160 Gbe (SarDen 



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 per- 

 sons 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 con- 

 trary, people of the common level of under- 

 standing are principally delighted with little 

 niceties and fantastical operations of art, and 

 constantly think that finest which is least 

 natural. A citizen is no sooner proprietor of a 

 couple of yews than he entertains thoughts of 

 erecting them into giants, like those of Guild- 

 hall. 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 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 represents that, for the advance- 

 ment of a politer 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 



