22 



THE planter's GUIDE. 



flourished in the fifteenth century, might well exclaim — 



" Heu, male transfertur senio cum induruit arbor !'' 



After the revival of learning in Europe, gardening, and 

 in some sort arboriculture, were among the useful arts 

 first studied ; but the rudeness of those early attempts at 

 the former gave no earnest of the excellence which it was 

 afterwards to attain. It is a popular error to suppose, as 

 is done by some, that our rectilinear gardens, our formal 

 avenues, and elaborate topiary works, were borrowed from 

 the Dutch, after the accession of King William. On the 

 contrary, they belong to a far earlier day. They were 

 accurate transcripts, derived from antiquity, of the Roman 

 garden, as we find it admired by Cicero, and described 

 by Pliny, in the most polished ages of the empire.*" They 

 were the style of garden first brought to Britain by the 

 Romans ; and it prevailed universally in England, as we 

 learn from both Hentzner and Plott, in the days of Queen 

 Elizabeth. 



The removal of large trees has been practised in Europe 

 for nearly two centuries, and it is more than a liundred 

 and fifty years since it was introduced into England. It 

 seems to have come into vogue among the great and 

 powerful, sometimes for the purpose of concealing a defect 

 in their formal gardens, or perhaps for supplying or pro- 

 longing a favourite vista. But it was for the most part 

 a mere display of expense and labour, adopted without 

 plan, and executed without skill or science. 



Among the earliest and most successful planters on a 

 great scale was Count Maurice of Nassau, who figured as 

 governor of Brazil in 1636, when that settlement was in 

 the hands of the Dutch. This prince was a man of taste 



* Note X. 



