O F S E L B O R N E. 223 
and country, how vaflly the confumption of vegetables is increafed. 
Green-ftalls in cities now fupport multitudes in a comfortable 
ftate, while gardeners get fortunes. Every decent labourer alfo 
has his garden, which is half his fupport, as well as his delight; 
and common farmers provide plenty of beans, peas, and greens, 
for their hinds to eat with their bacon ; and thofe few that do not 
are defpifed for their fordid parfimony, and looked upon as regard- 
lefs of the welfare of their dependants. Potatoes have prevailed in 
this little diftrid, by means of premiums, within thefe twenty years 
only; and are much efteemed here now by the poor, who would 
fcarce have ventured to tafte them in the lad reign. 
Our Saxon anceftors certainly had fome fort of cabbage, becaufc 
they call the month of February fprout-cale; but, long after their days, 
the cultivation of gardens was little attended to. The religious, 
being men of leifure, and keeping up a conftant correfpondence 
with Italy, were the firfl: people among us that had gardens and 
fruit-trees in any perfedion, within the walls of their abbies ' and 
priories. The barons negleded every purfuit that did not lead to 
war or tend to the pleafure of the chafe. 
It was not till gentlemen took up the ftudy of horticulture them- 
felves that the knowledge of gardening made fuch hafty advances. 
Lord Cobham, Lord lla, and Mr. IValler of Beaconsficld, were fomc 
of the firft people of rank that promoted the elegant fcience of 
ornamenting without defpifing the fuperintendence of the kitchen 
quarters and fruit walls. 
' " In fnoiiajl cries the lamp of knowledge continued to burn, however dimly. In 
*' them men of bufinefs were formed for the ftate : the art of writing was cultivated by 
*' the monks ■■, they were the only proficients in mechanics, gardening, and architefture." 
See DalrymfWi Aruials oi Scotland. 
A ]-emark 
