xxx INTRODUCTION 



ponderous. Still, like one of those stiff gardens, half-way 

 between the mediaeval garden and the true "English" 

 garden of Temple or Walpole, actually to be seen in the 

 background of some of the conventional portraits of that 

 day, the fantasies of this indescribable exposition of the 

 mysteries of the quincunx form part of the complete portrait 

 of Browne himself; and it is in connection with it that, 

 once or twice, the quaintly delightful pen of Evelyn 

 comes into the correspondence 1 in connection with the 

 ** hortulane pleasure." 



Browne's Tract (or rather Letter) " Of Garlands 

 and Coronary or Garland Plants " was addressed to 

 John Evelyn, as we know from the autograph note in 

 the latter's copy, and was destined to be the nucleus 

 of the sixteenth chapter of his " Plan of a Royal 

 Garden," of which Evelyn's own " Acetaria " was the 

 only instalment ever published, though by no means all 

 prepared for publication. 



Browne writes on Garlands in his flowing vein and 

 most magnificent manner one feels he did his best 

 for Evelyn. By whom else but Browne or perhaps 

 Samuel Johnson at his mightiest could we see unrolled 

 before our eyes such a pompous pageant of epithets 

 as in the division of his subject into " Gestatory, 

 Portatory, Pensile (Suspensory) or Depository, Gar- 

 lands " the very words seem woven into wreaths : 



1 See letter to Sir T. Browne, post, pp, 175-182. j 



