Chap. I . of GARDENING, &c. 2 1 



to his Son Tarquinm Sextus^s AinbaiTador ^ 

 and there walking in his fuperb, furly Hu- 

 mour, he is particularly defcnb'd as ftriking 

 the Heads of his Poppy-flowers with his 

 Cane or Staff 5 which fhews that Pieafure- 

 Gardens were in ufe among the Ro?nans\ and 

 not altogether thoie for Ufe, which fome 

 Books of Gardening have fome time fince 

 feem'd to intimate. 



Hiftory indeed is very fijent in this Point, 

 (of which (2) Tliny complains) the fame Li- 

 vy mentioning only feveral Gardens, which, 

 by his way of exprefling, one would inter- 

 pret no other than Kitchen- Gardens ; he adds, 

 that they lay adjoining to a Hill without the 

 City, which Hill had its Name from thence 

 Collis Hortuloru?n^ or the Hill of Gardens. Co'lisHor- 

 Here^ fiiys one of their (/t) Authors, was the^'^'^'^^'^^* 

 Cirque or the Shew-place of their Strumpet 

 FJora, who ?nade the People of Rome Heir to 

 thofe Goods JJje had gotten by projiituting her- 

 felf tojhe Gentlemen of Rome, leaving alfo a the Fable 

 certain Sum of Money to procure a Celebrations Flora. 

 of her Birth- day 5 which^ becaufe oj her Infa- 

 my^ the People ]ha?m?ig to do, they feign d her 

 to be the Goddejs of Flowers. But to return 

 from this Digreflion, to which I have been 

 infenfibly carried. 



The Silence of thofe Hiftorians can't de- 

 termine againft this, fince we may obferve the 

 Hiftorians of thefe Times are altogether as 



Q) Plin. lib. 14. (k) Barcho!. Lacomus in Varri Orac. 7. 



C 3 oraiflive 



