additionalls esteeming it no small honour to hold any communication with a person of your merit, unto whom I shall industriously endeavour to expresse myself,

Sir, your much honouring friend and servant,

THOMAS BROWNE.

John Evelyn, Esq. to Dr. Browne.

[FROM THE LONDON MAGAZINE (1824) VOL. X. P. 589.]

HONOURED SIR,

Co. Garden, Lond. 28 Jan. [1657-8.]

By the mediation of that noble person, Mr. Paston, and an extraordinary humanity of your owne, I find I haue made acquisition of such a subsidiary, as nothing but his greate favour to me, and your communicable nature could haue procur'd me. It is now, therefore, that I dare promise myselfe successe in my attempt; and it is certaine that I will very justly owne your favours with all due acknowledgements, as the most obliging of all my correspondents. I perceive you haue seene the proplasma and delineation of my designe,9 which, to avoyde the infinite copying for some of my curious friends, I was constrain'd to print; but it cannot be imagined that I should haue travell'd over so large a province (though but a garden) as yet, who set out not many moneths since, and can make it but my diversions at best, who haue so many other impediments besieging me, publique and personall, whereoff the long sicknesse of my unicus, my only sonn, now five moneths afflicted with a double quartan, and but five yeares old, is not one of the least; so that there is not danger your additionalls and favours to your servant should be pre

9 A projected work bearing the title, Elysium Brittannicum, the plan of which is given in Upcott's Miscellaneous Writings of J. Evelyn, Esq. This work was intended to comprise forty distinct subjects, or chapters, disposed in three books. One of the chapters was "Of the coronary garden, &c.," to which Sir Thomas Browne's tract," Of garlands, and coronary or garland plants," was intended as a contribution. The work, however, was never completed; though parts of it remain among the MSS. at Wotton. One chapter only, "Of Sallets, was published in 1699, under the title, "Acetaria; a Discourse of Sallets."

vented by the perfection of my worke, or if it were, that I should be so injurious to my owne fame or your civility, as not to beginn all anew, that I might take in such auxiliaries as you send me, and which I must esteeme as my best and most effectuall forces. Sir, I returne you a thousand acknowledgements for the papers which you transmitted me, and I will render you this account of my present vndertaking. The truth is, that which imported me to discourse on this subject after this sorte, was the many defects which I encounter'd in bookes and in gardens, wherein neither words nor cost had bin wanting, but judgement very much; and though I cannot boast of my science in this kind, as both vnbecoming my yeares and my small experience, yet I esteem'd it pardonable at least, if in doing my endeauour to rectifie some mistakes, and advancing so vsefull and innocent a divertisement, I made some essay, and cast in my symbole with the rest. To this designe, if forraine observation may conduce I might likewise hope to refine upon some particulars, especially concerning the ornaments of gardens, which I shall endeavor so to handle, as that they may become usefull and practicable, as well as magnificent, and that persons of all conditions and faculties, which delight in gardens, may therein encounter something for their owne advantage. The modell, which I perceive you haue seene, will aboundantly testifie my abhorrency of those painted and formal projections of our cockney gardens and plotts, which appeare like gardens of past-board and marchpane, and smell more of paynt then of flowers and verdure : our drift is a noble, princely, and universal Elysium, capable of all the amoenities that can naturally be introduced into gardens of pleasure, and such as may stand in competition with all the august designes and stories of this nature, either of antient or moderne tymes; yet so as to become vsefull and significant to the least pretences and faculties. We will endeauour to shew how the aire and genious of gardens operat vpon humane spirits towards virtue and sanctitie, I meane in a remote, preparatory and instrumentall working. How caues, grotts, mounts, and irregular ornaments of gardens do contribute to contemplatiue and philosophicall enthusiasme ; how elysium, antrum, nemus, paradysus, hortus, lucus, &c.,

signifie all of them rem sacram et divinam; for these expedients do influence the soule and spirits of man, and prepare them for converse with good angells; besides which, they contribute to the lesse abstracted pleasures, phylosophy naturall and longevitie: and I would have not onely the elogies and effigie of the antient and famous garden heroes, but a society of the paradisi cultores, persons of antient simplicity, Paradisean and Hortulan saints, to be a society of learned and ingenuous men, such as Dr. Browne, by whome we might hope to redeeme the tyme that has bin lost, in pursuing Vulgar Errours, and still propagating them, as so many bold men do yet presume to do. Were it to be hoped, inter hos armorum strepitus, and in so generall a catalysis of integrity, interruption of peace and propriety, the hortulane pleasure, these innocent, pure, and vsefull diversions might enjoy the least encouragement, whilst brutish and ambitious persons seeke themselues in the ruines of our miserable yet dearest country, quis talia fando -?-But, sir, I will not importune you with these matters, nor shall they be able to make me to desist from my designe, so long as you reanimate my languishings, and pardon my imperfections. I greately thanke you for your discourses, and the acoustic diagramme, &c. I shall be a faithfull reporter of your favours to me. In my philosophicomedicall garden you can impart to me extraordinary assistances, as likewise in my coronary chapter, and that of transmutations, c. I. lib. 3. Norwich is a place, I understand, which is very much addicted to the flowry part; and what indeede may I not promise myselfe from your ingenuity, science, and candor? And now to shew you how farr I am aduanced in my worke, though I haue drawne it in loose sheetes, almost euery chapter rudely, yet I cannot say to haue finished any thing tollerably farther than chapter x1. lib. 2, and those which are so completed are yet so written that I can at pleasure inserte whatsoeuer shall come to hand to obelize, correct, improve, and adorne it. That chapt. of the history of gardens being the 7th of the last booke, is in a manner finished by itselfe, and, if it be not ouer tedious, I thinke it will extreamely gratifie the reader: for I do comprehend them as vniversally as the chapter will beare it, and yet am

as particular in the descriptions as is possible, because I not onely pretend them for pompous and ostentatiue examples, but would render them usefull to our trauellers which shall goe abroad, and where I haue obserued so many particularities as, happly, others descend not to. If you permitt me to transcribe you an imperfect summ of the heads, it is to let you see how farr we correspond (as by your excellent papers I collect) and to engage your assistance in suppliing my omissions; you will pardon the defects in the synchronismes, because they are not yet exactly marshalled, and of my desultory scribbling.

