MEDIEVAL GARDENS 



blazing logs, the long days of winter were spent 

 in chess-playing, broidery, lute-playing, and love- 

 making, the monotony of this only occasionally 

 broken by the arrival of some wandering minstrel 

 who sang of war and love, or of some packman 

 laden with sundry wares prized of womankind. 

 But in winter such wayfarers were rare, and life 

 was, perforce, one of boredom and discom- 

 fort. Thus there was exceeding joy when 

 " woods and thickets donned their rich green 

 mantling of resplendent sheen." 



It is generally of springtime in a garden a 

 garden of green glades and alleys, fruit-trees and 

 flowers, such as was very dear to the medieval 

 soul of which we read. The Roman de la 

 Rose opens with a description of a garden, 

 hemmed round with castle wall a pleasaunce 

 within a fortress and planted with trees " from 

 out the land of Saracens," and many others, to 

 wit, the pine, the beech (loved of squirrels) , the 

 graceful birch, the shimmering aspen, the hazel, 

 the oak, and many flowers withal roses and 

 violets and periwinkle, golden king-cups, and 

 pink-rimmed daisies. The poet describes with 

 careful detail the design of the garden : 



The garden was nigh broad as wide, 

 And every angle duly squared ; 



how the trees were planted : 



Such skilful art 



Had planned the trees that each apart 

 Six fathoms stood, yet like a net 

 The interlacing branches met ; 



177 N 



