14 THE PRAISE OF GARDENS 



Rome yeelded greater impost unto the State than the Hearberie. 

 . . . Cato highly commendeth the garden Coules or Cabbages, 

 whereby we may know, that in his daies Gardens were in some 

 respect. , . . And hereupon it came, that Salads of hearbs were 

 called Acedaria, 1 so little care and trouble went to the pro- 

 vision and making of them. . . . That quarter of the Garden 

 which serveth an house with poignant hearbs instead of sauce, to 

 give a commendable tast and seasoning to our meat, sheweth 

 plainly that the master and mistresse thereof were not woont to 

 run in the Merchants bookes for Spicerie, but chaunged the 

 Grocer or Apothecaries shop, for the Garden. . . . And as 

 for the other quarters set out with beds of floures and sweet 

 smelling hearbs, what reckoning was made of them in old 

 time may appeare by this, That a man could not heretofore 

 come by a commoner's house within the citie, but he should 

 see the windowes beautified with greene quishins (cushions), 

 wrought and tapissed with floures of all colours ; resembling 

 daily to their view the Gardens indeed which were in out- 

 villages, as being in the very heart of the citie, they might 

 think themselves in the countrey. . . . Let us give therfore 

 to Gardens their due honor; and let us not (I say) deprive 

 things of their credit and authoritie, because they are common 

 and nothing costly : for I may tell you, some of our nobilitie, 

 yea, and the best of the citie, have not disdained to take their 

 surnames from thence ... in the noble house and lineage of 

 the Valerii, some were not abashed nor ashamed to be called 

 Lactucini in regard of the best kind of Lectuce that they either 

 had in their gardens or affected most. And here I cannot chuse 

 but mention by the way, the grace that hath growne to our name 

 by occasion of some diligence employed and paines taken this 

 way ; whereby certain cherries beare our name and are called 

 Pliniana, in testimonie of our affection and love to that fruit. 

 PliniJs ' Naturall Historic J Book XIX., chap. iv. Translated 

 by Philemon Holland, Doctor in Physicke (1551-1636). 



1 i.e. a sinecure : from o, not, and /c^5oj, care. " Acetaria " was the title 

 chosen by John Evelyn for his ' Discourse on Sallets. ' 



