P.EONV. S5 



country in the globe where this profitable and de- 

 lightful employ has not met with serious inter- 

 ruption, since the gardens of China are in all 

 probability older than those of Babylon and other 

 eastern parts of the world, which are passed away 

 " like the baseless fabric of a vision." 



That we did not sooner possess the superb 

 tree Paeony of China in the gardens of Europe, 

 may be in a great measure owing to the vulgar 

 prejudice which formerly existed, of treating all 

 singular relations as '^ Travellers' Stories," and 

 believing only w^hat one's own eyes had seen ; 

 otherwise, how are we to account for the long 

 neglect in obtaining this and many other rare 

 plants, which were made known and fully de- 

 scribed to us as long back as the year 1656, 

 when the first embassy which the Dutch East 

 India Company made to China returned to 

 Europe ? The attendants of this embassy appear 

 to have had freer access to that country than 

 has been granted to any subsequent embassies 

 that have been sent out, and we find they not 

 only passed from Canton to Pekin, but visited 

 and faithfully described every thing worthy of 

 notice, and were even allowed to visit the gar- 

 dens of the Emperor of China ; yet this excellent 

 work, which first made known that delightful 

 fruit the Ananas, or Pine Apple, the refreshing 



