208 NATURAL HISTORY 



within the walls of their abbies 1 and priories. The barons 

 neglected every pursuit that did not lead to war or tend to 

 the pleasure of the chase. 



It was not till gentlemen took up the study of horticulture 

 themselves that the knowledge of gardening made such hasty 

 advances. Lord Cobham, Lord Ila, and Mr. Waller of Bea- 

 consfield, were some of the first people of rank that promoted 

 the elegant science of ornamenting without despising the 

 superintendeuce of the kitchen quarters and fruit walls. 



A remark made by the excellent Mr. Ray in his Tour of 

 Europe at once surprises us, and corroborates what has been 

 advanced above; for we find him observing, so late as his 

 days, that " the Italians use several herbs for sallets, which 

 " are not yet or have not been but lately used in England, viz. 

 " selleri* (celery) which is nothing else but the sweet small- 

 " age ; the young shoots whereof, with a little of the head of 

 " the root cut off, they eat raw with oil and pepper." And 

 farther he adds " curled endive blanched is much used beyond 

 " seas ; and, for a raw sallet, seemed to excel lettuce itself." 

 Now this journey was undertaken no longer ago than in the 

 year 1663. 



I am, &c. 



* " In monasteries the lamp of knowledge continued to burn, however 

 " dimly. In them men of business were formed for the state : the art of 

 " writing was cultivated by the monks ; they were the only proficients in 



"mechanics, gardening, and architecture." See Dalrympk's Annals 



of Scotland. 



* [White, in his Garden Kalendar for 1759, adopts the spelling 

 celeri. T. B.] 



