted with all papts of this Nation, as well as all the ufeful parts of Gardening, I have tafted both rough and fmooth (as we plainly call it) from the beft Bufinefs and Books, to the meaneft Labours of the Scythe, Spade, and Wheel-barrow. The Misfortune that moft of my ProfefTipn are under, in not having been Abroad, is cer- tainly great 5 that noble Tafte with which Gardens the PREFACE. xi Garijfctos in France and other Countries a- 6oi?nd, is in fotne meafure difcoverable from thofe Plans an<3LPerfpedives that are brought over from thence ^ but this 1 hope amply tq fupply in fome fhort time, and to draw the magnificent Idea s of thofe Natibns into a Vo- lutne by it felf. In the mean time, I proceed on a kind of pxtenfive Gardning, not yet much us'd with us, to which I fuppofe thofe Obferva- tiom I fhall there make will be very proper Addenda's^ the chief Benefit accruing from thence being in Water-works and Statues, Fruits, &c. This being premised, I proceed to the Book itfelf : And that I might the better in- troduce what I had to fay in Gard'ning, I Ji^ve commenc'd my Difcourfe from its Ori- ginal, from the Beginning of the World, and the, firft Date of Time itfelf, and by a fuc- cinft Deduftion brought it down to this pre- fent Time, a Time very memorable for thes Figure Gard'ning makes amongft other Arts and Sciences. i In the Bufinefs of Gard'ning, to proceed methodically. I have laid down plainly the Nature of Earth, Water, the Sun and Air, (the Operative, Meteorological Powers of Nature) and the Method by which they con- fpire together in the Growth of Trees, and the ftupendous Arcana of Vegetation : This is intermixt with Diredions for making Ma- gazines for the Improvement of thofe two '^ kinds ecii The PR E FACE. kinds of Earth in which we generally a- bound, (viz.) Heavy and Light, or Cold and Hot Lands 5 and alfo the manner of impreg-. Dating Water, and how to aiGft Nature in the Extremities either of Cold or Heat. When thefe things are well known, I have fuppos'd the Praftice of Raifing Trees might te the eafierand better attained to : But per- haps it may be thought that Mr. Evelyn, in his Philofophical Difcourfe on Earth, has abundantly provided for this Matter, and con* fequently there is no occafion of writing more on this Subjeft. And indeed it mufl be own'd, that among all the elaborate Works of that Author, none is more charming or fuller of good Philofo- phy than that is ^ but it is withal fo nicely drawn, that 'twould be hard for an honeft plain Country Planter to extrad: Rules for the compo- fing of Earths proper for his fimple Purpofe : So exquifitely fine are his Compofitions, fit chiefly for Flowres and choice Exotics, ra- ther than the more Ruftical and Plain Ways of Tilling and Improving Country Lands* I have therefore followed a more fimple and plain Method : Having firft divided the Earths I would improve, into two Parts, Light and Heavy, and the Materials for Im- provement of a very few kinds, fuch as are proper for thefe two forts of Land, and eafy to be got at every Husbandman's Door ^ to which I have added a third Advice, in rela- tion to Earth exhaufted and worn out 3 and ' thus rhe PR EFA CE. xiii thus I have (I hope) fully provided my Rea- der with Magazines of Earth fit for the Pur- pofe of Raifing Trees. My next, is the Raifing Wood and Foreft- Trees in Nurferies, or otherwife more pro- mifcuoufly in Coppices, &c. This likcwife has been already handled by Mr, Eveljin in his Sylva^ and Others. But befides that we have now much better Methods of Rai- fing Trees than they had then, at lead they are more univerfally known 5 (the Rules there deliver'd, being chiefly extrafted out of the ancient Writings of Pliny ^ Columella, &c. ) Neither is his Method fo Inftruftive to a young Country Beginner as could be wifli'd 5 fince the Courfe of his Diredion is often broke off by Digreffions concerning the Mechanical, and very often the Medicinal Ufes of the Plant he is teaching to raife 5 and has alfo taught the Propagation of every kind of Tree feparately : Whereas one and the fame Method raifes a great many kinds of Plants ^ an Oak is lais'd of Maft or Seed, like the Chefnut, Beach, Hornbeam, &c. On the contrary, I have followed and enlarg'd on the Method laid down by Fjrgil in his 2d Georgick, who has reduced all that are rais'd by Seed into one Clafs, and thofe that are rais'd by Arcuation or Laying into another ^ which avoids a great deal of Re- petition, and makes the raifing Trees much more eafie and intelligible. I have iikewife, ;is it were, chained all my Diredions one to another t 3civ The. PREFACE. another ^ fo that a Learner leaving off^ msxf have a quick recourfe to his Inftrudions again 5 which is not fo eafie to be done iq Voluminous Works : but this is fo difpos'd, that the Thread is never broke 'till he is got quite through the whole Procefs. In fine, thefe plain Direa:ions,how compendious foevcc they may at firft fight feem to be, contain the moft material Things to be Icarn'd in that Matter. ...i! And it muft be obferv'd, whatever Value we put upon the Works of that great Authdx juft mention'd, that his Writings abound rather with the Marks of an excellent Scbor lar, than an intelligible and praftical Gax-r dener. But to proceed : Having thus provided the Country Oen^ tleman with Diredions for Raifing of Woody the great Beauty and Security of his Villa ^ I go on, next of all, to fpeak of Water ^ by which I mean, not altogether that cjefign'd for Ufe, but Beauty, and without which the beft Country-Seat is very deficient j. ivherein I have enlarged on the Original of Springs, the manner of bringing them home, and the beft way of ufing them in Fountains, Cafcades, and the like. Then follow Statues^ one of the nobleft Or- naments of our beft Gardens and Plantations, which not only make a magnificent Appear- ance 5 but 'tis there alfo we hieroglyphically read the great Ideas of Valour and Renown, that particularly diftinguiflied thofe Antients above The PREFACE. xv above the reft of their fellow-Creatures, and is of continual Ufa and Amufement to the ferious Beholders : Tis there, befides the Lineaments and Portraitures of Rational Beings, we read the true Lineaments of Heroifm and Virtue, and other Attributes which deify 'd thofe never-dying Hero's. And that they might the more efFeftually ftrike the Imagination, 1 have endeavour'd to promote their proper Magnitude, Dimen- fions, and Diftribution in the feveral Quar- ters, Centres, Lawns, and RecelTes of our T^ejjgns : To all which is added a fhort Ad* dition on Gr/^y}, Gravel, 6cc. This being a fhort Abftraft of the Con- tents of this Volume 5 I fhall, for the Satif- faftion of my Readers, give fome Account of the next I intend to publilh, ( if Providence permits, and this find Acceptance in the World ) which I couch under the general Title of ICHNOGKAPHIA RuSTICA 5 by which is meant, the general Defigning and and Diftributing of Coun try-Seats into Gar- dens, Woods, Parks, Paddocks, &c. which I therefore call Forejl, or, in a more eafie Stile, Rural Gardening, I (hall not mention the particular Method in which I intend to handle that Subjed, but proceed to fay fomething of Befign m General, ^and the Reafons that have induced me to that way of thinking, which is, in fliort, from that Magnificence that is eafily. dilcoverable from the fr^/zcZ? Defigns, which certainly xvi 71?e PREFACE. certainly yet very much excel Ours, not- withftanding thofe confiderable Advantages we have by Nature beyond what they have. But becaufe Perfons differ in their Opi- nions about Defign^ it may be requifite I fliouid lay down thofe Rules that are the Standard of my Judgment and Procedure in this Matter 5 fince whoever endeavours to enforce a Belief of thofe Things he can give no Reafon for, impofes on the World, and inftead of Inftrufting, highly Affronts his Reader. The Precepts of the Cultivating part of Gardening, depend on Obfervation and Ex- perience 5 but this ofDeJigniTig, on a noble and correft Judgment and Tafte of Things : And where-ever Rules drawn from One's own Knowledge, or the Writings of indubitable An- tiquity, are wanting, 'tis then one muft have recourfe to parallel Cafes for the Informa- tion, and indeed the Determination of Judg- ment, to Architcdure Civil and Military, to Nature, nay fometimes to Divinity, Mo- rality, Poetry, and the like. This is the Method 1 have taken in the piirfuit of Dejign :, and the Thefes I have drawn for mv Directions therein, are fumm'd up in this Ruftick Verfe, Utile qui dulci mlfcens, iiigentia Rnra, S'mpkx Munditiis ornat,punclum hie tuht omne. And r/^r PREFACE. xvii ' And for that no body has yet enlarg'd on this Matter, but every one makes what Judgment he pleafes, and thereby leaves Defign in Confufion, I Ihall take thefe diree Motto's in their Courfe, being fuch as have in other Cafes had the Approbation of all Mankind, and may not improperly be applied to this. • Utile dulci is what may not be thought a proper Theme for Princes, whofe Riches and Powers are very great 5 but there feems to be a fecret Pleafure in the very Words, and I believe there are few of the greateft Nobi- lity, whofe Wealth overflows fo much as to have no regard to thetn : By this is not im- probably meant a judicious Mixture and I;icor- poration of the Pleafures of the G^untr/,with the Profits 5 this I fhall ftudioufly endeavour to follow, and for the prefent ftiall only obferve, that all my Defigns tend that Way : And by mixing the ufeful and profitable Parts of Gar- dening with the pleafurable in the Interior Parts of my Defigns^ and Paddocks, obfcure Enclofures, &c, in the Outward : My De- figns are thereby vaftly enlarged, and both Profit and Pleafure may be faid to be agree- ably mix'd together : For I cann't but think the Perfon that barters the firft for the fake of the fineft Garden in the World, makes a very bad Exchange 5 but if they can be well thrown one amongft another, it muft be very fatisfaftory. And if under this Head be underftood a Frugality in the Manage- Vo L. L b meat xviii The PPvEFACE. ment and Performance, this will appear in the Diredion that will be found in this Trea^ tife, and in the other much morefo. By Ingentia Rura (apply *d to Gard'ning) we may underftand that Extcnfive Way of Gardening that I have already hinted at, and fliall more fully handle ^ this the French call La Grand Manier^ and is oppos'd tothofe cfimping, diminutive, and wretched Perfor- mances we every-where meet with, fo bad, and withal fo expenfive, that other Parts of a Gentleman's Care is often, by unavoidable Neceffity, left undone^ the Top of thcfe Defigns being in Clipt Plants, Flowers, and other trifling Decorations (which I fliall fpeak more of by and by) fit only for little Town^ Gardens, and not for the expanfive Tracts of the Country. This then confifts rightly in large pro-i lated Gardens and Plantations, adorn'd witfe magnificent Statues and Water-works, full of long extended, fliady Walks and Groves 5 neither does it altogether exclude the Ufe of private Keceffes, and fome little retired Ca- binets 5 this feems to be the general Idea of the Plan or Ichnography of a well-contrived Seat 5 but when we confider the Elevation, it requires that every thing appears tall, (lately, and bold, and all of it contrary to that narrow and mean-fpiritednefs with which Defigns generally abound. , It alfo direfts, that all the adjacent Country be laid open to View, and that the Eye fliouid the PREFACE. xix (hould not be bounded with high Walls, Woods mifplac*d, and feveral Obftrudions that are feen in too many Places, by which the Eye is at it were iinprifoned, and the Feet.,fetta:'d in the midft of the extenfive Charms of Nature, and the voluminous Trads of a pleafant Country. Simplex Munditiis is well known to be a comprehenfive as well as compendious Theme^ and . is> if well underftood, of Ufe in all the Material Actions and Bufinefs of human Life 5 and as it denotes an unafFefted Sim- plicity and Neatnefs in the Words, Adions, and Drefs of a Man or Woman 5 fo in Gar- dening, and all the whole Cycle of Arts, it fignifies a noble Elegance and Decency, a due Proportion and clear Majeflick Mien in the feveral correfponding Parts thereof 5 and without ftraining it too hard, may very well demonftrate the beautiful and harmonious Rules of Symmetry and Variety. , However, 'tis a well-govern'd purfuit of Nature, whofe Rules, tho' often fortuitous, are not the lefs beauteous, but rather the more admirable. And if this was more followed, if the Beau- ties of Nature were not corrupted by Art, Gardens would be much more valuable. But above all, it cafhiers thofe Interla- cings of Box-work, and fuch-like trifling Ornaments, and lubftitutes the plain but no- bler Embellifliments of Grafs, Gravel, and the like, in which we fo much excel other Countries. In fhort, 'tis the ufefulleft Mark b 2 any XX The PREFACE. any Defigner can fteer by, both for Frugal!^ ty in the Execution, and Noblenefs of Gar- dens when they are aftually accompliftied. I cannot better take my leave of this im- perfe<3 EflTay on 'Defigriy than by Quotations out of thofe celebrated Authors, the Right Honourable the Earl of Rofco7n?non^ in his Tranflation of Horace's Art of Poetry 3 and Mr. Pope, in his inimitable Effay on Criti- c'lfvu Thefe Authors probably had no Thoughts of applying them to Gardening 5 but from them are deducible fome of the beft Strokes conceivable for our prefent Purpofe 5 the firft, inculcating the Grounds of true De- figns in Poetry, and the Faults generally committed for want of a thorough Under- ftanding and folid Judgment in that Art 5 contrary to a mean-fpirited and trifling man- ner, common enough in Poetry as well as Gard'ning, fays. The meanejl Workman in tV uEmilian Square May grave the Nails^ and imitate the Hair^ But cannot finip v^hat he has hegini. What is there more ridiculous than he § For one or txco good Features in a Face^ Where all the reft are fcandaloujly ill^ Make it but more remarkably deformed. E of Rofeommon. And the other moft excellent Critick : Firft follow Nature^ and your Jiidgrnent frame By herjuft Standard^ vchich isjlillthefame -^ Unerring rk P R E F A C E. xxi Unerring Vature ftill divinely bright^ One clear ^ tmchangd^ and imiverfal Light ; Life^ Force^ and Beauty mujl to all imfart At once the Source, ana End, andTefl of Art. that Art h heft vohich mojl refembles her^ 4nd Jlill ^re/ides^yet never does appear. And in the 13th Page gives us the moft inimitable and general Ideas of good Defign^ drawn both from Nature and Art. In Gard'ns, as Nature ^ what affeBs our Hearts The ongu Is not tV ExaBnefs of peculiar Parts : ^^(;^' ^" ^Tis not a Lip or Eye we Beauty call^ But the joint Force and full Refult of all Thus when we viewfome well-proportion d Dome^ (^The World's juji Wonder^ and ev'n thine ^ Rome ! ) No fmgle Parts unequally furprlze , All comes united to tV admiring Eyes 3 No monjlrous Height^ or Breadth^ or Length appear^ The whole at once is hold and regular. Pope's EiTay on Criticifm. But I leave the farther purfuit of this to fome better Pen: And indeed the Pleafures of Gardening in all its Parts are fuch, that were it poffible to dive into and difplay the utmoft Receflesof its Beauty, one would not do it, but leave it amongft the delightful b 3 Amufe- xxii The PREFACE. Amufements of Providence, for the continu- al Entertainment of the Ingenious in this as well as fucceeding Generations. Field-room there is enough : Go on and profper, ye illuftrious Lovers of Gard'ning^ Exercife there will be enough, till this and all other Arts Ihail be fwallowed up in the Ruins of this tottering World, and Nature herfelf Ihall breathe out her laft Gafp 5 till you, happy Souls, fliall every one have received the Reward of your Virtuous Labour. And this which has been the utmoft of your Am- bition Here, (hall be fully compleated in the niore durable and unbounded Felicities of a joyful Hereafter. But however diverting and noble a Subjeft Gardening is, like all fublunary Affairs, it is not free from feveral Misfortunes that tire forrje in Performance, and deterr others from ever meddling with: Thefe Mifliaps I fhall next trace from their Original Source, and endeavour to give fuch general Advice as will help to reform them. And the firft is, the too great Hafte we often obferve Gentlemen to be in 5 and fome- times, on a miftaken Notion of their own Judgment, lay hold of the firft Opportunity that offers in making their Gardens, with- out confulting fome experienced Workman, whofe Judgment may be depended on 5 and to make the Matter yet worfe, there is too often fome awkard, ignorant, I might add diihoneft Perfon and Pretender to a great deal of The PREFACE. xxHi of Knowledge in this Matter at hand, and ready to offer their Advice, the' never fo weak and falfe. Of which Perfons,amongft others, are fome who call themfelves Gardeners^ who