242 THE PRAISE OF GARDENS 



a cottage, for it is detached ; a white house with six good rooms 

 in it; the New River (rather elderly by this time) runs (if a 

 moderate walking pace can be so termed) close to the foot of the 

 house; and behind is a spacious garden, with vines (I assure 

 you); pears, strawberries, parsnips, leeks, carrots, cabbages, to 

 delight the heart of old Alcinous. ... I heard of you from 

 Mr P. this morning, and that gave a fillip to my laziness, which 

 has been intolerable; but I am so taken up with pruning and 

 gardening, quite a new sort of occupation to me. I have gathered 

 my jargonels, but my winter pears are backward. The former 

 were of exquisite raciness. I do now sit under my own vine, and 

 contemplate the growth of vegetable nature. I can now under- 

 stand in what sense they speak of Father Adam. I recognise 

 the paternity, while I watch my tulips. I almost feel with him 

 too ; for the first day I turned a drunken gardener (as he let in 

 the serpent) into my Eden, and he laid about him, lopping off 

 some choice boughs, etc., which hung over from a neighbour's 

 garden, and in his blind zeal laid waste a shade, which had 

 sheltered their window from the gaze of passers-by. The old 

 gentlewoman (fury made her not handsome) could scarcely be 

 reconciled by all my fine words. There was no buttering her 

 parsnips. She talked of the law. What a lapse to commit on 

 the first day of my happy ' garden state ! ' Letter to Bernard 

 Barton. (Sept. 2, 1823.) 



WALTER 'pERNISSA. I promise you I never will hate a tree again. 



SAVAGE Epicurus. I told you so. 



(1775-1865). Leontion. Nevertheless I suspect, my Ternissa, you will often 

 be surprised into it. I was very near saying, c I hate these rude 

 square stones ! ' Why did you leave them here, Epicurus ? 



Epicurus. It is true, they are the greater part square, and seem 

 to have been cut out in ancient times for plinths and columns : 

 they are also rude. Removing the smaller, that I might plant 

 violets and cyclamens and convolvuluses and strawberries, and 



