In England.-Wilton, Dodington, Spensherst, Sion, Hatfield, Lord Brook's, Oxford, Kirby, Howard's, Durden's, my elder brother George Evelyn's in Surry, far surpassing any else in England, it may be my owne poore garden may for its kind, perpetually greene, not be vnworthy mentioning. The gardens mentioned in Scripture, &c. Miraculous and extraordinary gardens found upon huge fishes' backs, men over growne with flowers, &c. Romantique and poeticall gardens out of Sidney, Spencer, Achilles Statius, Homer, Poliphele, &c. All these I have already described, some briefly, some at large according to their dignity and merite. But this paper, and my reverence to your greate patience, minds me of a conclusion. Worthy, sir, I am your most humble and most obliged servant, J. EUELYN. Sir, I beg the fauour of you when you see Mr. Paston to make my seruice acceptable, and to let him knowe how greately I thinke my selfe obliged to him for this civillity. I make bold to send you another paper of the chapters, because I have there added another chapter concerning Hortulan entertainments; and I intend another for wonderfull plants, &c. If you thinke me worthy of the continuance of these fauours to your servant, your letters will infallibly find me by this addresse:-" For Mr. Iohn Euelyn, at the Hauk and Feasant on Ludgate Hill, London." Dr. Browne to John Evelyn, Esq.1 [FROM THE MS. COLLECTION OF MR. WILLIAM UPCOTT.] WORTHY SIR, Some weekes past I made bold to send you a letter with an enclosed paper concerning garlands and coronarie 1 Indorsed by Evelyn "Dr. Browne from Norwich." 2 plants, which I hope you have received, having directed it unto the Hawke and Pheasant, on Ludgate Hill. If you think fit to make use of such a catalogue as I sent therewith, I could add unto it. However for Moly flore luteo, you may please to put in Moly Hondianum novum. I now present unto you a small paper which should have been attended with a catalogue of plants,3 wherein experiments might bee attempted by insition and wayes of propagation; but probably you may bee provided in that kind. Yet I have not met with any of that nature and particulars, this extending beyond garden plants unto all wild trees among us. This, if you please, you may command within very few dayes, or any thing in the power of, Sir, your honoring friend and servant, THOMAS BROWNE. I pray my humble service unto Sir Robert Paston when you see him, which you may now at pleasure, he being of the House, and an highly deserving and loyall member of it. The gardens upon great fishes I would not tearme miraculous gardens, but rather extraordinarie and anomalous gardens, animal gardens, or the like. Mr. Dugdale to Dr. Browne. [POSTHUMOUS WORKS, AND MS. SLOAN. 3418.] HONOURED SIR, Blyth-hall, neer Colhill, in Warwickshire, 4th Oct. 1658. By your letter, dated 27th September, (which came to my hands about two days since) I see how much I am obliged to you for your readinesse to take into consideration those things which I desired by the note sent to Mr. Watts; so that I could not omitt, but by this first opportunity, to returne you my hearty thanks for the favour. I resolve, God willing, to be in London about the beginning of the next terme, and by Mr. Watts (my kind friend) will send you some of the bones of that fishe which my note mentioneth. 2 No. 2 of the "Miscellany Tracts." 3 Now first published from MS. Sloan. 1848, 1882, 5233.---See vol. IV. Certainly, sir, the gaining Marshland, in Norfolk, and Holland, in Lincolnshire, was a worke very antient, as by many circumstances may be gathered; and therefore considering the industry and skill of the Romans, I conceive it most like to have been performed by them. Mr. Cambden, in his Britannia, speaking of the Romans in Britaine, hath an observation out of Tacitus in the life of Agricola; which Dr. Holland (who translated Cambden) delivers thus: viz. that the Romans wore out and consumed the bodies and hands of the Britans, in clearing of woods, and paving of fens. But the words of Tacitus are, paludibus emuniendis, of which I desire your opinion; I meane, whether the word emuniendis do not meane walling or banking. Sir, I account my selfe much happy to be thus far known to you as I am, and that you are pleased to thinke me worthy to converse with you in this manner, which I shall make bold still to do upon any good occasion, till I be more happy by a personall knowledge of you, as I hope in good time I resting Your very humble servant and honourer, WILLIAM DUGDALE. For my much honoured friend, Dr. Browne, at his house in Norwich. may, Mr. Dugdale to Dr. Browne. [POSTHUMOUS WORKS, AND MS. SLOAN. 