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Show Th PREFACE. Th PREFACE vili tifully tranflated into Englifh by Mr. Pope, I fhall take the Liberty to tran{cribe. Clofe to the Gates a fpacious Gardenlies, From Storms defended and inclement Skies: Four Acres was th’ allotted Space of Ground, Fenc'd with a green Enclofure all around. Tall thriving Trees confe/s d the fruitful Mould; The vedd’ning Apple ripens bere to Gold: Heve the blue Fig with lufctous Fuice oerflows; With deeper Red the full Pomegranate glows. Tue Vineyard feems to have been a Plantation diftin& from the Garden: as alfo the Beds of Greens mentioned afterwards at the Extremity of the Inclofure, in the Nature and ufual Place of a Kicchen-Garden, ‘T uE two Fountains are difpos'd very remarkably. They rofe within the Inclofure, and were brought by Conduits or Ducts, one of them to water all the Parts of the Garden, and the other underneath the Palace into the Town, for the Service of the Publick. "Nor was Gardening \cfs regarded by the Romans, who, after they had extended their Conqueftsin the Zaft, were careful to obferve the Methods ufed by the Grecians, in cultivating the Ground; which was an Exercife better adapted to the Genius of thofe People (who had been inured to bodily Labour and Fatigue, during the long Continuance of their Wars), than many of the more polite Employments of the Greeks. And when the Romans hadtran{planted this Art into their own Country, they were no lef diligent to improve it; as may be feen by the Writings of Cato, The Branch here bends beneath the weighty Pear, And verdant Olives flourifh round the Year. Lhe balmy Spirit of the Weftern Gale Varro, Columella, and Pliny, with many others, who have conde{cended to write upon this humble Subjeét, for the Inftruction of others. But had Virgil favourdthe World with as compleat a Poem on Horticulture, as he has done upon Agriculture, it would have been of great Service to the Promotionof it. But this, he fays, he left to other Hands, and has only, as it were, by Accident, mention’d Gardens in_ his Eternal breathes on Fruits untaught to fail: Each dropping Peara following Pear fupplies, Se ix On Apples Apples, Figs on Figs avife; The fame mild Seafon gives the Blooms to blow, The Buds to harden, and the Fruits to grow. Here order'd Vines in equal Ranks appear, With all th’ united Labours of the Year. Some to unload the fertile Branches run; Some dry the black’ning Clufters in the Sun: Others to tread the liquid Harveft join, The groaning Preffes foam with Floods of Wine. Here are the Vines im early Flow’r defcry'd, Writings. AmonGst the Moderns wefind the greateft Princes have always been veryfollicitous in adorning their Palaces with magnificent Gardens, which they ufually chofe for their principal Retreat and Divertifement, from the Fatigue of their other Employments. And it has been jultly obferved, that according to the Progrefs of Learning, in the different Here Grapes dtfcolour'd on the Sunny Side, And there in Autunm’s vicheft Purple dyd. Beds ofall various Herbs, for ever green, In beauteous Order terminate the Scene. rifhed, Bu T it is very lately that the truly magnificent Tafte in Gardening sas lourifh’d in thefe Northern Parts of Europe; for although in King Parts and Ages of the World, there Gardening has proportionably flou- HARLES the Second’s Reign, there was a great Spirit amongit the Two plenteous Fountains the whole Profpect crown'd ; Lhis thro the Gardens leads its Streams around, Jobilicy and Gentry of England, for Planting and Gardening, which Spirit was greatly heighten'd in King Wini1am's Reign, during which Vifits each Plant, and waters all the Ground: While that in Pipes beneath the Palace flows, And thence its Current on the Town beftows; To various Uje their various Streams they bring, Time moft ofthe large Gardens in England were laid out and_ planted; yet we find the-Tafte at that Time extended little farcher than to {mall The People one, and one fupphes the King. Sin Witt1aAmM TEMPLE has remarked, thatthis Defcription contains all the jufteft Rules and Provifions which can go toward com- poling the beft Gardens, Its Extent was feur Acres, which in thofe ‘Times of Simplicity was looked upon as a large one, even for a Prince: It was inclos'dall round for Defence; and for Conveniency, joined clofe to the Gates of the Palace. Fie mentions next the Trees, which were Standards, and fuffer'd to growto theirfull Height. The fine Defcription of the Fruits that never fail'd, and the eternal Zephyrs, is only a more noble Poetical Way of exprefling the continual Succeffion of one Fruit to another, throughout the Year, THE Pieces of Box-work, Finifh’d Parterres, and Clipp’d Greens, all whichare now generally banifh’d out of the Gardens of the moft polite Perfons of this Age, who jultly prefer the more extended Rural Defigns of Gardens, which approachthe neareft to Nature. INDEED we are greatly oblig’d to manycurious Perfons of the laft Age, for their many ufeful Experiments on Vegetation, which have been ofgreat Service to promote the more skilful Management of the various Sorts of Trees, Plants, and Flowers. But to none is Eng/and more indebt- ed, than to the Learned Mr. Hales of Teddington, forhis large Dilcoveries made in the Vegetable Kingdom, whereby many miftaken Notions con- cerning the Motion of the Sap in Plants, @c. are fet in a clear Light; and it is tothis indefatigable Gentleman, that I am greatly indebted, for many valuable Things in the following Treatife. . c BUT |