having wrought a little while at fome or other of the great Works of this Kingdom, immediately put on an Apron, get a Rule and pair of Com- pafTes, with other things belonging to this Work 5 thus equipt, what Wonders are we not to expeft from fo profound a Set oi Ma- thematicians and DeJigTiers ! However, by the Help and Recommenda- tion of fome as knowing as themfelves, they are introduced into a Service with an AJTu- rance of doing mighty Things. If the Gardens are to make, the firft thing they fall on is probably fome little Court- yard, or other fmall Divifion of the Garden 5 for by the Largenefs of their Scale, and the Narrownefs of their Genius, their Sheet of Demy and Heads are both fo wonderfully fiird with the Contrivance of thofe minute Parts, that 'tis impoflible they {hould lay fuch a general Scheme, as that the Part now making, may any-way correfpond or agree with what may follow after : In (hort, when their Defigns come to their intended Perfe- dion, they are often full of an indigefted heap of Abfurdities, fcarce ever reducible (without a total Revolution) into any tole- rable Figure, tho' they happen afterwards b 4 to xxlv The PREFACE. to fall under the Direftion of the moft Skil- ful in this Way. Add to this the Round-about Ways, and confequently Expences, Gentlemen, in this unhappy Method, are put to ^ for thefe Per- fons being (hrewd Calculators of Line and Level, have perhaps as much Earth to bring in, or carry out, as, befides the Expences, has no other EfFed but to make the Matter yet worfe. By this time the Gentleman may fee the Errors into which he is infenfibly drawn 3 but the Mifery of it is, 'tis perhaps fo late, that he thanks neither his Fortune nor his Friend for making him thus dear and experimentally wife ^ and the farther purfuit of Gard'ning is entirely laid afide. To compleat this Matter, there are like- wife fevcral Artizans or Mechanicks that e- lope their own Province, and by pretending to give Dejigns in Gard'ning, are guilty of a great Crime 5 Gard'ning being in all its Circuniftances the moftextenfive Art of any, and therefore not fo eafily to be meddled with as they think. There are likewife feveral Northern Lads, which whether they have ferv'd any time in this Art, or not, very few of us know any thing of^ yet by the help of a little Learn- ing, and a great deal of Impudence, they in- vade thefe Southern Provinces ^ and the na- tural Benignity of this Warmer Climate has fuch a wonderful Influence on them, that one of them knows (or at leaft pretends to know) r£^ P R E F A C E. XXV know) more in one Twelve-month, than a laborious, honeftScz/fZ' Countrjiman does in feven Years. And indeed, however polite and gallant Perfons of the firft Rank, whofe II- luftrious Birth and Virtues give them place amongfl: the greateft of the Qiiality, and whofe Knowledge in thofe Matters is very ' good ; the meaner fort of that People, by a canting Artifice, aflifted v/ith a little Learning, make them an Over-match with their Tongues for any honeft, induftrious Gardener amongft us, how skilful foever he be : And in fliort, this Perfon, among others, is one that helps to compleat what I have been complaining of* Thefe might have been included in my firft Divifion 5 but I could not but beftow a Pa- ragraph on purpofe to paint out the Poifon of thefe audacious Empiricks in this Way. I wifli it poffible for me to excufe fome o- thers that pretend to Defigning and Laying out Gardens, which are, by their ferving Ap- prenticefhips, better entitled to thefe Matters : But Gard ning is known to be very extenfive in its Nature ^ and tho' a Man may probably be a good Kitchen or Flower Gardner, he may yet mifs of this and other Parts, by ei- ther not being furnilhed with proper Talents, or having had no Advantage of improving himfelf: Thefe, by undertaking this of D^- Jign^ &c. commit an Error they cannot eafily atone for, are very much concern'd in the Charge I am here bringing againft Pretenders^ but I fpare them, for the fake of their being of xxvi The PREFA C E. of my own Profeffion, and only wifli them to examine well, before they begin on this difficult Province. I fhall finifh this Subjed with that ferious Advice of Rapins, it being perhaps not in the Hands of all that begin Gardening. VillaV and Gardens you will heft command^ If timely you en^2ige a Mafter^s Hand, yVbofe artful Pencil pall on Paper trace The whole T>efigny and figure out the Place, Review the Planyourfelf you may defcry Errors efcaping the De/igner's Eye. With Eafe reliev'd^ while yet to each new Thought Tbejlighteft Touch reforms tV obedient 'Draught* Mr. Gardiner. It may be thought I have dwelt too long, and been too fevere on this Subjed: 5 but the Cafe is fo very bad, that I hope to be excus'd, if I have 5 the Difeafe feems to be Lethar- gick, and for want of Caution, and fo re- quires the fharper Medicines for its Prevention and Cure. And fince I have been juft fpeaking of Draughts, I cann't but throw in a Caution againft the too much depending on them , in- afmuch as they may appear very fine, and yet be no-way fuitable to the Place. And I will be bold to affirm, that regular fine Schemes have fpoiied as many Gardens, as any other Fault, except there be a great deal of Judg- ment and Confideration with it. Thus The PREFACE. xxvii Thus do we often fee raany a noble Oak, or fometimes whole Lines of thefe and other umbragious Trees, fell'd^ to humour the re- gular and delufive Schemes of fome Paper Engineers 5 and fuch a Medley of CI ipt Plants, Embroidery, &c. introduced in their room, that 'tis hard how to think of it, whether with Pity or Difdain. Tis alfo to them ow- ing, that all Eminences or Pits are levelled, tho' at never-fo-great an Expence, when with good Management they might prove the great- eft Beauties in Gard ning. But perhaps, and I know it is very often urged by fome Gentlemen, when they firft enter upon Gard' ning 5, We intend (fay they) to lay out but a little Money 5 and our Gar- dens are not fo much for Plcafure as Profit. To which I anfwer. That in this whole Mat- ter there feems to be the more Reafon for Advice 5 for if the Room be but fmall, there requires the more Judgment in laying it out well ^ but if Saving Money is the Cafe, they may affure themfelves it will coft them rather ten times more than any thing elfe : And even in the leaft and meaneft Deiign there is fome Judgment, Thought, Frugality, and Contri- vance. But if any fhould think I prefs this becaufe it is my Bufinefs, and that they are refolved to lay out their Money as they pleafe 5 I have done, and muft only take leave to de- clare the contrary, and that 'tis nothing but an honeft Meaning 5 and confefs 'tis the great- eft Grief in the World for me to fee Buii- nefs xxviii The PREFACE. nefs ill defignedy and really afterwards worfe managed. I am fure 'tis not Vanity nor lU-wHl that makes me thus expofe thefe wrong Methods, having had too s^reat a Shar^. in the Frowns of an ill-natur'd World, to take pleafure in the publ'fhmg and tiinmphing in the Faults and Miftakes of any Part of Mankind, much lefs Men of my own Profeflion. And I hope the whole Courfe of my Life, and the unguard- ed Opennefs and Freedom with which I Ihall deliver my following Undertakings, will make the contrary appear ^ and tho' it be my Pro- feflion, I fliall endeavour to acquit myfelf faithfully, and without Mercenarinefs or Re- ferve. But an officious Advifer is one of the unweicomeft Guefts that can come to many Perfons (what Occafion foever they may have of it 5 ) for which Reafon I fhali be the fliort* er to them. And to Gentlemen of a more lenitive and ingenious Nature, who are pleafed to pardon the Unworthinefs as well as officious Boldnefs of a well-meaning Man, how contrary foever it may be to any former Miflakes, I hope the foregoing Remarks may be of ufe ^ and to make them have the more Effed, 1 beg leave to add the following Advice. Firfl then. After the Defign is well laid and confider'd by the Gentleman, and fome ho- ned and experienc'd Workman, that fuch a Perfon be chofe for a Servant, as is Sober, In- genious, and Good-natur'd, ( I may call him a Fel- the PR EF A CE. xxlx a Fellow-Companion in this delightful Em- ploy) the more he knows is certainly the better ^ but of the two, the firft is the beft Qualification 5 becaufe if he abounds in the one, a little Experience and good Ufage will foon make him capable of the other ; but an ignorant, conceited Perfon isoneof the moft incorrigible of Mortals 5 and God knows there are too many of thefe that ftrole about with this unhappy Mark 5 and the greateft Mif- fortune of all is, the older they grow, the worfe they are. He ought to be one that has fome Senfe of Religion, Virtue and good Manners ^ this, if well encouraged, will in time be of great Ufe to the Matter 5 and from fuch a Servant he may expeft all reafonable Duty. To this End his Stipend ought to be equal to that of the beft Servant, and above all, that he be well paid 5 fo that he may have no Reafoa to take indireft Means to maintain his pri- vate Affairs, (free from the Domineering of fuch haughty, imperious Fellow-Servants as are too often found in great Families.) All thefe put together, cann't but be of excellent ^ Ufe towards the fettling him eafiiy and qui- etly in his Service, and encouraging him in the purfuit of that which he has an honou- rable Afliirance of long enjoying, in fome meafure, as well as his Lord and Mafter. I have obferv'd the contrary Ufage to have the contrary EfTeds 5 and the tolling of Gar- deners about from one Place to another, is the XXX The PREFACE. the greateft Blemifli that is charg'd upon the Meraory of one of our greateft Mafter-Gar- deners 5 for thofe Perfons, fuppofing they are to be going away, and to hold their Places by a precarious Tenure, care not what they do t And tho' this holds good in all Cafes, yet in Gardening 'tis attended with Confequences more pernicious than in any other Bufinefs. The Author and Abridger of The Com- peat Gardener wou*d have him not to be too Old, not too Young. In this, every Gentleman s own Cafe is his beft Direftor. But this wou'd be hard upon a great part of this Profeflion, whofe Misfortune 'twou d be to live too long. That after they have fpent the Vigour of their Lives in Service, (and perhaps fuch as were not profitable enough to lay up much Money in) to be turn'd out to beg in their Old Age, and after a long Scene of Bufinefs and Slavery, that has brought them to a more helplefs State than any other People, are miferable Thoughts. But the farther profecution of this 1 leave to the Management of thofe pious and charitably Divines, w^hofe Difcourfes on Subjefts df this kind will appear very bright in tte Hiflory of thefe Times. 1 need fay little of other Qualifications, as to Learning, &c. it being what is not fo generally miftaken as other Things are 5 but ihal] only remark en this Head, That too many Gtntiemen are very fparing to thefe Servants, rh PREFACE. xxxi Servants, and think that Fifteen or Twenty Pounds J^er Annum is extraordinary, or too niuch to give a Gardener 5 when in truth their very Livery-Servants are as great or a greater Charge 5 tho' both their Learning and Pains is or ought to be equal to the beft Servant in their Families 5 and what with Books, Mathematical Inftruments, and the like, their Rewards ought to be the more. To make a good Ingenious Gardener, as much Learning is required, perhaps, as the Steward, or any other Artizan or Servant which Perfons of Quality or Others have attending them : And were this more en- couraged, what might not be expefted in a Country whofe known Charader is, — - Inventis addere. And how much to the Advantage of Gar- dening it might be, if Young Perfons, de- figned for this Employ, were not only in- ftrufted in Mathe7natical and Grammatical^ but alfo in Fhilofophical Knowledge, I leave to the Determination of the Ingenious in that way. My next Advice is. To fet apart fuch a portion out of the Revenue as can be con- veniently fpar'd, and that the fame be Week- ly applied to the Difcharge of the Expence 5 for that Labourers Unpaid, are of courfe the moft Impertinent, Troublefbrae Perfons that may be ^ and by their CLimour, Noife and Thievery, occaGon a very large Alloy in and Difcount from the Pleafiires of a Coun- try Life. Two, xxxii ne PREFACE. Two, Three, or Four Hundred Pounds fer Annum will do great Things in fmall Un- dertakings ^ and Six, Seven, or Eight Hun- dred will be lufficient in the greateft of all, in this Manner and Method I am advancing. Befides, the Pleafure of Gardening is not in Finifhing them in too great Halle 5 but after a general Scheme is laid, to make Annual Ad- vances, 'till the Whole is compleated. Nei- ther can this be calFd Money altogether ex- pended ^ becaufe the Kitchen-Garden, Fifti- PondSj O'c. about a Seat, are not only a great Ornament, but will make a great Abatement in the Expences of Houfe-keeping. The laft, and which is the Refult, or ra- ther the Subftance of the former Advices, is, That Gentlemen Confider well before they Begin, and Proceed Leifurcly ^ That the Motives that induce them to thefe Un- dertakings be Solid and Virtuous, and not the fudden ftart of an impetuous Fancy, which too often finks and vaniflies immedi- ately, and leaves a Mark of Infamy and Difgrace on the Undertaker, rather than a Credit and Repute. 'Tis to this, in a great degree, is owing the many Unfinifh'd and Confus'd Dejigvs to be feen in many Places of thefe Kingdoms. Gardening is doubtlefs in itfclf very Di- verting 5 but when it has is commencement from Rafhnefs, or any other unwarrantable Tenjper, and irrational Sally, no wonder if its End be Difcontent, and thofe unhappy Reflexions the PREFACE. xxxlii flexions on paft Things, that are the natural Confequences of the mofl: innocent Pleafures, as well as the mofl: guilty and flagrant Vices J30W reigning in the World. '-But when carried on in a well-regulated Manner, what folid Pleafure is there that is not to be found therein? Its Purfuit is eafy, quiet, and fuch as put neither the Body nor Mind into thofe violent Agitation or pre- cipitate and imminent Dangers that many other Exercifes (in themfelves very warrant- able) do. The End of this is Health, Peace, and Plenty, and the happy Profpeft of Feli- cities more durable than any thing in thefe fublunary Regions, and to which this is (next to the Duties of Religion) the fureft Path. 'Twas the Encouragement and Pradice of thefe and fuch-like Virtuous and Emolumen- tal Employs, that in a great meafure rais'd the Splendor, and ft:ill helps to maintain the Brightnefs of the Hiftories of thofe Ancient and Univerfal Monarchies oi Perjia, Greece, and Rome : x^nd the Negled:, that, amongft fome other Reafons, portended their fatal and unhappy Diffolutions. And the innumerable Plans, Profpeftives, and IIifl:orical Account of the magnificent Gardens of France and Ita!j^ as they draw the Eyes of all Europe upon them, fo they will hereafter make as corn- pleat a Sett, and appear as glorious as the mi- litary Ichnographies of thofe augufl: Nations. But to return, that I might the better per- form my Duty in thefe Undertakings, and V o L. I. c corred xxxiv The PREFACE. corred what has been obferv'd to be amifs in' Gard'ning, I have in that Treatife firft fet down the Errors that have occur'd to me ei- ther in Books or Pradice 5 and from the Me-. thods J have propofed to my felf, and from the Praftice of the beft in thefe Matters, I have put in their room fuch things as I thought would be more proper. With the fame Care 1 have trac'd the Round-about Ways and Needlefs Expences which I have obferv'd in the Making and Planting of Gardens, in which there is gene-, rally twice as much as is necefTary, and fhall reduce it into fuch a Method, as that any Per- fon, upon common Confideration, may know if he is well or ill ufed. The laft, and no lefs momentous piece of Advice, (hall be, to fix fuch Meafures for the Extent of Gardens, as will, I hope, very much reduce the Expence of Keeping as well as Making. And 'tis here to be obferv'd, that for want of fixing at firft on a general Scheme, and drawing all the Pleafures of the Situation into one Table, Gardens have gradually, in* fendbly, and at laft even neceffarily fwell'd to a greater Extent than the Owner at iSrft defigned them, fo great indeed as to fink un- der their own Weight, and to be a Burden too heavy for the greateft Eftates 5 by which means they came often to be negleded, and to be rather a Vexation and a Trouble, than any real Fleafure and Satisfaction to the Ov\'ner : z-\nd this I take to be anotI:ber great Hindrance the PREFACE. xxxv Hindrance and Difcount from the true Plea- fures of Gardening. I am very far, by this, from limiting the Extent of Outer Plantations, which, as the Prices now are, and by the Methods hereaf- ter to be delivered, will be no great Charge. Thefe might reach as far as Liberty of Plant- ing will allow, an Employ fo diverting that it ought to terminate but with Life itfelf, and to be plac'd amongft the greatefi Diverfions of it 5 all others are fubjed: to Difappoint- ments, but in this, not a Day, Hour, or Minute in the whole Year but what courts our Admiration, or requires our Care. What I have been fpeaking of is in relation to what may properly be called Gardening, I mean thofe Interior Parts, that ought by fome means or other to be fenc'd from the Trampling and Croppings of Cattle, and re- quire our more immediate Care in Keeping andDrefling. And fince all agree, that the Pleafures of a Country Life cann't poflibly be contained within the narrow Limits of the greatefl Garden 5 Woods, Fields, and diftant inclo- fures (hould have the Care of the induftrioiis and laborious Planter: Neither would 1 (as I have already hinted) advife the immuring, or, as it were, the imprifoning by Walls, (however expenfive tney are in making) too much us*d of late 5 but where-ever Liberty will allow, would throw my Garden open to all View, to the unbounded Felicities af ui- c 2 ftant xxxvi The PREFACE. ftant Profped:, and the expanfive Volumes of Nature herfelf. In the mean time I preferve fome private. Walks and Cabinets of Retirement, fome feleft Places of Recefs for Reading and Contemplati- on, where the Mind may privately exult and breathe out thofe Seraphick Thoughts and Strains, by virhich Man is known and diftin-^ guifli'd as an Intelligent Being, and elevated above the common Level of Irrational Creg-* tures. 