Mons, of Bmssels. This gentleman has given to the world more ncAv and excellent pears
than ever were before raised from seed by any individual. He also wrote on the subject
of raising fruits from seeds, in the Journal d ’Agriculture des Pays B a s and some other
public jom-nals, and published a separate work on fruit trees. Prof. Van Mons was the
first to show the advantage of raising successive generations of the same seedling. (Jour.
d'Agr. des Pays Bas, &c., Sept. 1829, p. 180.) After his death, in 1844, Ms nmscry was
carried on hy Messrs. Bivor and Fossoul, nurserymen.
205. The Batch and Flemings have few works on gardening, and the reason may be
the universality of practical knowledge iu that country. Van der Grocn, Commelyn,
and Van Oosten are thefr principal authors. L e Jardinier des Pays Bas, par J . Van der
Groen, gardener to the Prince of Orange, 4to, Brussels, was published in 1672. Coin-
melyn published the Horti Medici Amstelodamensis, in 2 vols. folio, in 1697 ; and Nederlantze
Hesperides, &c., folio, 1676, wMch was translated into English under the title of
the Belgic or Netherlandish Hesperides, made English by G, V. N . 8vo, Lond. 1683.
Van Oosten, who was gardener at Leyden, published Der Neiderldndische Garten, 8vo,
Hannov, 1706; which Avas translated into English under the title of The Dutch
Gardener, in 1710, and into French, under that of L e Jardin de Leide, in 1714. Various
French Avorks on gardening have been printed at the Hague and other parts of Holland.
The Annales de la Société Royale d'Horticulture d(s Pays Bas, and L ’Horticulture Belge,
ai*e tAvo excellent and very useful works, both of which appcai’ monthly.
Sect. H I. O f the Rise, Progress, and present State o f Gardening in France.
206. Three eras mark the gardening o f France : that of Charlemagne, in the eighth ;
of Louis XIV., in the middle of the seventeenth ; and that of the Revolution, at the
end of the eighteenth, centuries. The first introduced the best fruits, and spread the use
of vineyards and orchai'ds ; the second was marked by splendour in design ; and the thfrd
by increased botanical and scientific knoAvledgc, and by the diffusion of garden comforts
tlu'oughout the whole mass of society.
Subsect. 1. French Gardening, as an A r t o f Design and Taste.
207. Some remains o f Roman villas still exist in France. “ The valley of the Rhone was,
at an eaily period of the empire, a favourite retreat of the Roman nobility ; as much for
the fine climate, unalloyed by malaria, as for its distance from the suspicion and wanton
cruelty of the many tyrants, successors of Augustus. Nowhere else out of Italy have
such splendid remains of villas been discovered as in the Provincia Narhonensis.” A
writer referred to by G. L. Meason has left “ a description of the countiy life of the
Roman or Gallic nobility in the neighbourhood of Nismes. The mornings were spent
in the tennis court, or in a libraiy furnished Avith Latin authors ; the profane for the
men, the religious for the ladies. Between dinner and supper they slept, took the air
on horseback, and used the Avarra bath. I t was only in the reign of Louis XIV. that
royal palaces and pleasure-houses in the country were erected free from towers, donjons,
and drawbridges. Temaces and parterres, pleasui-e-grounds and parks, succeeded, which
were enclosed Avith low walls, and entered by gates of open fronwork, indicating rather
the boundary than the defence of the property.” (Land Arch, o f Italy, 1830.)
208. Though the gardening o f Charlemagne, in the eighth centmp, was chiefly o f the useful
kind, yet he is said (see Nigellius) to have had a noble palace at Nieder Ingelheim, on the
Rhine, supported by a hundred columns of Italian marble. TMs could hardly be erected
Avithout an accompanying and decorative gai'den, though the fmgal habits of the prince
might prevent an extravagant display of design. Williams informs us that some fragments
of the marble pillars wMch once adorned Charlemagne’s palace are still shown
in the church. (Travels, &c. p. 27.) From the Hortulus of Walafrid, published in tlie
beginmng of the ninth ccntui-y, it appears that gai'dens were in those times made only
witMn the walls of castles and monasteries. ( Walafridus Strabus, Hortulus, 4to, Norim-
bergæ, 1512.) He Avrote in the ninth century, about 842.
