JOHN PARKINSON 147 



alone almost sufficient to furnish a garden with flowers for almost 

 half the yeare. But to describe the infinite (as I may so say) 

 variety of the colours of the flowers and to give each his true 

 distinction and denomination it passeth my ability I confesse, 

 and I thinke would grauell the best experienced in Europe." 

 (Nevertheless he writes of about fifty varieties.) Of fragrant 

 crane's-bills, bear's-ears, primroses and cowslips. Of violets, 

 borage, marigolds, campions, snapdragons, columbines and 

 lark's-heels (delphiniums). Of gillyflowers (why have we given 

 up this old-fashioned English name?), and how pleasant is the 

 mere reading of his list of varieties " Master Bradshawe his 

 daintie Ladie," " Ruffling Robin," " The Fragrant," " The Red 

 Hulo," " John Witte his great tawny gillow flower," " Lustie 

 Gallant," " The fair maid of Kent," " The Speckled Tawny." 

 " But the most beautiful that ever I did see was with Master 

 Ralph Tuggie, 1 the which gilliflower I must needes therefore call 

 ' Master Tuggies Princesse/ which is the greatest and fairest of all 

 these sorts of variable tawnies, being as large fully as the Prince 

 or Chrystall, or something greater, standing comely and round, 

 not loose or shaken, or breaking the pod as some other sorts will ; 

 the marking of the flower is in this manner : It is of a stamell 

 colour, striped and marbled with white stripes and veines quite 

 through every leafe, which are as deeply iagged as the Hulo : 

 sometimes it hath more red then white, and sometimes more 

 white then red, and sometimes so equally marked that you cannot 

 discern which hath the mastery; yet which of these hath the 

 predominance, still the flower is very beautifull and exceeding 

 delightsome." Of peonies, lupins, pinks, sea-holly and sweet- 

 william. Of lilies of the valley, gentian, Canterbury bells, 

 hollyhocks and mallows (" which for their bravery are entertained 

 everywhere unto every countrey- woman's garden"). Of fox- 

 gloves, goldilocks, valerian and mullein. Of cuckoo-flowers, 

 " or Ladies smockes," both the double and the trefoil. The first 



1 " Master Tuggie," who lived in Westminster, was a famous grower of 

 gilliflowers. See p. 116. 



