i^o The History Chap. i. 



and other parts of Natural Philofophy, than 

 before ^ the Divine, Philofopher, and all 

 Ranks laying afide their Books, and taking 

 a (hare in thofe inteftine Troubles 5 and in 

 the Ufurpation of the pretended Protestor, it 

 was more the Cuftom to cut down, than to 

 plant and repair Plantations : Nor could it 

 otherwife be expeded in that difmal Interval, 

 firice both the Laws of Nature and Govern- 

 ment too were in continual Convulfions 5 

 and under the facred Name of Religion, all 

 the Depradations and Wafte imaginable com- 

 mitted. 



But altho' Things were in this terrible 

 Combuftion, we muft not omit the famous 

 Milton. Mr. John Milton one of CromwelFs Secreta- 

 taries, who, by his excellent and never-to- 

 be- paralleled Poem oiParadife Loji^ has par- 

 ticularly diftingui(h*d Gardening, by taking 

 that for his Theme ^ and Ihews, that tho' his 

 Eyes deprived him of the benefit of Seeing, 

 yet his Mind was wonderfully mov'd with 

 the Philofophy, Innocence, and Beauty of 

 this Employ 3 his Books, tho' mix'd with 

 other Subjeds, being a kind of Philofophical 

 Body of Gardening, as well as Divinity. 

 What more beautiful than that where he 

 defcribes our Primogenial Parents in their 

 untainted State of Innocence 5 a lively Re- 

 prefentation of a Vertuous Couple in the 

 fweet Enjoyment of their Garden ! Book 4. 

 li?ie 299. 



For 



