SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 185 



cated it to Charles II. with the customary eulogies of this 

 " invincible Monarch," who, " with excellent choice, accom- 

 panied with great Solidity of Judgment, begun, and with in- 

 cessant care and concernment still prosecutes in his Royal 

 Houses of St. James's, Hampton Court, and Greenwich, where 

 this Mighty Prince hath made more notable changes, and 

 added more Royal Decorations since the 10 years of this 

 happy Restoration, then [sic] any His Ancestors ever thought 

 in the Space of a whole Age." There is a plate giving a plan 

 of the garden in St. James's Park, and he expressly states in 

 the preface to the reader that these " designs are all of my own 

 invention, and drawn with my own hand." He describes 

 minutely his plan, which, it will be noticed, is for a garden, and 

 does not embrace the canal, which was 100 feet broad and 

 2,800 feet long, and ran through the centre of the park ; but, 

 as has been shown, this was in progress before the appointment 

 ofMollet. 



" And we shall begin with the Royal Garden, which we have con- 

 trived by His Majesties Order in his park at St. James's. This Royal 

 Garden. **** contains 200 Toises 1 in length, and 50 in breadth, and 

 whereas there is no place near it from which it may be view'd from 

 on high, we have therein omitted all Embroidered Ground works, and 

 Knots of Grass, and have contrived it into several Parallelograms, 

 according to its length ; and in regard it falls out, that at one end there 

 happens to be a Wild Wood, we have contrived another of green trees 

 over against it, of which the great Tree which was found standing there 

 in the middle makes the Head, both of the green Wood and the rest 

 of the Garden, which Tree we thought fit to leave as a remembrance 

 of the Royal Oak. The Lists in the said Parallelogram are planted 

 with dwarf fruit Trees, Rose Trees, and several sorts of Flowers ; the 

 circumference is planted with Cyprus Trees and other green Plants, 

 to make Palissados of about five foot high, with two perforated Gates to 

 every Square ; the said Lists are parted with Grass in the manner of 

 knots. Finally the Alleys are of five Toises in breadth, with their 

 Lists, in the middle of which are planted dwarf fruit Trees and Vines ; 

 the great Walk on the Right-hand is raised Terrace-like and Turfft ; 

 having a Fountain of five Toises in Diameter, and a Round of Grass 

 whereon to set up a, Dial or Statue, as also in several places Cut Angles, 

 as may be seen upon the Design." 



There can be no doubt, therefore, that Andre Mollet was the 



chief gardener of St. James's Park. As the holder of his pre- 



1 Mollet in all these measurements uses the French toise, or fathom = 

 6 feet. 



