Natural Hi/lory of the Ancients. 139 



vated in it. In the " Knighte's Tale " Palaemon 

 fees his Emilia for the firft time in fuch a garden : 



" Thurgh a window thikke of many a barre 

 Of yren gret, and fquare as any fparre." 



The ftory of the Earl of Surrey and the fair 

 Geraldine may illuftrate how frequently, in the 

 immured life which many noble damfels muft 

 necefTarily have led in troublous times, fuch ex- 

 amples of love at firft fight muft have occurred. 



A change has come over the Englim garden in 

 Elizabeth's reign. It contains more herbs and 

 flowers, and is more daintily laid out, until it 

 refembles 



" A paradife of delight, to which compared 

 Theffalian Tempe, or that garden where 

 Venus with her revived Adonis fpend 

 Their pleafant hours." 1 



The poets now begin to lavifh fentiment upon 

 it ; as, for inftance, Shakefpeare, from whofe plays 

 a charming Old Englim garden can be con- 

 ftrucled. Richard Barnfield thus enumerates in 

 1 594 the contents of a garden : 



" Nay, more than this, I have a garden plot 



Wherein there wants nor hearbs, nor roots, nor flowers, 

 Flowers to fmell, roots to eate, hearbs for the pot, 



And dainty flickers when the welkin lowers : 

 Sweet-fmelling beds of lillies and of rofes, 

 Which rofemary banks and lavender enclofes. 



" There growes the gillifloure, the mynt, the dayzie, 



Both red and white, the blue-eyed violet, 

 The purple hyacinth, the fpyke to pleafe thee, 



The fcarlet-dyde carnation bleeding yet. 

 The fage, the favery, and fweet margerum, 

 Ifop, tyme, and eye-bright, good for the blinde and dumbe. 



1 Maffingcr, " Believe as You Lilt." 



