172 
ON THE AGE AND 
exceedingly fliort- lived j fo that though fome few of the mul- 
berry-trees planted in the reign of King James the Firfl, may 
be yet in a fruit-bearing ftate, and alfo fome of the fig-trees 
at Lambeth palace, thought coeval with Archbifliop Laud, 
yet 
not lefs elegant than the above, although the Vines are there trained fomewhat 
differe;itlv. A Celebrated Author has thus defcribed them ; 
“The country of Lombardy is perfedly fiat, a rich foil, fine paftures and ccrn- 
“ fields, abundance of Vines, and white mulberry-trees for the filk-worms, 
“ the Vines running up their branches. This country is the fineft we faw in 
“ Italy^ ujilefs you’ll except the Catnpagna Felice about Naples. 
“ We obferved few timber-trees, only Elms and Poplars, which fupport the 
“ Vine-branches, as I obferved before, of the mulberry-trees. The roads are 
“ very broad and even, and moft pleafant travelling in the fummer 5 but fome 
« of tlrem deep enough in the winter : The hedges by the road fide are many 
“ of them cut, and managed with a great deal of exadlnefs. The Vines run 
“ up the bodies of the trees, and intermix themfelves v/ith their branches 
“ ( alias maritani populos)-, and the extremities are drawn out from tree to tree, 
“ and hang in feftoons between them along the road hedges. From thofe 
“ hedges there go rows of trees along the grounds, at about forty or fifty yards 
“ diftance from each other ; the V ines all running up their bodies. And here, 
“ befides the feftoons hanging from tree to tree, the Vine-branches are ex- 
“ tended right and left, and faftened to a row of ftakes on each iide, v.'hich 
“ run parallel to the trees : And thefe ftakes are as fo many pillars, fupport- 
“ ing a fort of pent-houfe, or oblique roof, which is formed by tlie Vine- 
“ branches on each fide of the trees. Thus are the grounds difpofed and 
“ planted on both Tides the road, and the trees with the Vines managed in this 
“ fort of natural architedlure, generally fpeaking, all over Lombardy.” 
JFright' s Travels j vol. i. page 31. 
