122 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND. 



were also employed. They " do easily and soone spring up, and 

 growe into a very great length ; being sowen neere vnto long 

 poles fastened hard by them or hard by arbors and banquetting 

 places." * 



Parkinson describes a curious arbour made in a lime tree. 

 That tree, he says, "is planted to make goodly arbors, and summer 

 banqueting-houses, either below upon the ground, the boughs 

 serving very handsomely to plash round about it, or up higher for 

 a second above it, and a third also." He goes on to explain the 

 " goodliest spectacle that ever " his eyes beheld, was at Cobham, 

 in Kent, where an arbour was made in this way, boards to tread 

 on were laid on the first series of boughs 8 feet from the ground, 

 the stem again kept bare of branches another 8 or 9 feet, and a 

 second lot of branches plashed to form the roof of the middle, 

 and the floor of yet a third arbour, and stairs arranged to mount 

 up to it; the arbour, he says, would hold "half a hundred men 

 at the least." t The following lines in Spenser's Faerie Queene 

 perhaps convey to us a more vivid impression of an Elizabethan 

 arbour than the tumble-down, or overgrown, remains of one, 

 in the corner of some, perchance, neglected garden, could 

 possibly do : 



" And over him Art, striving to compare 



With Nature, did an arbour green dispread, 



Fram'd of wanton ivy, flow'ring fair, 



Through which the fragrant eglantine did spread 



His prickling arms, entrail'd with roses red 



Which dainty odours round about them threw : 



And all within with flow'rs was garnished, 



That, when mild Zephyrus amongst them blew, 

 Did breathe out bounteous smells and painted colour shew." 

 Book II., Cantos V. 29. 



The maze was another feature which now became prominent 

 in many gardens. " There be some that set their mazes with 

 Lavender, cotton spike, majoram and such like, or Isope 

 and Time, or quickset, privet, plashed fruit trees. "J Lawson 

 gives directions for making mazes, and says, " When they are 



* Gerard's Herbal, page 1141. 



f Paradisus, page 610. J Thomas Hill. 



