12 



of the mind, than to discov er the true character of 

 her operations. 



It is worthy of remark, however, that the early re- 

 ligious devotees, who austerely secluded themselves 

 from nine-tenths of the enjoyments of life, never- 

 theless permitted the pleasures of a garden ; and we 

 are constrained to admit that the Catholic clergy have 

 in all ag:es rendered the most valuable services to 

 Horticulture. They not only wrought with their 

 own hands, but were the cause of industry in others. 

 The Monks of St. Basil and St. Benedict restored 

 many extensive tracts to fertility in Italy, Spain and 

 the south of France, which had lain in desolation and 

 neglect ever since the first incursions of the Gauls 

 and Saracens. No longer ago than in 1 826, the Cu- 

 rate of Montagano, in the kingdom of Naples, gave as 

 a penance to the farmers who confessed to him, that 

 they should plant so many vines, olives, or other 

 trees in certain naked parts of the country ; the con- 

 sequence was, that, in a very short time, what before 

 was a desert, had the appearance and productiveness 

 of an orchard. A recent writer asserts that there 

 probably would not have been a fruit-tree in Scot- 

 land till the sixteenth century, had it not been for 

 the labors of the peaceful monks. " Whoever," says 

 he, " has seen an old Abbey, where for generations, 

 destruction only has been at work, must have, al- 

 most invariably, found it situated in one of the 

 choicest spots, both as to soil and aspect; — and if 

 the hand of injudicious improvement has not swept 

 it away, there is still " the Abbey garden." Even 



