THE LURE OF THE GARDEN 



and Humour of our Gardening in England, which seem 

 to have grown into some Vogue, and to have been so 

 mightily improved in Three or Four and Twenty Years 

 of His Majesty's reign, that perhaps few countries are 

 before us ; either in the elegance of our Gardens or the 

 number of our Plants. . . . The most perfect Figure of a 

 Garden that ever I saw either at Home or Abroad was 

 that of Moon-Park in Hertfordshire ; it was made by the 

 Countess of Bedford, esteemed among the greatest Wits 

 of her time and celebrated by Doctor Donne." His 

 Majesty was William III, with whom Temple was on the 

 most friendly terms ; and the doctor is the poet whose 

 tuneful numbers have beautifully expressed both his 

 admiration for the countess and her garden. Sir William 

 continues his praise of the latter as follows : 



" Because I take the Garden I have named to have 

 been in all kinds the most beautiful and perfect, at 

 least in the Figure and Disposition, that I have ever 

 seen, I will describe it. ... It lies upon the side 

 of a Hill, but not very steep. The length of the 

 House, where the best Rooms, and of most use and 

 pleasure are, lies upon the breadth of the Garden, and 

 the great Parlour opens upon the middle of a Terras 

 Gravel-walk that lies even with it, and which may be 

 as I remember about three hundred Paces long, and 

 broad in Proportion, the Border set with Standard 

 Laurels, and at great distances, which have the Beauty 

 of Orange-Trees out of Flower and Fruit; from this 



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