48 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 
‘ Hot pescodes * one began to crye 
* Strabery rype ’ and ‘ cherryes in the ryse ,1 
One bade me come nere and by some spyse 
Peper and safforne they gan me bede 
But for lack of mony I mgyht not spede.” 
London Lyckpeny. 
Peaches are mentioned by Lydgate among “ the fruits which 
more common be,” but only inferior varieties were in cultiva¬ 
tion. Medlars were also grown, and were kept before being 
eaten, as is still the practice. In the Prologue to the Reeve s 
Tale, Chaucer refers to this custom, speaking of the old age of 
the Reeve : 
“ But if I fare as doth an open-ers 2 
That ilke fruit is ever lenger the wers 
Til it be roten in mullock 3 or in stre.” 3 
In the description of the garden and arbour in The Flower and 
the Leaf, a medlar-tree in full bloom, that “ to the herber side 
was joyning,” is thus picturesquely described : 
“ And as I stood and cast aside mine eie 
I was ware of the fairest medlar tree, 
That ever yet in all my life I sie. 
As full of blossomes as it might be. 
Therein a goldfinch leaping pretile 
Fro bough to bough ; and as him list, he eet 
Here and there of buds and floures sweet.” 
Plums are not often mentioned, either by the poets, or in old 
accounts, but it is known that both damsons and bullaces were 
grown in this country, though probably in no great quantities. 
In the Romaunt of the Rose, Chaucer classes them among 
homely fruits : 
“ And many hoomely trees there were 
That peches, coynes, 4 and apples bere 
Medlers, ploumes, peres, chesteynis, 
Cheryse, of which many one fayne is, 
Notes, aleys and bolas 
That for to seen it was solas.” (L. 1373.) 
Gardeners of this date paid great attention to grafting. The 
art of grafting a pear on a hawthorn was known at a very early 
1 
3 
= branch, twig, 
—rubbish and straw . 
2 
4 
—a medlar, 
—quinces. 
