4 8 GARDEN-CRAFT. 



writer of the sixteenth century, describes them as 

 placed in divers corners of the orchard, their ascent 

 being made by " stares of precious workmanship." 

 When of wood, the mount was often elaborately 

 painted. 



An account of works done at Hampton Court in 

 the time of Henry VIII., mentions certain expenses 

 incurred for "anticke" works; and referring to Bailey's 

 Dictionary, published early in the last century, the word 

 ( 'antick," as applied to curiously-shaped trees, still 

 survives, and is explained as " odd figures or shapes 

 of men, birds, beasts, &c., cut out." From the 

 above references, and others of like nature, we 

 know that the topiary art ("opus topiarum"), which 

 dealt in quaintly-shaped trees and shrubs, was in 

 full practice here throughout the latter half of the 

 middle ages. Samuel Hartlib, in a book published 

 in 1659, writes thus : "About fifty years ago Ingenu- 

 ities first began to flourish in England." Lawson, 

 writing in a jocose vein, tells how the lesser wood 

 might be framed by the gardener " to the shape of 

 men armed in the field ready to give battell ; or 

 swift-running greyhounds, or of well-sented and true- 

 running hounds to chase the deere or hunt the hare" ; 

 adding as a recommendation that " this kinde of 

 hunting shall not waste your corne, nor much your 

 coyne ! " 



I find that John Leland in his Itinerary, 1540, 

 further confirms the use of highly-decorated mounts : 

 as at Wressel Castle, Yorkshire, he tells of the gar- 

 dens with the mote, and the orchards as exceeding 



