On the Portraits of English Authors on Gardening,: with Biographical Notices of Them, 2nd edition, with considerable additionsFelton, Samuel
History
On the Portraits of English Authors on Gardening,: with Biographical Notices of Them, 2nd edition, with considerable additions
Felton, Samuel
Gardening -- Bibliography; Horticulturists -- England
"Rosemary and sweete eglantine are seemely ornaments about a doore or
window, and so is woodbinde.
"And in mine opinion, I could highly commend your Orchard, if either
through it, or hard by it there should runne a pleasant riuer with
siluer streames: you might sit in your mount, and angle a pickled trout,
or sleightie eele, or some other dainty fish. Or moats, whereon you
might row with a boate, and fish with nettes.
"Store of bees in a dry and warme bee-house, comely made of fir-boords,
to sing, and sit, and feede vpon your flowers and sprouts, make a
pleasant noyse and sight. For cleanely and innocent bees, of all other
things, loue and become, and thriue in an Orchard. If they thriue (as
they must needes, if your gardner bee skilfull, and loue them: for they
loue their friends, and hate none but their enemies) they will, besides
the pleasure, yeeld great profit, to pay him his wages. Yea, the
increase of twenty stockes or stooles, with other fees, will keepe your
Orchard.
"You need not doubt their stings, for they hurt not whom they know, and
they know their keeper and acquaintance. If you like not to come amongst
them, you need not doubt them: for but neere their store, and in their
owne defence, they will not fight, and in that case onely (and who can
blame them?) they are manly, and fight desperately. Some (as that
Honorable Lady at Hacknes, whose name doth much grace mine Orchard) vse
to make seats for them in the stone wall of their Orchard, or Garden,
which is good, but wood is better.
"A vine ouer-shadowing a seate, is very comely, though her grapes with
vs ripe slowly.
"One chiefe grace that adornes an Orchard, I cannot let slip: A brood of
nightingales, who with their seuerall notes and tunes, with a strong
delightsome voyce, out of a weake body, will beare you company night and
day. She loues (and liues in) hots of woods in her hart. She will helpe
you to cleanse your trees of caterpillars, and all noysome wormes and
flyes. The gentle robin red-breast will helpe her, and in winter in the
coldest stormes will keepe a part. Neither will the silly wren be behind
in summer, with her distinct whistle (like a sweete recorder) to cheere
your spirits.
"The black-bird and threstle (for I take it the thrush sings not, but
deuoures) sing loudly in a May morning, delights the eare much (and you
neede not want their company, if you haue ripe cherries or berries, and
would as gladly as the rest do you pleasure:) But I had rather want
their company than my fruit.
"What shall I say? A thousand of pleasant delightes are attendant in an
Orchard: and sooner shall I be weary, than I can recken the least part
of that pleasure, which one that hath and loues an Orchard, may find
therein.
"What is there of all these few that I haue reckoned, which doth not
please the eye, the eare, the smell, and taste? And by these sences as
organes, pipes, and windowes, these delights are carried to refresh the
gentle, generous, and noble mind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account