GARDEN LETTERS 17 j 



pardonable at least, if in doing my endeauour to rectifie 

 some mistakes, and advancing so vsefull and innocent a 

 divertisement, I made some essay, and cast in my 

 symbole with the rest. To this designe, if forraine 

 observation may conduce, I might likewise hope to 

 refine upon some particulars, especially concerning the 

 ornaments of gardens, which I shall endeavor so to 

 handle, as that they may become usefull and practic- 

 able, as well as magnificent, and that persons of all 

 conditions and faculties, which delight in gardens, may 

 therein encounter something for their owne advan- 

 tage. The modell, which I perceive you haue seene, 

 will aboundantly testifie my abhorrency of those painted 

 and formal projections of our cockney gardens and 

 plotts, which appeare like gardens of past-board and 

 march-payne, and smell more of paynt then of flowers 

 and verdure : our drift is a noble, princely, and uni- 

 versal Elysium, capable of all the amcenities that can 

 naturally be introduced into gardens of pleasure, and 

 such as may stand in competition with all the august 

 designes and stories of this nature, either of antient or 

 moderne tymes ; yet so as to become vsefull and 

 significant to the least pretences and faculties. We 

 will endeauour to shew how the aire and genious of 

 gardens operat vpon humane spirits towards virtue and 



