INTRODUCTORY 
21 
their minds, and modern systems of teaching are realising 
this. If public gardens can be brought to lend their aid 
in the actual training, as well as being a playground, 
they will serve a twofold purpose. An old writer 
quaintly puts this influence of plant life. “ Flowers 
through their beautie, varietie of colour and exquisite 
forme, do bring to a liberall and gentle manly mind, 
the remembrance of honestie, comelinesse, and all kindes 
of vertues. For it would be an unseemly and filthie 
thing, as a certain wise man saith, for him that doth looke 
upon and handle faire and beautifull things, and who fre- 
quenteth and is conversant in faire and beautifull places, 
to have his mind not faire but filthie and deformed.” 
It is not possible for all London children to get into 
the country now that it is further away, so the more 
of nature, as well as true artistic gardening, they can be 
shown in the parks the better. It used in olden days to 
be the custom, among other May Day revels, to go out 
to the country round London and enjoy the early spring 
as the Arabs do at the present time, when they have the 
ft te of “ Shem-en-Nazim,” or “ Smelling the Spring.” 
“ On May day in the morning, every man, except im¬ 
pediment, would walk into the Sweet Meddowes and 
green woods, there to rejoyce their spirits with the 
beauty and Savour of sweet Flowers, and with the har- 
monie of Birdes, praising God in their kinde.” 1 It 
would surprise many people to learn how many birds 
still sing their praises within the parks of London, 
although the meadows and other delights have vanished. 
This serves to encourage the optimist in believing in 
the future possibilities of London Parks. 
There is no “ park system ” in England as in the 
1 Stowe’s “ Survey of London.” 