209. Previously to the sixteenth century, any notices of gardening iu France chiefly
relate to other branches than that under consideration. A t the end of tMs centmy,
Francis I. built the palace of Fontainebleau, and introduced there some traits of
tlie gardening of Italy. Stephens and Liebault published their Maison Rustique about
this time : the eai'ly editions contain little on the subject of design, farther than directions
for forming avenues, arbours, and flower-gardens. ( L ’Agriculture à la Maison Rustique,
4to, Paris, 1567.)
210. In the beginning o f the seventeenth century, Hirsclifcld observes, the gardens of
France consisted only of a few trees and floAvers, some plots of tu rf and pieces of
water ; the whole, lie adds, according to thefr OAvn accounts, “ ai*e totally devoid of taste,
an d completely Avild and neglected.”
2 1 1 . About the middle o f the seventeenth century, and in the second year of Louis
X IV .’s reign, France was visited by Evelyn, who makes the following rcmai'ks on
the gardens in and near Paris : —
The garden o f the Tuileries “ is rarely contrived for privacy, shade, or company, by groves, plantations
of tall trees, especially th a t in the middle being of elms, and another of mulberries. T h ere is a iabyrinth
of cypress, noble hedges of pomegranates, fountains, fish-ponds, and an aviary. T h ere is an artificial
echo, redoubling the words distinctly, and it is never without some fair nymph singing to it. Standing
at one of the focuses, which is under a tree, or little cabinet of hedges, th e voice seems to descend from
th e clouds ; a t another, as if it were under ground. This being a t the bottom of the garden, we were let
into another, which, being kept with all imaginable accurateness as to the orangery, precious shrubs, and
ra re fruits, seemed a paradise.” (Evelyn's Diary, &c., v o l.i. p. 74.)
St. Cloud. ‘‘ By th e way I alighted a t St. d o e s [St. Cloud], where, on an eminence near th e river, the
archbishop of P an s has a garden, for th e house is not very considerable, newly watered, and furnished
with statues, fountains, and groves : the walks are very fine ; th e fountain of Laocoon is in a large square
pool, throwing th e water near forty feet high, and having about it a m ultitude of statues and basins, and
IS a surprising object ; but nothing is more esteemed than th e cascade, falling from th e great steps into
th e lowest and longest walk from the Mount Parnassus, which consists of a grotto, or shell-house, on
the summit of th e hill, wherein are divers waterworks, and contrivances to wet the spectators.” (Ibid.,
Cardinal Richelieu's villa at Ruelle. “ T h e house is small, but fairly built, in form of a castle, and
moated round. T h e offices are towards th e road, and over against them are large vineyards walled in.
Though th e house is not of the greatest size, the gardens about it are so magnificent, that I doubt wheth
e r Italy has any exceeding them for varieties of pleasure. T h e garden nearest th e pavilion is a p arterre,
having in th e midst divers brass statues, perpetually spouting water into an ample basin, with
other figures of the same metal ; but what is most admirable is th e vast enclosure, and variety of
ground in the large garden, containing vineyards, cornfields, meadows, groves (whereof one is of perennial
greens), and walks of vast lengths, so accurately kept and cultivated, th a t nothing can be more
agreeable. On one of these walks, within a square of tall trees, is a basilisk of copper, which, managed
by the fountameer, casts water near sixty feet high, and will, of itself, move round so swiftly, th a t one
can hardly escape wetting. This leads to the citronière, which is a noble conserve of all those rarities ;
and a t th e end of it is the arch of Constantine, painted on a wall in oil, as large as the real one at Rome,
so well done, th a t even a man skilled in painting may mistake it for stone and sculpture. T h e sky and
hills, which seem to be between the arches, are so natural, that swallows and other birds, thinking to fly
through, have dashed themselves against th e wall. At th e farther part of this walk is th a t plentiful,
though artificial, cascade, which rolls down a very steep declivity, and over the marble steps and basins,
with an astonishing noise and fury; each basin hath a je t in it, inowing like sheets of transparent glass ;
especially th at which rises over th e great shell of lead, from whence it glides silently down a channel,
through th e middle of a spacious gravel-walk, terminating in a grotto. Here are also fountains that cast
water to a great height, and large ponds, two of which have islands for harbour of fowls, of which there
is store. One of these islands has a receptacle for them, built of vast pieces of rock, near fifty feet high
grown over with moss, ivy, &c., shaded, at a competent distance, with tall trees : in this th e fowls lay
eggs and breed. We then saw a large and very ra re grotto of shell-work, in the shape of satyrs, and
other wild fancies ; in th e middle stands a m arble table, on which a fountain plays in forms of glasses,
cups, crosses, fans, crowns, &c. Then the fountaineers represent a shower o f rain, from the top, met
by small Jets from below. At going out, two extravagant musketeers shot us with a stream of water
from their musket-barrels. Before this grotto is a long pool, into which ran divers spouts of water from
leaden esoallop basins. T h e viewing this paradise made us late a t St. Germains.” (Ibid., p. 78.) This
place, in th e time of Napoleon, became th e proper*y of Marshal Massena.
