ON THE STATE OF 



GARDENING IN ENGLAND, 



5'rom the accession of Edward the Third, to the accession 

 of Queen Elizabeth. 



A. D. 1327. A. D. 1558. 



During the reign of the heroic and patriotic Edward the III 

 -he commerce and manufactures of our country obtained, next 

 ,to the liberty of the subject, the chief care of the parliamoul. 

 Their increase was rapid and the accumulation of wealth pro- 

 portionate, and no country so enriched, has yet existed without 

 )roportionably encouraging the arts of refinement. 



■ So general had become a taste for Gardening tliat Men of 



literature directed their attention to the subject, collected in- 



"ormation, and in their writings gave the results of their 



inquiries for the benefit of others. This is a decisive proof of 



,he interest taken in the art, for no one would have written a 



;)ook for which he did not expect there would be readers, and 



t is as certain, those only would be readers who tuok a delight 



!n its subject; an author could reckon only for readers among 



hose who desired information, no one would read a work ou 



he cultivation of plants for the sake of amusement 



