BOOKOFOLD-WORLDGAfcDENS 



The seemswhollypoetical,andmadeat thepleasure 

 ^ of the painter; like the rest of the romantic 

 palace, in that little barren island of Phenicia 

 or Corfu. Yet, as all the pieces of this trans- 

 cendent genius are composed with excellent 

 knowledge, as well as fancy : so they seldom fail 

 of instruction as well as delight, to all that read 

 him. The seat of this garden, joining to the 

 gates of the palace, the compass of the enclosure 

 being four acres, the tall trees of shade, as well 

 as those of fruit,the two fountains, the one for the 

 use of the garden, and the other of the palace,the 

 continual succession of fruits throughout the 

 whole year,are, for aught I know, the best rules 

 or provisions that can go towards composing 

 the bestgardens; noris it unlikely, that Homer 

 mayhavedrawnthispictureafterthelifeofsome 

 he had seen in Ionia, the country and usual a- 

 bode of this divine poet ; and indeed, the region 

 of the most refined pleasures and luxury, as well 

 as invention andwit: for the humour and custom 

 of gardens may have descended earlierinto the 

 lower Asia, from Damascus, Assyria, and other 

 parts of the Eastern Empires, though they seem 

 tohavemadelate entrance, andsmallerimprove- 

 ment in those of Greece and Rome; at least in 



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