HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE. 85 



" From the middle of this Parterre is a Descent by many Steps 

 flying on each Side of a Grotto, that lies between them (covered with 

 Lead, and flat) into the lower Garden, which is all Fruit-Trees ranged 

 about the several Quarters of a Wilderness, which is very Shady ; 

 the Walks here are all Green, the Grotto embellished with Figures of 

 Shell-Rock work, Fountains, and Water-works. If the Hill had not 

 ended with the lower Garden, and the Wall were not bounded by a 

 Common Way that goes through the Park, they might have added a 

 Third Quarter of all Greens ; but this Want is supplied by a Garden 

 on the other Side of the House, which is all of that Sort, very Wild, 

 Shady, and adorned with rough Rock- work and Fountains." (" Upon 

 the Garden of Epicurus, or of Gardening.") 



The " Systema Horticulturae " of John Worlidge 

 (1677) was, says Mr. Hazlitt (" Gleanings in old 

 Garden Literature," p. 40), apparently the earliest 

 manual for the guidance of gardeners. It deals with 

 technical matters, such as the treatment and virtue of 

 different soils, the form of the ground, the structure 

 of walls and fences, the erection of arbours, summer- 

 houses, fountains, grottoes, obelisks, dials, &c. 



"The Scots Gardener," by John Reid (1683) 

 follows this, and is, says Mr. Hazlitt, the parent- 

 production in this class of literature. It is divided 

 into two portions, of which the first is occupied by 

 technical instructions for the choice of a site for a 

 garden, the arrangement of beds and walks, &c. 



Crispin de Passe's " Book of Beasts, Birds, 

 Flowers, Fruits, &c.," published in London (1630), 

 heralds the changes which set in with the introduc- 

 tion of the Dutch school of design. 



To speak generally of the subject, it is with the 

 art of Gardening as with Architecture, Literature, and 

 Music there is the Mediaeval, the Elizabethan, the 

 Jacobean, the Georgian types. Each and all are 



