INTRODUCTORY 21 



their minds, and modern systems of teaching are realising 

 this. If public gardens can be brought to lend their aid 

 in the actual training, as well as being a playground, 

 they will serve a twofold purpose. An old writer 

 quaintly puts this influence of plant life. " Flowers 

 through their beautie, varietie of colour and exquisite 

 forme, do bring to a liberall and gentle manly mind, 

 the remembrance of honestie, comelinesse, and all kindes 

 of vertues. For it would be an unseemly and filthie 

 thing, as a certain wise man saith, for him that doth looke 

 upon and handle faire and beautifuU things, and who fre- 

 quenteth and is conversant in faire and beautifuU places, 

 to have his mind not faire but filthie and deformed." 



It is not possible for all London children to get into 

 the country now that it is further away, so the more 

 of nature, as well as true artistic gardening, they can be 

 shown in the parks the better. It used in olden days to 

 be the custom, among other May Day revels, to go out 

 to the country round London and enjoy the early spring 

 as the Arabs do at the present time, when they have the 

 f6te of " Shem-en-Nazim," or "Smelling the Spring." 

 " On May day in the morning, every man, except im- 

 pediment, would walk into the Sweet Meddowes and 

 green woods, there to rejoyce their spirits with the 

 beauty and Savour of sweet Flowers, and with the har- 

 liionie of Birdes, praising God in their kinde."^ It 

 would surprise many people to learn how many birds 

 still sing their praises within the parks of London, 

 although the meadows and other delights have vanished. 

 This serves to encourage the optimist in believing in 

 the future possibilities of London Parks. 



There is no " park system " in England as in the 

 ^ Stowe's " Survey of London." 



