GARDENS OF CELEBRITIES 



was well said of him " that even the haters of prelacy could never 

 hate Juxon." 



The Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford was built and endowed by 

 Gilbert Sheldon, who succeeded Juxon both at Fulham and at 

 Lambeth. So great was his munificence that it is said that he 

 laid out in charitable, pious, and public uses, 66,000, much of 

 this money being devoted to the relief of the sufferers in the time 

 of the plague ; and a not inconsiderable sum was expended by 

 him on the Palace of Fulham. Sheldon's successor, Dr. Humphrey 

 Henckman, was instrumental in effecting the escape of Charles II. 

 after the Battle of Worcester, and was rewarded after the Restora- 

 tion by a nomination to the See of Salisbury ; in 1663 he succeeded 

 Sheldon in the See of London. 



From the period when Bishop Grindal left Fulham for Lambeth, 

 little or nothing is heard of the gardens, which, in his time, had 

 promised to become so famous, until we come to Henry Compton, 

 one of the most distinguished of the metropolitan prelates. Born 

 in 1632, Compton was tutor to the Princesses Mary and Anne. 

 He was appointed to the See of London in 1675, but popery was 

 then regaining ground, and the Bishop strenuously opposed it. 

 By so doing he incurred the enmity of the Duke of York, 

 afterwards James II., and on that prince's accession to the 

 throne was removed from several posts that he had filled, and at 

 length was suspended from all spiritual functions. " He con- 

 tinued, however," says Macaulay, "to reside in his palace and 

 receive his revenue." And good came out of evil, for he was 

 able to turn his attention to his favourite pursuit of gardening. 

 We learn that " he had a real and scientific knowledge of plants, 

 an attainment not usual among the great of those days, and 

 during his long residence at Fulham of thirty- eight years, he 

 gave up much time and study to their cultivation, and was 

 able to introduce into the garden a larger number of hardy 

 exotic trees and shrubs, and a greater variety of greenhouse 

 rarities than had ever been seen in England." But he did more 

 than this for he diffused the knowledge he had himself acquired, 

 and generously opened his grounds to the inspection and study 

 of the scientific students of horticulture and botany, and his 

 collections were visited by the most eminent horticulturists 

 and botanists of the day. 



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