THE LURE OF THE GARDEN 



"Book of the Courtier." And, going on to describe 

 the particular garden where the young nobleman spent 

 his childhood, she writes: " Closed in by thick dark 

 hedges of box and yew, sheltered by plane-trees to the 

 south, so that there was always shade at noon, the gar- 

 dens were laid out in terraces in front of the castello, 

 from whence stretched out long straight walks covered 

 with vine-grown pergolas and bordered with rose-trees 

 and jessamine. Green lawns sloped down to the steep 

 banks of the river Oglio, with a marble fountain in the 

 center of the turf, and orange-trees in boxes at every 

 corner, while in distant nooks were sylvan arbors and 

 strange grottoes with quaint figures of animals carved in 

 stone. A place to dream and linger in of a summer 

 evening, green with perpetual verdure, musical with the 

 voice of waters, glowing with luscious fruits and the 

 sweetest flowers." 



It was in places like this that the duchessas and mar- 

 quesas held their choicest parties. What a picture 

 must have been presented when, in the latter part of 

 the golden afternoons, the company began to gather on 

 the shaded terraces, the men in doublets of velvet and 

 satin and silken hose, with massive gold chains round 

 their necks and wearing splendid jewels as clasps for the 

 feathers in their caps, or set into their sword-hilts, the 

 women shining in priceless fabrics, with veils of gold 

 tissue and strings of gems. Wine was served in crys- 

 tal cups, and cakes and sweetmeats on golden plates, and 



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