3i:^cl!o iO And that I might the better efFedl my De-^ fign, I have promoted, as is already prafti^d (tho' not well) in feveral Places, the fowing of Coppices and Woods, it being much more Rural and Beautiful in Country-Seats than Btw fine Gardening, (too much run into by fome) fince from this Procefs, in fo?jr or five Years time, one may exped to find Woods or Coppices eight or ten Foot high. Befides, thofe Exterior Lines are kept by a Scythe fix- ed into a ftrohg Handle or a long Pole, as there is occafion to ufe it, without the Ex- pence and tinkling Noife of Sheers in Clip- And I have purfu'd this Method yet far- ther, by Diredions in this Book for a more fpeedy Raifing Woods, than I have any-where fecn 5 and in the other, the manner of cut- ting Gardens and Interior Plantations out of theinfide^ and laying the Exterior Parts ranging and correfponding with them in fuch a 'manner, as that they may appear as a part, and The PREFACE. xxxvii and add to the Beauty and Magnificence of the Garden in the View, tho' not in the Ex* pence of Keeping 5 fince I would never advife above twenty Acres of Ground in the inner- jnoft parts of the largefl: Gardens, let the Exterior be what they w^ill, to appear, if poflible^ two or three hundred. The man- ner that 1 have taken in doing this, will, I dare afTure my felf, appear pieafing, if not furprizmgj to moft that have not been fo great Drudges to Thoughts of this kind as 1 have been. This Method I have proposed, well ma- nag'd, will, I hope, very much abridge the Expence of Making and Keeping Gardens, and will yet add very much to their Magnificence, when, for the Enlargement of their View, all the neighbouring Fieids, Paddocks, ^c. Ihall make an additional Beauty to the Garden, and by an eafy, unafFeded manner of Fencing, fhall appear 10 be a part of it, and look as if the adjacent Country were all a Garden. It may probably be fuppofed, by this Pre- face, that I am fetting up new Schemes in Gardening, which may, 'till the Prints come out, caufe divers Reflexions, as the Readers are difpos'd to think^ but, on the contrary, I can affirm, that 'tis much the fame as has been us'd already in fome parts of this King- dom, tho' 1 hope to make confiderable ln> provements^ and for Antiquity, 'tis above 2500 Years, fince it appears to be of the fame kind as the Gardens of Epicurus in the Su- c 3 ^ burbs xxxviii Th: PREFACE. burbs of Athene ^ a Perfon (if VVniy fpeaks right) that firfl us'd this Extenfive way of Gardening, and of bringing the Pleafures an3 Produce of the Woods and Fields under the general Title of Horius^ of which. 1 fhall fay more by and by. ^ This may likewife be fuppos'd Was and is the manner of Gardening amongft the Chinefi, who, as an ingenious Author of our own Country obferves, ridicule the Europeans on account of that Mathematical Exaftnefs and crimping Stiffnefs that appears in our Way of Gardening. And the Dejigns that tend the Way I am fpeaking are certainly the moft va- luable^ fuch is that incomparable Wood of iny Lord Carlijle's at Caftle-howard^ the Wood at i^W-P^r/^ belonging to the Right •Honourable the Earl ofRocheJier^ the Woods iitCaJlnohury, thtBefign of Bi/py-P ark, &CC. The Ro7nam had doubtlefs the fame Exten- five kind of Gardens^ and till of late Years it has not been the Cuftom to immure and 'lyaJl them in, except in fuch Places where the ^Owner is circumfcrib'd and bounded in by contentious Neighbours 5 this being, befides '.the Expence, a great Confinement, and be- ^reaves One of the greateft Pleaftires of a Gar- 'den, I mean ProfpeB. Nor would I be underftood to condemn 'all Enclofed and Flower- Gardens, fince they tire abfolutely neceltary in Cities, Towns, and , other bounded Places, where the Owner is heiiiiia'd in on each Side : But what I am fpeaking The PREFACE. xxxix fpeaking of, is in large Country-Seats, where the Owner has 2, 3, or 400 Acres of Land, more or lefs, in Failure, Park, or other Lands, 'tis here fuppos'd that the Extent furniflies him with Bufinefs enough in plant- ing and improving of his Eftate, and more, than to fpend his Time in the more triflng and fading Beauties of Flowers^ whilft, on the other hand, he could not poffibly employ himfelf in the narrow Limits of a City-Gar- den, without fuch little bufy Employs^ Befides, Gentlemens Affairs co nmonly di- viding their Time between the Town and Country, they fpending the latter part of the Winter, and the Spring, and fometimes longer in Town, and the reft of their Time in the Country : The fir ft anfwers by the Beauty of Flowers in the Spring, which is over by the latter end oi May z, whilft in the latter part of the Year the nobler Diverfions of the Country take place, at which time, in truth, the Beauty of Flowers is gone, and Borders are like Graves, and rather a Blemift^^ than a Beauty to our fineft Gardens. In the aforefaid Cafes then this Extenfive Way of D^^^wwill be of UlbrfThe manner of doing which, will, I hope,- appear delight- ful, befides the Cheapnefs in Performance will ( I doubt not) but be very agreeable to the frugal Planter. And for the latter, I mean Town-Gardens, compos'd of Flowers, Greens, and choice Exoticks, 'tis hop'd fome future Time will Wiu c 4 give xl rhc PREFACE. give an Opportunity of hhrnbly publiffiiog' more Thoughts to the World on that Subjed^; and reducing that into a correfter Method than has yet appeared. But When Town-* Gardens are mentioned, 'tis not thereby meant Gardens in or very near London, but thofe tiiat are four, &vq^.Cix,i Or &ven. Miles oiib QUt of' Town, -whitliter the Fatigues • of the Court and Senate often force the iUuftrioos Patriots of their Country to retreat, and breathe th-e- Cweet atd fragrant Air of Gar- dens 5 and thefei.Jdtre generally' too iBiich p^nt up. . ^ ;; '■ ;• ' : / 1 -By which nieatrs Gardeiiing may befup-'' pos'd to he divided into two kinds^ mz.Cttji ^ud Country j5 the firft for Flowers, c^i and the laiiy .Woods, Coppices, Groves, and the bu fie and laborious Employs of Agri-* culture, with which Gardening: is unavoidably iia.well as pleafantiy rnix'd, '. • i-j n; 1 am apprehenlive this wilt meet witfe different Acce^irrat'ion in the World, as it fcit'S.with the Humours or-Interefts of many of my own Pre^efiion, who t^'amongft other Reafons too dong here to iname) not being Willing to/fake/fo much. Pains.i\themfelve^, or being; perhaps, naturally av^rfe to fuch Publications, 'tis no wonder 'if they malign both tlie Work and its Author. But as on the one hand, I have tailed too feverely of the Lafhes of Fortune, to take any great Satisfaclion in r.ny thing but doing my Duty 5 fo, on the other, 1 am prepar'd to contemn - any ry P R E F A C E. xli any Jll Ufage 1 may poffibly receive on this account, being very fure that I have not any- way betray d a Truft that is incumbent on Perfons of all Profeflions 5 and that tho' there is a Frugality propofed in the Making and Planting Gardens, yet the Gardener and and Nurlery-man will .find their Account as much in the Extent, as they did before in the elaborate Exadnefs and Expenfive way of Making Gardens; - ^i^-^* And 'tis the happinefs of prefent Authors, to write in an Age wherein Virtue and honeft Induftry are very much.Gountenanc'd and encourag d, and Perfons of too great Sagacity to be any-ways impos'd on, Perfons who fee through the Artifices of Defign- ing People, fo much indeed, that I Ihould have had no occafion to mention this, but that thofe I fuppos'd to be concerned have too much Power, and are too much ufed to things of this kind, to efcape this No- tice ^ and they will, without doubt, fooa apply it to themfelves. , However, if after all the Care taken of giving any reafonable Offence, it Ihould be my misfortune to meet with any 111 Ufage, 'tis what was long iince the fate of one of the greateft Gardeners, as wall as Poets, I mean Virgil^ in whofe company I fliall (were 1 but worthy) be content to fuffer 5 and fhall give the fame Anfwer as that learned and ingenious Author did, when he was told how bafely he had been treated, (as follows:) xlii The PREFACE. ' lAriy inquit, Hefiodi fententU non ?mnjjiri^ tibi ait, ArchiteEtum ArchiteSo invidere, C^ Poetam Poetlor free from Faults^noryet too vain to Mend. Mr. Pope. ^^ m^ ^^ ^^ ^^s ^w^ THE ^:r5cj3CJscr5tj5cj5C35c>5ci5c;jc.-ixj5C3jt:9t;56,^xE«i505cj54i5t,5^ T H E CONTENT.S.^ C H A R^r ' TH £ Hijiory of Gardening, from its Original : Ifith Memoirs ofthegreatefi Virtuofo^s^ both Ancient and Modern]^ Page I CHAP. IL An Effay concerning Earth 5 and the Improve^ ment of Land defignd to raife for eft-Trees in^ p. 98 CHAP. III. An Ejfay concerning Water, Rain, Snow, &C4 and their Eficacy in Vegetation^ p. 114 CHAP. IV. An Effay concerning the Potrer of the Sun, and his EffeE in Vegetation^ P« ^33 CHAP, The Contents. CHAP- V. An FJfay concerinng the Power of the Air, and its EffeB in Vegetation^ p. 144 CHAP. VI. , An Ejjay concerning the EfeB ofthofeCo-eJicient Powers in the work of Vegetation^ p. 1 53 CHAP. VII. DireBions for Raifing Forejl-Trees. Sed. I. The IntroduSlion^ P* 191 Seft. 2. Of the Spontaneo7cs ProduBion of ' Trees^ p. 204 Seft. 3. Of the Method of Raifing Trees by Seed^ p. 206 Seft. 4. Of Raifing Trees from the Exuberances of the Mother-Roots^ P- 2 t 9 Seft. 5. Of the Raijlng Trees by Artificial Me- thods of Avuljion^ Arcuation^ Sec. p. 221 Sed. 6. Of Raifing Trees by Layers, p. 224 Sed. 7. Of Raifing Trees by Cuttings and Sets^ p, 228 Seft. 8. The Summary of all that has been de- liver'* d concerning Raifing Trees, p. 230 Sed. 9. DireBions for Planting in Open Nur- feries, p. 2 3 1 Seft. 10. DireBions for Pruning and DreJJlng of ForeJl'Trees in Open Nnrferies, P- 234 Sed. II. Of Planting Trees in the Open Park, p. 239 Sed. 12. DireBions for the feveral forts of Soil on The Contents. on 'which Trees thrive beji^ p. 248 Sed:. 13. Tabular DireBions for every Soil Seft. 14. General Aphorijms or Maxims of Plantings drawn from the foregoing Chap- ters, p. 258 C H A P. VIII. '^ DireSions for Raifing Woods and Coppices^ p. 264 Addenda, P« 271 CHAP. IX. 0/ Springs, their Original^ and the Method of bringing them hoine^ for the Ufe and Beauty of Gar dens y p. 2 83 C H A p; X. 0/ Statues, and other Ornaments of Decor ationt of noble Gardens^ p. 3 JO CHAP. XI. Of Grafs and Gravel, the natural Embellijb^ ments of our EngUfti Gardens, P- 3'9 CHAP. XII. The General Conclufion of this Book, p. 325 THE riww^*;^ THE HISTORY O F GARD'NlNG.d^'A C H A R !• T does not, at firft fight, feem introh- necefTary to write an Introdu- Sion. dion to a Hiftory which is but an Introdudion itfelf : But coiifidering that it is the firft that has appear 'd in this kind, it may not be improper to give a (hort Account of its Ufes to the World. Tis certain, there is no kind of Hiftory io eagerly catch'd at, as the valisnt Atchi^ve- tnents, Heroick Examples and Lives Of Great Soldiers, and the folemn Debates and Cauncils of Learned Statefmen and Senators % Yet the Lives of thofe that hate been emi- The History Chap. i. Gent for their Proficiency in other Parts of Learning and Bufinefs, are or ought to be read ^^h a peculiar Delight, in the ^rfl weiiKet with great El^^^njples, xv'hich 'tis poffible but for few to reach ^ and Schemes of Government, which Perfons of a lower Sphere may never be likely to have any Share in ^ whereas in this there is a ge- neral Eaitertainment to every bufy and intel- ligent^ Perfon 5 and an Imitation of the Pra- dices of thofe great Virtuofo's, is in fome meafure or other in the Power of every Rank or Degree of Mankind: In their Writings wje re^d the intricate and amazing Laws of Eterii^ Providence prefiding over thefe fub- lunary Regions, far more entertaining than air tlie VoTumes* of Ze?io the Law-giver, or Plutarch the Hiftorian. So that the Hifbry as well as the Practice of Gardening mayiiot be an uriwefeoffi^ Subjed^ and we are afTured the RvmanJi, (whcfe Judgment thefe modern Ages are de-'* fervedly fond of copying) had as great a va-^ luefor the Memoirs of Men of Wit, Lite-i rature, or any other private Accomplifli- ments, as they had for the greatefl: Politici- ans and Captains. Phrj, no doubt, made as great a Figure in the Quality of a Philofopher, and Gard'ner, as he did at the Head of the Roman Legions 5 and the Natural Hijlory he has left, is of as much Value as that of all the Germainck Wars. 'Tis Chap, r . of GARD^NINC;, &c. 5 'Tis certain, one is too often, inftead of true Heroifm, the unwarrantable Sallied of Am- bition, Cruelty, and Bloodfbed 5^ ^X^hi^ft the Other is an innocent Amufement, and a Com- panion for Humility, Moderation, and other commeiidable Virtues. Since then the earlieft and beft Accounts we have of Gard'ning are collected from (^) Holy Writ, there is no room left to doubt of its Antiquity, as being very negfr coeval with the World, and Beginning of Time itfelf That God Almighty v/asriot only the Firfl P«itcr oVrf- Author and Founder, but alfo the Regulator "'^°'^^'^^' and Planter of Gardens arid Gard'nin^^ is no lefs evident from the (/>) Text, which faith. The Lord God -planted a Garden Eajlward in Eden^ and there he pit the Man whom he had form'd. And if (as (c) fome think) that iht Icno- graphy or Plan of this Garden, or, to fpeak more plainly, the Garden itfelf, was the Work of the Third Day 5 it may from thence be fup^ pos'd, that Garden's were before Gardeners, (and therefore the immediate Work of God) and that Horofcopy had not been ufed. That it commences its Da;te but a feur Adam» Hours after the Formation of the World, a'nd before the Accounts receiv'd of any other Art, k evident from the latter end of the afore - iiiention d Chapter (^), where that Operati- (a) Gen. I. {b) Gen. 2. 8. (c) Sir T, Brown'i GanUn^ c/ C-yrus. (d) Gen. 2. 22, (Z^c. Br 7 Ot? The H I s T o R Y Chap. i. on is recorded of taking the Rib from Jdam, wherewith the Woman was made 5 yet tho' from this, Chirurgery may plead high, yet the very Current of the Scripture determines in favour of Gardening. What was the Mathematical Diflribution, or how Geographically fituated Paradife was, is fomething uncertain, tho' fome affirm it to be (e') near the Mountains of Armenia, where the Ark refted after the Univerfal Deluge, where Gardening probably took its fecond Rife. Others pretend it to be elevated above the common Level of the Earth, and to have been a Pattern to the fo-much-celebrated Gar- dens of Babylon. The Advances Gardening made, from A- dams Expulfion to the General Deluge, is dubious, there being little left of it, only that he was a (f ) Tiller of the Ground : And tho' fome of our Divines have pioully believ'd that Adam was, upon his fincere Re- pentance, re-admitted into Paradife 5 yet fince the Scriptures mention no fuch thing, we may more reafonably conclude that the unal« rerable Decree of Heaven lay heavy upon him : And 'tis more than probable the Reflexion on his unhappy Lapfe might deterr him from any Purfuitsof this kind, any more than the Necelfaries of Life, which he was, by the direful Command of his Maker, deflin'd by the Sweat of his Brow to provide for^ nor (e) Sir T. Browne- Oar.Uns of Cyrus, {f) Gen. ^,.2:^, . does Chap. I. of GARDENING, &c. 5 does the Sacred Text mention any otherwife of his Sons. But aflbon as that great Inundation was a- Noah. bated, and Noah and the reft of his Family were brought out of the Ark, fg) they began to Colonize themfelves ^ and the fame Sacred Text relates, that l>!oah began to he an Huf- bandr/ian^ and he planted a Vineyard, And doubtlefs from that Time Gard*ning began to flourith, -efpecially thofe Parts which ferv'd either for the pJouriftiment or Luxury of their refpeftive Times 5 and ^^ ZoroaJlei'^oTo^dcr, were either Ham, Chi0, or Mizraim, they were Ham,chus, early Proficients in Gard'ning, and^ as Pliny ^^\^^'^' relates, left a Treatife of it. Tho' Abraham is recorded to have planted Abraham. a Grove (^) at Beer-peba for his more par- ticular Worlhip, yet moft of his fucceeding Generations, as well as himfelf, living a Pa- floral Life in open Fields and moveable Tents, beiides their Sojourn in £^j^^„ and long Jour- ney thro' the Wildernefs, Gard'ning was doubtlefs little known or praftis'd by them, till the Time that they were fix d in the Pro- mis'd Land, and not perhaps till David^ or rather Solomon^ was anointed over them, to raife the PuifiTance and Splendor of that Na- tion. Which laft being, by Divine Appointment, Solomon; * chofen for the Eftablifhment and Quiet of the Jews^ and to ereft their fo-much-defired {g) Gen. 9. 