St. Germain. “ The first building of this palace is of Charles V., called th e Sage ; but Francis I. (th at
true virtuoso) made it complete. Speaking as to the style of magnificence then in fashion, it has too
great a mixture of the Gothic, as may be seen of what there is remaining of his in the old castle, which
was an irregular piece built on the old foundation, and having a m oat about it. It has yet some spacious-
and handsome rooms of state, and a chapel neatly painted. T h e new castle is at some distance, divided
from this by a court, of a lower but more modern design, built by Henry IV . To this belong six terraces,
built of brick and stone, descending in cascades, towards th e river, cut out of th e natura l hill, having
under them grandly vaulted galleries ; of these, four have subterraneous grots and rocks, where are
represented several objects, in the manner of scenes, and other motions by force of water, shown by the
light of torches only ; amongst these is Orpheus, with his music, and th e animals which dance after his
harp ; in th e second is the king and dolphin (dauphin) ; in th e third is Neptune sounding his trumpet,
his chariot drawn by sea-horses; in the fourth, Perseus and Andromeda ; mills, hermitages, men fishing,
birds chirping, and many other devices. There is also a dry grot to refresh in, all having a fine prospect
towards the river, and the goodly country about it, especially the forest. At th e bottom is a parte rre ;
th e upper terrace near half a mile in length, with double declivities, arched and balustered with stone of
vast and royal cost. In th e pavilion of th e new castle are many fair rooms well painted, and leading
into a very noble garden and park, where th ere is a pall-mall, in th e m idst of which, on one of the sides, is
a chapel with a stone cupola, though small, yet of a handsome order of architecture. Out of th e park
you go into the forest, which, being very large, is stored with deer, wild boars, wolves, and other wild
game. The tennis-court, and cavalerizzo for the maneged horses, are also very observable.”
The gardens o f the Luxembourg are near an English mile in circumference. “ The parte rre is, indeed,
o f box, but so rarely designed and accurately kept cut, th a t the embroidery makes a wonderful efl'ect to
th e lodgings which front it.” (Ibid., p. 93.) Th ere is a noble basin of marble in th e centre, with a
fountain nearly th irty feet high. “ T h e walks are exactly fair, long, and variously descending ; and so
justly planted with limes, elms, and other trees, th a t nothing can be more delicious, especially that of the
hornbeam hedge, which, being high und stately, buts full on the fountain.” (Ibid., p. 94.) The gardens
of th e Luxembourg are now celebrated for their collections of fruit-trees, vines, and roses.
212. Andi'é le Nôtre was probably the most celebrated French gardener that ever existed.
I f Le Nôtre, observes Hirschfeld, had been born under any other monarch than Louis
XIV., his taste Avould, in all probability, never have spread, or Ms name been knoAvn to
posterity. But that age, in AvMch a feeling for the fine arts had begim to atvake in men’s
minds, together Avith tho personal character of this monarch, Avas favourable to pomp and
brilliancy. The nation and the court wished to be dazzled and enchanted by novelty
and singularity ; and though there certainly was nothing in Le Notre’s manner that had
not before been displayed in France and Italy, and, with the exception of parteiTes, even
by the Romans ; yet the gi-and scale and sumptuous expense of his plans sui-passcd
every thing before seen in France, and produced precisely the desired end. His long
clipped alleys, triumphal arches, richly decorated and highly Avrought parterres ; his