STRAWBERRIES 5 
the fifteenth century. Holinshead reports that they 
were then grown in the stately and ‘‘ample” gardens 
of the Bishop of Ely, on the ground now known as 
Hatton Garden. He quotes the Duke of Gloucester as 
saying to the Bishop ol-Ehy 2 ¢5 My lord, you have very 
good strawberries in your garden in Holborn. 1 require 
you to let us have a mess of them.” This speech was 
copied almost verbatim by Shakespeare in the third act 
of King Richard IT]. 
The garden strawberries at that period were but 
transplanted wildlings, and plants were to be purchased 
at fourpence a bushel. In his advice for September 
Tusser wrote :—- 
‘¢ Wife, into thy garden, and set me a plot 
With strawbery rootes of the best to be got: 
Such growing abroade, among thornes in the wood, 
Wel chosen and picked, prove excellent good ”’ ; 
and Thomas Hyde, at the commencement of the 
sixteenth century, said: ‘‘ They grow in gardens unto 
the largeness of a mulbury”; whilst Platt, in his Garden 
of Eden, wrote: ‘‘ Strawberries which grow in woods 
prosper best in gardens.” Shakespeare’s references are 
all to the wild species, which he says ‘‘ grows underneath 
the nettle” ; and Ben Jonson speaks of ‘‘a pot of straw- 
berries, gathered in the wood, to mingle with your 
cream.” Gerard said: ‘‘Strawberries grow upon hills 
and valleys, likewise in woods and other places which be 
somewhat shadowie. They prosper well in gardens.” 
It is not very easy to follow the introduction of exotic 
strawberries into this country. Gerard (1597) refers to 
the Wood strawberry, and the Hautbois (fragaria 
elatior), the latter an European, but continental species. 
Sir Hugh Platt in the book already referred to, regards 
the Virginian strawberry as of less value than the wild 
native one, and Parkinson (1629) mentions Wild, Haut- 
bois, Virginian and Bohemian strawberries, but with 
