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osperi;iIl\- in I'raiut.'. This prefaci- is throughout well worthy of perusal . 

 indepeiuhiit ot an clociuont though in phiccs tar too llorid slyU-, it 

 Itroalhfs an appropriate Icoling of lo\c for his art, a spirit ol candour m 

 warning gentlonu-n of those errors holli ol expense and penur\- whit h 

 wi're alike sure to defeat their obji'Cl, in the ornamental disposition ol 

 their parks, or " extensive gardening," as hv approprialt'ly terms it, " a 

 kind," he observes, " not yet much used with us." It is curious, among 

 other warnings, to tind him telling the landed proprietor to beware of 

 Seotsmeii, who even in his day appear to have been objects of jealousy, 

 and caused him to forget his accustomed suavity. 



HON. ROGER NORTH. 



1 653- 1 734 

 The little book, of which an illustration is given of the title-page on page 

 182 contains two parts; the first portion relates to farming and the 

 remaining ninety-four pages to a discourse on fish and fishponds, it has 

 been brought down to us as a fact that the last-named was written by 

 Roger North, but there are doubts about the farming section, which it is 

 believed by some was written by his brother Montague, wluj ue know- 

 travelled on the Continent, for we read of him being imprisoned in 

 France. Our author was a member of an important family, best known 

 for centuries as holding high positions in connection with the law. 

 Roger was born at Tostock, in Suffolk, in 1653, in the midst of lurl)ulent 

 times. His early days were spent at Thetford, and he entered at 

 Cambridge in 1667. He then came to London, and was admitted at the 

 Middle Temple in i O69, and soon became a prominent advocate. 

 Directly after King William's accession he was offered a judgeship, but, 

 after so many years of strenuous service at the Bar, he decided to retire to 

 Rougham Hall, in Norfolk, The story goes that his friend the i debrated 

 John Evelyn advised him to settle down on his estate and plant trees. 

 The latter occupation he certainly went in for, because we are told that 

 he formed groves and avenues of limes and ash, to which the local folks 

 gave the name of North's h'olly. lie also sjx-nt a deal of time in reading 

 and writing. In respect to his books it is on record that the only one 

 which he printed was that on fishes above described, whi( h lirst ai)|)eared 

 in 16S3. It will be noticed in my illustration that two brothers are 

 referred to, and it is a curious fact that he and his brother Montague 

 lived for years as ba.helors together. In I'xjf), however, Roger entered 

 the- bonds of niatrimonv, the ladv liein- Marw daughter ol .Sir Robert 



