One of the earliest notices which we find of a garden in England, is in Leland's Itinerary. He states, that Wresehill castelle, in Yorkshire, the gardeins -within the mote, and the orchardes without, were exceeding fair. And yn the orchardes, were mountes, ofzere topiaris, writhen about with degrees like turnings of cokil silents, to corn to the top withoute payn." (Itinerary, &c. p. 60.) Such a mount still exists in the garden of the castle inn at Marl borough, not ascended by steps or degrees, but by a wind ing path. It is covered with ancient yew trees, no longer opere topiaris. Leland also mentions the gardens at Morli, in Derbyshire, and some others of less note in the northern counties.
The first park (habitationenz ferarunz) of which we have any notice, is that of Henry I. at \Voodstock, mentioned in Henry of Huntington's history. Lib. 7.
The features of a pleasure garden in Chaucer's days, may be guessed at from three lines of his Troilus and Cres sida : ,6 The yerde was large, and railed all the aleyes, And shadowed wel with blosomy bowis greene.
And benched newe, and sondid all the weyes." v. 821.
During the century of disputes between the houses of York and Lancaster, little or no attention could be paid to the peaceful arts ; and accordingly we find no other notice of a garden till the time of Henry VIII. when the royal gar dens of Nonsuch were laid but and planted. These gar dens were of limited extent, and contained only two or three species of shrubs, (see our article HORTICULTURE, where this garden is more particularly described,) and fruit trees, with a bowling-green and dial. Not a vestige of any part of these improvements remain at that seat, which is now private property, and arranged in the modern style.
During the reign of Elizabeth, an Italian published some Latin poems, in which he represents her majesty as curious in flowers. In the same reign, Hentzer informs us, that there was in the privy garden a jet-d'eau, which, by turning a cock, wetted all the spectators who might be standing near. Hampton Court was laid out at the end of this reign by Cardinal Wolsey. The labyrinth, one of the best which remains in England, occupies only a quarter of an acre, and contains nearly half a mile of winding walks. There is an adjacent stand, on which the gardener places himself, to ex tricate the adventuring stranger by his directions. Switzer condemns this labyrinth for having only four stops, and gives a plan for one with twenty. Daines Barrington says, that he got out by keeping close to the hedge. It is not per fectly clear, that the whole of the ancient gardens at this palace were laid out during the Cardinal's life. We know, that some additions were made in King William's time, and others during the reign of George I. Here, in fact, the Dutch style was first displayed under the first of these monarchs.
James I. formed or improved the gardens at Theobalds, of which a description from MandeIso has already been given under the article HORTICU1.11JR E. The same author mentions, a royal garden at Greenwich, improved by this monarch. Lord Bacon attempted to reform the national taste dining this reign, but with what success is not known. He wished still to retain shorn trees and hedges; but pro posed winter, or evergreen gardens, and rude or neglected spots, as specimens of wild nature. " As for the making of knots or figures," says he, " with divers coloured earths—they be but toys. I do not like images cut out in juniper, or other garden stuff they ate for children." (Es say on Gardens) The Gardener's Labyrinth by Didymus Mountain, was published in the reign of Elizabeth ; and Lawson's New Orchard in 1626. Both contain plates, exhibiting " knots anti mazes, cunningly handled for the beautifying of gar dens." In a Janua Trilinguis, published at Oxford during the commonwealth, sve are informed that " gardening is prac tised for food's sake, in -a kitchen garden and orchard ; or lot pleasure's sake, in a green grass plat and an arbour." As to the formation of the latter, he adds, " The pleacher (topiarius) prepares a green plat of the more choice flow ers and rarer plants, and adorns the garden with plead' work ; that is, with pleasant walks and bowers, &c. to con clude with purling fountains and water works." Chap. 32. We learn also from this comprehensive author (Comme niun.,) the ancient use of parks. We are told " the hunts man hunteth wild beasts ; whilst he either allureth them in to pit-falls, and killeth them, nr forces them into toils, and what he gets alive he puts into a park." Chap. 37.
We are informed by Dailies Barrington, that Charles II. sent for Perrault and Le Notre ; that the former declined coming to England, but that the latter planted Greenwich and St. James' parks. The magnificent seat of the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth, was laid out in this reign, and, it is conjectured, from a design by the same artist. (Beauties of England and lVales. Derbyshire.) Waller the poet formed his residence at Beaconsfield about the same time. The grounds there being very irregular, he has been at considerable labour in reducing the parts near the house and banqueting-room, to regular slopes and levels, and in forming an oblong basin or canal. It is but justice to the memory of this amateur, who was undoubtedly reck oned a man of taste in his day, that, in the more remote walks, no appearances of art are discernible, or seem ever to have been intended. They are mere gra‘elled paths through natural woods, and exhibit a fine contrast to the ar tificial scenes at Prior's Park.