The ordering of the Garden of T/eafurc. 



deth the more care, labour, and coft to bee bellowed thereon, both to order it rightly, 

 & fo to preferue it from time to time : tor no artiliciall or torc't ground can endure good 

 any long time, but that within a tew yeares it mult be retrdlu-d more or lelTe, according 

 as it doth require. Yet you lhall likewife vndcrftand, that this Garden tit' pleafure rtorcd 

 with thefe Out-landilh flowers; that is, bulbous and tuberous rooted plants, and other 

 fine flowers, that I haue hereafter defcribed, and afllgned vnto it, needeth not fo much 

 or fo often manuring with foyle, &c. as another Garden planted with the other forts of 

 Englilh flowers, or a Garden of ordinary Kitchin herbes doth. Your ground likewife 

 tor this Garden had neede to bee well cleanfed from all annoyances (that may hinder 

 the well doing or prospering of the flowers therein) as (tones, weedes, rootes of trees, 

 bullies, &c. and all other things cumberfome or hurtfull ; and therefore the earth being 

 not naturally line enough of it felfe, is vfed to bee lifted to make it the finer, and that 

 either through a hurdle made of fticks, or lathes, or through fquare or round lieues plat- 

 ted with fine and llrong thin Itickes, or with wyers in the bottome. Or elfe the whole 

 earth of the Garden being courfe, may be call in the fame manner that men vfe to try or 

 fine land from grauell, that is, againft a wall ; whereby the courfer and more ftony, fal- 

 ling downe from the fine, is to be taken away from the foote of the heape, the finer fand 

 and ground remaining (till aboue, and on the heape. Or elfe in the want of a wall to caft 

 it againft, I haue feene earth fined by it felfe in this manner : Hauing made the floore or 

 vpper part of a large plat of ground cleane from ftones, &c. let there a reafonable round 

 heape of fine earth be fet in the midll thereof, or in ftead thereof a large Garden flower- 

 pot, or other great pot, the bottome turned vpwards, and then poure your courfe earth 

 on the top or head thereof, one Ihouell full after another fomewhat gently, and thereby 

 all the courfe ftuffe and ftones will fall downe to the bottome round about the heape, 

 which mull continually be carefully taken away, and thus you may make your earth as 

 fine as if it were call againft a wall, the heape being growne great, feruing in (lead there- 

 of. Thofe that will not prepare their grounds in fome of thefe manners aforefaid, mail 

 foone finde to their lofle the neglect thereof : for the tra(h and ftones (hall fo hinder the 

 encreafe of their roots, that they will be halfe loll in the earth among the ftones, which 

 elfe might be faued to ferue to plant wherefoeuer they pleafe. 



CHAP. II. 



'The frame or forme of a Garden of delight and pleafure, with thefeuerall 



varieties thereof. 



ALthough many men mu(t be content with any plat of ground, of what forme or 

 quantity foeuer it bee, more or lefle, for their Garden, becaufe a more large or 

 conuenient cannot bee had to their habitation : Yet I perfwade my felfe, that 

 Gentlemen of the better fort and quality, will prouide fuch a parcell of ground to bee 

 laid out for their Garden, and in fuch conuenient manner, as may be fit and anfwerable 

 to the degree they hold. To prefcribe one forme for euery man to follow, were too 

 great prefumption and folly : for euery man will pleafe his owne fancie, according to 

 the extent he deligneth out for that purpofe, be it orbicular or round, triangular or three 

 fquare, quadrangular or fou re fquare, or more long than broad. I will onely Ihew you 

 here the feuerall formes that many men haue taken and delighted in, let euery man chufe 

 which him liketh beft, or may moft fitly agree to that proportion of ground hee hath fet 

 out for that purpofe. The orbicular or round forme is held in it owne proper exiltence 

 to be the moft abfolute forme, containing within it all other formes whatfoeuer ; but few 

 I thinke will chufe fuch a proportion to be ioyned to their habitation, being not accep- 

 ted any where I think, but for the general! Garden to the Vniuerfity at Padoa. The tri- 

 angular or three fquare is fuch a forme alfo, as is feldome chofen by any that may make 

 another choife, and as I thinke is onely had where another forme cannot be had, necef- 

 litie conltraining them to be therewith content. The foure fquare forme is the moft vfu- 

 ally accepted with all, and doth beft agree to any mans dwelling, being (as I laid before) 

 behinde the houfe, all the backe windowes thereof opening into it. Yet if it bee longer 

 than the breadth, or broader than the length, the proportion of walkes, fquares, and 

 knots may be foon brought to the fquare forme, and be fo caft, as the beauty thereof may 



be 





