130 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND. 



made divers great pools, he begs him to procure one skilful 

 therein, as certain banks he has made that year about a great 

 pool, have given way through unskilfulness of the workmen." * 

 The pools at Loseley must have been some time in existence, 

 as on December 21st, 1581, Henry Sledd, Queen Elizabeth's 

 fishmonger, wrote to Sir William More, offering to buy some 

 carp out of his pond. He offers from I2d. to i8d. a piece, 

 according to their size, and adds, " Yf I see they be more 

 worthe .... I will mend the pryse.'' t 



Of the first kind of fountain there were many examples in 



the finest gardens at the time when Bacon wrote. Frederick, 



Duke of Wurtemberg, describes the one he saw at Hampton 



Court, in 1592 J : — "In the middle of the first and principal 



court stands a splendid high and massy fountain, with an 



ingenious water-work, by which you can, if you like, make 



the water to play upon the ladies and others who are standing 



by, and give them a thorough wetting." Of this same fountain 



Norden wrote in 1598, " Queen Elizabeth hathe of late caused 



a ver}' beautiful fountaine there to be erected in the second 



court, which graceth the Pallace, and serveth to great and 



necessarie use ; the fountaine was finished in 1590, not without 



great charge." Another of the same sort was to be seen at 



Whitehall, and is described by Hentzner, in 1598 : — " A jet 



d'eau with a sundial, which, while strangers are looking at it 



a quantity of water forced by a wheel which the gardener turns 



at a distance, through a number of little pipes, plentifulU" 



sprinkles those that are standing round." Hentzner also visited 



Nonsuch, and notices several fountains. In the " privy gardens " 



were two " that spurt water one round the other like a pyramid 



upon which are perched small birds that stream water out of 



their bills." In the " Grove of Diana," was one "with Actason 



turned into a stag as he was sprinkled by the goddess and her 



nymphs," and a " pyramid of marble full of concealed pipes 



which spurt upon all that come near." The word "jet d'eau" 



* MS. letter at Loseley, Surrey, 

 t Ibid. 



\ Translation, 1602 — printed in England as Seen by Foreig)iers, By 

 Brenchley R3'c, 1865. 



