THE MEDIAEVAL PLEASAUNCE 73 



architecture, and its result was shown, not only in the way 

 the gardens of the knights hospitallers were laid out, but 

 in adding to the ornamental appearance of the pleasaunce. 



" Sos sarmasane avoit un vergi ondoiant 

 De ciprs, de loriers ; moult sont soef flairant, 

 Li oisel i font joie et demainent lor chant. 

 Sous ciel n'avoit ciere ente qui n'y fust voirement." 



An Oriental garden of marvellous beauty was described 

 by the celebrated Venetian traveller, Marco Polo. He 

 visited Palestine in the thirteenth century ; but the gar- 

 den he speaks of with such admiration had already been 

 in existence for probably nearly two hundred years. It 

 was laid out for the famous Prince Hassan, from 

 whose name and deeds were derived the words assassin 

 and hasheesh. He was also called the Old Man of the 



of the Moun- 



Mountain because he dwelt on a mountain-side, where he tain's 

 had constructed the wonderful garden which his followers, 

 bewildered by hasheesh, confounded with a heavenly 

 paradise. After once having been entranced in this 

 elysium, they were willing to become assassins and to 

 risk their lives in attempting to murder Hassan's enemies 

 for the sake of being rewarded by a return to his garden. 

 The identity of the original Old Man became confused 

 with that of his successors, and it is to the pleasure 

 grounds belonging to one of these later princes that 

 Marco Polo refers : " A very beautiful garden filled with 

 all sorts of trees and fruits, and around these plantations 



