TO THE READER. 



S3 



" illi dederitis."— Pet. Belonius * De neglecta stirpium Cultura. 

 Problema ioc. 



My next advice is, that they do not easily commit themselves to the 

 dictates of their ignorant hinds and servants, who are, generally speaking, 

 more fit to learn than to instruct. " Male agitur cum Domino quem , 

 " Villicus docet," was an observation of old Cato's ; and it was Ischoma- 

 chus who told Socrates, discoursing one day upon a like subject, " That 

 " it was far easier to make than to find a good husbandman :" I have 

 often proved it so in gardeners, and I believe it will hold in most of our 

 \ country employments. Country people universally know, that all trees 

 consist of roots, stems, boughs, leaves, &c. but can give no account of 

 the species, virtues, or farther culture, besides the making of a pit or 

 hole, casting and treading in the earth, &c. which require a deeper search 

 than they are capable of ; we are then to exact labour, not conduct and 

 reason, from the greatest part of them : and the business of planting is an 

 art or science, (for so Varro has solemnly defined it,) and very different De r. r 

 from what many in his time accounted of it ; " Facillimam esse nec 

 " ullius acuminis Rusticationem," namely. That it was an easy and insipid 

 study. It was the simple culture only, with so much difficulty retrieved 

 from the late confusion of an intestine and bloody war, like that of ours, 

 and now put in reputation again, which made the noble poet write : 



" Verbis ea vincere magnum 



Quam fit, et augustis hunc addere rebus honorem !" georg. iii. 



" How hard it was 



" Low subjects with illustrious words to grace !" 



Seeing, as the Orator does himself express it, «* Nihil est homine libero in agris erant 

 " dignius," there is nothing more becoming and worthy of a gentleman, no, Jes".*^ ^citie 

 not the majesty of a Consul f. In ancient and best times, men were not ^+^snv£esint 

 honoured and esteemed for the only learned who were great linguists, nffi?'"seethfs 

 profound critics, readers and devourers of books, but such whose studies tlrprei^d^' by 

 consisted of the discourses, documents, and observations of their fore- ^''cl'rpoi!''' 

 fathers, ancient and venerable persons, who (as the excellent author of 



* P. Beloni wrote in French, and his work here quoted, was turned into Latin by Car. 

 Clusius, in 1589. Ed. 



