152 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



replied that he had bought the Island and every- 

 thing on it, the Castle being naturally included. 

 The Mayor of Poole appealed to George II., but 

 the matter was finally dropped for some reason which 

 remains a mystery. The fascination and beauty 

 of Brownsea appealed to Benson, and he did a 

 great deal for the Island in every way. He 

 restored the Castle and built the great hall (now 

 the music-room), and started cultivating the land, 

 lavishly planting it with trees of every kind. 

 Perhaps it is to him and Mr. Humphrey Sturt 

 that the Island owes some of its Palms and Orange 

 and Lemon trees, as well as the beautiful slopes 

 covered with Rhododendrons, Juniper, Scotch Firs, 

 Cedars, Corsican Pines, and many kinds of ever- 

 green and deciduous trees. 



Sir Gerard Napier and Mr. Humphrey Sturt, 

 who were later joint owners of Brownsea, beautified 

 the place in every way, especially Mr. Humphrey 

 Sturt who, when it became entirely his property, 

 spent both time and money (^"50,000) upon doing 

 everything in his power to improve it. It was he 

 who began the Garden close to the house, and 

 planted hundreds of beautiful trees, realising early 

 the truth of John Evelyn's words, " Men seldom 

 plant trees till they begin to be wise, that is till 

 they grow old, and find by Experience the Prudence 

 and Necessity of it." Mr. Humphrey Sturt's son, 

 Charles, inherited Brownsea, and was so passionately 



