6 GLEANINGS ON GARDENS. 



There is a cut of a little garden in the title-page 

 to Burton's Leicestershire* 



Morant's Essex has a plan of Colchester, which 

 gives the gardens belonging to a great many of their 

 private houses. This reminds one of what the 

 Encyclopaedia of Gardening, at page 1070, says : 

 * Formerly the tradesmen of Chelmsford and Col- 

 chester were much attached to the culture of florists' 



honesty of heart flowed a gentleness, a simplicity of manners, which 

 rendered him highly endearing to his friends. He was above all the 

 little evasions of cold and selfish hearts ; a benevolence extensive 

 gave a lustre to every virtue. He never did a mean action : always 

 exalted, always excellent, noble, and elevated in his sentiments, his 

 character was unsullied. He was eminent for all the mild and social 

 virtues. The goodness and sweetness of his disposition were re- 

 markable. Such was the elevation of his mind, that he appeared 

 totally above taking notice of what so often discomposes even men 

 of sense and learning. One of the chief parts in his character was 

 benevolence. How great must be the charitable temper he possessed 

 when his income, which solely arose from his merit and literary 

 labours, was great part of it spent in benevolent actions ! As he 

 was the least ostentatious of men, much of his generous goodness 

 was concealed, yet much was known to the world ; the rest to only 

 his Creator, to good angels, and to himself ; his beneficence, like 

 himself, was silent and sincere.' 



Let me apply to him what Swift's Lord Cork says of Archbishop 

 Herring : ' Honour and reverence will attend his name while this 

 World lasts ; happiness and glory will remain with him for ever.' 



I cannot also prevent myself from appealing to my reader in the 

 concluding words of Boileau's epitaph on Racine : ' toi qui que 

 tu sois, qui la piete attire en ce saint lieu, plains dans un si excellent 

 homme la triste destinee de tous les mortels ; et quelque grande idee 

 que puisse te donner de lui sa reputation, souviens-toi que ce sont 

 des prieres, et non pas de vains eloges qu'il te demande.' 



