THE LURE OF THE GARDEN 
and Humour of our Gardening in England , which seem 
to have grown into some Vogue, and to have been so 
mightily improved in Three or Four and Twenty Years 
of His Majesty’s reign, that perhaps few countries are 
before us; either in the elegance of our Gardens or the 
number of our Plants. . . . The most perfect Figure of a 
Garden that ever I saw either at Home or Abroad was 
that of Moon-Park in Hertfordshire; it was made by the 
Countess of Bedford, esteemed among the greatest Wits 
of her time and celebrated by Doctor Donne.” His 
Majesty was William III, with whom Temple was on the 
most friendly terms; and the doctor is the poet whose 
tuneful numbers have beautifully expressed both his 
admiration for the countess and her garden. Sir William 
continues his praise of the latter as follows:— 
“ Because I take the Garden I have named to have 
been in all kinds the most beautiful and perfect, at 
least in the Figure and Disposition, that I have ever 
seen, I will describe it. . . . It lies upon the side 
of a Hill, but not very steep. The length of the 
House, where the best Rooms, and of most use and 
pleasure are, lies upon the breadth of the Garden, and 
the great Parlour opens upon the middle of a Terras 
•Gravel-walk that lies even with it, and which may be 
as I remember about three hundred Paces long, and 
broad in Proportion, the Border set with Standard 
Laurels, and at great distances, which have the Beauty 
of Orange-Trees out of Flower and Fruit; from this 
