IMPERIAL GARDENS AT PEKIN 241 



A MODERN HESPERIDES 



THE Picture I have met with in some relations of a 

 Garden made by a Dutch Governor of their Colony, 

 upon the Cape de Ruen Esperance is admirable, and 

 described to be of an Oblong Figure, very large 

 Extent, and divided into four Quarters by long and 

 cross Walks, ranged with all sorts of Orange-Trees, 

 Fruits, Lemmons, Limes, and Citrons ; each of these 

 four Quarters is planted with the Trees, Fruits, 

 Flowers, and Plants that are native and proper to 

 each of the four parts of the World ; so, as in this 

 one Inclosure are to be found the several Gardens 

 of Europe, Asia, Africk, and America. There could 

 not be in my mind, a greater thought of a Gardener, 

 nor a nobler Idea of a Garden, nor better suited or 

 chosen for the Climat, which is about Thirty Degrees, 

 and may pass for the Hesperides of our Age, whatever 



or wherever the other was. 



SIR WILLIAM TEMPLE. 



THE IMPERIAL GARDENS AT PEKIN 



(From " A Particular Account of the Emperor of 

 China's Gardens ") 



As for the Pleasure-houses, they are really charming. 

 They stand in a vast Compass of Ground. They 

 have raised Hills, from 20 to 6*0 Foot high ; which 

 form a great Number of little Valleys between 

 them. The Bottoms of these Valleys are water'd 

 with clear Streams ; which run on till they join 



Q. 



