i88 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 



England with St. Albans, he might have been returning home. 

 It runs as follows :^ 



After &c. Hauing rec*^ his Ma*'" warr', the Copie whereof I herew"' 

 transmitt to yow, w'='' is as followcth : Our will and pleasure is y' yo"" 

 giue imediate order to y^ Farmors of o' Customes or such others 



whome it may conccrne to suffer and pmitt [blank] Le Nostra our 



Architect to transport fiue geldings & one mare into France w"'out 

 paym' of Custome or other duty <^- y' yow make allowance for ye 

 same vpon ye Account of y'= said Farm°''^ for w'^'' this shalbe yo' 

 warr'. Giuen at o' Court at Whitehall the 21st day of Octob"' in 

 ye i^th y(vj-e Qf Qf i^aigne. These are to will and pray yow to pmitt 

 the said Le Nostre to transport y^ said fiue geldings and mares into 

 France w*''out paym' of Custome or other Duty accordingly. And 

 allowance thereof shalbe made vnto yow vpon yo"" Accounts. And 

 y^ Audito''s are to allow ye same accordingly for doing whereof this 

 shalbe a sufficient warr'. Giuen at Southton howse ye 25th of 

 Octob' 1662. 



T. Southampton. 



To y' Farmo^'s of his Ma''" Customes, &c.'^ 



The finding of this document gave renewed hopes of pro- 

 curing incontestable evidence, and all the bills, warrants, and 

 payments between May and October, 1662, were further 

 searched, but without success. It therefore yet remains to be 

 proved that Le Notre was on this side of the Channel, and that 

 the horses were not being sent over to him. If he was here, it 

 is extremely unusual that no record of any expense being in- 

 curred on his behalf is recorded. Nothing seems too trivial for 

 these interesting Treasury bundles. When the King was to 

 receive " some trees, a basket of cheeses, and a case of wine," 

 Lord St. Albans made a formal request for the Dover packet 

 to bring them from Calais f and when again, in 1663, Charles II. 

 was going to the City, Adrian May is agitated lest the park in 

 his charge should be damaged, and the letter to the Lord 

 Mayor's secretary is extant, in which he " begs that the park 

 may be spared, and that His Majesty will come by Charing 

 Cross. "^ The absence of records with regard to Le Notre 



* Treasury Miscellaneous Warrants, vol. x., p. 137. 



^ The next entry is a warrant to " suffer the servants of Walter 

 Mountague, Lord Almoner," to the Queen, to transport twelve horses 

 for his use in France free of custom (October 20) . 



' Calendar of State Papers, 1661-1662. 



* Ibid., Domestic, vol. Ixxx,, No. 120. 



