TUDOR GARDENS 109 



Much of his advice was practical, although often he saw 

 fit to drag in a somewhat irrelevant quotation from the 

 Bible, or a passage from some classic author to which 

 we should not attach much importance. He was soon 

 followed by Thomas Tusser with " A Hundredth 

 Pointes of Good Husbandrie," which has been inter- 

 estingly edited under the auspices of the English Dia- 

 lect Society. Hill's "Profitable Arte of Gardening" 

 and his " Gardener's Labyrinth " also add to our infor- 

 mation concerning the gardens of this period. 



The choice of the site was given careful considera- Location 



of the dwell- 



tion, and an unexpected importance was attached to ing. 

 the view. " After that a man have chosen a conven- 

 ient soyle and place ... he must afore cast in his 

 mind that the prospect to and fro the place be pleas- 

 ant, fair and good to the eye to behold the woods, the 

 waters, the fields, the dales, the hills as the plain 

 ground." In the opinion of all the early writers the 

 garden and orchard were always to be located as near 

 as possible to the house, and to be considered as an 

 integral part of the same premises. 



The approach to the house and gardens was through The ap- 

 proach, 

 one or more courtyards, where peacocks sometimes 



answered the purpose of watch-dogs. 



" The peacock is a bird of more beautified feathers Peacocks as 



... i i 11- watch-dogs. 



than any other that is, he is quickly angry, but he is 

 far off from taking good hold with his feet, he is 



