THE GARDENS OF VENICE 



among the ancients," consisted in setting trees in 

 a square with a fifth in the centre, and repeating this 

 device again and again, so that whichever way you 

 turned your eyes, parallel alleys might be seen. 



" All the trees and hedges," the writer continues, 

 "are clipped in different shapes, and are exquisite 

 examples of topiary art. The sight indeed greatly 

 exceeded my highest expectations. The apple trees 

 are all planted in regular rows, at discreet intervals, 

 and have grown with amazing rapidity, since they were 

 put in the ground by our Navagero himself, only a 

 few months ago. Nothing could be more beautiful 

 in shape and colour, nothing sweeter in smell and 

 taste, or more excellent in size and variety, than the 

 fruit which this orchard bears. For Messer Andrea, 

 as you know, takes the greatest delight in rural pursuits, 

 and is more industrious than most agriculturists, devot- 

 ing the same diligence and careful attention to his 

 garden that he does to our own art." 1 



In his reply, Bembo expressed the greatest satis- 

 faction at Longolio's account of Messer Andrea and 

 his garden. 



" What you wrote of Navagero," he says, " was very 

 pleasing to me. The man is admirable, because he 

 does not cultivate learning and gardening in solitude, 

 but shares both his studies and rural pleasures with his 

 friends. I am delighted to hear that he is spending 

 the summer in his garden at Murano, and feel no 



1 C. Longolio, EpistolcB, i. 108. 

 117 



