SOLOMON 3 



On the outside of the vineyard wall were planted rows of palms, 

 which occurred again with the dom and other trees, along the 

 whole length of the exterior wall : four tanks of water, bordered 

 by a grass plot, where geese were kept, and the delicate flower of 

 the lotus was encouraged to grow, served for the irrigation of the 

 grounds ; and small kiosks, or summer-houses, shaded with trees, 

 stood near the water, and overlooked beds of flowers. Sir J. 

 Gardner Wilkinson, ' The Ancient Egyptians' l 



A GARDEN enclosed is my sister, my spouse ; a spring shut SOLOMON 

 up, a fountain sealed. (*- c - I0 33- 



Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits ; 

 camphire, with spikenard, 



Spikenard and saffron ; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees 

 of frankincense ; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices. 



A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams 

 from Lebanon. 



Awake, O north wind : and come, thou south ; blow upon my 

 garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come 

 into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. The Song of Solomon. 



AND without the court-yard hard by the door is a great garden, HOMER (B.C. 

 ** of four plough-gates, and a hedge runs round on either side. 962-927). 

 And there grow tall trees blossoming, pear-trees and pomegranates, 

 and apple-trees with bright fruit, and sweet figs, and olives in 

 their bloom. The fruit of these trees never perisheth, neither 

 faileth winter or summer, enduring through all the year. Ever- 

 more the West Wind blowing brings some fruits to birth and 



1 From an interesting paper in the Morning Post by Mr Percy E. Newberry, 

 I gather, while correcting these proof sheets, that there is a Tomb at Thebes 

 of a man named Nekht, who, under Thotmes III. (about 1500 B.C.), held 

 the office of Head Gardener of the Gardens attached to the Temple of Karnak, 

 which there is good reason to suppose were designed by him as represented in 

 our illustration. This tomb was discovered first by Mr Robert Hay early in 

 the century, during a residence of thirteen years in the Nile Valley, and has 

 now been re-explored and excavated afresh by Mr Newberry, Lord Northamp- 

 ton, and Dr Spiegelberg. 