20. (h) Gen. 21. 33. B 3 Temple, 4 cThe History Ghap. r; Temple, together with a Royal Palace, it rnay rationally be fuppofed ( however filent the Hiftorical part of the Scriptures are) that Gardening had a great (hare in his Thoughts, fince he is reprefented for fo emi- pent a Botanick 5 and this is confirm'd by his own Words on another Occafion, ( i ) I made me great Works, I planted me Vine- yards^ I made me Gardens and Orchards, and 1 planted Trees hi them of all kinds of Fruit -^ 1 7^2^de-^^ Pools of Water, to water therewith the Wood J bat bringeth forth Trees. From thefe People, and their unhappy Ca- taftrpphe of being carried into ftrange Coun- tries, Gard ning ipight be remov'd likewife. For the' fome attribute the Horti Penfdes of StauTimh. Babjlcn to Semiramis (k) the third or fourth from Mmrod ^ yet others, with inore Proba- Nebuchid- b^i^X ^^ Truth, to Nebiicbadonozor the fa- onozor. mous King of Diodoriu^ upon which walking aifid viewing his great Metropolis, and other diflant Regions of his Monarchy, elevated f his lanbounded, ambitious Soul above hij; Ma- ker, and, by forgetting he was a Man, in- c,i\rr'4 the Stroke of Divine Vengeance,vvhich dipv? him amongft the Beafts into the' con- trary Habitations of Deferted WildernelTes and Uncultivated Fields* Egyptians. Jj^q Egytians were certainly very early in Qar.dpixijig, as may be collected from their ■.; . . . ^ "', .-M ' "I . ' . y O i i iJ ' . — — ■ ■ - - — '" '■ ■ ""* -0 Eccfef. 2. 4o (k) Sir T. BrownV Q ay dens of Qjwxs. Writings 5 Chap./: (?/ GARDENING, C^c j Writings $ but how judicious, is oot cer- tain. Whether the Gardens oi Adoiik and the Adonis. Hefperides be fabulous or not, or what was the Time they were fuppofed to be in their Glory, I fhall not examine ^ they were how- ever Subjects for the loftieft Strains in Poetry, a Theme from which they have drawn the beautiful Idea's they had of the Pleafures of Gard'ning. From the firft is deduc'd an additional Name to none of the meaneft oi Flora s (!) Train, and a Royal Stamp to the Name of (m^ Gardens themfelves. From thefecond, the Hiflory of thofebeau- 77;?Hefpe- tiful Ladies,who (together with their Gardens ^^'^^^^ of Golden Apples, were under the Care of a watchful Dragon) perhaps an Intimation, that Innocence, Vertue, and Veftal Honour could be no-where fo well preferv*d as there 5 and that the Beauty of thofe Abod'es Would make a fufficient Compenfation for the Lofs of all other enlarged Pleafures. This Gar- Mr. Rovpe has elegantly defcrib'd : Near the Tritonian Lake^ Vbere, by the vpatchful Dragon kept of old^ Hefperian Plants grevp rich mth living Gold -j Long fince the Fruit was from the Branches torn^ And now the Gardens their lojl Honours mourn. ( / ) Flos Adonidis, the Anemone. (m) Horti Adonidis, Gardens of Pleafure, B 4 Such The History Chap, i, Sucb vrasy in ancient Time, the Tale receiv'd^ Such by our good Forefathers were believd. JS^or let Enquirers the Tradition wrong. Or dare to quejiion now the facredPoet^s Song. Then take it for a Truths The wealthy Wood Here, under Gelden Boughs low bending, flood : Onfome large Tree his Folds the Serpent wound-^ The fairYid^tr'un Virgin watched around^ Andjoind'd to guard the rich Forbidden Ground^, But Great Alcydes ca?ne to end their Care^ Strip the gay Grove, and left the Branches bare . Then hack returning, fought the Argive Shore, And the bright Spoil to proud Eryftheus bore. Rowe Luc. •luii. Homer. Jt js not material whether Homer or Hefiod Hefiod. preceded each other ^ they were both fup- pos'd to be near Cotemporaries with Elias the Prophet ^ and the Grecians were not the laft in this delightful Employ, but both of them left Marks of the Efteera they had for our Subjeft 5 one, by a Treatife on Agriculture^ &c. irom which Virgil is fuppos'd ip have copied the Marrow of his heorgicks 5 and the other, by a Defcription of the Gardens Aicinous. ofAlcinous (t?), which he reprefents to the View of the Wandring Prince Ulyjjes. Thus Englilh'd by Mr. £///^^» .• . Clofe by the Gates a fpacious Garden lies^ Trom Storms defended, and inclement Skies 3 (n) Homer. OdyfT.y. four Chap. I. of GARDENING, &c. Four Acres vpas tV allotted Space of Ground^ Fencd mth a Green Enclofure all around. Tall-thriving Trees confefs d the thriving Mold^ The Red'ning Apple ripens here to Gold. Here the Blue Figs with lufcious Juice overflows ^ With deeper Red the full Pomegranate grows : The Branch here bends beneath the weighty Pear, And verdant Olives flourip all the Tear. The balmy Spirit of the Wejlern Gale Eternal breaths on Flow'rs untaught to fail 5 Bach dropping Pear a following Pear Jupplies^ On Apples, Apples ^ Figs on Figs arife. The Jame mild Seaf on gives the Blooms to bloWy The Buds to harden^ and the Fruit to grow^ Here^ order d Vines in equal Ranks appear With all th'united Labours of the Tear. Some to unload the fertile Branches run^ Some dry the blackening Clujlers in the Sun .• Others to tread the liquid Harveji join 5 The groaning Prejjes foam with Floods offline. Here are the Vines in early Flowrs defcry*dy Here Grapes difcolourd on the Sunny-fide: Beds of all various Herbs for ever Green^ In beauteous Order, terminate the Scene. T^o plenteous fountains the xxfholePrpfpe^ crowned'. This thro* the Garden leads its Streams the round}. Vifits each Plant ^ and waters all the Ground-^ \ While That in Pipes beneath the Palace flowsl And thence in Current on the Town bejiows^ To various Ufe the various Streams they brings the People one, and one fupplies the King. But to The History Chap, i. But to follow the Words of Sir Thomas Brown, in his Gardens of Cyrus : " The Perfian Gallants who deftroy'd the " Bahylonifi Monarchy, maititain'd their Bo- " tanical Bravery, and unto them we owe ** the very Name ofParadife, wherewith we " meet not in Scripture 'till the very Time *' of Solomon J and conceived originally Per- " /ian : The Word for that difputed Garden, " exprefling in the Hebrew no more than ". an Inclos'd Field, which, from the fame " Root, is content to derive a Garden and a *' Buckler. Cyrus. " Cjrus the Elder, brought up in Woods *' and Mountains, when Time and Power en- *^ abled, purfu'd the Dilates of his Edu- *' cation, and brought the Treafures of the " Field into Rule and Circumfcription ^ fo *' nobly beautifying the Hanging- Gardens of ^''' Babylon^ that he was by fome thought the ^' Author thereof Ahafuerus, " Ahafuerus^ (whom many conceive to Artaxerx- ic j^^yg h^tn Artaxerxes Longimanus') in the manusT ' *' Country and City of Floxvers^ and in ** an Open Garden, Entertained his Prince •*> and People, whilft his Royal Bride Treated ^ the Ladies in the Palace. " But if (as others think) King Ahafuerus " was Artaxerxes Memnon^ that found a Life *^ and Reign equal to his great Memory, our *' magnify'd Cyrus was his Second Brother, " who gave the Occafion to that memorable ^'^'VVork, and almoft miraculous Retrait of *' Xeno- Chap. I . of Q ARD^NING, &^c. 1 1 *•' Xenophon^ a Perfon of high Spirit and *' Honour, naturally a King, tho' fatally ^' prevented by the harmlefs Chance ofPoft- " geniture ; not only a Lord of Qirdens, but *' a manual Planter thereof, difpofing his " Trees, like his Armies, in regular Ordinati- " on : So that while Old Laertes has found ?ii^H Laer^ *' Name in Homer for pruning of Hedges/^^' " and clearing away Thorns and Briars 5 '^ while King Attains lives in his poifonou^ " Plantations of Aconite and Henbane, &c. " while many of the Antients do poorly " live in the fingle Names of Vegetables; '^ all Stories agree that Cyrus was the firft " fplendid and regular Platiter." Thus far this Authour, whofe elaborate and ingenious Pen has not a little added to the Noble- nefs of our Subjefl:. The Gardens of Epicurus were, without doubt, the moft famous of any in the Gre- fian Empire. He was born, as may be col- leded out of (0) Laertius^ in the 109th Olympiad (and fo not much before Arijiotle^ and confequently Alexander^ Arijiotk's Pu- pil:) The Place of his Birth is fomcwhat difputed 3 Conjiantinus Porphyrogeneta^ and Others, that he was born at Samos 5 and (p ) Strabo^ that he was born at Lampfacene. Whether thefe different Opinions might pro- ceed from his living fome part of his young- Co) Diogenes Laertius Vitis X)o§. & Phiiofophorum, lib. lo. (f) Straboj lib. 10. cr 17 The UlSTOKY Chap. i. cr Years in both thofe Places, is uncertain ^ for Epicurus indeed was an Athenian as (q) Laertius, (r) Suidas^ and infinite other Writers affirm. But be the Place of his Nativity as it will, he purchafed a very pleafant Garden in Athens for Fourfcore Min^x., (every Mina ' being with us Three Pounds two Shillings and (ix Pence, which make Two hundred and fifty Pounds, a good Sum, doubtlefs, in thofe Times) where he lived with his Friends and Difciples, and taught Philofophy. And (j) Vliny writes, that he was the firft that brought into Athens the Cuftom of having, under the Name of Hortus^ a Garden, the Delights of Fields and Country Manfions within the City itfelf, or rather Suburbs of the City 5 whereas until his Time 'twas not the Faflion to have thofe kind of Manfions (RuYo) in Towns, and probably they might have no other Gardens but in their Balco- nies, as the Hanging- Gardens were. And indeed, all that 1 can colled: from the Life of Cyrus (already mention'd) is, that his Regular and Quincunciai Planta- tions were no other than Walks, Plattoons, and Avenues, or perhaps the Columnial Difpofition of the Pillars that fupported (^)Laerthjs, lib. 5. {r) Suidas in voce Epicuri. (j) Jam quidem Hortorum nomine in ipla urbe dclicias, Argas, Viirafqi pofTident •, primus hoc inflicuit Epicurus otii magifter ufque ad eum, moris iHon fucrat in oppidis habicari rura. Plin. Jib. 1 9. cap. 4. the Chap. I . of GARDENING, &c. 1 5 the Hanging- Gardens we have been fpeak- ing of. But to proceed : " Hence we may con- '' jedure (fays Mr. Stanley, in the Life of " Epicurus) that this was the Place which " (t) Paujanias reports to have been called, " even in his Time, the Gardens o[ Pbilofo^ " phy 3 adding, that there was in it a Statue made by Alcemenes, one of the greateft Curiofities in Athens (as may be gathered from («) Lucian ) and that the Temple of Vem^ did join to it. This Garden is often mentioned (fays the fame Author) in the Plural Number bj (a:) Cicero, (y) Juvenal, and Others, and fome- times diminutively Hortulus^ as Virgil 3 and this gave name to his Seft of Philofophers; as well as it fignified a Garden : For Sextus Empiriciis cail'd the Epicureans the Philofo- phers of the Garden^ (as the Stoicks the Phi- lofophers of the Stoa otCloifier-^ ^nd Apollo- dorus being in his Time the Matter of the Garden, was (as Laertiud affirms) cail'd the Garden King. Befides this City-Garden he had at Athens^ with Houks belonging to it, and joining upon the City, Epicurus had an Houfe in Melite a Town in the Cecropian Tribe, as Siiidas affirms, inhabited by PhiUus, one of his Anceftors^ thither he fometimes retir'd 0) Paufanias in Attic. («) Lucian in Jmag. ix) Cicero ad Attic. (y) Juveiul. $a:. 4, with ^4 . '^T/?d Ml St d ft Y Chap i. with his Difciples, and doubtlefs implanted arid made him Gardens there iikewife. I (hall pafe by feveral Gircumftances of his Life, and alfo his Writings, as they relate not to our prefent Purpofe, and fhall oiily obferve, that he was not that Perfon, which by the Name now common among us, one would take him to be ^ but, on the contrary, as Seneca obferves, a (bber, virtuous Perfon, and a great Lx)ver of Learning ^ only, in Op- pofition to the Stoicks (who were his profefs'd Enemies) he allow'd the chearful Ufe and Enjoyment of the Benefits of Life, whilft the Others injoin'd a great deal of Abftinence and Severity. He beftowed his Garden on Hermachus^ and died in the 2d Year of the 127th Olym- piad ^ he is reported by Laertius to have went into a warm Bath, and drinking off a Glafe of Wine, exhorted his Friends to be mmdful of his Doftrine 5 upon which that Author has this Epigram : Farewell, and hear my Doifrine in your MMs\. Said dying Epicurus to his Friends. Into a warm Bath goings Wine he quafty And then from Pluto took a colder Draft. Stanly's Lives of the Philofophers.- Pliny^ in his Catalogue of the Grecian Writers, from whom he extraded part of Rege' Piin. his Works, enumerates no lefs than Twenty, lib. I. and amongft them one Pifijlratus a noble AthenioTf^' Chap. I . of GARD^NING^ &c. 1 5 Athenian, (and call'd by him a King 5 ) this Great Perfon is, in other Hiftories, faid, by hi^ Eloquence, to have charm'd that State into a Refignation of their Liberties to his entire Subjedion, and to have ruled them with all imaginable Juftice and Clemency 5 tho* Others call him a Tyrant : This wife State (the Gld- ry of the World) have in all their Writings left the moft affeftionate Marks of Efteem they had for our prefent Subjed. Theophraftm^ another of the Grecian Philo- Theophra- fophers, ought not to be left out of this Cata-^^"^* logue of Garden-Virtuofo's^ hew^sbornat£r«:;«^i al Tillers and Dreflersof their Gardens ^ivAf^f.^''" Villa's 5 and this feems to be very much con- G.^r^/fny. firm'd by the emphaticallnterpofition of the WorAipJi: And thus I fuppofe the En^liJI; Editions of Plivy tranflate it, for I have not lately feen any of them. Thefe ancient Romans, 2S \e^ Delecampiu5 -^^^^ f"^^" in his Annotations on tliny has it, livd to-^nLbireV gether in Gardens 5 which does in no- wife m their feem improbable, confidering the Temperature ^^'''^^"^* of that Climate 5 and the fame Editor oh- ferves, that they efteem'd it the neareft Re- femblance to Heaven that could poffibly be found on Earth, if not Heaven itfelf : Thus J£neaj is reprefented by (q) Virgil (an Author very little tainted with the Heathen Super- ftition) after he had pafs'd the Stygian Lake, and prefling on towards the happy Abodes of his reverend Father Anchifes^ in Company with the Sybil: , T/j^j took their Way TheDefcnp- Where long-extended Plains of Plejfure lay 3 tionofthdr The verdant Fields with thofe of Heaven may vie^^^^^^^* With R.'CsxtiKind^ and with a pirple Sky. (e) Delecampius on I Jiny, lib. 1 9. cap. 4. (7) bever.ere locos l*cos & amoena Vireca, Forci'.n.icoruin nemorum fedefque beacas, Ln-gior hie campos /Echer &: lumine veflit Furpareo. Vir£, ^.n?td. 6, v. 6^i* C 2 And 20 The HiSTo R Y Chap. i. And when they had arriv'd fomething near- er the blifsful Place of his Habitation (/) upon a folicitous Enquiry where it was feated : To this the f acred Poet thus reply d. In no fix d Place the happy Souls abide ^ In Groves we live^ and lie on mojfie Beds, ByChryJlal Streams that mur?nur throtheMeads. Dryden. .In- fine, I cantbut obfervethro* the whole Courfe of Poetry, how extenfive they have carried their Thoughts, not content with the fmall and diminutive Scenes of Flowers, Greens, &c. but ftill carrying and prolating them to diftant Woods and Meadows. ; But to confirm the Value thofe ancient Thrafeas. Heathens had for Gard'ning, .