THE MEDIEVAL PLEASAUNCE 81 



bodies." In the fruit garden were cherry, pear, apple, 

 plum, quince, medlar, peach, chestnut, walnut, and fig 

 trees, besides grapes. 



The following fifteenth-century description by Lyd- 

 gate of a rich churl's garden gives an idea of the arrange- 

 ment in many smaller gardens a century before: 



" Whilom ther was in a smal village, The garden 



As myn autor makethe rehersayle, 

 A chorle, whiche hadde lust and a grete corage 

 Within hymself, be diligent travayle 

 To array his gardeyn with notable apparayle, 

 Of lengthe and brede yelicke square and longe, 

 Hegged and dyked to make it sure and stronge. 



Alle the aleis were made playne with sond, 

 The benches turned with newe turves grene, 

 Sote herbers, with condite at the honde, 

 That welled up agayne the sonne schene, 

 Lyke silver stremes as any cristalle clene 

 The burbly wawes in up boyling, 

 Round as byralle ther beamys out shynyge." 



" The Chorle and the Birde," 



JOHN LYDGATE. 



Dining in the garden was also common in warm 



weather. 



" Les napes metent pardeanz un jardin." 



" Mort de Garin," p. 28. 



Afterward people were in the habit of playing chess 

 there, as we see them in a garden scene reproduced 

 from the " Romance of Alexander." Notwithstanding 



