FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH CENTURIES. 57 



With grene wythyes y boundcn vvonderlye 



The leeves wore so thicke wiith-owt faile 



That thorough-oute myghte no mann me espye." 



The flowers around an arbour are described in a fourteenth- 

 century poem, entitled " The Pearl" : — 



" I entered in tliat crber grene 

 In augoste in a high seysoun 



* * * 

 Schadowed t]i\s worte5 ful schyre * and schene 

 Gilofre,f gyngurej & groomylyon § 



& pyonys powdered ay betwene." 



Each garden contained some kind of cistern for water, and in 

 many cases a fountain elaborately ornamented was placed ir: 

 the centre, or in some conspicuous position. The illustration 

 on page 58 shows the ordinary fountain of a good garden of 

 the day, introduced to represent Rebecca's well, and many 

 characteristic paintings of such fountains are to be found in 

 fifteenth century MSS. 1| 



The varieties of flowers planted in these gardens were not 

 very numerous, but those few kinds grew in great profusion : — 



" Ther sprang the violete al newe, 

 And fresshe pervinke riche of hewe, 

 And floures yelowe, whyte and rede : 

 Swich plentee grew ther never in mede. 

 P'ul gay was al the ground, and qiieynt 

 And poudred, as men had it peynt, 

 With many a fresh and sondry flour, 

 That castcn up a ful good savour." ^ 



The periwinkle, or parwinke, was a general favourite. It was 

 a plant well suited to cover and brighten the ground in the 

 shady corners of the garden, and thus gained the appropriate 

 name of " Joy of the ground." 



" Parwynke is an erbe grene of colour 

 In tyme of May he beryth bio flour 



* * * 



lit. ^ = clove-pinks. 



X "^ tansy. § ^^gromivell. 



II See B.'m. 14. K. 2. f. 77, &c.* 

 *^C\\a.\xcGr, Koindinit of tlie Rose. L. 1431. 