&c. {g) Thra- feaj, as the fame Editor of Pliny affirms from Tacitm, was found labouring hard in hiS' Garden, when one of the Qudiftors was fent tO'hini about Bufinefsof great Moment. Tarquinius ,^, Even the proud (h^'Tarqumic^, one of the Superbus. j^'ft' ^f ^^^ R^,^^^ Rings," (at lead of that Name) is reported by LzVf to have given Au- dience (if I may give It fo tender a Title) (/) Atque huic refponfum paucis ita reddidit heros, Nulli cercadomus : lucis habitamus opacis Riparumque coros ?C prata reccntia rivis, Inolimus. — — Vh'g. /¥.neid. 6. v. 6ji» (g) ^^/^. Delccampius'i Notes on Pliny, lib. 14. prjidic, (h) Capice Papaverum baculo dicicur decuiTiire,I;v, //3. i. to Chap. I . of GARDENING, &c. 2 1 to his Son Tarquinm Sextus^s AinbaiTador ^ and there walking in his fuperb, furly Hu- mour, he is particularly defcnb'd as ftriking the Heads of his Poppy-flowers with his Cane or Staff 5 which fhews that Pieafure- Gardens were in ufe among the Ro?nans\ and not altogether thoie for Ufe, which fome Books of Gardening have fome time fince feem'd to intimate. Hiftory indeed is very fijent in this Point, (of which (2) Tliny complains) the fame Li- vy mentioning only feveral Gardens, which, by his way of exprefling, one would inter- pret no other than Kitchen- Gardens ; he adds, that they lay adjoining to a Hill without the City, which Hill had its Name from thence Collis Hortuloru?n^ or the Hill of Gardens. Co'lisHor- Here^ fiiys one of their (/t) Authors, was the^'^'^'^^'^^* Cirque or the Shew-place of their Strumpet FJora, who ?nade the People of Rome Heir to thofe Goods JJje had gotten by projiituting her- felf tojhe Gentlemen of Rome, leaving alfo a the Fable certain Sum of Money to procure a Celebrations Flora. of her Birth- day 5 which^ becaufe oj her Infa- my^ the People ]ha?m?ig to do, they feign d her to be the Goddejs of Flowers. But to return from this Digreflion, to which I have been infenfibly carried. The Silence of thofe Hiftorians can't de- termine againft this, fince we may obferve the Hiftorians of thefe Times are altogether as Q) Plin. lib. 14. (k) Barcho!. Lacomus in Varri Orac. 7. C 3 oraiflive 22 Tk H I S T o R Y Chap, i. omiffive in this^as they were then :, and indeed it is hard to coUeft out of any of our Englijb Records any thing of Moment concerning Gard'ning. Yet I have feen fome Maps of ancient Rome^ which have giv'n fome Marks of Gard'ning, amongft which was that of Martial^ and fome others I do not at prefent remember. Agriculture without doubt flourifli'd migh- tily in this Monarchical State, fince (/) l^li- 71 j leaves a large Catalogue of Authors, from which he tranfcrib'd his Works (m) Quin- cimnna- ^ ^^ Cwcimatus was by the Republick of Rome tus' co7i/«/ (afterwardseftabli(h*d) chofefrom the Plough- o/Rome. 'j^jj ^^ j^^ ^^^ ^^ ^|-^g Governours and Con- fuls of that Democratical State : How great his Valour and Atchievements were, the Hi- ftorians of thofe Times make particular Ob- fervations. But when that fick'ning and divided Scheme of Government was reduc'd to the entire O- Julius And bedience and Subjeftion of Jitlius and Aiiguji- c^far^"^^ ?^j CAJar, by the Overthrow of the Pompeian Fadiion, the Arts began to flouriih, and no doubt but Gard'ning amongft the reft. Virgil. VirgiJ, amongft the Poets, has left us the greateft Tafte that they had at that time of Gard'ning 3 recommending, as to the Defign- (/) PUn. lib. I. (m) Ojiintus Cincinnatus, fpes una Im- perii Vopuli Romani, quatuor jugerum colens agrum, a Legatis ad Diftaturam vocacur ^ inveiicus ieu folVam tbdiens, bipalo in- nixiis, ceu cum ararec, operi certe, id quod conlbc aperci inten- tus. JJv, lib. 3. cdf. 26 f ing Chap, f. of GAKD'NING^ e-c. ag ing Part, the (tz) Quadrate and Quincuncial Form of ranging Trees, in that incomparable piece of Work the 2d Georgick, of which, as well as in his Life, 1 ftiall take occafion to fay as much as the Room I propofe to myfelf in this Hiflory will allow. (0) He was born at Mantua, in the Con- fulihip ofPompeius Magnus and Licmus Craf- fus 5 and if any thing be to be attributed to Dreams, that of his Mother's being delivered of a Laurel Branch, might not improbably portend the great Proficiency he was to make in Hortenfial and Rural Studies. Not to mention that part of his Hiftory that brought him into the Court and intimate Favour of the great Aitgiijliis (as being fo- reign to the prefent Purpofe) he is related to have liv'd near the Gardens of his dear Friend Mecdinas, where doubtlefs he made feveral cu- rious Obiervations in Gard'ning. But the Occafion of expatiating his Genius fo much in the writing his Georgicks^ was fuppos'd to be from the Defolation that Italy was brought to by the continual fucceflive Wars that were between the Cdtfars and the Tompeys^ by which means the Ground was un- cultivated and unftock'd 5 and ther^ is little reafon to hope that Gardening had not a fliare in this common Calamity, which ended in fo great a Famine, that Augujtus hardly e- {n) Virg. Geo. 2. (0) Vid, Virg. Vic. Ruxo Socieut. Je- fu, ad ufum Delphiai. C 4 fcap'd ^4 T^he History Chap, i . fcap*d being fton'd, being fuppos'd by the Po- pulace to be the Occafion of it. That Prince therefore fet himfelf to work, by all imaginable Methods, to retrieve the Miferies of his Country, by Improvement in Agriculture, and the like ^ in which Virgil was not a little aflifting. It was thought by fome, that he had begun them lo-ng before, and that they were finifli'd in his Travels round Italy ^ or at Manuia 5 it being obferv'd that his Precepts a?,reed rather with the Man- tiian than Roman Soil. But however that be, he has in a few Words excell'd all that ever wrote before, or indeed fince him 5 and confidering the Nature of Poetry how much it forces an Author out of the direft Road of delivering Precepts, he is very intelligible ; Brevity was (if it may be fo called) his only Fault : How great his Labour muft have been, is obvious to any that confiders the Strength, I may fay the eternal Duration of his Works. The Subftance of his 2d Georgick^ which chiefly relates to Gard'nivg (the Theme of the enfuing Subjeft) is, firft, Direftions for the Raifing of Trees, by the feveral Methods then in ufe ^ then a Defcription of their Va- riety, and Rules for the Management of each of them in particular 3 he points out the Soils in which they thrive beft, and takes occafion to run out into that of Italy 5 after which he gives Diredions for the difcovering the Nature of every Spil 3 prefcribes Rules for the Chap. I . of GARDENING, &c. a 5 the drefling Vines, Olives, &c, and concludes this Georgick with a Panegyrick on the Hap- pinefs of a Country Life. In all which he admirably mixes the Poet, Thilojopher, and Gardiner together. There is indeed fome fuperftitious Tenets of theAn- tients, relating to the Moon, Winds, ^c. but this is excufable in a Poet ^ and fliny^ who wrote a confiderable time after him, and in Profe too, had much more of that kind in his Works. I have faid, the Nearnefs of his Abode to the Gardens of his dear Friend Mecdcnas might be the Occafion of many a ufeful Obfervation in Gard*nmg ^ and to him he ad- drefTes himfelf in the 2d Georgick, after he had gone thro' the Method of Railing Trees, in this manner : Mecsnas, now thy needful Succour bring. Oh thou^ the Better Part of viy Renown, Infpire thy Poet, and thy Poem crown 3 Embark with me, whiljl I new Tra&s explore. With flying Sails, and Breezes from the Shore. It will be impoffible for me, in the little Compafs I can allow in the Hiftory of Gar- dening, to make any farther Comment on his Works 3 but it muft be obferv'd, that he feeras in his higheft Raptures in this Georgick, when he goes about to defcribe the Pleafures of A- griculture and Gardening : Thus, after he has run thro' his main Bufinefs, he breaks out : O for- ^ The His TO KY Chap, i . .,f^, O fortun^tos nimium, bona fi fua norint, Agricolas! Englifla'd by Mr. Diyden: Q happy ^ if he knew his State ^ ^he Swain, who, free frovi Biifoiefs and Debate^ Receives his eafy Food from Matures Hand^ ■^Tidjufi Returns of cultivated Land: No Palace with a lofty Gate he wants J^admit the Tides of early Vifitants. "i '■■ ^ '. And a little after : But eafy Quiet, andafafe Retreat ^ A harmlefs Life, that knows not how to cheat 3 With Home-bred Plenty the rich Owner blefs^ And rural Pleafures crown his Happinefs : Unvex' d with Quarrels, undijliirb d with Noife, The Country King his peaceful Realm enjoys : CoolGrotts,a7id Living Lakes, the flow* ringP ride Of Meads and Streams that thro theValleys glide ^ Andpady Groves that eafy Sleep invite. And after toilfome Days, a J oft Repofe at Night. Wild Beajls of Nature in his Woods abound, A?id Touth of Labour patient plough the Ground^ Inurdto HardfJnp^ and to homely Fare : No venerable Age is wanting there In great Examples to the tifeful Train 5 Nor are the Gods adord with Rites prophane. From hence Aftrasa took her Flight, and here The Prints of her departing Steps appear. By Chap. I. ^/ GARDENING, €^(r. 07 By this time one would have thought the Poet was quite out of Breath 5 but as if di- vinely infpir'd, he renews his Verfe : Te [acred Mufes, with whofe Beauty fir^d^ My Soul is ravijl/d, and my Brain infpir^d. But tir'd,aftera little farther Flight, feems to be gently finking his lofty Plumes, and ho- vering down to his defir'd Abode, concludes : But if my heavy Blood rejlrain the Flight Of my free Soul^ afpiring to the Height Of hature^ and unclouded Fields of Light ^ My next Befire ii, void of Care and Strife^ Jo lead a foft^ fecnre^ inglorious Life 5 A Country Cottage^ near a Cryftal Floods A winding Valley^ and a lofty Wood: Some God conduB vie to the facred Shades, Where Bacchanals arefung by Spartan Maids j Or lift me high to Hemus hilly Crown^ Or in the Plains of Tempe lay me down 5 Or lead me to fo?ne folitary Place, And cover my Retreat fro?n human Race. Dryden. I might purfue him yet farther, but muft haften to the farther Profecution of my Hi- ftory. ^ir^zV died at Brundufium, and has left the following Epigram, written with his Qwn Hand, thus Eglilh'd by Mr, Dryden : Ifung •^i^S The History Chap. i. -lb I fling Flocks^ Tillage, Heroes : Mantua ^ji;^ Me L?/^, Brundufium Deaths Naples a Grave. /Twould be a great piece of Injuftice to o- Vitruvius. jnit Vitruvhts^ the celebrated Architeft a- mongft the Romans about this Time, who, in his Treatife on Architefture, has left us excellent Direftions relating to Situations: :Thefe are quoted by nioft Authors that treat of Gard'ning^ at the Beginning of their Books 3 for which Reafon I (hall content myfclf, after 'I have paid this fhort, but willing, Tribute iSo the Memory of this great Archited: and Gard'ner, and proceed to Horace. Horace, the next of my Lift of Garden- Heroes, tho' there remains nothing of his, diredtly relating to our prefent Subjed, as to Precepts in Gardening and Husbandry ^ yet he was, doubtlefs, a paflionate Admirer, as well as an intelligent Praditioner in thefe Sci- ences, his Life being chiefly fpent in the Plea- fures of the Country. He w^as born at Ve^ nufius^ a City of Apulia, and fpent the great- eft Part of his Time in his Country Grange, fituate between Sabimm and Tiburtinum'^ from which Places the Virtuofo's of that Time reforted to him : And when he was led by his Affairs at any time to the Capitol, his Thoughts were never the lefs drawn from his Rural Delights, taking all the Opportunities of writ- ing to, and hearing from his delightful Villa. It Chap. I. of GARDENING, €nc. 29 It would take up too much time to enu-; merate all the Strokes he has left, in his in- comparable Poems on the Happinefs and De- light of the Country, which he feems to ex- prefs in Raptures not common 5 butlfhall content myfeif with giving a fliort Quotation out of his Letter, diredled to his Steward, which livelily exprelTes his Love of the Country : Thou Stevcard of my Woods andpleafantPlaiii, Which when I reach, I am myfeif again ^ Contemn d by thee^ thd it hath kept alone Five ancient Dwellers 5 and is often known To fend Five Senators to Baria ^ Town : Come^ now 'tis time-^ let's fee which of the two, I from my Mind^ or from my Pajiuresyou, Can pluck Thorns bejt^ and which is better tilld^ And which is better^ Horace or his Field. And after he had examined the Reafdns v,f. why he preferr'd (contrary to the Opinion of his Servant) the Country before the City* concludes. - My Neighbours fmile To fee me bufy in my little Toil : But you had rather be removed to Town ; That way your Mind and eager WilJjes run. The Cityjlave^ the while the Country love. And envy thee thy Garden and thy Grove, The 5a The History Chap, i. The Ox the Saddle ash, the Afs the Vlongh 5 Let all (that's hefi) pursue the Arts they kvovc, Creech'^ Horace, Epift. 14. Lib. i, 0audm the EJttiperor, of no great Cha- rader as to his Government, is by (p) Sueto- nius recorded to have fpent his leifure Hours fometimes in his Gardens 5 and at other times in the Plealures of the Field 5 and (q) Columella^ when he wrote his Trad De Re Rufiica^ confirms the fame, inafmuch as that Prince, whilft he was yet young, was a fre- quent Auditor of their Rural Ledures, and particularly commanded him to compofe an Oration on thofe delightful Subjeds. Cato^ VarrOj Columella^ and Palladiiis {'^s I have faid) wrotfe excellent Rules in Huf- bandry, which are bound up together, and printed' in J 5 :i^^ with Notes by Beroaldus and others. Cuoand Cato and Varro are the firft^ of whofe varro. L^ygg ^here is little that I have feen extant, as to this point 3 their Writings were very concife and full, but mix'd, like all the an- cient Writers, with too many fuperflitious Columella. Conceits. Columella is in that Work plac d the third 5 he Was born at Gadita?ms, and writ Twelve Books de Re Rnftica, and ano- ther, by way of Addenda^ concerning Trees, but that is doubted whether genuine or not. (f) Sueton in Vica Claudii. {q) Columella de Re Rulhca. Lib. 1 1. cip. i . He Chap. I. of GARDENING, &^c. 51^ He liv'd iri the Time of CteJm, aiid'#n^ in Obedience to his Command, as may, be feen in the i ith Book, Cap.i^;^^{^'l'";:t^ -^ Palladius is the laft in thai Lift f Bendes>aiiaiims. the other part of his Treatife, he publifli'd a Kalendarhm Rujlicum (from which Mr, F-' velyn feems to take his Method in his Kalenda-: rium Hontenfe) full of excellent Rules to be performed every Month in the Year 5 and al-! fo Tables of the Increafe and Decreafe or Time. Thofe four Authors contain the Subftance of the Roman Praftice in the Field' and Garden. But the finlfliing Part was left to Pliny, ^-p^mj. caird P links Secundits Isfovocomenfa -^ he was ah Author in Fefpajians Time, as appears by hi^ Preface to that Prince. He writ his Natural Hi/Iorj at leifur^' tit^esi, having feveral great Employs under^ V^fpiifian, to whom he dedicated it. This Hidory confifted of Thirty feven Books, of which thofe concerning Gatdedihg, &c, were not the Itaft elaborate and Valilabie. By his placing the Names of Authors, out of which he eoUcfted his Precepts, in the Order he has, it may be fuppos'd he was no manual and praftical Gardener, but rather a CoUater out of other Men's Works : How- ever a great deal is due to that laborious Au- thor 5 for befides, the many Philofophical Tenets of //^m and Agriculture, he reduc'd in his Time the Pradice of it, efpecially in Raifing Trees, into a few compendious Rules, 32 The UlS TO ?^Y Chap. I. Rules, (r) Brevity being what is moft ad- mirable in him. And 'tis by his Works, and thofe of Ca- to^ Varro^ Coliir/iel/a, and Falladius^ already mentioned, that the Pradice of Gard'ning, &c. has been ever fince conduced. Pliny is faid to have been ftifled by the Afhes of Mount Vejuvius, as he was advancing too near, to feek into the fecret Caufes of its violent Eruptions 5 tho' others infinuate, that he was kiird by one of his own Servants ^ con- concerning which, fee Suetonius in Vita Caii Flinii, or more at large by his Sifter's Son, commonly called, The Tounger Pliny. Seneca. Seneca^ that moft excellent Philofopher (as we have it from Jujiics Lipfius^ muft not cfcape the Series of this Hiftory 5 the Gran- deur of his Gardens, Granges, and Villas^ drew upon him the Hate of many of his Cotcmporaries : For tho* the Truth of it was, that his Eftates were either left him by his Father, or, that they fell to him by the Royal Munificence of his Princes, rather than by an eager Purfuit after, or any other Acquilition of his own 5 yet he was calum- niated as one given to Extortion, Ufury, and whatnot 5 and that he had accumulated his Wealth out of the Ruins of his Coun- try, (fo much does Envy blaft the Reputa- (r) Arborcs avic ,femlnc, plantato Radice, aut Propagine, aut Avulfione, riut Surculo, aut infiio & conjetto Arboris Trunco. Vlin. lib. 17. cap. 10. tion Chap. I. of GARDMNG, C^^. 