t 66 ] 



feflion) without producing teftlmonies to my ere* 

 dit. I therefore refer to Sharpe's Letters,* already 



in 



* « Whilft I was in England, I never heard the words Northern 

 ** Climate pronounced, but they conreyed to me aii idea of bar- 

 ** rennefs and imperfe6lion. I had always conceived, that vegc- 

 ** tables and garden fruits obtained a flavour in the more Southern 

 «< climes, unknown to the latitude of 52. But to my great fur- 

 «* prize, I do not find that they are equal in tafte and fweetnefs to 

 •* thofe which grow in our gardens, and what is ftill more fur- 

 ** prizing, few of their fruits excel ours ; I believe none, except 

 «* their water melons, their grapes, and their figs. If they have not; 

 '* peaches to be compared to ours, I prefume it is owing to the 

 •* violence of the fummer funs, though poflibly it may arife from 

 ** their ignorance of cultivation in Italy." A certain noble of Ve- 

 ** nice, well known in the polite world for his attachment to the 

 «* fine arts, has procured a (kilful gardener from England, within 

 " thefe few years, in hopes of improving the culture of his gar- 

 " den ; I converfed with this gardener, whom I found under a 

 " ftate of dilcouragement and defpair. He told me he had not ever 

 *< tailed a peach in Italy of a true flavour, and he believed he 

 •* never fhould j for that he was thwarted and obftrufted by the 

 *' other gardeners in his attempts to reform their praftice i that he 

 " had no authority over them, but was confined to his own proper 

 «* department, which he told me would anfwer but very little 

 •* purpofe." 



^ Sharpens Letters from Italy ^ dated Naples, Nov, 1765. 



Peaches in Rio de Janeiro [almoft under the Tropic of Ca- 

 pricorn] are meally and infipid. Cook's Voyage, by Hawkefwortbj 

 a vol, p. 33. 



[Mr. S. though handled roughly by the writer of the Senti- 

 mental Journey, poflefled a foul congenial to his own. Had that 



• Periiaps from both caufes, 



celebrated 



