ed the thing himself, that he commu¬ 
nicates some of his warm feeling on 
the subject to his reader.” 
“ That is, in truth, the case,” said 
Mr Vernon. “Ellen, my love, you are 
acquainted with lord Bacon’s name and 
character, though,"I believe, I have not 
introduced you to a knowledge of his 
Essays ; which, however, I hope at 
some future time to read with you. 
With regard to the passage we have 
just alluded to, I am sure, fond as you 
are of your wild plants, as Henry calls 
them, you will be charmed with his 
praise of gardens. He says : ‘A gar¬ 
den is the purest of human pleasures : 
it is the greatest refreshment to the 
spirits of man ; without which, build¬ 
ings and palaces are but gross handy- 
works : and a man shall ever see, that, 
when ages grow to civility and elegan¬ 
cy, men come to build stately, sooner 
than to garden finely; as if gardening 