33 tion of the moft Virtuous, and thofe that apply themfelves to the moft innocent and laudable Recreations.) However this be, he had feveral Houfes and Gardens, where he us*d to fpend his leifure time 5 fome of which he himfelf mentions, viz, at Komentamm^ Albanum^ and Eianium^ which Juvenal terms the Gardens of the weakhy Seneca : And tho* his Philofophy feems to be that of the Stoicks^ yet, in Pradice, he led a more affluential Life (efpecially in this refped,) and came up to that of Epicurus himfelf. Sup- pofing, as it may be judged, that he might give a Loofe to his Inclinations in this Cafe 5 that fince Providence had blefs'd him with innumerable Riches, he could not bet- ter beftow them than in charitably Em- ploying of numerous poor Souls, that, doubt* kfs, abounded in that Empire, as well as they do in this. It may not be improper to make here a Stand, to take a Retrofped upon our prefent Subjed, and fee in what State the Rules of Husbandry and Gardening were in general 5 then 'tis to be obferv'd, that Defign was not fo well underftood as 'tis now, at leaft we have no Plans, &c. remaining of the exad Figure, Decuffation, or Diftributi- on, and the Account of them lives only in Defcription 3 on which thus the inge- nious Waller : Vol. I D Of 34 T/je History Chap. i. of the fir jl Paradife there's nothing found ^ TlantsfetbyHeavn are vanip'd^ and the Ground ^ Tet the Defcription lafis : Who knows the fate Of Lines , that pall this Paradife relate .e- have fpent their Time in their Gardens : The rori Hadri- Difcourfe between Hadrian and Eliiis Verm verif" ca- ^'^f'^^ i" ^''^^ir Gardens, is fomething remark- f.r. able : The great Love ( even to Excefs ) that Chap. I. of GARDENING, &c. 37 that Clodm Albinus had for Fruit, is almoft ^^.^o^iusAl- incredible^ but the more modeft Accounts of ^*""^* him, are, that he underftood Husbandry very well, and writ a Book of Geor^icks. The Emperor Gadianus is, by Julius Capito- cidianus. Unus^ reported to have fpent his Time be- twixt his Gardens, his Baths, and delightful Groves. The next I fliall mention, is the Great Dioclejian the 1 8th Emperor of ]?o»2^, (Great Diodefian, in every thing but in his miftakcn Zeal againft Chriftianity) who having reigned 22 Years, and atchiev'd many noble Exploits, together with Maximianus refigned the Governmet, for the Pleafure and Satisfaction of a Country Life 5 and at Salonia in the Province of Dalmatia fpent tne refidue of his Days in Planting, &c. And when the Affairs of the Empire again requir'd his Care, he was very hard prefs'd by Maxi/manuSj to no Purpofe,to reaffume his his Government, then in Diforder. In Anfwer to which, he defired him to come and fee his Gardens, how fwcetly they profper'd, and what a Grace, Shade, and Pleafure his long- extended Walks afforded him 5 from whence he inferred, that he would no more defire any fuch thing as his return to the painful, trou- blefome, and fortuitous State of Empire : Of whom Cowley thus : Methinks I fee Great Dioclefian walk In the Salonian Garden^s noble Shade ^ D s Which 38 Tk H I s T o R Y Chap, i. Which by his ovon Imperial Hands was made : J fee him Smile (methinks) as he does talk With the Jmbajfadors, who came in vain T' entice him to a Throne again. If I, my Friends (faid he) pondtoyoufJwvo All the Delights which in thefe Gardens grow, 'Tis likelier much that you woiid with me ft ay ^ Than 'tis that you woiid cany me away. And^ trult me not^ my Friends^ if evry Day I walk not here with more Delight^ Than after the moft happy Fi^ht Jn Triumph to the Capitol I rode. To thank the Gods^ and to be thought - Myfelf almoft a God. • CAYdind The Gardens of Cardinal Ferrara at Tivolt Ferrara. havc fonic Time fince exercis'd the Pens of our moft curious Travellers, (and fome of r/;eBeive- the fir ft 3 ) as Well as thofe of Belvedere, be- ^dnl ^'^^' i^^^gi^g ^0 ^he great Pontiff, are next : Be- fides fome others, which, for Brevity, I fhall pafs over. But the more ufeful part of my Subjed, 1 mean Agriculture, Planting, &c. have not appeared with that Luftre as it had formerly done in thofe Countries 5 and the Reafons of it, are drawn from the Defpotick Power and Pride of the Roman Church, who are for amaffing all that they pofTibly can into St. Peter's Funds, and leave this whole- fome Employ. This the Learned Hifto- rians of our own Country have already difcufs'd. To Chap./, of GAKD'NING, e-c. 39 To return back : There remains but very little of the State of Gardening for a long Time ^ and the Imperial Seat being divided, and fettled chiefly at Conflantinope^ we may fuppofe that Gard'mn^ and other Arts fol- lowed there, or declin d in the Metropolis of Rome^ and was afterwards totally deftroyed by that great Inundation of Barbarity which overfpread Italy, and mod of the other civi- lized Nations of Europe, by the Goths and Vandals : Rome in particular felt their Fury, by the Devaftation of her glorious Piles of Building 5 and, without doubt, Gardening and all other Arts had their Ihare in that fatal Deluge of Barbarifm. And altho' Gardening might in fome mea- fure, like the Phcsnix, arife again out of the Aflies of Italy 5 yet the Completion of it feem'd for France, and the other Northerly European Kingdoms of Great- Britain, which at prefent much out-doe Italy itfelf, whofe Gardens I fliall pafs over, having as yet feen nothing in comparifon to the Nations juft be- fore named. France then feems to be the firft Stage on which Gardening began to appear in fuch great Luftre : And therein we (hall meet with one of the greateft Charafters yet produced, I mean the late King L^nc?^ XIV. of fr4;7z<:^ ^LewisXiv. which great Perfon, whether by an innate ^^^^^"^^' Love or virtuous Difpofition to the Glory and Pleafures oi Gardening, or that by the En- couragement of Arts and Sciences, (and a- D 4 monglt 40 the History Chap. i. mongft them, ofGard'mng} he might alkire and dazle the Eyes of Europe, and thereby the eafier carry on the Scheme of Univerfal Monarchy he had all along been aiming at, is not my BuGnefs, neither do I pretend to determine. But be that as it will, 'tis certain that Gardening was by his means brought to the moft magnificent Height and Splendour ima- ginable ^ and it is hard to judge in which Charader he appear'd the greateft, whether in his publick one of a King or a Statefman, or in the private one of an Artizan or Gardner, - For tho' his Royal Father had made fome fmall Beginnings, at his little Houle call'd Trianon, near Verfailles ^ yet all the Build- ings and magnificent Gardens of Ver failles^ Marli, and Fontainhleau are owing to that mighty Monarch 5 Works fo ftupendoufly great (as i^ very apparent by all the Draughts we have from thence, as well as by the Reports of ahnoft every body) as became only the Pocket and Ambition of one of the greateft and moft afpiring Genius's in the World. And this Example of their Prince, fet all the great Men of the Kingdom to follow Vuy of him, particularly the Duke of Orleans at Orleans. Sf^ (ji^j^^ 2>cc. fo that France, now, may well be call'd, in this refped, the Garden of the World, and which no Nation is likely to ,equal, but thofe, the Terror of whofe Am^ J]e had often experiepc'^. Chap. I. ofGAKD'MNG.&^c. 41 Who it was that particularly Defign'd and Laid out the Gardens, &c. belonging to that Auguft Monarch, is not known to me 5 but I fuppofe it to be his Architefts and Chief Builders, who, both There as well as Here, are extremely well skill'd in thofe Affairs 5 and I muft confefs, 'tis to them I owe a great part of that Knowledge I have in the Defigning part of Gardening:, their Tafte being, generally fpeaking, greater than Gar^ doners are ^ and only want a concurring part of Culture, to render them the beft in this Point. But to return : Whoever laid out the French King's Gardens, there were three Men very eminent for their love of Gard ning and Poetry, which are all that I ftiall take notice of in this Hiftory 3 I mean Monfieur de la Quintinye^ Rapin^ and Boileau^ which I place under this General Head, as they did all of them, either more or lefs, by their Writings and Pradice, adorn and recommend Gardening to the World. John de la Quintinye was born at PoiBiers Monfieur in the Year 1626, and was put to School ^^y^^^^"^"' with the Jefuits of that City. Aflbon as he had finifli'd his Courfe of Philofophy, and taken fome Leflbnsofthe Law, became to fans to be call'd to the Bar ^ but Monfieur Tambonneau hearing of his Merit, procur'd him to travel with his Son into Italy 5 and having a natural Love to Agriculture and Car4mng, he fet himfelf at all leifqre Times before 42 Tk H 1 S T O R Y Chap. I. before he went, to read Columella^ Varro^ Virgil^ and all the other ancient Authors that had treated on that Subjeft. By which means he was prepared to make fuch Obfervations in his Travels, as were likely afterwards to be of ufe to him. After his Return, Monfieur Tamhomieau left the making of his Gardens entirely to him : He was very curious in his Experiments, and thereby correfted feveral Faults that had crept in, or rather had been ah origine in the ancient PhiJofophy. To mention the whole Courfe of his Im- provements, would be a Work of itfelf 5 but, in Ihort, he argued from Experience, That the Sap never dejcended into the Roots^ but is only congealed, and its Motion Jlopt by the Coldnefs and Frigidity o[the Air 5 about which, he tells us, he had great War with the Phi- lofophers of his Time. He found (what was unknown before) That a Tree tranfplanted does not take NouriJI)- ment^ hit by the Roots it has Jlriick after its being tranfplanted^ which are asfo many Mouths^ zf hereby it attraSs the Nutritive Moijlitre of the Earth, and in no-mfe by the fmall hairy Roots that vpere remaining to it : From hence he has taught us, that inftead of preferving tbefe old fmall Roots, (as was heretofore praftis'd with great Care) that 'tis better to cut them off, for that they commonly grow dry and moulder, which hurts the Tree inftead of helping it. Indeedj Chap. I. ofGAKUNlNG.&^c. 43 Indeed, hisDiredioiis thro' the whole Bu- finefs of a Fruit-Tree, is fo fully handled in his Compleat Gardiner, tranflated by Mr. Eve- lyn, and in the Abridgment by Mr, London and V/'i^e^ that 'twould be fuperfluous to fay any more of this incomparable Perfon ^ and the only Exception againft his Works, is a Qiaality very peculiar to the French Nation, I mean too much Circumlocution. To proceed in his Life : The French King (as we have it from Monfieur Terr auk) like feveral other Great Perfonages, joining the feaceable Love of Agriculture to the tumultic- 0U5 Fajfwns of War, took an extreme Plea- fure in hearing him Difcourfe of his Art 5 and the late King of England, as the fame Author has it, gave him a great many Marks of his Efteem, in the two Voyages he made into England 5 and made him a Propofal of a very confiderable Penfion to retain him in his Service. In thefe Voyages he gain'd confiderable Friendfhip with feveral Lords ( fome few of whom I fliall hereafter mention) with whom he kept Correfpondence by Letters till his Death: And thefe Letters (fays ferrault) are all printed at London 3 which I have not yet feen. The King his Mafter, as I have before hin- ted, made him Direftor-General of the Fruit and Kitchen- Gardens of all his Royal Houfes^ and in this Employ he made confiderable Augmeiitations in the old Fruit- Gardens at Ver failles^ 44 T^e History Chap. i. Ferfailles 5 the Beautifulnefs of the Fruit, and the Excellence of the Pulfe and Herbage he made it produce, was fuch as caus'd the King to make the new Potagery, which appears fo very furprizing to all Strangers. There is an excellent Poem addrefs'd to him by ( I think ) Monfieur Perraiilt, which I have not feen neither : In fine, he was the Perfon that refin'd the Bufinefs and Pieafure of Kitchen and Fruit- Gardens, to a Pitch beyond what what was ever, till that Time, feen, and more than was thought poffible for one Man to be able ever to do : And (till the Succeffion of two eminent Perform in thefe Kingdoms, who have very much out- ftript him) has not had his Fellow in any Century that Hiftory gives us Account of. 'Twill be needlefs here to fay much of his Famj'Iy : He died much lamented by all inge- nious Men 5 and the King was pleafed to exprefs his Sorrow to his furviving Widow, faying, That he was as great a Sufferer by it ^sfie-j and that he defpair' d of ever repairing the Lofs of him y by any other Perfon. Rapin. ^ ^^^^ ^^^ i^^ mention Monfieur Rapin, his incomparable Latin Poem being tranflated hy an ingenious and worthily-dignified Cler- gyman of the Church of England^ and a great ^o^tx oi Gardenings Mr. Gardiner Sub-Dean of Lincoln. In this Poem is contained the whole Body of Gard'ning^ and, by the addi- tional Help of Notes, would be of excellent ufe to the World. Monfieui: Chap. I. of GARDENING, &c. 45 MovAtxxt Boikau is another who has ho-^oiieau. coured this Employ both by his Pen and Praftice 5 feveral Parts of his Mifcellaneous Poems being Glances at it, I (hail only beg leave to tranfcribe part of his Epiftle to his Gardiner ^ which being fomething Jocofe, may may help to alleviate this tirefome Courfe of Hiftory. He begins : Thou^ as Laborious^ as thy Majier Kind, Whofeems to blefs thy Toil, by Heavn defign*d^ Thou daily do ft thy grateful Task renew. To guide the Wood-bind, and the ruder Tewjb^c. And running thro' the Bufinefs and Toil of his Man Anthony, with fome merry Obfer- vations on his laborious Innocence, draws towards a Conclufion, by obferving, that pof- libly he had detained him too long from his neceffary Bufinefs, in this manner : Tij time for me to end-^ hefides, I fee Ton felons with Impatience wait for thee : The FIowWs, methinks, to one another fay. Where s Anthony, that he's not here to day ? Is it the Wake, or for fome new-made Saint, Do we our Drink jo long, thd thirfty, want ? Something's falVn out, or why has he forgot To handle, as he's wont, the Watring-pot. iWr.Ozell. His Thoughts on the Happinefs of a Coun- try Life, addrcfs'd to Lamoignon, are per- haps 4^ T/?e H I S T O R Y Chap. i. haps as beautiful as any of the Poets, not ex- cepting Virgil and Horace themfelves. He begins : r^^,r^^,Lamoignon5 with the Town Vm tifd^ And hate the Follies that I once admird: I to the Shades^ my only Refuge^ flie^ And thus p'efent its Landskip to your Eye. I cann't poflibly follow him, without fwell- ing this Hiftory beyond its Bulk : Befides, his Poems being in Print, I referr my Reader to them, with a Quotation out of the middle of that Poem 5 Give me the Shades^ the Forefis^and the Fields^ Andthefoft Sweets which Rural Quiet yields ^ Oh^ leave me to the fref), the fragrant Breeze, And let me here awhile enjoy my Eafe : Let me Pomona'^ plenteous Blejjings crop^ And fee rich Autum'j ripen d Burthen drop 5 *Till Bacchus with full Clujters crowns the Tear, And gladdens with bis Load the Vintager, Mr. Ozell. More might be faid 5 but I hafte home to Great-Britain, after this Search into the Ac- count of Horticulture : And if it be thought I have been too ftiort in thofe of the modern Italian and Gal lick Virtuofo's in Gardening, I promife ( by the affiftance of Providence ) to make amends in time to come. And Chap. I . of GARDENING, &c. 47 And as for Great-Britain and Ireland^ why Grcac-Bri- may we not think that the ancient ^^^^^^^'^^Tl. a^ and fince them the Inhabitants of thefe Iflands, were always Lovers of Planting, &c. at leaft fuch as were for the more immediate Ufe of the Laboratory and Kitchin, and alfo of Foreft-Work, fince the Oak is known by- all to have been facred to them ? Tis not improbable to fuppofe that the Romans^ upon their Conqueft of thefe Iflands, introduced (amongft other Arts) that of Husbandry and Gardening to a great Per- fedion 5 feeing it was always a Maxim of Policy amongft them, to amufe the People they conquer'd, by this means 5 and not only fo, but for this Reafon ( as well as upon the Account of the Terror of their Arms ) the Unconquer'd very often admir'd and fubmit- ted to their Government ^ of which Speci- mens may be feen in moft of the Roman Hifto- ries, but efpecially in Julius Cdifars Com- mentaries^ where the Reafons made ufe for their Submifljon to the Roman Yoke (as fome call'd it) was the Politenefs and Bravery of their People, in Peace as well as War : x\nd that the fucceflive Governments of Great- Britain encouraged the Planting and Prefer- ving of Wood, Husbandry, and the like, the Laws by them made is a fufiicient Demon- ftration. Alfo, when we come nearer to the Hiftory of thefe Times, and perufe the Writings of the Botanicks, we fliall find the fame forts of Trees, 4^ the His TO KY Chap. I. Trees, and feveral kinds of Flowers, have been cultivated a hundred Years ago, as now, tho' perhaps not in fo great abundance. ^«eenEli- About the Reign of Queen Elizabeth of 2tabeth. immortal Memory, we may fuppofe fome of the Old Avenues and Walks adjoining to Noblemens Houfes, were planted 5 and of that Date feems to be the Old Walks at Hat- field (and at feveral other Places,) planted, LordTrea- no doubt, by that great Minifter of State /«rer Bur- ^j^^ Lqj.j Treafurer Burlekh. ^'^ * What was particularly done by her Royal King Succeflbr King James I. is not certain ^ but James I. that That Ingenious Prince (the Glory of all Crown'd Heads, for Learning) Ihould mifs this, amongft other his refined Amufements and Speculations, wou'd be irrational to fuppofe. And (to ftrcngthen this Suppofition) it muft be obferv'd, that in the Reign of this Learned Prince, flourifli'd fome of the great- eft Philofophers, and fome of them great Lovers of Gard'ning, (viz.) the Right Ho- Lord ve- nourable the Lord Verulam^ Sir Henry W'ootton^ ruiam. Sir Hu^h Flat, &c. The Writings of this Noble and Ingenious Lord are extant ftill amongft us 5 and Gard'ning may be remark'd to have a great fhare in his Thoughts. 