UPON THE 



GARDENS OF EPICURUS; 



OR OF GARDENING IN THE YEAR 16S5 



THE same faculty of reason which gives man- 

 kind the great advantage and prerogative over 

 the rest of the creation, seems to make the greatest 

 default of human nature ; and subjects it to more 

 troubles, miseries, or at least disquiets of life, than any 

 of its fellow-creatures : 'tis this furnishes us with such 

 variety of passions, and consequently of wants and 

 desires, that none other feels ; and these followed by 

 infinite designs and endless pursuits, and improved by 

 that restlessness of thought which is natural to most 

 men, give him a condition of life suitable to that of 

 his birth ; so that as he alone is born crying, he lives 

 complaining, and dies disappointed. 



Since we cannot escape the pursuit of passions, and 

 perplexity of thoughts, which our reason furnishes us, 

 there is no way left but to endeavour all we can, either 

 to subdue or to divert them. This last is the common 

 business of common men, who seek it by all sorts of 



