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care of her gardens in chief to Mr. Wise, Mr. London still 

 pursuing his business in the country. It will perhaps be 

 hardly believed in time to come, that this one person actually 

 saw and gave directions once or twice a year in most of the 

 noblemen's and gentlemen's gardens in England. And since 

 it was common for him to ride fifty or sixty miles in a day, 

 he made his northern circuit in five or six weeks, and some- 

 times less; and his western in as little time; as for the south 

 and east, they were but three or four days' work for him; 

 most times twice a year visiting all the country seats, con- 

 versing with gentlemen, and forwarding the business of gar- 

 dening in such a degree as is almost impossible to describe. 

 In the mean time his colleague managed matters nearer home 

 with a dexterity and care equal to his character; and in truth 

 they have deserved so much of the world, that it is but 

 common justice to transmit their memory to ages to come. 

 To speak more particularly of the knowledge Mr. London 

 was supposed to be master of in this matter, the little oppor- 

 tunity he had in laying a foundation of learning, was, without 

 doubt, a great obstruction to his progress in occult philoso- 

 phy, which is involved in so many hard terms; this, never- 

 theless, he overcame purely by industry ; and what he wanted 

 in one, he abounded with in the other. He was perfectly 

 well skilled in fruit, which seemed to be his master- piece; as 

 for other parts, as greens, trees, flowers, exoticks, and the 

 like, he certainly had as much knowledge as any one man 

 living; and though he might not come up to the highest 

 pitch of design always, yet that might be attributed to the 

 haste he was generally in; and it can be no great blemish to 

 his character, that he was not the greatest person in every 

 thing, when it is surprising to find he could possibly know so 

 much ; so great a surprise indeed, that we must hardly ever 

 expect his equal, much less any one that will exceed him. 

 The planting and raising of all sorts of trees is so much due 

 to this undertaking, that it will be hard for any of posterity 



