178 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



gates opposite "the sweetest river in the world" 

 are seldom opened. 



Behind the charm of this old Garden lies much 

 romance, and no figure stands out more strongly 

 in the history of Ham than that of the great 

 Duchess, whom Bishop Burnett describes thus 

 graphically : " She was a woman of great beauty, 

 but far greater parts ; she had a wonderful quickness 

 and an amazing vivacity in conversation ; she had 

 studied not only divinity, history, but mathematics 

 and philosophy. She was violent in everything, 

 a violent friend and a much more violent enemy." 

 To such a degree has the Duchess impressed 

 herself on the old place, that it is almost a 

 temptation to write her history, instead of that 

 of the quaint old Garden. Described by one who 

 had seen it just as it was left by the Duchess : 

 " The very flowers are old-fashioned, none but 

 flowers of the oldest time, gay, formal knots of 

 Pinks and Sweet Peas and Larkspur and Lilies and 

 Hollyhocks, mixed with solid Cabbage Roses and 

 round Dutch Honeysuckle." 



Some mention, however, must be made of the 

 history of Ham House and its Gardens before 

 the time of this extraordinarily clever woman (for 

 may she not lay claim to this title, when more 

 than one historian admits she was the mistress of 

 the austere Oliver Cromwell ?). 



The Gardens and Walks lie within the parish 



