248 JOHN EVELYN 



1 8 April, 1680. On the earnest invitation of the 

 Earle of Essex I went with him to his house at 

 Cashioberie, in Hartford-shire. . . . 



No man has ben more industrious than this noble 

 Lord in planting about his seate, adorn'd with walkes, 

 ponds, and other rural elegancies ; but the soile is stonie, 

 churlish, and uneven, nor is the water neere enough to 

 the house, tho' a very swift and cleare stream runs 

 within a flight shot from it in the vally, which may 

 fitly be call'd Coldbrook, it being indeede excessive 

 cold, yet producing faire troutes. 'Tis pitty the house 

 was not situated to more advantage, but it seemes it 

 was built just where the old one was, which I be- 

 lieve he onely meant to repaire ; this leads men into 

 irremediable errors, and it saves but a very little. 



The land about it is exceedingly addicted to wood, 

 but the coldnesse of the place hinders the growth. 

 Black cherry-trees prosper even to considerable timber, 

 some being 80 foote long ; they make also very hand- 

 some avenues. There is a pretty oval at the end of 

 a faire walke, set about with treble rows of Spanish 

 chesnut trees. 



The gardens are very rare, and cannot be otherwise, 

 having so skillful an artist to govern them as Mr. 

 Cooke, who is, as to the mechanic part, not ignorant 



