BACON'S PLAN OF A GARDEN 31 



the air is the violet, especially the white double 

 violet, which comes twice a year about the middle 

 of April and about Bartholomew-tide. Next to that 

 is the musk- rose ; then the strawberry leaves dying 

 (with a most excellent cordial srnell) ; then the flower 



70 of the vines (it is a little dust like the dust of a bent) 

 which grows upon the cluster in the first coming 

 forth ; then sweetbriar ; then wallflowers, which are 

 very delightful to be set under a parlour or lower 

 chamber window ; then pinks and gilliflowers, es- 

 pecially the matted pink and clove-gilliflowers ; then 

 the flowers of the lime-tree ; then the honeysuckles 

 so they be somewhat afar off. Of bean-flowers I 

 speak not, because they are field flowers. But those 

 which perfume the air most delightfully, not passed 



so by as the rest but being trodden upon and crushed, 

 are three, that is burnet, wild thyme, and water- 

 mint. Therefore you are to set whole alleys of them 

 to have the pleasure when you walk or tread. 



For gardens (speaking of those which are indeed General 

 prince-like), the contents ought not well to be under ^^den. * 

 thirty acres of ground, and to be divided into three 

 parts a green in the entrance, a heath or desert in 

 the going forth, and the main garden in the midst, 

 besides alleys on both sides ; and I like well that four 



90 acres of ground be assigned to the green, six to the 

 heath, four and four to either side, and twelve to 

 the main garden. 



The green hath two pleasures : the one because The Green 

 nothing is more pleasant to the eye than green grass or Lawn * 

 kept finely shorn, the other because it will give you 

 a fair alley in the midst by which you may go in 

 front upon a stately hedge which is to enclose the 