CHAP. VII, Lib. 3.

Paradise, Elysian fields, Hesperides, Horti Adonidis, Alcinoi, Semyramis, Salomon's. The pensile gardens in Babylon, of Nabucodonosor, of Cyrus, the gardens of Panchaia, the Sabean in Arabia Felix. The Egyptian gardens out of Athenæus, the Villa Laura neere Alexandria, the gardens of Adominus, the garden at Samos, Democritus's garden, Epicurus's at Athens, hortorum ille magister, as Pliny calls him. That of Nysa described by Diodorus Siculus; Masinissa's, Lysander's, the garden of Laërtes, father of Ulysses, ex Homero. Theophrastus's, Mithridates' gardens; Alexandrus's garden at Sydon, Hieron's Nautilus gardens out of Athenæus; the Indian king's garden out of Ælian; and many others, which are in my scattered adversaria, not yet inserted into this chapter. Amongst the antient Romans.-Numa's garden, Tarquin's, Scipio Africanus's, Antoninus Pius's, Dioclesian's, Mæcenas's, Martial's gardens; the Tarentine garden, Cicero's garden at Tusculum, Formia, Cuma; the Laurentine garden of Pliny junior, Cato, at Sabinus, Elius Spartianus's garden, the elder Gordian's, Horti Cassipedis, Drusi, Dolabella's garden, Galienus's, Seneca's, Nero's, the Horti Lamiani, Agrippina's, the Esquiline, Pompey's, Luculla's most costly gardens, &c.

More moderne and at present.-Clement the 8th's garden; the Medicean, Mathæo's garden, Cardinal Pio's; Farnesian, Lodovisian, Burghesean, Aldobrandino's, Barberini's, the Belvedere, Montalta's, Bossius's, Justiniane's, the Quirinal gardens, Cornelius's, Ma- ' zarini's, &c.

In other parts of Italy.-Ulmarini's at Vacenza, Count Giusti's at Verona, Mondragone, Frescati, D'Este's at Tivoli. The gardens of the Palazzo de Pitti in Florence; Poggio, Imperiale, Pratoline,

Hieronymo del Negro's pensile garden in Genoa, principe d'Oria's garden, the Marquesi Devico's at Naples, the old gardens at Baix, Fred. Duke of Urbine's garden, the gardens at Pisa, at Padoa, at Capraroula, at St. Michael in Bosco, in Bolognia; the gardens about Lago di Como, Signior Sfondrati's, &c.

In Spaine. The incomparable garden of Aranxues, Garicius's garden at Toledo, &c.

In France.-Duke of Orleans at Paris, Luxemburg, Thuilleries, Palais Cardinal, Bellevue, Morines, Jard. Royal, &c.

In other parts of France. The garden of Froment, of Fontaine Beleau, of the Chasteau de Fresnes, Ruel, Richelieu, Couranet, Cauigny, Hubert, Depont in Champagne, the most sumptuous Rincy, Nanteuile, Maisons, Medon, Dampien, St Germain en Lay, Rosny, St. Cloe, Liancourt in Picardy, Isslings at Essonne, Pidaux in Poictiers. At Anet, Valeri, Folembourg, Villiers, Gaillon, Montpellier, Beugensor, of Mons. Piereskius. In Loraine, at Nancy, the Jesuites at Liege, and many others.

In Flanders.-The gardens of the Hofft in Bruxelles, Oroenendael's neere it, Risewick in Holland. The court at the Hague, the garden at Leyden, Pretor Hundius's garden at Amsterdam.

In Germany.-The Emperor's garden at Vienna, at Salisburgh; the medicinall at Heidelburg, Caterus's at Basil, Camerarius's garden of Horimburg, Scholtzius's at Vratislauia, at Bonne neere Collen, the elector's there: Christina's garden in Sweden made lately by Mollet; the garden at Cracovia, Warsovia, Grogning. The elector's garden at Heidelburg, Tico Brache's rare gardens at Vraneburge, the garden at Copenhagen. Tho. Duke of Holstein's garden, &c.

In Turkey, the East, and other parts.-The grand Signor's in the Serraglio, the garden at Tunis, and old Carthage; the garden at Cairo, at Fez, the pensal garden at Pequin in China, also at Timplan and Porassen; St. Thomas's garden in the island neere M. Hecla, perpetually verdant. In Persia the garden at Ispahan; the garden of Tzurbugh; the Chan's garden in Schamachie neere the Caspian sea, of Ardebil, and the citty of Cassuin or Arsacia; the garden lately made at Suratt in the East Indias by the great Mogoll's daughter, &c.

In America.-Montezuma's floating garden, and others in Mexico. The King of Azcapuzulco's, the garden of Cusco; the garden in Nova Hispania. Count Maurice's rare garden at Boavesta in Brasile.