ADDISON AND POPE 29 



the reach of the art itself. We run into sculpture, and 

 are yet better pleased to have our trees in the most 

 awkward figures of men and animals, than in the most 

 regular of their own. 



" ' Here interwoven branches form a wall, 

 And from the living fence green turrets rise ; 

 There ships of myrtle sail in seas of box ; 

 A green encampment yonder meets the eye, 

 And loaded citrons bearing shields and spears.' 



" I believe it is no wrong observation, that persons of 

 genius, and those who are most capable of Art, are 

 always most fond of Nature : as such are chiefly sensible, 

 that all art consists in the imitation and study of nature. 

 On the contrary, people of the common level of under- 

 standing are principally delighted with the little niceties 

 and fantastical operations of Art, and constantly think 

 that finest which is the least natural. A citizen is no 

 sooner proprietor of a couple of yews, but he entertains 

 thoughts of erecting them into giants, like those of the 

 Guildhall. I know an eminent cook, who beautified his 

 country seat with a coronation dinner in greens ; where 

 you see the champion flourishing on horseback at one 

 end of the table, and the queen in perpetual youth at 

 the other." 



" For the benefit of all my loving countrymen of this 

 curious taste, I shall here publish a catalogue of greens 

 to be disposed of by an eminent town gardener, who 

 has lately applied to me upon this head. He repre- 

 sents, that for the advancement of a polite sort of 

 ornament in the villas and gardens adjacent to this great 

 city, and in order to distinguish those places from the 

 mere barbarous countries of gross Nature, the world 

 stands much in need of a virtuoso gardener who has a 

 turn to sculpture, and is thereby capable of improving 

 upon the ancients of his profession in the imagery 

 of evergreens. My correspondent is arrived to such 



