THE ELIZABETHAN FLOWER-GARDEN 163 



gardens where they might have the honour of receiv- 

 ing her as a guest. Their efforts were stimulated by 

 her progresses, which included visits to almost every 

 part of her kingdom. Among the gardens where Eliza 

 beth stopped were those at Helmingham, Kenilworth. 

 and Wilton, where there was a celebrated grotto. 

 Lord Burleigh entertained her magnificently at Theo- 

 balds in 1591. Here a masque written for the occa- 

 sion by George Peele was recited, describing the 

 difficulties of constructing the garden and comparing 

 its beauties to the queen's virtues. It began with a 

 speech by a mole-catcher, who said, " I cannot dis- 

 course of knots and mazes ; sure I am that the ground 

 was so knotty that the gardener was amazed at it, 

 and as easy had it been to make a shaft of a cammock 

 as a garden of that craft." 



Theobalds was one of the finest gardens seen by Theobalds, 

 the German traveller Hentzner. He describes it as it 

 existed at the close of the sixteenth century. " The 

 first was Theobalds, belonging to Lord Burleigh, the 

 treasurer: in the gallery was painted the genealogy 

 of the Kings of England ; from this place one goes 

 into the garden, encompassed with a ditch full of 

 water, large enough for one to have the pleasure of 

 going in a boat, and rowing between the shrubs; 

 here are great variety of trees and plants; labyrinths 

 made with a great deal of labour, a jet d'eau, with 



