THE ENRICHMENT OF ENGLISH GARDENS 113 



occidentalis), Yucca gloriosa, and the Agave, misnamed 

 the American Aloe. 



About the same time the horse-chestnut, lilac, and 

 syringa, or mock-orange, were first brought to central 

 and western Europe, and with them the tulip, richest 

 and most varied of flowering- bulbs. All these reached 

 Vienna from Constantinople, but how and when they 

 were brought to Constantinople, or what were their 

 native countries, are still doubtful questions. The 

 horse-chestnut is believed to be a native of Greece, 

 where it is said to grow wild among the mountains ; 

 probably it extends into temperate Asia as well. It is 

 said to have reached Constantinople in 1557. Long- 

 standing tradition derives the lilac from Persia, but 

 botanists say that it is also indigenous to parts of south- 

 eastern Europe. The garden-tulip is believed to be 

 native to temperate Asia and also to Thrace ; it is, of 

 course specifically distinct from the wild tulip of 

 northern Europe. 



Chief among the travellers to whom we owe the 

 acquisition of these favourite plants was Augier Ghislen 

 de Busbecq, a Fleming, who was twice sent by the 

 emperor as ambassador to the sultan. Busbecq was a 

 keen observer and collector, and during his long and 

 toilsome journeys was ever eager to pick up curiosities 

 or to note new facts. Quackelbeen, a physician in 

 Busbecq's suite, is named as another helper. The 

 botanists Mattioli and Clusius, who presided in succes- 

 sion over the imperial gardens of Vienna, and Gesner 

 of Zurich, described the plants ; it is from them that 

 we draw such imperfect knowledge as we possess of the 

 way in which they were brought to central Europe. 

 Clusius relates that Busbecq in 1575 received a parcel 

 of tulip-seed from Constantinople, and being obliged to 



