THE COMMON YEW 



Ham and Mary reached its highest point. Even 

 to-day in Europe there are many old places and in 

 this country at least one, the Hunnewell garden, 

 Wellesley, Mass., famous for this topiary art, but in 

 general it has rightly fallen into disrepute. Evelyn 

 claims the credit of introducing the Yew into fashion 

 for this work. Quite early topiary had its op- 

 ponents. Lord Bacon in the 17th century con- 

 demned the practice. "I for my part," he says in 

 his "Essays," "do not like images cut out in Junipers 

 and other garden stuff; they be for children." But 

 it was mainly due to the ridicule thrown upon the 

 practice by Addison and Pope in the i8th century 

 that it fell into disuse. Pope, deriding the fashion, 

 says: "An eminent town gardener has arrived at such 

 perfection that he cuts family pieces of men, women, 

 or children in trees. 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 flourish- 

 ing. 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. — ^These two not 

 to be sold separately.) Divers eminent modern 

 poets in Bays somewhat blighted to be disposed of a 

 pennyworth. A quickset hog, shot up into a porcu- 

 pine by its being forgot a week in rainy weather." 



105 



