HISTORICAL GARDENS 305 



a long time. Such rabbit gardens were by no means 

 uncommon. All gardening operations must at times 

 have been rendered difficult by reason of the wet soil 

 and frequent flooding of the river, but with the patient 

 persistence characteristic of gardeners in those days, the 

 gardens in monastic times were probably well kept, and 

 yielded profitable crops. It is delightful to know that, 

 in spite of all the changes, one portion of the old gardens 

 actually remains to this day. 



Lambeth, on the opposite bank, fared no better than 

 Westminster for high tides, and wet seasons did occasional 

 damage there. In Archbishop Laud's Diary, he notes 

 the inroad of a high tide, which certainly would be de- 

 structive : — "November 15, 1635, Sunday. At after- 

 noon the greatest tide that hath been seen. It came 

 within my gates, walks, cloysters, and stables at 

 Lambeth." Nothing of great antiquity now remains 

 in these Lambeth Gardens, although they are indeed 

 historic ground. The long terrace and wide herbaceous 

 border, with a profusion of madonna lilies, backed by 

 a wooden paling, and fruit-trees peeping over, is now a 

 charming walk. The trees on the right of the illus- 

 tration are planes, ailanthus, and catalpas, all smoke- 

 resisting and suitable, but not such as would have 

 ornamented the Garden in older days, when Archbishop 

 Cranmer adorned his garden with " a summer-house of 

 exquisite workmanship." It was designed by his chap- 

 lain. Dr. John Ponet or Poynet, who is said to have 

 had " great skill and taste in works of that kind." The 

 summer-house was repaired by Archbishop Parker, but 

 afterwards fell into decay and was removed, and in 1828 

 not even a tradition of where it had stood remained. 

 The site of " Clarendon's Walk," another historical 



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