22 THE GARDENS OF EPICURUS 



like gardens, for shades and for walks, with fountains 

 or streams, and all sorts of plants usual in the climate, 

 and pleasant to the eye, the smell or the taste ; or else 

 employed, like our Parks, for enclosure and harbour 

 of all sorts of wild beasts, as well as for the pleasure 

 of riding and walking : and so they were of more or 

 less extent, and of differing entertainment, according to 

 the several humours of the princes that ordered and 

 enclosed them. 



Semiramis is the first we are told of in story, that 

 brought them in use through her empire, and was so 

 fond of them, as to make one wherever she built, and 

 in all, or most of the provinces she subdued ; which 

 are said to have been from Babylon as far as India. 

 The Assyrian kings continued this custom and care, or 

 rather this pleasure, till one of them brought in the use 

 of smaller and more regular gardens : for having 

 married a wife he was fond of, out of one of the 

 provinces, where such paradises or gardens were much 

 in use, and the country lady not well bearing the air 

 or enclosure of the palace in Babylon to which the 

 Assyrian kings used to confine themselves ; he made 

 her gardens, not only within the palaces, but upon 

 terraces raised with earth, over the arched roofs, and 

 even upon the top of the highest tower, planted them 





