IN THE FAR PAST n 



began in time to make a monastery garden, here 

 and there, an oasis of delight in the midst of rough 

 and ready surroundings. Ay, and were, some- 

 times, even the innocent cause of upbraiding on 

 account of the soft luxuriousness they were sup- 

 posed to encourage and betray. The indignant 

 outburst of the Grand Master of the Knights Tem- 

 plars in " Ivanhoe " comes to mind : " This very 

 garden, filled as it is with curious herbs and trees 

 sent from the eastern climes, better becomes the 

 harem of an unbelieving Emir than the plot which 

 Christian monks should devote to raise their pot 

 herbs!" 



Ah ! well, grant as we may that little is known 

 of centuries so far away, is it not well sometimes 

 to carry the thoughts back to those fevered days 

 sketch them lightly as we may with faint, uncer- 

 tain touch when doing and daring carried all 

 before them, while, all unnoticed, the beneficence 

 of silent ceaseless working, from such feeble begin- 

 nings as these, stealthily transformed the face of 

 this little island, which we are now proud to call 

 GREAT BRITAIN? 



