Ixxx TO THE READER 



hold in most of our Country Employments : Country People 

 universally know that all Trees consist oftyots, Stems, Boughs, 

 Leaves, fsfc. but can give no account of the Species, Virtues, 

 or farther Culture, besides the making of a Pit or Hole ; 

 casting, and treading in the Earth, &c. which require a 

 deeper search, than they are capable of: We are then to 

 exact Labour, not Conduct and Treason, from the greatest part 

 of them ; and the business of 'Planting is an Art or Science 

 (for so Varro has solemnly defined it j 1 ) and that exceedingly 

 wide of Truth, which (it seems) many in his time accounted 

 of it \facillimam esse, nee ullius acuminis Ttjisticationem, namely 

 that it was an easie and insipid Study. It was the simple 

 Culture only, with so much difficulty retrieved from the late 

 confusion of an intestine and bloody War, like that of Ours, 

 and now put in Imputation again, which made the noble 

 Toet write, 



........ How hard it was 



Low Subjects with illustrious words to grace. 

 ........ Verbh ea vincere magnum 



Quam sit, & angustis hunc adders rebus honorem. 



Georg. 3. 



Seeing, as the Orator does himself express it, ${ihil est homine 

 libero dignius ; there is nothing more becoming and worthy 

 of a Gentleman, no, not the Majesty of a 2 Consul. In ancient 

 and best Times, Men were not honour'd and esteem'd for 

 the only Learned, who were great Linguists, profound Criticks, 

 Reader and Devourers of Books : But such whose Studies 

 consisted of the Discourses, Documents and Observations 

 of their Fore-Fathers, ancient and venerable Persons ; who, 



1 De R. R. 



2 In agris erant tune Senator es. Cic. de Senect. 



3 Silvae sunt Consule dignac. Sec this of the Poet Interpreted, Scaliger 1. i.e. i. 

 Poet. P. Nennius, Sueton. Jul. in Lipsium. Tacit, iv. Annal. 27. concerning the 

 Quaestor's Office. 



