Chap./, of GAKD'NING, e-c. 39 



To return back : There remains but very 

 little of the State of Gardening for a long 

 Time ^ and the Imperial Seat being divided, 

 and fettled chiefly at Conflantinope^ we may 

 fuppofe that Gard'mn^ and other Arts fol- 

 lowed there, or declin d in the Metropolis of 

 Rome^ and was afterwards totally deftroyed 

 by that great Inundation of Barbarity which 

 overfpread Italy, and mod of the other civi- 

 lized Nations of Europe, by the Goths and 

 Vandals : Rome in particular felt their Fury, 

 by the Devaftation of her glorious Piles of 

 Building 5 and, without doubt, Gardening 

 and all other Arts had their Ihare in that 

 fatal Deluge of Barbarifm. 



And altho' Gardening might in fome mea- 

 fure, like the Phcsnix, arife again out of the 

 Aflies of Italy 5 yet the Completion of it 

 feem'd for France, and the other Northerly 

 European Kingdoms of Great- Britain, which 

 at prefent much out-doe Italy itfelf, whofe 

 Gardens I fliall pafs over, having as yet feen 

 nothing in comparifon to the Nations juft be- 

 fore named. 



France then feems to be the firft Stage on 

 which Gardening began to appear in fuch great 

 Luftre : And therein we (hall meet with one 

 of the greateft Charafters yet produced, I 

 mean the late King L^nc?^ XIV. of fr4;7z<:^ ^LewisXiv. 

 which great Perfon, whether by an innate ^^^^^"^^' 

 Love or virtuous Difpofition to the Glory 

 and Pleafures oi Gardening, or that by the En- 

 couragement of Arts and Sciences, (and a- 



D 4 monglt 



