1 84 Gleanings in Old Garden Literature. 



for much in the way of extract, but let me 

 copy out a paragraph or so, where he begins 

 to speak of his own country and his own 

 seat : 



" But after so much Ramble into Ancient Times, 

 and Remote Places, to return Home and consider 

 the present Way and Humour of our Gardening in 

 England, which seem to have grown into such Vogue, 

 and to have been so mightily improved in Three or 

 Four and Twenty Years of His Majesty's reign, that 

 perhaps few Countries are before us ; either in the 

 Elegance of our Gardens, or in the number of our 

 Plants ; and I believe none equals us in the Variety 

 of Fruits, which may be justly called good ; and from 

 the earliest Cherry and Strawberry, to the last Apples 

 and Pears, may furnish every Day of the circling 

 Year. For the Taste and Perfection of what we 

 esteem the best, I may truly say, that the French, 

 who have eaten my Peaches and Grapes at Shene, in 

 no very 111 year, have generally concluded, that the 

 best are as good as any they have eaten in France, 

 on this side Fountainbkau ; and the first as good 

 as any they have eat in Gascony ; I mean those 

 which came from the Stone, and are properly called 

 Peaches, not those which are hard, and are termed 

 Pavies ; . . . . Italians have agreed, my White Figs 

 to be as good as any of that sort in Italy, which is 

 the earlier kind of White Fig there ; for in the latter 

 [later] kind, and the Blue, we cannot come near the 



