ON GARDENS 29 



at their zenith. Certainly there can be no doubt 

 that from this time the decadence of the Formal 

 style set in. All that had been introduced, such as 

 Terraces, Walks, Shorn Shrubs, Oranges and Myrtle 

 trees in boxes and the greatest offender of all 

 the "vegetable sculpture" had become exaggerated 

 and the beautiful old style gradually died of 

 misuse. About this time a succession of famous 

 Gardeners lived in England among them 

 George London, who was a pupil of Rose's, and 

 had travelled abroad, especially to gain knowledge 

 of French methods. Later he entered Bishop 

 Compton's service as his head Gardener. In 

 conjunction with others London founded the 

 Nursery Gardens at Brompton (1694) and took 

 Wise (of whom very little is known) into partner- 

 ship. The firm became famous and superintended 

 all the Gardens in the kingdom belonging to any 

 one of note. London, after James 1 1. 's flight, and 

 on the accession to the throne of William and Mary, 

 was made superintendent of the Royal Gardens 

 (with a salary of 200 a year) and also page of 

 the back stairs. According to gossip of the day, 

 he had the "charge of conveying the Princess 

 Anne to Nottingham from the fury of the Papists, 

 previous to the Revolution being complete." The 

 style of London and Wise was supposed "to com- 

 bine the best features in the French and Dutch 

 styles," and gained them the admiration of Addison, 



