THE CHARM OF GARDENS 



sweet trailing Sweetbriar ? Bacon would have us 

 notice these, make a feast of these. Also he recom- 

 mends the beauty of the White Thorn in leaf, the Cherry 

 and the Plum trees in blossom, the Cherry tree in fruit, 

 the Lilac tree, the wonder of the Apple tree, and the 

 Medlar. 



Then, again, Bacon touches on a point all too little 

 counted : the perfume of the garden. He says : " And 

 because the breath of flowers is far sweeter in the air 

 (where it comes and goes like the warbling of musick) 

 than in the hand, therefore nothing is more fit for that 

 delight than to know what be the flowers and plants 

 that do best perfume the air. 



" Roses, damask and red, are fast flowers of their 

 smells ; so that you may walk by a whole row of them 

 and find nothing of their sweetness ; yea, though it be in 

 a morning's dew. Bays likewise yield no smell as they 

 grow ; Rosemary little ; nor Sweet Marjorum. 



" That which above all others yield the sweetest smell 

 in the air is the Violet, especially the White Double Violet 

 which comes twice a year ; about the middle of April, 

 and about Bartholomew-tide. Next to that is the Musk 

 Rose ; then the Strawberry le&ves dying, which yield 

 a most excellent cordial smell. Then the flowers of the 

 Vines ; it is a little dust, like the dust of a Bent, which 

 grows upon the cluster, in the first coming forth : then 

 the Sweet Briar, then Wallflowers, which are very 

 delightful to be set under a parlour or lower chamber 

 window. Then Pinks and Gilly-flowers, especially the 

 matted Pink and Clove Gillyflower : then the flowers of 

 the Lime tree ; then the Honeysuckles, so they be some- 

 what afar off. 



" Of Bean flowers I speak not, because they are field 

 flowers. 



" But those which perfume the air most delightfully, 



164 



