L AS ] 



the road continued extremely good, until I 

 got near Northill; owing to the fpirited 



attention of Butcher, Efq; but it 



degenerated much over a common, a little 

 Wore Northill*. 



The pariili of Sandy near Northill is 

 much noted for its gardens ; there are above 

 150 acres of land occupied by many gar- 

 deners, who fupply the whole country, for 

 many miles, with garden fluff, even to 

 Hertford. I examined their grounds with 

 much attention, and inquired concerning 

 the practice of a very fenfible gardener, 

 reflecting two or three articles of their 

 culture, which are, or ought to be the bu- 

 finefs of farmers in many fituations. 



Their 



* I would advife any traveller, who partes 

 through the county of Bedford to make 

 Northill in their route, were it only for the 

 fatisfaccion of viewing two fmall pieces of 

 painted glafs done by J. Oliver in 1660, be- 

 longing to the Rector, the Rev. Mr. Alaxey. 

 They are very fmall, but each has a fly, fo 

 exquifitely painted as to exceed the power 

 even of imagination to conceive ; the wings 

 are coloured on one fide, and the bodies on 

 the other of the glafs, and are touched in fo 

 lively and fpirited a manner, (efpecially one, 

 which is fuperior to the other, that without 

 fruit) that it is difficult to believe them but 

 painting, and not life itfelf •, the light appears 

 through the body at the junction with the t~:I 

 E 2 in 



