114 THE PRAISE OF GARDENS 



to astrology. There is an excellent collection of the choicest 

 fruit. 



Next morning I went to see Sir Thomas Browne (with whom 

 I had some time corresponded by letter, tho' I had never seen 

 him before). His whole house and garden being a paradise and 

 cabinet of rarities, and that of the best collection, especially 

 medails, books, plants, and natural things. — Diary. 



Wotton. Concerning the Gardning and Husbandry of the Antients, 



1696, Oct. 28. ^y|^i(.j^ ig your inquirie (especialy of the first), that it had 

 certainely nothing approaching the elegancy of the present age, 

 Rapinus (whom I send you) will aboundantly satisfie you. The 

 discourse you will find at the end of Hortorum, lib. 4° capp. 6, 7. 

 What they called their Gardens onely spacious plots of ground 

 planted with platans and other shady trees in walks, and built 

 about with Porticas, Xisti, and noble ranges of pillars, adorn'd 

 with Statues, Fountaines, Piscariae, Aviaries, etc. But for the 

 flowry parterre, beds of Tulips, Carnations, Auricula, Tuberose, 

 Jonquills, Ranunculas, and other of our rare Coronaries, we heare 

 nothing of, nor that they had such a store and variety of Exotics, 

 Orangeries, Myrtils, and other curious Greenes ; nor do I beHeve 

 they had their Orchards in such perfection, nor by far our furni- 

 true for the Kitchen. Pliny indeed enumerates a world of vulgar 

 plants and olitories, but they fall infinitely short of our Physic 

 gardens, books and herbals, every day augmented by our sedulous 

 Botanists and brought to us from all the quarters of the world. 

 And as for their Husbandry and more rural skill, of which the 

 same author has written so many books in his Nat. History, 

 especial hb. 17, 18, etc., you'l soone be judge what it was. They 

 tooke great care indeede of their Vines and Olives, stercorations, 

 ingraftings, and were diHgent in observing seasons, the course of 

 the stars, etc., and doubtlesse were very industrious, but when 

 you shall have read over Cato, Varro, Columella, Palladio, with 

 the Greek Geoponics, I do not think you will have cause to 

 prefer them before the modern agriculture, so exceedingly of 

 late improv'd, for which you may consult and compare our old 



