126 THE PRAISE OF GARDENS 



In former Times, the use of Box was not known, and the 

 Manner of using it, if we believe the Fable, was introduc'd by 

 the Goddess Flora, who believing it to be an Ornament prepared 

 for Gardens, order'd it to be made use of accordingly. 



. . . Some Parterres are said to be imbroider'd, others partly 

 imbroider'd, and partly Cut-work with Borders ; a Third Sort 

 compos'd of Grass-work only ; a Fourth made up of Imbroidery 

 and Grass-work ; a Fifth only Cut-work ; a Sixth nothing but 

 Cut-work and Turfs of Grass; a Seventh of Cut-work of Grass 

 and Imbroidery ; an Eighth whose middle is all Cut-work, and 

 the Borders Imbroidery ; a Ninth, on the contrary, whose 

 Borders are all Cut-work, and the Middle Imbroidery; and 

 lastly another Sort, whose Middle is partly Imbroidery, partly 

 Cut-work and Green Turf, with Borders of Turf and Cut-work. 



NOTE. Imbroidery those Draughts which represent in Effect 

 those we have on our Cloaths, and look like Foliage ; in Gardners' 

 language call'd Branch-work. Below the Foliage certain Flowers 

 called Flourishings. The Retired Gardner, chap. iii. 



MANDELSLO A traveller who visited England in 1640 thus describes the Garden at 

 (1640.) Theobalds, the Palace of James I: 



TT is large and square, having all its walls covered with sillery 

 * and a beautiful jet d'eau in the centre. The parterre hath 

 many pleasant walks, many of which are planted on the sides with 

 espaliers, and others arched over. Some of the trees are limes 

 and elms, and at the end is a small mount called the Mount of 

 VenuS) which is placed in the midst of a labyrinth and is upon 

 the whole, one of the most beautiful spots in the world. ''Voyages 

 de Mandelslo ' (quoted by Daines Barringtori). 



SIR JOHN A FTER what I have said of the number and beauty of the 



(1643-1713) flowers in Persia, one might easily imagine that the most 



beautiful gardens in the world are to be found there; but this 



