272 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



Bernini would have taken his opinion upon the 

 beauty and attitude of a figure, and King Charles 

 did not agree with Lely that my Lady Cleveland's 

 picture was finished till it had the approbation of 

 my Lord Buckhurst." 



Curiosity searches for a reason for the popularity 

 of this man to find that behind his gracefi 

 manner and witty tongue beat the kindest heart in 

 the world. " He was a friend to the unfortunate, 

 charitable to excess, tender-hearted to a fault, and 

 lastly, most wonderful of all, a man of letters without 

 envy ! " 



Knole, in his day, became a home for many an 

 unfortunate man of letters ; Killigrew, unscrupulous, 

 gifted and witty, and also D'Urfey had apartments 

 there for some years. 



Prior and Dryden constantly stayed with Dorset 

 at Knole, and their poems are dedicated to him 

 in the odiously fulsome fashion of the day. 



Their gorgeous, generous patron, with his keen 

 sense of humour, must have seen through much of 

 this servile flattery, and no wonder that his true 

 opinion of mankind slipped out almost unawares 

 in his poetry : 



" For pointed satires I would Buckhurst chuse, 

 The best good man with the worst-natured muse/ 



sang Rochester in their youthful days, and till the 



