VI MOUNTS 137 



circular in six stages, ascended by a continuous 

 walk like the Tower of Babel ; the other was to 

 be square in six stages, ascended by flights of 

 steps at the four angles. The stages were to be 

 15 feet wide — 11 for the path and 4 for the 

 border of herbs. Each stage was to be 6 to 8 

 feet high, with retaining walls of masonry, and 

 the interior might be vaulted over as an inner 

 chamber for preserving the plants in winter. 

 The circular mount was 45 fathoms in diameter, 

 the square 50 fathoms by 50 ; but De Serres 

 suggests that these might be used on a very 

 much smaller scale. Worlidge mentions the 

 mount at Marlborough as the most considerable 

 in England at his time. This somewhat re- 

 sembles the circular mount of De Serres. 

 Mounts were usual in the smaller gardens as 

 well. The square mount in New College 

 garden still exists. The base of the mount 

 measures about 40 paces by 40 ; the height is 

 about 30 feet, but the original shape has been 

 lost, and it is now entirely overgrown with 

 trees and shrubs. There was a famous mount 

 in Wadham Gardens, circular in plan, with an 

 octagonal platform at the top reached by a 

 double flight of steps. In the centre of this 

 platform was a colossal figure of Atlas carrying 

 the globe. This mount stood in the centre of 

 the garden,^ but their position appears to have 



' The Wadham mount still exists, but. the Atlas and all that made 

 ing have long since disappeared. 



