Chap, f. of GAKD'NING^ e-c. ag 



ing Part, the (tz) Quadrate and Quincuncial 

 Form of ranging Trees, in that incomparable 

 piece of Work the 2d Georgick, of which, 

 as well as in his Life, 1 ftiall take occafion to 

 fay as much as the Room I propofe to myfelf 

 in this Hiflory will allow. 



(0) He was born at Mantua, in the Con- 

 fulihip ofPompeius Magnus and Licmus Craf- 

 fus 5 and if any thing be to be attributed to 

 Dreams, that of his Mother's being delivered 

 of a Laurel Branch, might not improbably 

 portend the great Proficiency he was to make 

 in Hortenfial and Rural Studies. 



Not to mention that part of his Hiftory 

 that brought him into the Court and intimate 

 Favour of the great Aitgiijliis (as being fo- 

 reign to the prefent Purpofe) he is related to 

 have liv'd near the Gardens of his dear Friend 

 Mecdinas, where doubtlefs he made feveral cu- 

 rious Obiervations in Gard'ning. 



But the Occafion of expatiating his Genius 

 fo much in the writing his Georgicks^ was 

 fuppos'd to be from the Defolation that Italy 

 was brought to by the continual fucceflive 

 Wars that were between the Cdtfars and the 

 Tompeys^ by which means the Ground was un- 

 cultivated and unftock'd 5 and ther^ is little 

 reafon to hope that Gardening had not a fliare 

 in this common Calamity, which ended in 

 fo great a Famine, that Augujtus hardly e- 



{n) Virg. Geo. 2. (0) Vid, Virg. Vic. Ruxo Socieut. Je- 

 fu, ad ufum Delphiai. 



C 4 fcap'd 



