2 :-\:V' The ordering of the Garden of Pleafure. 



garden mould be, let me likewife aduife you where it fhould not be, at leaft that it is the 

 worft place wherein it may be, if it be either on the Welt or Eaft fide of your houfe, or 

 that it ftand in a moorim ground, or other vnwholsome ayre (for many, both fruits, 

 herbes, and flowers that are tender, participate with the ayre, taking in a manner their 

 chiefeft thriuing from thence) or neare any common Lay-ftalles, or common Sewers, 

 or elfe neare any great Brew-houfe, Dye-houfe, or any other place where there is much 

 fmoake, whether it be of ftraw, wood, or efpecially of fea-coales, which of all other is 

 the worft, as our Citie of London can giue proofe fufficient, wherein neither herbe nor 

 tree will long profper, nor hath done euer fince the vfe of fea-coales beganne to bee fre- 

 quent therein. And likewife that it is much the worfe, if it bee neare vnto any Barnes or 

 Stackes of corne or hey, becaufe that from thence will continually with the winde bee 

 brought into the garden the ftrawe and chaffe of the corne, the duft and feede of the hey 

 to choake or pefter it. Next vnto the place or fituation, let mee mew you the grounds 

 or foyles for it, eyther naturall or artificiall. No man will deny, but the natural! blacke 

 mould is not only the fatteft and richeft, but farre exceedeth any other either naturall or 

 artificiall, as well in goodnefle as durability. And next thereunto, I hold the fandy loame 

 (which is light and yet firme, but not loofe as fand, nor ftifFe like vnto clay) to be lit- 

 tle inferiour for this our Garden of pleafure ; for that it doth caufe all bulbous and tu- 

 berous rooted plants to thriue fufficiently therein, as likewife all other flower-plants, 

 Rofes, Trees, &c. which if it fhall decay by much turning and working out the heart of 

 it, may foone be helped with old ftable manure of horfes, being well turned in, when it 

 is old and almoft conuerted to mould. Other grounds, as chalke, fand, grauell, or clay, 

 are euery of them one more or lefle fertill or barren than other ; and therefore doe re- 

 quire fuch helpes as is moft fit for them. And thofe grounds that are ouer dry, loofe, and 

 duftie, the manure of ftall fedde beafts and cattell being buried or trenched into the 

 earth, and when it is thorough rotten (which will require twice the time that the ftable 

 foyle of horfes will) well turned and mixed with the earth, is the beft foyle to temper 

 both the heate and drinefle of them. So contrariwife the ftable dung of horfes is the beft 

 for cold grounds, to giue them heate and life. But of all other forts of grounds, the ftifFe 

 clay is the very worft for this purpose ; for that although you should digge out the whole 

 compafTe of your Garden, carry it away, and bring other good mould in the ftead there- 

 of, and fill vp the place, yet the nature of that clay is fo predominant, that in a fmall time 

 it will eate out the heart of the good mould, and conuert it to its owne nature, or very 

 neare vnto it : fo that to bring it to any good, there muft bee continuall labour beftowed 

 thereon, by bringing into it good ftore of chalke, lime, or fand, or elfe afhes eyther of 

 wood or of fea-coales (which is the beft for this ground) well mixed and turned in with 

 it. And as this ftifFe clay is the worft, fo what ground foeuer commeth neareft vnto the 

 nature thereof, is neareft vnto it in badnefTe, the fignes whereof are the ouermuch moy- 

 fture thereof in Winter, and the much cleauing and chapping thereof in Summer, when 

 the heate of the yeare hath confumed the moyfture, which tyed and bound it faft toge- 

 ther, as alfo the ftifFe and hard working therein : but if the nature of the clay bee not too 

 ftifFe, but as it were tempered and mixed with fand or other earths, your old ftable 

 foyle of horfes will helpe well the fmall rifting or chapping thereof, to be plentifully 

 beftowed therin in a fit feafon. Some alfo do commend the cafting of ponds and ditches, 

 to helpe to manure thefe ftifFe chapping grounds. Other grounds, that are ouermoift by 

 fprings, that lye too neare the vpper face of the earth, befides that the beds thereof had 

 need to be laid vp higher, and the allies, as trenches and furrowes, to lye lower, the 

 ground it felfe had neede to haue fome good ftore of chalke-ftones beftowed thereon, 

 fome certaine yeares, if it may be, before it be kid into a Garden, that the Winter frofts 

 may breake the chalke fmall, and the Raine difFolue it into mould, that fo they may bee 

 well mixed. together ; than which, there is not any better manure to foyle fuch a moift 

 ground, to helpe to dry vp the moyfture, and to giue heate and life to the coldnefFe 

 thereof, which doth alwayes accompany thefe moift grounds, and alfo to caufe it abide 

 longer in heart than any other. For the fandy and grauelly grounds, although I know 

 the well mollified; manure of beafts and cattell to be excellent good, yet I know alfo, that 

 fome commend a white Marie, and fome a clay to be well fpread thereon, and after tur- 

 ned thereinto : and for the chalkie ground, \' cotiuerfo, I commend fatte clay to helpe it. 

 You muft vnderlland, that the lefle rich or more barren that your ground is, there nee- 



deth 



