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Evelyn, Charles

The lady's recreation: or, The third and last part of
the art of gardening improv&apos;d. Containing, I. The flower-
garden; shewing the best ways of propagating all sorts of
flowers, flower-trees, and shrubs; with exact directions
for their preservation and culture in all particulars. II.
The most commodious methods of erecting conservatories, greenhouses,
and orangeries; with the culture and management of
exoticks, fine-greens, evergreens, &c. III. The nature of
plantations in avenues, walks, wildernesses, &c. with directions 
for the raising, pruning, and disposing of all lofty
vegetables. IV. Mr. John Evelyn's Kalendarium hortense,
methodically reduc'd: interspers'd with many useful additions. 
By Charles Evelyn, esq; to which are added, some
curious observations concerning variegated greens, by the
Reverend Mr. Laurence. London, Printed for J. Roberts,
1717. 200 p. (With Laurence, John. The clergyman's
recreation. London, 1717) (Dept. Agr.; Arn. Arb.; Mass.
Hort. Soc.; Rothamsted)
Altho Cecil, 2d ed., p.353, Haller 2:83-84,
and Watt, Bib. Brit. l:349x, give 1707 as the
date of the first issue, the letters quoted in
the 1717 ed. in Dept. Agr. are dated 1717 and
indicate that Evelyn's work had just been outlined 
early that year.
There is some doubt, however, as to whether
"Charles Evelyn, esq.," whose name appears on
the title-page of The lady's recreation, really
existed. Altho the supposed author states in
the preface, p.i-ii, that Mr. Laurence had been
highly pleased with the "design" for this book
and refers the reader to two commendatory letters 
from Laurence inserted at the end, dated
Feb. 19, 1716/17 and Mar. 6, 1716/17, Laurence
himself the next year denied having approved
of the book. On p.j-ij of the preface to his
own "The fruit-garden kalendar" published 1718,
Laurence says: "Most of our modern authors have
done little else but transcribe from Evelyn,
Quinteney, and Woolridge ... This leads me to
say upon this occasion, for my own sake, and
for the sake of the publick, that the book
called the Lady’s recreation could not be published 
by my approbation, because it was never
seen by me, till it was in print: besides, I
have reason to think it was an artifice of the
booksellers to impose upon the world, under the
borrowed name of Evelyn."
        