Chap. r. ^/ gardening; C^r. 71 



was adualiy in his Garden ordering and di- 

 reding the Removal and Replacing^ of his 

 Trees and Plants. A virtuous and laudable 

 Pattern, arid a Perfon by whom Gard'ning 

 has not a little been recommended to the 

 World. > rv ' 



It would be an unpardonable Omiffion, hot 

 to mention thofe Virtuous and Honourable 

 Perfons amongft the Ladies, who have likewife -^^y^^ 

 fliewn a particular Veneration and Efteem for 

 the Subjed we are upon. 



To fay little of the Floralia or- Flower- Roman 

 Feafts, obferv'd annually on the four laft^^^^'^^' 

 Days of J/?n7, onaccount of the ignominious 

 part of that Hiftory 5 tho' 'tis probable the 

 Diverfion of thofe Ladies was more in Ho- 

 nour of Flowers than Flora herfelf; Their 

 Cuftom was on thofe Days to bind Chaplets 

 of Flowers on each other's Heads, and to 

 compofe and fing Verfes fuitable to the Oc- 

 cafion 5 perhaps not much unlike our own 

 Country Milk-Maids, who (inftead of Plate, 

 as in Londcii) have, in fome Countries Weft- 

 ward, Garlands made of Flowers, which 

 feem much properer in this Cafe. How far, 

 and from whence the original Rife of this 

 was, is uncertam, but perhaps from the an- 

 cient Floralia of the Romans. 



But to continue our Antique Hiftory : 

 The inextricable Mazes and Foreft-work 

 Hangings wrought by the Phrygiamnd Ty- 

 rian Dames, &c. defcribe the particular De- 

 light they took in the Woody and Flow'ry 

 F 4 Scenes 5 



