no A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 



In the gardens typical of this age, between the flower-beds, 

 and at intervals along the terrace or beside the walks, lead or 

 stone vases were sometimes placed, either filled \vith flowers, 

 or merely for ornament. Beautiful examples of lead vases 

 still exist in some old gardens. At Drayton, in Northampton- 

 shire, there are a number of these vases of different sizes 

 throughout the garden. Two may be seen in the illustration 

 of the pleached alley. Other ornaments were not so frequent 

 as in later times ; " Great Princes sometimes add statues and 

 such things for state and magnificence, but nothing to the 

 true pleasures of a garden."^ 



Parkinson says a garden should have " a fountain in the 

 midst thereof to convey water to every part of the garden, 

 either in pipes under the ground, or brought by hand and 

 emptied into large cisterns or great Turkey jars, placed in 

 convenient places." Bacon writes : " For fountains, they are 

 a great beauty and refreshment ; but pools mar all, and make 

 the garden unwholesome and full of flies and frogs. Foun- 

 tains I intend to be of two natures ; the one that sprinkleth 

 or spouteth water, the other a fair receipt of water of some 

 30 or 40 foot, but without fish, slime, or mud. For the first, 

 the ornaments of images gilt, or of marble, which are in use, 

 do well. . . . Also some steps up to it, and some fine pave- 

 ment about, doth well. As for the other kind of fountain, 

 which we may call a bathing-pool, it may admit much curiosity 

 and beauty, wherewith we will not trouble ourselves ; as, that 

 the bottom be finely paved, and with images ; the sides like- 

 wise, and withal embellished with coloured glass and such things 

 of lustre, encompassed also with fine rails of low statues." 

 In the ordinary garden the " fair receipt of water " was not so 

 much embellished, being merely a straight pond with stone 

 steps at each corner, the rest of the bank of smooth turf. 

 November 25th, 1595, Sir Thomas Cecil wrote from Wimbledon 

 to Sir William More, of Loseley, saying that " hearing he has 

 made divers great pools, he begs him to procure one skilful 

 therein, as certain banks he has made that year about a great 

 pool, have given way through unskilfulness of the workmen."^ 

 The pools at Loseley must have been some time in existence^ 

 ^ Bacon. ^ MS. letter at Loseley, Surrey. 



