228 THE PRAISE OF GARDENS 



Several long alleys of the loftiest elms, their huge rough trunks 

 mantled with ivy, and their grotesque roots advancing and reced- 

 ing like grotto-work into the walk, struck me as singularly 

 pleasing. — December i, 1795. 



— wvvv— 



WILLIAM As a boy of sixteen was engaged in the Gardens of Farnhani Castle : fired by 

 COBBETT a description of Kew gardens, he started off to see them himself: enlisted in ^/^th 

 (1762-1035). jp^^f and served at Halifax, N. S. 1792, visited France for six months : settled 

 7tear Philadelphia, teaching English, and is said to have refused to give 

 Talleyrand lessons; edited a Fre7ich gra77tmar. 1796, wt'ote ^ Life and 

 Adventures of Peter Porcupine,^ {an autobiography'). 1802, started ' Cobbetfs 

 Political Register,^ continued till his death. 1806, he began farming at Botley 

 in Hampshire; iv7'ote ^ The Woodlands^ ^English Gardener,^ 'American 

 Gardener.^ 1 810, was prosecuted by government for libel, and senteitced to two 

 years' imprisonment and £1000 fine. 1820, he became insolvent with debts of 

 ;^34,ooo. 1 82 1, commenced his * Rural Rides.'' 1832, after Reform Bill was 

 returned M. P. for Oldham. 



THEY say that these Gardens (of Mr Drummond, at Shere, 

 Surrey) were laid out for one of the Howards, in the reign 

 of Charles the Second, by Mr Evelyn, who wrote the Sylva. 

 The mansion house, which is by no means magnificent, stands 

 on a little flat by the side of a parish church, having a steep, 

 but not lofty hill, rising up on the south side. It looks right 

 across the gardens, which lie on the slope of a hill which runs 

 along at about a quarter of a mile distant from the front of the 

 house. The gardens, of course, lie facing the south. At the 

 back of them under the hill, is a high wall ; and there is also a 

 wall at each end, running from north to south. Between the 

 house and the gardens there is a very beautiful run of water, with 

 a sort of little wild narrow sedgy meadow. The gardens are 

 separated from this by a hedge, running along from east to west. 

 From this hedge there go up the hill, at right angles, several 

 other hedges, which divide the land here into distinct gardens, 

 or orchards. Along at the top of these there goes a yew hedge, 

 or, rather, a row of small yew trees, the trunks of which are bare 

 for about eight or ten feet high, and the tops of which form one 



