338 NugcB Chintrgiccs^ Sfc. 



by which it appears, that this expensive design was commenced at 

 a time when the society was without any disposable funds, wheii 

 their hall was burnt down in the memorable fire, and when they 

 Were obliged to draw upon their own private pecuniary resources, 

 to enable them to enter on an undertaking, * whose principal 

 design was honourable reputation, without any prospect of worldly 

 advantage.' 



" Previously to the establishment of this garden, there had been 

 nothing of the kind, with the exception of a few private gardens, 

 the most conspicuous of which were those of the celebrated John 

 Gerarde, and the elder Tradescant ; the former of these not then 

 being in existence, and the latter in a state of neglect and ruin ; 

 and the locality of their position is now only known from the 

 records of the times. 



'• There was, however, besides these, a small garden in West- 

 minster, belonging to Mrs. Gape, the plants from which furnished 

 the first specimens for the Chelsea Garden. It appears from 

 Evelyn's journal, that he paid old Mrs. Gape's medical garden a 

 visit in June 1658 ; whether he begged, borrowed, or bought any 

 plants, does not appear ; that he had a very fine garden at Saver's 

 Court, is well known ; but that he lent it to that royal barbarian, 

 Peter the Great, when he was studying ship-building at Deptford, 

 is, perhaps, not so generally known, nor, moreover, the return 

 this royal carpenter made to Evelyn's politeness, or the manner in 

 which he showed his horticultural taste, in being wheeled through 

 his landlord's ornamental hedges, and over his borders, in a 

 wheel-barrow ; a circumstance which is recorded in a letter to the 

 then Secretary of the Royal Society. 



" In France, the apothecaries were incorporated so early as 

 1484 ; but it was not till the reign of King James the First, 

 when the metropolis abounded in dangerous empirics, who made 

 and compounded many ' hurtful, false, and pernicious medicines,' 

 that the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries were incorporated in 

 London. Notwithstanding a charter was given them to correct 

 these abuses, it was found to be nugatory with respect to those 

 who were not members of the society ; and, although they made 

 repeated applications to parliament, it is only within these very 

 few years that their powers have been extended, and that they 

 could legally enter the shop of any ' person or persons using the' 

 art and mystery of an apothecary, in any part of England and 

 Wales, for the purpose of searching, surveying, and proving 

 whether the medicines, wares, drugs, or any thing or things 

 whatsoever, in such shop or shops contained, and belonging to the 

 art or mystery of an apothecary, be wholesome, meet, and fit for 

 the cure, health, and ease of His Majesty's subjects.' " 