5/v Henry And by the Account given by Sir Henry wootton. y[^QQiiQji^ Gard'ning had as early an Original in England as any-where ^ the fame worthy Perfon intimating, that a Garden of my Lord Verulam\ as I renieniber, (for I have not lately Chap. i. of GARDENING, &'c. 49 lately feen that (a) Book) was one of the beft he had feen either at Home or Abroad 5 and the polite Writings of that Gentleman (who had fpent moft part of his Time in Italy^ be- ing Ambaflador at Venice fome Years) are fure Pledges of the Knowledge he had in that Matter ; The Love to Architedure^ and other of the Liberal Sciences, the Ele- ments he drew out of Vitruvius^ (of whom mention is already made) feem to convince us of the Truth of both his Obfervation and Judgment : And indeed, this worthy Perfon appears to be one of the firft that had any Thoughts of that Rule, Proportion, and De- fign which has fince took place in Gar^ dening. It was about this Time that Sir Hugb Plat sh Hugh writ his Treatife (as one may judge from the ^^^"^* Style) under the Title of The Garden ofEden^ wherein is found many nice Experiments in Gardening 5 but, like thofe of my Lord Ve-^ rulam\ and all the Antients, full of the old Philofophical Tenets, now exploded 5 none of the Authors of thofe Times having that noble Relifh and Guft of Gardening (nor of the true Depths of Philofophy) that has of late (hone fo bright in thefe European Coun- tries. In the moft fatal and unhappy Reign of King Charles L it is too much to be fear'd ^^^^ there were lefs Advances made in Gard'nine ^^"^^^ ^* (rf) sir Henry Wootton'& Elements ofArchite^ure. Vol. I. E and i^o The History Chap. i. and other parts of Natural Philofophy, than before ^ the Divine, Philofopher, and all Ranks laying afide their Books, and taking a (hare in thofe inteftine Troubles 5 and in the Ufurpation of the pretended Protestor, it was more the Cuftom to cut down, than to plant and repair Plantations : Nor could it otherwife be expeded in that difmal Interval, firice both the Laws of Nature and Govern- ment too were in continual Convulfions 5 and under the facred Name of Religion, all the Depradations and Wafte imaginable com- mitted. But altho' Things were in this terrible Combuftion, we muft not omit the famous Milton. Mr. John Milton one of CromwelFs Secreta- taries, who, by his excellent and never-to- be- paralleled Poem oiParadife Loji^ has par- ticularly diftingui(h*d Gardening, by taking that for his Theme ^ and Ihews, that tho' his Eyes deprived him of the benefit of Seeing, yet his Mind was wonderfully mov'd with the Philofophy, Innocence, and Beauty of this Employ 3 his Books, tho' mix'd with other Subjeds, being a kind of Philofophical Body of Gardening, as well as Divinity. What more beautiful than that where he defcribes our Primogenial Parents in their untainted State of Innocence 5 a lively Re- prefentation of a Vertuous Couple in the fweet Enjoyment of their Garden ! Book 4. li?ie 299. For Cliap. t. of a AT\ D^NINin^ ^x. 15 1 For Softnefs She^ andfweet attraRive Gmce^ He for God dnly^ She for God in him. And a little after : Vnder a Tuft of Shade ^ that on a Gr€en Stood whiff ring foft, hy a freJJj Fountain fide^ They fate the?n down 5 and after no more Foil Of their fweet Gardening Labour than fitted To recommend Cool Zephyre, and made Eafe More Eafie, wholfome Thirjt and Appetite More grateful^ to their Supper-Fruits they fell ^ NeSarine Fruits, which the compliant Boughs Tielded them fide-long^ as they fate recline On thefoft Downy Bank damask d with Flowers 5 The favry Pulp they chew 5 and in the Rind^ Still as they thirjiedjcoopthe brimming Stream. Thefe dfelieious Fruits, as they luU'd them to Repofe, fo they fill'd them with the moft Exalted Thoughts 5 and thus we find them (as our ingenious Author defcribes) fiJl'd with Adoration, for the innumerable Benefits of their Maker, in their Evening Hymn : Thus at their pady Lodge both Jlood^ Both turnd, and under open Sky adord The God that made both Sky^ Air^ Earthy and [ Heaven^ Which they beheld^ the Moons refpleiident IGlobe, And Starry Pole : Thou alfo ?nad'Jl the Nighty Maker O?n?npotent 1 and Thou the Day, E 2 Which tf 2 T/)/? H I s T o R Y Chap. I. Which vpe^ in our appointed Work employ^d^ Have finip^d'^ happy in our mutual Help, And mutual Love, the Crown of all our Blifs^ Ordain d by Thee : And this delicious Place, For us too large, xohere thy Abundance wants Partakers, and uncropt, falls to the Ground. And line 771, defer ibing their blefs'd Repofe : Thefe,luird by 'Nightingale* s,embracing,flept. And on their naked Limbs the Floxvry Roof Shourd Rofes, which the Morn repair d. \^ Sleep on, Blefsd Pair : And Oh, yet happieft, ifyefeek No happier State, and Know to Know no more. Thus fweetly did this great Poet paint the Innocence and Beauty of a Country Life, in the happy Poffeflion of Paradife by our Firft Parents. Happy, thrice happy Man, had his Pen been employ 'd on no other Subjedr. Kini Upon the happy Reftitution of the Royal Charles II. p^j^jjy^ /2f7/wc? 1660. Planting began again to raife its dejeded Head ^ and in this Reign it was, that thofe preliminary Foundations of Gard'ning were laid, that have fince been ; rais'd to fuch a ftupendous Height. 'Tis certain that Prince, whofe Thoughts and Expreffions of Things were allowed by all to be Juft, did plant the large Semi-circle before the Palace at Hamptoii-Coicrt, &c. in purfuance of fome great Defign he had form'd in Chap. I . of G ARDMNG, &c. 5 3 in Gard'ning^ befides what he did at Wind/or^ and in other Places : And Sir William Temple relates, that in Honour of his own Country, and contrary to the Boaftings of the French^ and other foreign Minifters, the King, in his mild and ingenious manner of exprefling him- felf, faid. He liKd tbofe Gardens^ or that a mrthy Country heft^ vohich might he enjoyed the moft ^^P^^IP°n Hours in the Day^ and the moft Days in the^ Tear^ which he was fure was to be done in England, more than in any Country whatfoever. A Phrafe worthy a King of Great- Britain^ and a Lover of his Kingdoms. The Royal Garden in St. James's Park, part The Royal of which is now in the PoflTeflion of the Right ^^^e^^« '« Honourable the Lord Carlton, and the upper Paril!"^^^ ^ part belonging to Marlborough- Houfe^ was of that King's Planting 5 which were, in the Re- membrance of moft People, the fineft Lines of Dwarfs, perhaps, in the Univerfe. Mr,London^ of whom I (hall fay more at the latter end of my Hiftory, prefuming before Monfieur de la Quintinye the famous French Gardener, (whofe Works are both tranflated and a- bridg'd) to challenge all France with the like : And if France^ why not the whole World? To this Prince is likewife owing the Plant- ing and Repairing the Walks in St. James s Park^ on which the ingenious Mr. Waller Mr^vj^ikt writ a Poetical Effay 5 and having it now m^hePoet. my Hands, I fliall tranfcribe a part of it, E 3 tho' ^ 4 The H 1$ 1^ b R Y Chap, i . tho' I know Mr. Evslyn has done it before me 2^ear this^ ?ny Miife, xchat 7no/i delights herjees A living Gallery of aged Trees : Bold Sons of Earthy that thriiji their Arms fo high^ As if once more they would invade the Sky. In fuch green Palaces the firji Kings reign d^ Slept in their Shades^ and Angels entertain d: With fuch old Corinfellors they did advife^ And by frequenting facred Groves^ grew wife. Free from th' Impediments of Light and Noife 3 Man thM retird, his nobler Thoughts employs. Here Charles contrives the or during of his States 5 Here herefolves his neighbWing Princes Fates 3 WhatT^ationpall haveVeace^ whereWar be made^ Determirfd is in this Oraclous Shade. The World, from India to the Frozen North, Concern d in vphat this Solitude brings forth. And running through the adjacent Beau- ties oi Whitehall^ &c. finifhes his Poem : Here^ free fromCourt Compliances^ he walks. And with himfelf, the befi Advifer^ talks How peaceful Olive may his Temple Jl^ade, For mending Laws^ and for rejtoring Trade ^ Or how his Brows may be with Lawrel cbarg^d^ Formations conquer^ d^ and her Bounds enlargd» Of ancient Prudence here he ruminates^ Of rifmg Kingdoms^ and of falling States -^ What; Chap. I. ^/ GARDENING, C^r. 55 What ruling Arts gave great Auguftus Fame, And how Alcidcs p2irchas*d fncb a Name. \ -. His Eyes npon his native Palace bent Clofe by^ fi^gg^Jl ^ greater Argument 5 His Thoughts rife higher when he does refleB On what the World may from that Star expeB Which at his Birth appear d-^ to let J0 fee Day, for his fake, could with the Night agree. A Prince on whom fuch different Lights didfmile. Born the divided World to reconcile. Whatever Heavn, or high extraSed Blood Could promife or for et el, heHlmake it good^ Reform thefe Nations, and improve them more Than this fair Park, from what it was before. How far the Luftre of Gardens and Plants ing might have been carried by this Royal Planter, is uncertain 3 his Affairs being much unfettled, and feveral other great Expences, which exhaufted his Finances, were certain- ly a great Obftrud;ion to it. There does not remain much of what King King James did, or defigned to do : This unhappy J^"^^^ ^^• Prince purfuing Meafures of another nature, and having quite different Defigns in his Head, no lefs than that of Arbitrary and Defpotick Power 5 whatever Halcyon Days might feem to fhine at the Beginning of his Reign, yet afterwards Planting was at a Stand, and never purfued in fo good Earneft as in his SuccelTor King King William'^ time : And indeed, the Comple- ^fj\\^^ tion of Gardening feems to be referv'd, amongft many other great Actions and Qyalifications E 4 of The History Chap. i. of that Prince, to eternize his Memory, and make him appear to the World as great a Gardiner as he was a Soldier. But I return to the Nobility and Gentry in King Charles the lid's and King James the lid's time, and take a View of what they have done herein. And firft, I (hall make fome Remarks on the Botanick Part of Gard'ning, and therein of the Pbyfick'Garden at Oxford^ &c. The Pitch to which Botanick Knowledge w^as, even before this Time, arrived, muft not efcape our Notice. The laborious Works of Gerard and his Commentator Johnfon, of Mv.ParkinJcn and Ray^ deferve our utmoft Tribute of Thanks ^ as likewife to Mr. Rea, the Author of Flora^ Ceres and Pomona^ the practical and plain Method in which he has delivered his Precepts, are admirable 5 but all is crown'd in the Phyfick-Garden at Ox- ford^ (as it is fet down in The Prejent State of Great-Britain^ " Among the feveral noble Strudures and ^^ great Conveniences of Learning (fays that *^ Author) wherewith this famous Univerfity *' is adorned, this of the Phyfick-Garden^ placed *' by the River Charwel^ claims not the leafl: " Place, founded, built, and the Donation *' thereof made to the Univerfity, in the " Year 1632, by the munificent Benefaftion " o{ Henry Danvers Earl oiDanby^ then li- ^'' ving at his Houfe in Cornhury^ who pur* *' chas'd five Acres of Ground South of t- % Mary Magdalen's, and thereon ereded ^^ about Chap. I. of GARDENING, &c. 57 " about the Square thereof moft (lately Walls " and Gates 5 which Walls are 14 Foot " high, of the beft fquar'd and polifli d **■ Stone, the like not to be elfewhere feen 5 " and one Gate thereof at the Expence *' of 5 or 600/. on the Front of which " this Infcription is to be feen, Gloria Dei optimi Maximi Honori Caroli Regis^ InUfumAcademi(Z & Reipuhliaz^ 1632, Henricus Corn Danhy ^ ^' and endowed the fame with an annual Re- " venue to Perpetuity, for the Maintenance " and Keeping of the fame, and its great va- *' riety of Plants, whereof it now contains " many Thoufands, for the Ufe and Honour " of the Univerfity 5 ferving not only for *' Ornament and Delight, and the pleafant " Walking and Diverfion of the Academical " Students, and of all Strangers and Travel- " lers, but of great Ufe alfo, as is eafily *' found, among all Perfons defirous to im- *^ prove their Botanical Inclinations and *' Studies 5 and for the pleafant Contempla- " tion and Experience of Vegetative Philofo- *^ phy, for which here is fuppos*d to be as " good Convenience as in any Place in Europe " (if not the beft) as alfo for the Service of " all Medicinal Praftitioners, fupplying the " Phyficians and Apothecaries, and who elfe " (hall have occafion for Things of that ^^ Nature, with what is right and true, '' frefli 5§ The Hist O r^ t Chap. i. " frefli and good, for the Service and Life " of Man. This Garden was firft made by Mr. Bobart, Father to the prefent Mr. ^acob Bobart^ to whofe Care it is now committed, who being an excellent Scholar as well as a Card ner, has carried on that Univerfal Hiftory, begun by the learned Dr. Morrifan deceafed, and is entitled Botankk Profeffor in that famous Univerfity. The many Gardens and Walks that are in and near this Univerfity, add not a little to its Luftre 5 fuch are the Walks of Magdalen- College^ &Cf But the Walks that are in the Fields, to which every Student is to pay a Moiety, ought not to be forgot 5 which put together, may not, improbably, be (hort of the glorious Academies of Athens^ Corinth^ or any other to be found in Hiftory. Cambridge has likewife attempted the fame, but not with fo good Succefs. VirtMi&s The Right Honourable the Earl of Ejjex^ in King and the Lord Capel^ araongft the Nobles 5 SfitA ^"d "John Evelyn Efq^ and Sir Wilha?n Temple, Time, amongft the Gentlemen -, Covpley amongft the Poets, and Rofe amongft the Gard'ners, made up a great part of the Yirtiiofo's of that Reign. ^r.Eve- 1 ihall begin with John Evelyn Efq^ one of iyn* the greateft Writers we have had in Gar- dening, as well as in feveral other Matters 5 and Ihall take the reft in their Order, with what Remarks may be made on their Wri- tings or Pradice, This Chap. I. of CARD NING, &c. 5^ This Ingenious and Learned Perfon, like another Virgil, was appointed for the Retrie- ving the Calamities of England^ and re- animating the Spirit of his Country-men, for their Planting and Sowing of Woods, as that wherein confifted their Strength and Security, in the Continuance of their Wooden Walls, and thofe floating Caftles that were by Nature defigned to fecure their Com- merce, to vifit diftant Nations to fetch home their Riches, and in fhort, to make them (without inteftine Divifions) the moft for- midable Nation in the World. How he has acquitted himfelf, is very well known at prefent, his Books being in the Hands of moft of the Learned 5 and 'tis to be hoped they will be continued down to the lateft Pofterity amongft the moft ingenious and ufeful Writings. Neither was his Labour lefs in Matters nearer relating to Gard'nivg^ in his Tranfla- tions, and in his Kakndarium Hortenfe, (of which, as I have before intimated, he took the Pattern from Palladius.) He tranflated Quintinyes Compleat Gardener^ with another fmaller Trad, from the French^ was in his time the beft Linguift, and to him it is owing that Gardening can fpeak proper Eng- liJJ). His Philofophical Difcourfe of Earth, is accounted amongft the beft Writings of the Royal Society. As he begun, fo he continued 'till his Death, a great Lover and Obferver of Gar- dening 5 6o The History Chap. i. dening^ tho' not at his own Expence 3 yet in his readinefs to give Advice, he merited general Thanks. In fliort, if he was not the greateft Mafter in Pradice, 'tis to him is due the Theorical part of Gard ning. But I need fay no more, his own Works, which are pub- Jick, are a clearer Demonftration of the Greatnefs of his Genius, than any Monument I can raife to his Memory. sir wii- Sir William Te?nple being the next in my pj^^"^ ^^"^" Account that has honoured Gardening with his Pen, I (hall place him here, and leave thofe two Nobles to bring up the Rear, and compleat this Clafs of Garden Worthies. He was the Son of Sir John temple^ born at Sheen^ the Place where he always fpent his fweet Hours of Retirement 3 by the natural Propenfity of his Genius toward all ufeful Knowledge, and particularly Gard'ning, and by his Converfation Abroad with Minifters fent from all the European Courts to the Ge- neral G)ngrefs in Holland^ where he was more than once Ambaffador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, he hit upon a noble tafte of Gard'ning, and was the Author of one of the politeft Effays, under the Title of The Garden of Epicurus^ that has yet ap- peared : For albeit he might be miftaken in his Opinion concerning the planting Peaches Northward 3 yet it is undeniably true, that they have Peaches an hundred Miles off London^ within ten or fifteen Days as foon as they have there ^ and that 'tis not alto- gether Chap. I. of GARDENING, &c. 6i gether the Heat of the Sun, but the Clearnefs of the Soil, that accelerates the Growth of Fruit, to which a Gravelly Bottom is a help : and in all other refpe&s he came up to that pitch as was expeded from his ingenious Pen. That he had a great love to Garden- ing, appears by his own Writings, and feve- ral kinds of Fruit brought over by him out of Holland^ Scc. as well as by the Teftimony of his Neighbours yet living, the greateft Confolation of his whole Life being, in the lucid Intervals he had from Publick Employs, in his beloved Gardens at Sheen 5 in which 'tis faid, he ordered his Heart to be inter- red, after his death. His works are gene- rally well known ^ but left by any means Pofterity fliou'd want better Information, he was one of the Plenipotentiaries for the King of Great-Britain at the Peace of M- meguen. The Plantations of the Right Honourable the Lord Cap el are ftill to be feen at Kevif Lorict^ ovtr-2ig2iinG: Brentford : The greateft advance ^^ ^^'^* made by him herein, was the bringing over feveral forts of Fruit from France $ and this Noble Lord we may fuppofe to be one that held for may Years a Correfpondence with Monfieur de la Quintinye^ (as has been before obferved.) The Earlinefs in which this Lord appear 'd in Gard ning, merits a very great place in this Hiftory, and a better Pen than mine to draw it. It 6i The History Chap, r. Earl of Ef- It muft not be pars'd by, that Caflnobury, oihic^^ the Seat of the Right Honourable the Earls bury. of Effex^ was one of the firft Places in £77^- land where the ingenious fpirit of Gard'ning made the greateft Figure ^ for altho' great Additions have been made there within a few Years laft paft, the main Foundation was laid by that Worthy and Honourable Patriot of his Country, under the more immediate Condud: of Mr. Cook his Gardener, yet li- ving^ who has likewife oblig'd the World with a Difcourfe concerning the Raijing of Foreji Trees^ &c. which is ftill extant. I muft confefs, I never fee that truly-delight- ful Place, without being more than ordina- rily ravifli'd with its Natural Beauty. To enumerate what is due to the Ingenious Virtuofo's of this Age, the Members of the Royal Society^ would fill a Volume much larger than this I am writing 5 I fhall only therefore give a fliort Account of them, as they are diftinguilh'd in thofe Works, and in other Writings of that kind. 5'^?