48 THE PRAISE OF GARDENS 



I intend also to set up this admirable garden in order to 

 give men an opportunity to make themselves lovers of the 

 cultivation of the earth, and to leave all vicious occupations 

 or delights, and evil commerce, to amuse themselves by cultiva- 

 tion of the earth. 



Question. — I prithee, discourse to me of those beautiful cabinets, 

 which thou proposest thus to raise. 



Answer. — In the first place, thou must understand that I 

 shall conduct the stream of water, or part of that from the 

 rock, to the eight cabinets aforesaid. This will be easy enough 

 to do ; for as soon as the water distils from the mountain 

 or rock, I shall lead its spring through all parts of the garden, 

 as shall seem good ; and give a portion to each cabinet, as 

 I shall find necessary, and shall build my cabinets with 

 such invention that from each shall issue more than a hundred 

 jets of water, and this by the means I shall discover to you, 

 in discoursing of the beauty of the cabinets. Let us now come 

 to the description of all my cabinets in turn. 



OF THE FIRST CABINET. 



The first, which shall face the North wind at the corner and 

 anglet of the garden, at the bottom and adjoining the foot of 

 the mountain or rock, I shall build of terra cotta {brigues cuites), 

 but they shall be formed in such a way that the cabinet shall 

 resemble the form of a rock hollowed out upon the very spot, 

 having inside several hollow seats within the wall, and between 

 every two seats there will be a column, and below this a pedestal, 

 and above the capitals to the columns there will be an archi- 

 trave, frieze and cornice, which shall prevail round the said 

 cabinet, and along the frieze will be certain antique letters 

 adorning the said frieze, and along it shall be written, Dieu ?i'a 

 prins plaisir en rien, sinon en Fhomme, auquel habite Sapience 

 (God has taken no pleasure in aught, save in Man, in whom 

 dwelleth Wisdom) : and thus my cabinet will have its windows 

 towards the South, and the said windows and entrance to the 



