ENGLISH PLEASURE GARDENS 



water. These were the splendid gifts of the gods in 

 the palace of Alcinous." 1 



After the fifth century, however, there began to 

 develop in Greece pleasure gardens of a more studied 

 appearance, bearing greater resem- 

 blance to those of Persia, Babylon, 

 and Egypt. This change, no doubt, 

 was partly caused by the progress of 

 civilization and partly by the closer 

 relations established between the East 

 and the West. Greek colonists returned from these 

 foreign countries, bringing with them new plants 

 and increased information as to their culture and the 

 architectural features appropriately placed in their vi- 

 cinity. The peristyle, or principal house court, was 

 ornamented with pavilions, fountains, and colonnades, 

 interspersed with low beds of rare exotic plants. There 

 were groves of oaks, cypresses, poplars, willows, and 

 elms, sometimes set out in public parks, and some- 

 times in the consecrated grounds adjoining the temples 

 of the gods. The prophetic oak grove of Dodona 

 was one of the most ancient Grecian sanctuaries, while 

 many other trees and plants were considered as habi- 

 tations of living spirits. Fauns and dryads seemed 

 to animate the forest trees, and a transmigrated soul 



^'Odyssey," VII. Done into English prose by S. H. Butcher and 

 A. Lang. 