^. Mai- To Seignior Malpgh'ms an Italian we owe pighius. the moft accurate Anatomization of Plants that have yet appeared. Much is likewife Dr. Grew, due to the Labours of oiDx.Grew on that Subjed. ^r.Boyie. From the Learned and Ingenious Mr. Boyk we have received many valuable Experiments Dr.Beale. in Vegetative Philofophy : To Dr. Beale^ That the Fibres of a Tree reach from Top to Bottom^ from tbe Roots up to the extreviejl Parts Chap. I . of GARD^NING^ &c. 6^ Parts of Fruit a?id Wood-Branches ^ by wMcb means there is a conjlant PaJJage for the Lym- phatic Juices^ as well as for the Air^ which is as necejjary in the Vegetable as Animal Life, From Dr. Woodvpard ^ That there abounds i^r.Wood- in all Water ^ more or lefs^ Terrefirial or Ni- ^'*^^"' trous Particles, which infenfibly afcend the Parages of all Plants^ and ate fure Helps in their FrtiHification and Growth. This he has very accurately recorded in the TranfaEtions of that Society, drawn from Experiments on all forts of Water, of which Rain and Pond- Water abounds the mod. What Praife is there not due to the very great Labours of Mn Mortimer^ and to^»'.Mor- other Ruftic Authors that went before him/"^^'^'^'"' as Meflieurs Hartlih^ Blythe, and Plat^ Shar- rock^ Nouife^ and innumerable Others 3 and laft of all, to thofe ingenious Obfervations lately publifli'd by the Reverend Mr. Law rence^ whoj amidft the more feverer Studies of a Clergyman, for his innocent Amufement, deigns to look into the Garden, to {hew the World that in truth it is an Exercife that not only becomes the Greateft, but alfo the Beft of Men;^ an Employ not unbecoming that facrcd Funftion they are initiated in, but of the greateft Advantage to refrefti them, amidft the more folemn Duties of God and Religion. But when we come to the Ingenious Mr. Ray ^ my. Ray. the admirable Trafts that we have in all parts of Experimental Philofophy, efpecially in 6^ The Hist KY Chap. i. in Vegetables, are fo very full and nume- rous, that I muft pafs them over with this general Acknowledgment, inafmuch as they will many of them be found in the enfuing Work 5 and his Wonders of the Creation ought to be read by all. Doubtlefs thefe Gentlemen had the fub- limeft tafte of Gardening that ever any had : They were not content with Fertur^ 'tis reported, (as was my Lord Bacon -^^ but Experientia docet^ we are taught by Expe- rience fo and fo : And when they came to make thofe Inferences, which are or ought to be the Refult of every virtuous Man's Labour and Praftice, as they ftudied it on purpofe to demonftrate the Being of a God infinitely Wife, Powerful, and Good $ fo they always concluded their Speculations in pfal. civ. this or the like Phrafe, O Lord^ how manifold ^^* are thy Works ! in mfdom hafi thou made them all : the earth is full of thy riches. And altho' Vegetation is in fome refpefls accounted the meaneft part of the Creation, yet from thence the pooreft Perfon may argue, If this Tree or Plant cannt be made bj the mofi curious Art'ijl amongjl us 3 how is it pofHble that Chance^ or the fortuitous con- courfe of Atoms^ pould jump together in its Formation^ or form the Earth on which it germinates and flour ijl)es ^ And from thence will revolve, that there mufi be an Almighty Fower^ that not o?ily made^ but alfo Jtill go* verns thefe creeping Vegetables^ as well as the procerejl Chap. 1/ of GARDMNG.e^r. 6^ pocereft Cedars in Libarius : And concludes, in the words of the Pfalmifi^ All thy Works pfai. cxiv. pall praife thee^ Lord^ and thy Saints io>^^> jhall blefs thee : they pall /peak of thy King- '''' '^' dom^ and talk of thy Power. To make known to the Sons of Men his mighty A£fs^ and the glorious ?najejly of his Kingdom. Thy Kingdom is an everldjling Kingdom^ and thy Dominion endureth throughout all Generations. To return from this beautiful Digreflion : I cann*t but recommend to Perfons of my own Profeflion, the Study of Vegetative Philofo^ phy ^ for their Praftice being confiderably more than any Gentleman's can poflibly be, what Advances may they not foon make? The only Difficulty is, the Abftrufenefs of its Terms 5 which 1 fliall, fome time or other, take an Opportunity of Explaining, and of reducing the Opinions of the Antients and Moderns, on the Arcana of Vegeta- tion. But 1 muft not pafs over the Charader of one of the beft of Matters as well as Garden- ers, I mean the Right Honourable the Lord William Rujfel^ Son to the then Earl o{ Bed- Lord Kuf- ford, which I chufe to place next to the laft ^^^' Lord mention'd, on account of their SuflFer- ings in the fame Caufe. I (hall not pretend to touch upon the Matter of their unhappy Fall, that being fet in a true Light by other Hands 5 it fhali fuffice me to fay, as I had it from a near and dear Relation, That by the Lofs of that zealous Affertor of the Liberties Vol. I. ^ F ^ of 6& : 'Jfhe HI $ ftTD R Y Chap, i . of hhCQuntrjy hjides. tbofe, and the more natural Properties of ajender HUshand and and, Fat ben, a Char^^er. he was very well knonn to. defer ve by. all that had any Ac- quanitmiee. of him,, the World was deprived of one of tbe hefi of,MaJlers and Encouragers of ■ Arts and Sciences. X particularly Gard'ning ) which/ th(2t Age prodjicd. As for his Works in Gard'niiig, they were none of the fmalleft 5 for being •ppffefs'd of a plentiful Fortune^ by the Marri^^e of .his V^ertuous Lady, who is jQiM living,, he m?i&^ Stratton, about feven Miies itom Winchejier^ his Seat ^ and his Gardens, there fon?ie of the beft that were madfe at: that time, . fuch indeed as have mock'd Come that have been fihce done : But the Untimely Fall of that true Lover of his Country, prevented his farther purfuit of that Matter, in which, I am well informed, he defigned more. . . The Gardens at South- a?npion'Hoiife in Bloomsbury-Square were alfo of his making, and are as well as any of that Model.; , I have been more particular in this, on occafion of the Lofs I may have fuftaind in fo gr^at a Friend, (being brought up in that Place where he us'd to fpend his happy Days) whofe Memory I beg leave to Ad- mire, and whofe Death I, with all true Lovers of their Country's Liberty, do heartily bewail He was Beheaded the 2 2d of July^ Anno 1685. Gardening Chap, il of GARDNING,£^^. 67 GarSniTig ftiJl advancing to a higher and higher pitch all that Reign, ( viz. King Charles lldis) there feem'd to be nothing wanting fo much as. the Recommendation of it by the Mufes 5 for which Province Mr. Cowley vj?iS certainly the fitteft : The^'^^.Cow- firft he wrote, was Four Books in Latin ^^* Verfe, upon Herbs , Plants , Trees, &c. wherein he followed the Doftrine of the Antients in the fpecifick Divifion of their Plants, and all other Things that were ne^- ceffary for fuch a Work. Thefe were writ, as Bifhop Sp'at obferves in his Life^ during the Time of the Unhappy Rebel- lion and Ufurpatjon oi.. Oliver Crothwell^ for, coming to England in Difguife, and that he might the better correfpond with the Royal Party here, and fend Intelligence of the State of Things, hefurnifh'd himfelf with Books 5 and under pretence of ftudying Phyfick, he retired into Kent^ where he compos'd thofe excellent Lines afore-men- tion'd. But that which he then made ufe of as a Vizor, grew afterwards familiar, and fo broke through the cloudy Shades of a do- meftick E'xile. His Delight in Gard^ning^ and the other Diverfions of a Country Life, afterwards encreafing with his Liberty, he furpafs'd (if poflible) the Divine Virgil himfelf. Of the feveral Themes he chofe to difplay the Livelinefs of his Fancy, and the Seraphick Idea's he had of Gardening ^ I fhall only chufe this which follows : F 2 JFbere (58 The H I S T O R Y Chap. i. Where does the Wijdom and the TowW Divine In a more bright andfvpeet Reflexion jinne 7he HrS'TORY Chap. i. Coronary Garden Plants and Flowers, 'tis reafonable to fuppofe he did ^ and that the Love he had fo early and late difcoverM to- ward it, was compleated in the delightful Pradice thereof. Dr. Henry ^ had almoft forgot to mention a Right compcon, Reverend Father, whofe Love towards Gar- ^Blhop'lf d'ning ought by no means to be omitted, inaf- London. much as he may be faid to be not only a Fa- ther of the Church, but likewife oiGard'mng, He was of the Loyal and Noble Family of the Compto?i5^ ERvh oi Nor thamfton^ whofe Cha- rafters, in other refpefls, are recorded by the Hiftorians of other kinds 5 tho' concerning his Gardens (which took up a great part of his leifure Time) nothing has been yet made publick. He was a great Encourager of Mr. London^ hereafter to be mentioned, and pro- bably very much affifted him in his great De- figns. This Reverend Father was one of the firft that encouraged the- Importation, Rai- ling, and Increafe of Exoticks, in which he was the moft curious Man in that Time, or perhaps will be in any Age 5 and by the Re- commendation of Chaplains into foreign Parts, had likewife greater Advantages of improving it than any other Gentleman could. He had above icoo Species of Exotick Plants in his Stoves and Gardens, in which laft place he had endenizond a great many that have been formerly thought too tender for this cold Cli- mate. There were few Days in the Year, till towards the latter part of his Life, but he was Chap. r. ^/ gardening; C^r. 71 was adualiy in his Garden ordering and di- reding the Removal and Replacing^ of his Trees and Plants. A virtuous and laudable Pattern, arid a Perfon by whom Gard'ning has not a little been recommended to the World. > rv ' It would be an unpardonable Omiffion, hot to mention thofe Virtuous and Honourable Perfons amongft the Ladies, who have likewife -^^y^^ fliewn a particular Veneration and Efteem for the Subjed we are upon. To fay little of the Floralia or- Flower- Roman Feafts, obferv'd annually on the four laft^^^^'^^' Days of J/?n7, onaccount of the ignominious part of that Hiftory 5 tho' 'tis probable the Diverfion of thofe Ladies was more in Ho- nour of Flowers than Flora herfelf; Their Cuftom was on thofe Days to bind Chaplets of Flowers on each other's Heads, and to compofe and fing Verfes fuitable to the Oc- cafion 5 perhaps not much unlike our own Country Milk-Maids, who (inftead of Plate, as in Londcii) have, in fome Countries Weft- ward, Garlands made of Flowers, which feem much properer in this Cafe. How far, and from whence the original Rife of this was, is uncertam, but perhaps from the an- cient Floralia of the Romans. But to continue our Antique Hiftory : The inextricable Mazes and Foreft-work Hangings wrought by the Phrygiamnd Ty- rian Dames, &c. defcribe the particular De- light they took in the Woody and Flow'ry F 4 Scenes 5 72 The History Chap, i. Scenes ^ and that Flowers were not only in ufe, but w^ere the Ornaments and Delights of the Roman Ladies, is deducible from the Cleopatra. Example of Cleopatra, who in the midft of that Rage and Confufion flie was in, chofe them for the Covert of her expiring Tra-^ gedy. And to come nearer Home, befides one of Vutchefs of thQ Bedford F2Lm\lY mentioned by Sir Willi- Bedford. ^^ Temple, we have fince had Ladies of the greateft Quality that have honour'd and ad- mir'd Gard'ning and Planting in a peculiar manner. Vntckefs of Amougft many that might be nam'd, the Beaufort. Dutchefs-Dowager of Beaufort (lately de- ceas'd) deferves our mention, not only on account of her own Virtues, but alfo for her near Relation to the Capels, that have already had a Place in this Hiftory. Bad- mngton in Glocefierfiire was the Seat where this noble Lady us'd to fpend thofe Moments that many other Ladies devote to the tire- fome Pleafures of the Town. What a Pro- grefs fhe made in Exoticks, and how much of her Time (he virtuoufly and bufily employ- ed in her Garden, is eafily obfervable from the Thoufands of thofe foreign Plants (by her as it were made familiar to this Clime) there regimented together, and kept in a won- derful deal of Health, Order, and Decency, if they are now the fame as about eight or nine Years ago, when I had the Happinefs, with fome others, of feeing them. Befides, Chap. I . of GARDENING, &c. 7 5 Befides, her Servants aflured us, that ex- cepting the times of her Devotion, at which (he was a conftant Attendant, Gardening took up two thirds of her time : The great Fa- vour fhe held towards Virtuofo's in her own way, I have in feveral great Inftances heard from Meffieurs the Bobarts^ both very emi- nent in Botanick Amufements. Of a lefs exaft, but yet to a more ufeful Account, was the Employ of one of the Coun- teffes of Lindfey, of the Wharton Family, ^?«»^^A 0/ who by her Induftry has left confiderable^^^^^^* Monuments of her Care and Pains, very grate- ful to this and all future Times, for the Um- brage and Safety it affords, in lefs than 40 Years, to her prefent Survivors, and the great Advantages it may make to immemorial Po- fterity. Thefe Plantations are feen at the Seats belonging to this Noble Family in Lin-- colnjlnre^ fome of which have been fince cut out into Gardens, &c. This Lady was reputed to be a continual Attendant and Supervifor of her Works, without any regard to the rigid Inclemency of the Winter-feafon 5 and not only fo, but alfo in the Meafuring and Laying out the Di- ftances of her Rows of Trees, (he was adual- ly employed with Rule, Line, ^c. When Men are obferv'd to bufie themfelves in this diverting and ufeful Employ, 'tis no more than what is from them expefted 5 but when by the Fair and Delicate Sex, it has fomething in it that looks fupernatural, fomething fo much above 74 Tf^^ History Chap, i. above the trifling Amufements of Ladies, that it is apt to fill the Minds of the Virtuous with Admiration, and may very well retort on th^ dull, unadive part of Mankind, the Slug- gifhnefs of whofe Lives denote aforry, mean, pd bafe-fpiritednefs of Mind 3 while thefe illuftrious Heroins Ihine with unufal Splen- dor, and by their Aftions perpetuate their ^lemories to the lateft Date of Time. . And what thoughtful and rational Being is there whofe Reafon can be fo niightily adum- ^brated as to negledthis, a Bufinefs that carr ries with it all the Motives imaginable ? Yet how much is it forgot, or at leaft how much more of it might be done, did not a Lethar- gick kind of Infatuation lie upon the Spirits of a great part of the World ? Neither does the Fame of thefe Female Virtuofo*s end here, fince from one of theiii the World has fome Poetical Remains con- cerning the Beauty, hmocence, and harmlefs Enjoyment of a Country Life and Bufinefs, ecjual to the higheft Raptures either of Pi/z- dar^ Flaccm^ or Maro, I mean the incompa- Mrs, Phil- table Mrs. Catherine Phillips^ in two Effays, ^^^^' one direflly under the Title of a Country Life ^ and the other in an Invitation to a La- dy, under the borrowed Name of ]Jo/^7zz