QUINTILIAN 21 



OUT is the garden that is for use to avail of no ornament ? QUINTILIAN 



^ by all manner of means let these trees be planted in a^'^^^^"^- '^•^•^• 



regular order, and at certain distances. Observe that quincunx, 



how beautiful it is ; view it on every side ; what can you observe 



more straight, or more graceful? Regularity and arrangement 



even improves the soil, because the juices rise more regularly to 



nourish what it bears. Should I observe the branches of yonder 



OHve Tree shooting into luxuriancy, I instantly should lop it ; 



the effect is, it would form itself into a horizontal circle, which at 



once adds to its beauty and improves its bearing. ' Institutes of 



Eloqtietice^^ Book VIII. Wju. Guthrii s translatio7i^ 1756. 



TN the Island of the Blessed they have no night nor bright day, LUCIAN 

 -^ but a perpetual twilight; one equal season reigns throughout '^^'^- 120-200). 

 the year : it is always Spring with them, and no wind blows but 

 Zephyrus ; the whole region abounds in sweet flowers, and shrubs 

 of every kind ; their vines bear twelve times in the year, yielding 

 fruit every month, their apples, pomegranates, and the rest of our 

 autumnal produce, thirteen times, bearing twice in the month of 

 Minos : instead of corn, the fields bring forth loaves of ready 

 , made bread, like mushrooms ; there are three hundred and sixty- 

 I five fountains of water round the city, as many of honey, and 

 : five hundred rather smaller, of sweet scented oil, besides seven 

 rivers of milk, and eight of wine. 



Their Symposia are held in a place without the city, which 

 they call the Elysian Field ; this is a most beautiful meadow, 

 skirted by a large and thick wood, affording an agreeable shade 

 to the guests, who repose on couches of flowers ; the winds 

 attend upon, and bring them everything necessary, except wine, 

 which is otherwise provided, for there are large trees on every 

 side, made of the finest glass, the fruit of which are cups of 

 various shapes and sizes ; whoever comes to the entertainment 

 gathers one or more of these cups, which immediately becomes 

 full of wine, and so they drink of it, whilst the nightingales, and 



