EARLY TUDOR GARDENS 
93 
wormwood, endyff, sauge, dandelion, and hart’s tonge.” Many 
herbs in every garden were grown solely for this purpose, and 
these sweet waters were used in cooking as well as for medicine. 
A neighbourly gift of distilled herbs was often exchanged, and it 
is not uncommon to find records of such presents as “ sweet 
waters,” “ rose water,” or “ syrup of roses,” being accepted 
by the wealthy from their poorer friends. Similar offerings of 
flowers or fruit were no less frequent. The Parson of Titteshall 
sent the Squire of Hunstanton a present of pears and apples, 
“ his boye ” receiving a penny for bringing them. On another 
occasion “ wenches ” from the same parish brought him red 
roses. 1 The Bishop of Norwich sent the Duke of Buckingham 
a dish of cherries, and one May Day “ four may dens of Kanis- 
ham brought presents of hawthorne to my Lord’s Grace, being 
in his orchard.” 2 One feels tempted to pause to entwine a 
pretty story round these four maidens of Kanisham. Without 
much strain on the imagination, and with the help of these 
simple records, it is easy to conjure up delightful visions, and 
to picture many a fascinating scene of homely country life in 
Tudor times. 
1 Le Strange, Household Books (1540). 
2 Duke of Buckingham’s Household Accounts. 
