"The other part shall have all other sweet-smelling herbs whether they
be such as bear no flowers, or, if they bear any, yet they are not put
in nosegays alone, but the whole herb be with them, as Southernwood,
wormwood, pellitory, rosemary, jessamine, marierom, balm-mints,
pennyroyal, costmarie, hyssop, lavender, basil, sage, savory, rue,
tansy, thyme, camomile, mugwort, bastard marierum, nept, sweet balm,
all-good, anis, horehound and others such-like; and this may be called
the garden for herbs and good smell.
"These sweet herbs and flowers for nosegays shall be set in order upon
beds and quarters of such-like length and breadth as those of the
kitchen garden; others in mazes made for the pleasing and recreating
of the sight, and other some are set in proportions made of beds
interlaced and drawn one within another or broken off with borders, or
without borders."
This arrangement is interesting as not only showing the division of
flower-beds but that certain herbs were used in nosegays. It did not,
therefore, strike Shakespeare's audiences as strange that _Perdita_
offered to her guests rosemary and rue on an equality with marigolds,
violets, the crown-imperial (then so rare), daffodils, and lilies of
all kinds.
[Illustration: THE KNOT-GARDEN, NEW PLACE, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON]
In William Lawson's "A New Orchard and Garden," which also appeared
about the time of Shakespeare's death, the gardens of the period are
perfectly described. Lawson was a practical gardener and had a poetic
appreciation of flowers and trees. His book was long an authority.
Every one had it. Lawson writes quaintly and delightfully:
"The Rose, red, damask, velvet and double-double, Provence rose,
the sweet musk Rose double and single, the double and single white
Rose, the fair and sweet-scenting Woodbine double and single and
double-double, purple Cowslips and double-double Cowslips, Primrose
double and single, the Violet nothing behind the best for smelling
sweetly and a thousand more will provoke your content.
"And all these by the skill of your gardener, so comely and orderly
placed in your borders and squares and so intermingled that none
looking thereon cannot but wonder to see what Nature corrected by Art
can do.
"When you behold in divers corners of your Orchard Mounts of stone,
or wood, curiously wrought within and without, or of earth covered
with fruit-trees: Kentish cherry, damsons, plums, etc., with stairs of
precious workmanship; and in some corner a true Dial or Clock and some
antique works and especially silver-sounding music--mixt Instruments
and Voices--gracing all the rest--how will you be rapt with delight!
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account