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♦ 







THE BOOK OF THE EOYAL 



London was originally a pupil of Eose, already mentioned 

 as gardener to Charles II., and by whom he was sent to France 

 for improvement. He was placed under De Quintinye at 

 Versailles (whose "Instructions pour les Jardins Fmitiers et 

 Potagers" he and Wise afterwards translated and abridged, 

 under the title of " The Complete Gardener "), and on his return 

 was appointed gardener to the Bishop of London at Fulham. 

 Here he remained until he too joined in "that great undertaking 

 of Brompton Park," as Evelyn calls it. At the Eevolution of 

 1688 lie was made superintendent of all the Eoyal gardens (at 

 a salary of £200 a year) and a page of the back-stairs to Queen 

 Maiy, " and it was particularly observed that he assisted at the 

 Eevolution in carrying the then Princess Anne to Nottingham 

 from the fury of the Papists." 



Cooke having, in 1689, disposed of his interest in the 

 undertaking to Henry Wise, also a pupil of Eose, the Eoyal 

 gardener, a partnership was formed by them under the name 

 of London and Wise, which afterwards became closely identified 

 with the gardening and garden literature of their clay. During 

 the period the nursery was under their direction, they were 

 engaged in aU the great horticultural vmdertakiugs of the time, 

 and their establishment became a school in which were trained 

 men who gave a form and substance to the practical gardening 

 of this country. Among these were their foreman, Leonard 

 Meager, the author of "The English Gardener," 4to, 16^0 (the 

 first work that has any pretension to practical knowledge of the 

 subject), and Stephen Switzer, also their foreman, and successor 

 to Meager, and who may justly be called the father of modern 

 o-ardening. Of the great works on which London and Wise were 



