142 THE PRAISE OF GARDENS 



Guildhall. I know an eminent cook, who beautified his country- 

 seat with a coronation - dinner in greens, where you see the 

 champion flourishing on horseback at one end of the table, and 

 the Queen in perpetual youth at the other. 



For the benefit of all my loving countrymen of this curious 

 taste, I shall here publish a catalogue of greens to be disposed of 

 by an eminent town-gardener, who has lately applied to me upon 

 this head. He represents that for the advancement of a politer 

 sort of ornament in the villas and gardens adjacent to this great 

 city, and in order to distinguish those places from the mere 

 barbarous countries of gross nature, the world stands much in 

 need of a virtuoso gardener, who has a turn to sculpture, and is 

 thereby capable of improving upon the ancients in the imagery 

 of evergreens. I proceed to this catalogue : 



Adam and Eve in yew ; Adam a little shattered by the fall of 

 the tree of Knowledge in the great storm ; Eve and the serpent 

 very flourishing. 



Noah's Ark in holly, the ribs a little damaged for want of 

 water. 



The tower of Babel not yet finished. 



St. George in Box ; his arm scarce long enough, but will be in 

 a condition to stick the dragon by next April. 



A green dragon of the same, with a tail of ground-ivy for the 

 present. 



N.B. Those two are not to be sold separately. 



Edward the Black Prince in Cypress. . . . 



A Queen Elizabeth in Phyllirea, a little inclining to the Green 

 sickness, but of full growth. . . . 



An old Maid of honour in wormwood. 



A topping Ben Johnson in Laurel. 



Divers eminent modern poets in bays, somewhat blighted, to 

 be disposed of a penny worth. . . . The Guardian, No. 173. 



I can afford room for your self and two servants ; I have indeed 

 room enough, nothing but myself at home ; the kind and hearty 

 house-wife is dead! the agreeable and instructive neighbour is 



