On the Portraits of English Authors on Gardening Part 15

Page 59.--The Tortworth Chesnut was growing previous to the Norman Conquest. It fixes the boundary of a manor. Even in the reign of Stephen, it was known as the great chesnut of Tortworth.

Page 62.--The author of this treatise, who is a zealous orchardist, is lavish in his praise of a then discovered apple-tree and its produce, "for the little cot-house to which it belongs, together with the little quillet in which it stands, being several years since mortgaged for ten pounds, the fruit of this tree alone, in a course of some years, freed the house and garden, and its more valuable self, from that burden." A neighbouring clergyman, too, was equally lavish, for he "talked of it in all conversations," and such was his praise of it, that every one "fell to admiration." Mr. Stafford is so pleased with this reverend gentleman's zeal, in extending the cultivation of this apple, (_the Royal Wilding_) that he says, "I could really wish, whenever the original tree decayeth, his statue carved out of the stump, by the most expert hand, and overlaid with gold, may be erected near the public road, in the place of it, at the common charge of the country." He celebrates also another apple, which "in a pleasant conversation was named by a gentleman _super-celestial_. Another gentleman, in allusion to _Pynes_, the name of my house, and to the common story of the West India pineapple, (which is said to be the finest fruit in the world, and to represent every exquisite flavour that is known), determined that it should be called the _pyne-apple_; and by either of these names it is talked of when pleasantry and conversation bring the remembrance of it to the table."

Page 64.--It is but justice to Mr. Gibson to say, that in his Fruit Gardener, he has entered fully into the merits of Le Genre's _Le maniere de cultiver les arbres fruitiers_; and that his pages are extremely interesting. The great merits of Quintinye are also not overlooked.

Page 84.--To the list of those deceased authors, whose portraits I have not been able to discover, I must add the following:

JOHN BRADd.i.c.k, Esq. A zealous horticulturist and fruit grower. He contributed four papers to the Horticultural Society of London. In the Gardener's Mag. for Jan. 1827, is a communication by him, on some new French pears. The editor of this magazine acknowledges "the very liberal and truly patriotic manner in which our highly-valued correspondent shares every novelty he receives with those whose interest it is to increase and disseminate such novelties." In the above magazine for March, 1827, is another spirited communication by him, on these new pears, introduced from France, in which he says:--"And here I think it necessary to premise, that the following list is the cream skimmed off some thousands of new pears, which I have for many years past been getting together from various parts of the world, about two-thirds of which yet remain for trial, not having fruited, together with some thousands of seedling pears, apples, plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and grapes, of my own raising; the fruits of some of which I hope will continue to gladden the hearts of horticulturists for many years to come. As they are produced I will make them known to the public, with as much facility as lies in my power.

"_Boughton Mount, July 29, 1826._"

One is sorry to relate, that Mr. Bradd.i.c.k died soon after this benevolent wish; for he died at the above seat of his, near Maidstone, in April, 1828, at the age of sixty-three.

Page 120.--Dr. Dibdin thus speaks of Archibald Alison: "The beautiful and melodious style of this writer, renders his works deserving of a conspicuous place in every well-chosen library."

Page 89.--In this page I have stated that Dr. Dibdin says, "on many accounts does G. Markham seem ent.i.tled to more notice and commendation."

I have given extracts from his "English Husbandman," to shew his love for flowers. The same attachment is visible where he enumerates them in his "Country House-wive's Garden."--By the bye, though I have stated this last work to be his, it surely appears to have been written by W.

Lawson. I merely now give the following extract from Markham's "English House-Wife:"

"Next vnto this sanct.i.ty and holinesse of life, it is meet that our English hous-wife be a woman of great modesty and temperance as well inwardly as outwardly; inwardly, as in her behauiour and cariage towards her husband, wherein she shall shunne all violence of rage, pa.s.sion, and humour, coueting lesse to direct then to be directed, appearing euer vnto him pleasant, amiable, and delightfull, and though occasion, mishaps, or the misgouernement of his will may induce her to contrary thoughts, yet vertuously to suppresse them, and with a mild sufferance rather to call him home from his error, then with the strength of anger to abate the least sparke of his euill, calling in her mind that euill and vncomely language is deformed though vttered euen to seruants, but most monstrous and vgly when it appeares before the presence of a husband: outwardly, as in her apparrell and diet, both which she shall proportion according to the competency of her husband's estate and calling, making her circle rather strait then large, for it is a rule if we extend to the vttermost, we take away increase, if we goe a hayre breadth beyond, we enter into consumption: but if we preserue any part, we build strong forts against the aduersaries of fortune, prouided that such preseruation be honest and conscionable: for a lauish prodigality is brutish, so miserable couetuousnesse is h.e.l.lish. Let therefore the hus-wives garments be comly and strong, made aswel to preserue the health, as adorne the person, altogether without toyish garnishes, or the glosse of light colours, and as far from the vanity of new and fantastick fashions, as neere to the comly imitations of modest matrons."

I must give an extract from his "Country Contentements," as he reminds us of Shakspeare's lines on the tuneable cry of hounds; for Markham dwells on their sweetness of cry--"their deepe solemne mouthes--their roaring and loud ringing mouthes, which must beare the counter-tenor, then some hollow plaine sweete mouthes--a deep-mouthed dog--a couple or two of small singing beagles, which as small trebles, may warble amongst them: the cry will be a great deale the more sweeter--the hollow deepe mouth--the loud clanging mouthe--deepe flewed, such as for the most part your _Shropshire_ and pure _Worcestershire_ dogs are--the louder and pleasanter your cry will be, especially if it be in sounding tall woods, or under the echo of rocks--and not above one couple of roarers, which being heard but now and then, as at the opening or hitting of a scent, will give much sweetnesse to the solemns, and gravenesse of the cry, and the musick thereof will bee much more delightfull to the eares of every beholder."

Page 123.--The memory of Pope has perhaps never been more affectionately honoured (nor that of Lord Mendip, who so zealously preserved every part of the house and garden at Twickenham) than in the glowing and tender lines of De Lille, in his poem of _Les Jardins_.

The vignette in my t.i.tle-page, and that at page 84, are two of those neat decorations which so profusely embellish the Encyclopaedia of Gardening.

INDEX.

A.

Abercrombie, 153

Addison, xxviii., x.x.xii., 49, 115 ---- reflections on the tombs, 117

Age of gardeners and horticulturists, 81

Alison, Dr. x.x.xviii., 71, 120, 211

Anderson, 69, 175

Ardenne, J. P. de, his charity, xiv.

Arabian literature, 2

Argyle, xxviii.

Argenville, xiii.

Arnauld d'Andelli, xiii.

Arnolde's Chronicle, 5

Astrology, 34

Austen, Ralph, 18

Austin, Fr., 19

B.

Bacon, Lord, on flowers that perfume the air, x.x.x., x.x.xv., 55 ---- eulogies on him, 88 ---- on Gorhambury, 88

Banks, Sir Jos., 4, 181, 187

Barrington, Daines, 156, 177

Bates, an aged horticulturist, 82

Bauhine, 44

Beale, Dr. John, vi., 16, 17, 20, 21, 54 ---- his attachment to his native country, 23

Belosses, Sir H. 202

Bees, on, by an Italian, 85

Bernazzano, his skill in painting fruit, 56

Bertholan, xviii.

Bertrand, Fr., his _Ruris Deliciae_, xiv.

Blake, 19

Blythe, Walter, 8, 88

Bobart, 108

Boileau, tributes to, xxiii. 56

Bonfeil, 19