74 GARDEN-CRAFT. 



founder of the English garden (pace Brown) than of 

 getting himself labelled as the founder of Modern 

 Science for his distinguished labours in that line. 

 "I only sound the clarion," he says, "but I enter 

 not into the battle." 



Moderns are pleased to smile at what they deem 

 the over-subtilty of Bacon's ideal garden. For my 

 own part, I find nothing recommended there that a 

 " princely garden " should not fitly contain (especially 

 as these things are all of a-piece with the device of the 

 period), even to those imagination-stirring features 

 which one thinks he may have described, not from 

 the life, but from the figures in " The Dream of 

 Poliphilus " (a book of woodcuts published in Venice, 

 1499), features of the Enchanted Island, to wit the 

 two fountains the first to spout water, to be 

 adorned with ornaments of images, gilt or of marble ; 

 the " other, which we may call a bathing-pool that 

 admits of much curiosity and beauty wherewith we 

 will not trouble ourselves ; as that the bottom be 

 finely paved with images, the sides likewise ; and 

 withal embellished with coloured glass, and -such 

 things of lustre ; encompassed also with fine rails of 

 low statues." * 



No artist is disposed to apologise for the presence 

 of subtilty in Art, nor I for the subtle device of 

 Bacon's garden. All Art is cunning. Yet we must 

 not simply note the deep intent of the old master, 

 but must equally recognise the air of gravity that 

 pervades his recommendations the sweet reason- 



* Nineteenth Century Magazine ', July, 1890. 



