EUROPEAN FAME 199 



This last sentence concerns an undertaking which 

 Banks appears to have entrusted to his friends all over 

 Europe. Allusions will be made later on to this monster 

 Collection. 



Further reference to the projected garden shows that 

 Hamilton was taking great pleasure in the new occupation 

 it gave him. " The whole art of going through life 

 tolerably, in my opinion, is to keep one's self eager 

 about anything," he says. He really did keep eager about 

 the Caserta garden. It caused him infinitely more trouble 

 than he could have expected ; but it resulted in a great 

 triumph of skill and taste. The gardener whose services 

 were obtained by Banks was John Graefer, a German 

 who had come into England when very young and 

 was now quite naturalized. He was with Philip Miller 

 and other good horticulturists; and afterward raised a 

 nursery-garden at Mile End in partnership with two other 

 adepts. 



Graefer had enormous difficulties to meet, such as 

 racial opposition and individual national laziness. 

 The obstacles Sir William had to contend with were the 

 jealousy of courtiers, and of the household servants 

 who beheld some of their perquisites diverted from their 

 natural course. After a long lapse of time, King Ferdi- 

 nand became interested in the garden, took it into his 

 own hands, and showed by his treatment of Graefer 

 that the man was to be properly honoured. Then things 

 went very well. Hamilton presently writes with a good 

 deal of enthusiasm. The growth of all the imported 

 plants (mostly from England) was surprising. Exotics 

 were everywhere flourishing. " The Camphor-tree has 

 shot up, in the open air, six feet in three months. The 

 verdure of our turf at this moment (August) is as fine as 

 in spring, seeing we have command of water." 



The second marriage of Sir William had been under- 

 taken after something like a consultation with his friend 



