SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 203- 



mightily curious of them) and eat it, and it was just as other 

 little green small oranges are as big as half the end of my 

 little finger. Here were also a great variety of other exotique 

 plants, and several Labyrinths, and a pretty aviary." He visited 

 this garden on a former occasion, May 8th, 1654, and says of 

 it : " One of the neatest and most celebrated in England," but 

 either the oranges were not there then, or he did not see them. 



Gardeners seem to have understood that a certain amount of 

 air was necessary for plant life, but I think they by no means 

 realized the power of light. Sharrock, writing on the subject, 

 comes to the conclusion that "the coldness and briskness of the 

 free air ... produces verdure," and to prove this, he takes for 

 example flowers shut in rooms, the leaves of which become paler r 

 and the "whiting the leaves of Artichokes, Endive, Mirrhis 

 Cichory, Alexander, and other plants, which is done by keeping 

 them warm without the approach or sentiment of the cool fresh 

 aire." It is to be wondered how they got delicate plants to live 

 by sheltering them in dark places during the winter months. 

 " Some defend their Mirtles, Pomegranates and such other 

 tender Plants, either by houses made of straw like Bee hives, 

 or of boards (with inlets for the sun by casements, or without 

 them) Litter of Horse Stables being laid in very cold weather 

 about the houses of defence." 



Le Notre was invited to England by Charles II., and it 

 has generally been believed that he accepted the invitation, 

 and that St. James's Park, as well as alterations at Hampton 

 Court and Whitehall, were made from his designs, and under 

 his direction. In 1661 a certain Adrian May was appointed 

 by Royal Warrant, " supervisor of the French gardeners 

 employed at Whitehall, St. James, and Hampton Court, to 

 examine their bills, &c., and see that they have due 

 satisfaction." This shows it is a fact that Frenchmen were 

 employed, if not the great Le Notre himself, Perrault, or 

 some of his pupils. Switzer in 1718 mentions Perrault's 

 visits to England, but says nothing of the coming of Le 

 Notre. Jean de la Quintinye, who was the great French 

 gardener and fruit grower, as Le Notre was their chief 

 garden architect, certainly visited England, and gave hints 



