THIRTEENTH CENTURY. 



37 



Besides the royal gardens at Westminster, Charing, and 

 the Tower, there were others around London. We get a 

 glimpse of the smaller gardens belonging to the citizens, from 

 a description of the town by FitzStephen in his life of 

 Thomas a Becket, whose contemporary he was. The passage 



GARDEN IN A TOWN, FROM FRENCH MS. LATE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 

 LE RUSTICAN DES PROFITS RURAUX. P. CROISSENT. B.M. ADD. 19-720. 



(translated) runs thus : " On all sides outside the houses of 

 the citizens who dwell in the suburbs, there are adjoining 

 gardens planted with trees both spacious and pleasing to the 

 .sight." The only other large garden near London, not 

 belonging to a religious house, of which there is any record, 



