b6 



VIII., and Anne Bulleyn, in honour of the coronation of the 

 latter. Thus, as Apicius, the Roman epicure and glutton, first 

 taught his countrymen the use of this fruit, so Henry, his peer 

 in sensuality, first partook of it in this country. 



To these may be added the Fig, which we have seen was 

 cultivated here as early as 278 (p. 35.) and makes up a list of 

 Fruits as complete as that which comprises those now culti- 

 vated by us. without the aid of Glass and artificial Heat. Yet 

 notwithstanding this, culinary vegetables were as scarce in 

 the concluding years, of the reign of Henry VIII. (1509 — 

 1546) as good Apples were in that of his father. Sugar was 

 the sauce usually eaten with every kind of flesh meat. Neither 

 was it because vegetables were little estimated, for Cathe- 

 rine, his last Queen, was accustomed to send a messenger 

 to Holland, or Flanders, v,hen she required a Sallad ;* and 

 the Cherries of an Orcl'ard in Kent, sold in 1540, for one 

 thousand pounds. f To what is that deficiency in the produce 

 of our Gardens then to be attribrled ? There seems to be but 

 one ansv.er; the unskilfulnc«;s of our Gardeners. The want of 

 encouragement which they met with was the just result of their 

 own want of desert. Dr. Bulleyn says we had excellent Ap- 

 ples, Pears, Plums, Cherries, &c. of our own growth before 

 those Garden products were imporledfrom Holland and France, 

 and the only rational conclusion is, that the similar growth of 

 our country would not bear comparison with them. The fruits 

 and culinary vegetables of our neighbours, were thei'efore lux- 

 uries ; wealth knew no obstacle in the way of indulging in 

 them ; it became a fashion to have them upon Table ; and the 

 spirit of commerce was now too much alive to allow the fashion 

 to fade away from a want of the means of indulgence. The 

 Gardeners of London and Kent, were regular importers of 

 these edibles. In excuse for this inferiority of our Garden 



• Humes Hist, of England, anno 1547. t Philip's Hist, of Fi;mts, p. 79. 



