LITERATURE OF GARDENING. 545 



houses," with a catalogue of choice fruits and evergreens 

 to be had at Brompton Park. Other writers of this time 

 are Leonard Meager, Samuel Gilbert, and John Reid. 

 Gilbert in his " Florist's Vade Mecum " gives a list of no 

 fewer than thirty sorts of Roses which were cultivated in 

 gardens at that time (1683). 



Sir William Temple wrote an essay on " The Garden 

 of Epicurus or of Gardening in the year 1685." It favours 

 the Dutch style of gardening, and is written with his 

 customary ease and elegance. London & Wise published 

 two translations from French authors between 1699 and 

 1706, with alterations and additions, which made them 

 standard works in their day. William Fleetwood, Bishop 

 of Ely, the greatest preacher of his time, brought out in 

 1707 "Curiosities of Nature and Art in Husbandry and 

 Gardening." It is very well written, but much behind the 

 age, and the writer evidently knew nothing of practical 

 gardening. Other authors of this period are John 

 Mortimer and William Salmon, while translations of 

 Van Oosten's " Dutch Gardener," and " The Theory and 

 Practice of Gardening " by Le Blond were offered to the 

 public. 



The love of gardening displayed by James I., Charles I., 

 Charles II., Queen Mary, and Queen Anne, and the means 

 they employed to promote it, had doubtless a great influence 

 on its literature, and we now find literary men helping 

 it forward by occasional efforts Cowley's letter "The 

 Garden/' addressed to Evelyn, may be given as an 

 example. In the early part of the i8th century John 

 Laurence wrote a series of works on gardening, chiefly 

 derived from his own experience, and which were much 

 in advance of previous writings on the subject. 



Switzer is a great name in the garden literature of this 

 age, and if we had the time we might say a great deal in 

 praise of his industry and intelligence as an author. He 

 wrote "Icnographia Rustica" (1718), "The Practical Fruit 

 Gardener" (1724), "The Practical Kitchen Gardener "(1727) 



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