Gardens of the Poets 



231 



Cherries, and even rare Japanese Maples are to be 

 found ; a few survivors of the Chinese Mulberry 

 have a romantic interest as mementoes of a giant 

 bubble of ruin. The largest Scotch Laburnum I 

 ever saw, glorious in golden bloom, is behind an 

 unkempt house. On the Parsons estate is a weep- 

 ing Beech of unusual size. Its branches trail on 



Box and Phlox. 



the ground in a vast circumference of 222 feet, 

 forming a great natural arbor. The beautiful vernal 

 light in this tree bower may be described in Andrew 

 Marvell's words : — 



"Annihilating all that's made 



To a green thought in a green shade." 



The photograph of it, shown opposite page 232, 

 gives some scant idea of its leafy walls ; it has been 

 for years the fit trysting-place of lovers, as is shown 

 by the initials carved on the great trunk. Great 



