HATFIELD HOUSE 203 



was burnt in 1666. The late Lord Salisbury, into 

 whose possession it came, had it placed here 

 recently. The stone is charred and broken by the 

 heat of the fire. Like most Gardens of its date, 

 the Privy Garden is very small, being only 

 250 feet square ; in the centre is a wide plot of 

 grass, planted at equal distances with one Chestnut 

 and four Mulberry trees. These latter are of great 

 interest, as Queen Elizabeth is said to have planted 

 them ; and if this is the case they are the first 

 Mulberry trees grown in England. Later, in 1607, 

 James I. made a very vigorous attempt to establish 

 a silk manufactory in England, and to help the 

 breeding of silkworms Mulberry trees were planted 

 by the thousand ; the Lord Lieutenant of each 

 county being informed that any one who wished 

 could buy the trees for three farthings each, or at 

 the rate of six shillings per hundred. The common 

 or Black Mulberry was chosen as the only one 

 considered hardy enough to stand the English 

 climate, but this being of slow growth and un- 

 suitable for silkworms the whole scheme fell 

 through, although James pursued his idea with 

 great enterprise. 



Among the manuscripts at Hatfield is one men- 

 tioning the importation of Mulberry trees ; and Sir 

 Robert Cecil, to ingratiate himself with the King, 

 had five hundred planted at Hatfield. 



The wide grass plot in the little Privy Garden 



