CHAP. II. 



BRmSH ISLANDS. 



61 



horsechestnuts, red cedars, arbor vitaes, laurels, bays, &c., which 

 probably were planted in or previously to 1730. (See Index, 

 Cedar, &c.) 



In the preface (after praising the temperature of the British 

 climate; the Royal Society, Charles II., and William III., and 

 also Malpighius, Grew, Ray, &c., are complimented, as having 

 paved the way for the improvement of gardening. " The profits 

 and innocent delights of this art," they say, " have ciUured into it 

 many learned and curious persons, nobility and gentry ; " and 

 these " have not contented themselves with the narrow compass 

 and mean stock of our former poorly furnished gardens, but 

 they have industriously procured, from abroad, trees, plants, 

 flowers, and fruit, not only from our own plantations in America, 

 but those also of other parts of Europe, nay, even Asia and 

 Africa. Among these generous procurers of plants, &c., we 

 cannot," the Society add, " forbear mentioning the following 

 worthy persons : — 



" First, Dr.Compton, late Bishop of London, who was an early 

 introducer of exotic trees and plants, many of which were grown 

 to a considerable size in the open air, in those formerly well- 

 stocked gardens at Fulham, most of which have been since 

 destroyed, to the great regret of many curious persons. 



" Much about the same time Samuel Reynardson, Esq., began 

 to furnish his fine gardens at Flillingdon, near Uxbridge, with a 

 great variety of curious plants, which his great correspondence 

 abroad enabled him to procure from divers parts of the world; 

 but, as he kept them for the most part confined to pots and tubs, 

 preserving them in green-houses in winter, never attempting to 

 naturalise them to our climate, so, soon after his death, that 

 valuable collection was dispersed, as at present to be hardly 

 known what he was possessed of. 



" In the like manner, also, the curious Dr. Uvedale of Enfield 

 did, by his great correspondence abroad, collect a very valuable 

 parcel of plants and flowers, which he, with great skill' and care, 

 maintained for many years ; and some of the valuable trees were 

 planted in the full ground, where they are now (1730) remain- 

 ing ; but the bulk of his collection w^as sold to Sir Robert 

 Walpole, soon after the doctor's death. 



" Her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort did also collect a nume- 

 rous quantity of rare plants into those famous gardens of Bad- 

 mington, where she preserved and maintained them with great 

 care in wonderful beauty for many years; but this collection 

 also consisted chiefly of the most tender exotic plants. 



" The Earl of Pembroke began about the same time to plant 

 those magnificent gardens at Wilton, with all the different 

 varieties of curious exotic trees and shrubs as would endure the 

 cold of our climate in the open air; in which His Lordship hath 



