ENGLISH PLEASURE GARDENS 



The bower 

 or arbour. 



brick, covered with grass and flowers, often formed the 

 most important feature. In the picture here given the 

 two seated figures are the lovers described in the fol- 

 lowing words: 



" Oriande et Maugis se trouverent en ung jardin pour 

 eulx esbattre et. deviser en passe temps, apres ce qu'ils 

 avoient dine et que 1'eure estoit de prendre un petit 

 repos. C'est au mois de mai, le temps ou tous les 

 oysillons se degoisent, et si sont tous vrais amans a 

 penser a leur amour." 



Arbours or bowers were wooden structures covered 

 by shrubs and vines, and usually shading a comfortable 

 seat. Originally in Anglo-Saxon 

 times the bower, or bur, had been 

 a small building containing a bed- 

 chamber, or a room especially in- 

 tended for women. Thus we often 

 read of the ladies' bower, and of 

 a bird in bure, a lady in her bower. 

 But gradually the word came to sig- 

 nify a summer-house in a garden. 



. . " A pleasant herber well ywrought 

 That benched was, and eke with turfes newe 

 Freshly turved, whereof the grene gras, 

 So small, so thicke, so short, so fresh of hew, 

 That most ylike green wool, I wot, it was ; 

 The hegge also that yede in this compas, 

 And closed in all the grene herbere 



