"THE CURIOUS KNOTTED GARDEN" 41 



called "forthrights," in straight lines at right angles 

 to the terrace and intersected by other walks parallel 

 with the terrace. The lay-out of the garden, there- 

 fore, corresponded with the ground-plan of the man- 

 sion. The squares formed naturally by the intersec- 

 tion of the "forthrights" and other walks were filled 

 with curious beds of geometrical patterns that were 

 known as "knots"; mazes, or labyrinths; orchards; 

 or plain grass-plots. Sometimes all of the spaces or 

 squares were devoted to "knots." These ornamental 

 flower-beds were edged with box, thrift, or thyme 

 and were surrounded with tiny walks made of gravel 

 or colored sand, walks arranged around the beds so 

 that the garden lovers might view the flowers at 

 close range and pick them easily. 



It will be remembered that in "Love's Labour's 

 Lost" Shakespeare speaks of "the curious knotted 

 garden." There are innumerable designs for these 

 "knots" in the old Elizabethan garden-books, repre- 

 senting the simple squares, triangles, and rhomboids 

 as well as the most intricate scrolls, and complicated 

 interlacings of Renaissance design that resemble the 

 motives on carved furniture, designs for textiles and 

 ornamental leather- work (known as strap- work, or 

 cuirs). Yet these many hundreds of designs were 

 not sufficient, for the amateur as well as the profes- 



