234 THE LOTUS OF THE GOOD LAW 



place, full of thick foliaged trees and shrubs gay 

 with brilliant, perfumed flowers. The shady 

 alleys were kept cleared and swept. Evergreens 

 were clipped and trained to form aromatic 

 scented bowers over platforms paved with fine 

 mosaic. Creepers wreathed the white garden- 

 houses, whose inner walls were covered with 

 frescoes. The heroines of old did not disdain to 

 plant and water their favourite trees with their 

 own hands. Indeed it was held that the asoka — 

 sorrow allaying — tree, whose splendid orange- 

 red flowers are sacred to the Lord Siva, never 

 flowered to perfection unless its roots had first 

 been pressed by the foot of a beautiful young 

 girl. This ceremony, a charming allegory of 

 spring, is a frequent motive with the poets and 

 temple carvers. These woodland gardens were 

 full of lotus ponds, but as far as I know there is 

 no mention of the old symbolic four-went water- 

 ways, although the references to fountains would 

 suggest that the water must have been running. 

 But the artificial " Pleasure Hill," as it was called, 

 placed in the centre of the ground, definitely 

 connects the Hindu garden, like that of Central 

 Asia, with the ancient symbolism of the Holy 

 Mount, the Tree, and the Snake. 



