THE ENRICHMENT OF ENGLISH GARDENS 113 



Gccidentalis), Yucca gloriosa, and the Agave, misnamed 

 the American Aloe. 



About the same time the horse-chestnut, lilac, and 

 syringfa, or mock-orang-e, were first brought to central 

 and western Europe, and with them the tulip, richest 

 and most varied of flowering bulbs. All these reached 

 Vienna from Constantinople, but how and when they 

 were brought to Constantinople, or what were their 

 native countries, are still doubtful questions. The 

 horse-chestnut is believed to be a native of Greece, 

 where it is said to grow wild among the mountains ; 

 probably it extends into temperate Asia as well. It is 

 said to have reached Constantinople in 1557. Long- 

 standing tradition derives the lilac from Persia, but 

 botanists say that it is also indigenous to parts of south- 

 eastern Europe. The garden-tulip is believed to be 

 native to temperate Asia and also to Thrace ; it is, of 

 course specifically distinct from the wild tulip of 

 northern Europe. 



Chief among the travellers to whom we owe the 

 acquisition of these favourite plants was Augier Ghislen 

 de Busbecq, a Fleming, who was twice sent by the 

 emperor as ambassador to the sultan. Busbecq was a 

 keen observer and collector, and during his long and 

 toilsome journeys was ever eager to pick up curiosities 

 or to note new facts. Quackelbeen, a physician in 

 Busbecq's suite, is named as another helper. The 

 botanists Mattioli and Clusius, who presided in succes- 

 sion over the imperial gardens of Vienna, and Gesner 

 of Zurich, described the plants ; it is from them that 

 we draw such imperfect knowledge as we possess of the 

 way in which they were brought to central Europe. 

 Clusius relates that Busbecq in 1575 received a parcel 

 of tulip-seed from Constantinople, and being obliged to 



