On the Portraits of English Authors on Gardening,: with Biographical Notices of Them, 2nd edition, with considerable additionsFelton, Samuel
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On the Portraits of English Authors on Gardening,: with Biographical Notices of Them, 2nd edition, with considerable additions
Felton, Samuel
Gardening -- Bibliography; Horticulturists -- England
[64] I subjoin a few extracts from the first book of his English
Husbandman, 4to. 1635:--"A garden is so profitable, necessary, and such
an ornament and grace to every house and housekeeper, that the
dwelling-place is lame and maimed if it want that goodly limbe, and
beauty. I do not wonder either at the worke of art, or nature, when I
behold in a goodly, rich and fertill soyle, a garden adorned with all
the delights and delicacies which are within man's understanding,
because the naturall goodnesse of the earth (which not enduring to bee
idle) will bring forth whatsoever is cast into her; but when I behold
upon a barren, dry, and dejected earth, such as the Peake-hills, where a
man may behold snow all summer, or on the East-mores, whose best herbage
is nothing but mosse, and iron-stone, in such a place, I say, to behold
a delicate, rich, and fruitful garden, it shewes great worthinesse in
the owner, and infinite art and industry in the workeman, and makes mee
both admire and love the begetters of such excellencies."
And again,--"For the situation of the garden-plot for pleasure, you
shall understand, that it must ever bee placed so neare unto the
dwelling-house as it is possible, both because the eye of the owner may
be a guard and support from inconveniences, as all that the especial
roomes and prospects of the house may be adorned, perfumed, and inriched
with the delicate proportions, odoriferous smells, and wholesome airs
which shall ascend and vaporate from the same."
He then gives a variety of cuts of knots and mazes, and labyrinths, of
which he observes, that "many other adornations and beautifyings there
are, which belong to the setting forth of a curious garden, but for as
much as none are more rare or more esteemed than these I have set down,
being the best ornaments of the best gardens of this kingdome, I think
them tastes sufficient for every husbandman or other of better quality,
which delighteth in the beauty, and well trimming of his ground." He
thus remarks:--"as in the composition of a delicate woman, the grace of
her cheeke is the mixture of red and white, the wonder of her eye blacke
and white, and the beauty of her hand blew and white, any of which is
not said to be beautifull if it consist of single or simple colours; and
so in these walkes or alleyes the all greene, nor the all yellow cannot
be said to bee most beautifull, but the greene and yellow, (that is to
say, the untroade grasse, and the well knit gravell) being equally mixt,
give the eye both luster and delight beyond all comparison."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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