NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 213 



keeping up a constant correspondence with Italy, were the 

 first people among us that had gardens and fruit-trees in 

 any perfection within the wall of their abbeys* and priories. 

 The barons neglected every pursuit that did not lead to war 

 or tend to the pleasure of the chase. 



It was not till gentlemen took up the study of horticul- 

 ture themselves that the knowledge of gardening made such 

 hasty advances. Lord Cobham, Lord Ila, and Mr. Waller, 

 of Beaconsfield, were some of the first people of rank that 

 promoted the elegant science of ornamenting without 

 despising the superintendence of the kitchen quarters and 

 fruit walls. 



A remark made by the excellent Mr. Ray, in his Tour 

 of Europe, at once surprises us, and corroborates what has 

 been advanced above ; for we find him observing so late as 

 his days, that, " The Italians use several herbs for sallets, 

 which are not yet, or have not been but lately, used in 

 England viz., selleri (celery) which is nothing else but 

 the sweet smallage ; the young shoots whereof, with a little 

 of the head of the root cut off, they eat raw with oil and 

 pepper ; " and further adds " Curled endive blanched is 

 much used beyond seas ; and for a raw sallet, seemed to 

 excell lettuce itself." Now this journey was undertaken no 

 longer ago than in the year 1663. 



* " In monasteries the lamp of knowledge continued to burn, how- 

 ever dimly. In them men of business were formed for the state : the 

 art of writing was cultivated by the monks ; they were the only pro- 

 ficients in mechanics, gardening, and architecture." DALRYMPLE'S 

 Annals of Scotland. 