3418.] From my chamber, at the Herauld's Office HONOURED SIR, in London, 9th Nov. 1658. Yours of October 27th, with that learned discourse inclosed, came safe to my hands the last weeke, for which I return you my most hearty thanks, being highly satisfyed therewith. Since the receipt thereof, I have spoke with Mr. Jonas Moore (the chiefe surveyor of this great worke of drayning in Cambridgeshire and the counties adjacent) who tells 5 The letter (probably a mere envelope) has not reached us; the discourse (which it contained) there is very little doubt is published among the Miscellany Tracts, No. 9, Of Artificial Hills, &c. preceded by Dugdale's Note of Enquiry. me that the causey I formerly mentioned is sixty foote broad in all places where they have cutt through it, and about eighteen inches thicknesse of gravell, lying upon the moore, and now in many places three foote deepe under a new accession of moore. It seemes I mistook when I signifyed to you that Mr. Ashmole had some Romane coynes, which were found in the fens ; for he now tells me that he hath nothing as yet, but that urne which Jonas Moore gave him; but my Lord St. John had divers, as he tells me, which are lost, or mislayed. Jonas Moore now tells me, that very lately, in digging a piece of ground which lyes within the precincts of Soham, (about three or four miles from Ely,) the diggers found seven or eight urnes, which by carelessnesse were broken in pieces, but no coyne in or near them. The ground is about six acres, and in the nature of an island in the fenne, but no raysed heap of earth to cover them, as he tells me. I resolve to intreat Mr. Chichley, (my very good friend,) who is owner thereof, to cause some further digging there; for they are of opinion that there are many more of that kind; and then I shall be able to satisfy you better, and what is found in them. Sir Thomas Cotton is not as yet come up to London, otherwise I would have sent you some of those bones of the fishe, which I will be sure to do so soone as he comes. Mr. Ashmole presents his service to you, with great thanks for your kinde offer, desiring a note of what manuscripts you have that may be for his purpose, whereupon he will let you know whether he wants them or not; for he hath others than what he hath formerly made use of. I hope I shall obtain so much favour of the adventurers, as to procure one of those large heaps of earth to be cut through, to the end that we may see whether any urnes or other things of note are covered therewith. Sir, this favour which you are pleased to afford me, thus to trouble you with these things, I highly value, and shall rest At your commands wherein I may serve you, WILLIAM DUGDALE. For my much honoured friend, Dr. Browne, at his house in St. Peter's, in Norwich. SIR, Dr. Browne to Mr. Dugdale. [POSTHUMOUS WORKS, AND MS. SLOAN. 3418.] Norwich, Nov. 10th, 1658. Your observation is singular, and querie very ingenious, concerning the expression of Tacitus in the life of Agricola, upon the complaint of the Britans, that the Romans consumed and wore out their bodyes and hands, sylvis et paludibus emuniendis, that is, whether thereby walling or bancking the fennes is not to bee understood according to the signification of the word emunire. This, indeed, is the common and received signification, as probably derived from the old word mænire, that is, mænibus cingere, to wall, fence, or fortifie by enclosure, according to the same acception in warlike munitions and entrenchments. But in this expression strictly to make out the language of the author, a sense is to be found agreeable unto woods as well as fennes and marshes; the word emuniendis relating unto both, which will butt harshly be expressed by any one word in our language, and might cause such different and subexpositive translations. And this may be made out from the large signification of the word munire, which is sometimes taken not only to wall, fence, or enclose, butt also to laye open, and render fitt for passage. Soe is that of Livie expounded by learned men, when, in the passage of Hannibal over the Alpes, he sayth, rupem muniendam curavit, that is, he opened a passage through the rock; and least the word should bee thought rather to be read minuendam, a fewe lines after, the word is used agayne; et quies muniendo fessis hominibus triduo data. And upon the same subject the like expressions are to bee founde in the Latin translation of Polybius, sett forth by Casaubon, labore improbo in ipso principitio viam munivit. And for the gettinge downe of his caryages and elephants from the hills covered with ice and snowe, it is afterwards |