12 GLEANINGS ON GARDENS. 



gardens, fountains, walks, which at Theobald's were 

 perfected most costly, beauteyfully, and pleasantly, 

 where one might walk twoe myle in the walks before 

 he came to the end/ 



The Topographer, Vol. II., after giving an interest- 

 ing description of Ashridge Abbey, says, ' The house 

 is entirely surrounded by walks, within which is the 

 old garden, much neglected and growing wild. Here 

 are large laurels and yew-trees grown to an unusual 

 size ! ' Is there, among the archives of the Bridge- 

 water family, no view of the garden belonging to this 

 once most venerable and most curious of all curious 

 spots? 



The Magna Britannia speaks thus of Deepdene, 

 near Dorking : ' The house, gardens, orchards, and 

 boscages are placed in a most pleasant and delightful 

 solitude. In the garden, which may seem a second 

 Eden, there are twenty-one sorts of thyme, many rare 

 flowers, and choice plants. On the south side of the 

 hill is a vineyard of many acres, and on the west a 

 laboratory and neat oratory. Where under heaven 

 can be a sweeter place?' 



Sir H. Wotton calls the garden at Ware Park * a 

 delicate and diligent curiosity, without parallel among 

 foreign nations.' 



Stebbing Shaw, in his Towr to the West, after 

 describing Holm-Lacy, thus mentions the beauty 



