44 ENGLISH PLEASURE GARDENS 



the Poecile, even the vale of Tempe with the Peneus 

 flowing through it, and indeed Elysium and Tartarus, 

 were all there. 



" One part was consecrated to the wonders of the 

 Nile, and was called Canopus after the enchanting 

 pleasure grounds of the Alexandrians. Here stood a 

 copy of the famous temple of Serapis, which stood on 

 a canal and was approached by a boat. . . . 



" At a sign from the emperor these groves, valleys, 

 and halls would become alive with the mythology of 

 Olympus ; processions of priests would make pilgrim- 

 ages to Canopus, Tartarus and Elysium would be- 

 come peopled with the shades from Homer, swarms of 

 bacchantes might wander through the vale of Tempe, 

 choruses of Euripides might be heard in the Greek 

 theatre, and in sham fight the fleets would repeat the 

 battle of Xerxes." 



