these foure Bookes of Husbandry, collected and set forth, by Master Conrade Heresbatch, a great and a learned Counceller of the Duke of Cleues: not thinking it reason, though I haue altered and increased his vvorke, with mine owne readings and obseruations, ioined with the experience of sundry my friends, to take from him (as diuers in the like case haue done) the honour and glory of his owne trauaile: Neither is it my minde, that this either his doings, or mine, should deface, or any wayes darken the good enterprise, or painfull trauailes of such our Countrymen of England, as haue plentifully written of this matter: but alwayes haue, and do giue them the reuerence and honour due to so vertuous, and well disposed Gentlemen, namely, Master Fitzherbert, and Master Tusser: vvhose vvorkes may, in my fancie, without any presumption, compare with any, either Varro, Columella, or Palladius of Rome.” SIR HUGH PLATT, "that learned and great observer," but of whom we know so little, was, as Mr. Weston, in his Catalogue of English Authors, informs us, "the most ingenious husbandman of the age he lived in: yet, so great was his modesty, that all his works seem to be posthumous, except the Paradise of Flora, which appeared in 1600, when it is probable he was living. He spent part of his time at Copt-hall, in Essex, or at Bishop's-hall, in Middlesex, at each of which places he had a country seat; but his town residence was Lincoln's Inn. He held a correspondence with all lovers of agriculture and gardening throughout England; and such was the justice and modesty of his temper, that he always named the author of every discovery communicated to him.” In 1606 he had a garden in St. Martin's Lane. A list of his works appears in the late Dr. Watts's most laborious work, the Bibl. Brit. in 4 vols. 4to. In his "Floraes Paradise, beautified and adorned with sundry sorts of delicate fruites and flowers, to be sold in Paule's church yard, at the signe of the Holy Ghost, 1608," 12mo. he thus concludes his address to the studious and well affected reader:--" And thus, gentle Reader, hauing acquainted thee with my long, costly, and laborious Collections, not written at adventure, or by an imaginary conceit in a Scholler's priuate Studie, but wrung out of the earth, by the painfull hand of experience: and having also given thee a touch of Nature, whom no man as yet euer durst send naked into the worlde without her veyle; and expecting, by thy good entertainement of these, some encouragement for higher and deeper discoueries heereafter, I leave thee to the God of Nature, from whom all the true light of Nature proceedeth. Bednall-greene, neere London, this 2 of July, 1608." In his chapter of "An offer of some new, rare, and profitable Inventions," after speaking of " the most rare and peerless plant of all the rest, I meane the grape," he mentions the wholesomeness of the wine he then made from his garden at Bednall-greene, neere London :-"And if any exception shold be taken against the race and delicacie of them, I am content to submit them to the censure of the best mouthes, that professe any true skill in the iudgement of high country wines: although for their better credit herein, I could bring in the French Embassador, who (now almost two yeeres since, comming to my house of purpose to tast these wines) gaue this sentence vpon them; that he neuer drank any better nevv Wine in France. And Sir Francis Vere, that martiall Mirrour of our times, who is seldom or never without a cup of excellent wine at his table, assured me that he neuer dranke the like vnto mine, but once, and that in France. So that now mee thinks I begin to growe somewhat strong in my supporters; and therefore I make some doubt, whether I shall need to bring in that renowned Lady Arabella, the Countesse of Cumberland, the Lady Anne Clifford, the Lady Hastings, the Lady Candish, and most of the Maides of Honour, with diuers Lordes, Knights, and Gentlemen of good worth, that haue generally applauded the same; or leaue it heere to worke out his owne credit in his due time, because it is rich, and of a strong boiling nature." In his chapter of "Secrets in the ordering of Trees and Plants," he alludes to a gardener of the name of Maister Andrew Hill, or to his garden, no less than twenty-three times; and frequently to one of the name of Maister Pointer,* of Twickenham. Also to one of the name of Colborne; and to a parson Simson. He thus concludes this chapter:-"Heere I will conclude with a pretty conceit of that delicate knight, Sir Francis Carew; who, for the better accomplishment of his royall entertainemét of our late Queene of happy memory, at his house at Beddington, led her Maiestie to a Cherrie tree, whose fruite hee had of purpose kept backe from ripening, at the least one month after all Cherries had taken their farewell of England. This secret he performed, by straining a Tent or cover of canvas ouer the whole tree, and wetting the same now and then with a scoope or horne, as the heate of the weather required; and so, by with-holding the sunne-beames from reflecting vppon the berries, they grew both great, and were very long before they had gotten their perfect cherrie-colour: and when hee was assured of her Maiesties comming, he remoued the Tent, and a few sunny daies brought them to their full maturitie." * Gerarde, speaking of good sorts of apples and pears, thus mentions the above named Pointer :-" Master Richard Pointer has them all growing in his ground at Twickenham, near London, who is a most cunning and curious grafter and planter of all manner of rare fruits; and also in the ground of an excellent grafter and painful planter, Master Henry Bunbury, of Touthilstreet, near unto Westminster; and likewise in the ground of a diligent and most affectionate lover of plants, Master Warner, neere Horsely Down, by London; and in divers other grounds about London." In the 2nd vol. of Censura Litt. is some information respecting Sir Hugh. GABRIEL PLATTES, who (Harte says) "had a bold, adventurous cast of mind." The author of "Herefordshire Orchards," calls him "a singular honest man." Mr. Weston says, "This author may be considered as an original genius in husbandry. This ingenious writer, whose labours were productive of plenty and riches to others, was so destitute of the common necessaries of life, as to perish with hunger and misery. He was found dead in the streets, without a shirt to cover him, to the eternal disgrace of the government he lived under. He bequeathed his papers to S. Hartlib, whom a contemporary author addresses in this manner: none (but yourself, who wants not an enlarged heart, but a fuller hand to supply the world's defect,) being found, with some few others, to administer any relief to a man of so great merit.' Another friend of Hartlib's, gives Plattes the following character: certainly that man had as excellent a genius in agriculture, as any that ever lived in this nation before him, and was the most faithful seeker of his ungrateful country's good. I never think of the great judgement, pure zeal, and faithful intentions of that man, and withal of his strange sufferings, and manner of death, but am struck with amazement, that such a man should be suffered to fall down dead in the streets for want of food, whose studies tended in no less than providing and preserving food for whole nations, and that with as much skill and industry, so without pride or arrogance towards God or man.'-A list of his many works appears in Watts's Bibl. Brit. and also in Weston's intelligent Catalogue; and much information is given of Plattes in vol. 2 of the Censura Litteraria. Two of his works appear to be, 1. Treatise of Husbandry; 1633, 4to. 2. Discourse of Infinite Treasure, hidden since the World's beginning, in the way of Husbandry; 1632, 1653, 1656, 4to.* WILLIAM LAWSON published in 1597, A New Orchard and Garden, in 4to. Other editions, in 4to., in 1623, and 1626. His singular assertions are treated with great candor by the author of Herefordshire Orchards,-" for I thought I found many signs of honesty and integrity in the man, a sound, clear, natural wit." SIMON HARWARD published in 1597, a Treatise on the Art of propagating Vegetables; and annexed it to Lawson's New Orchard and Garden. THOMAS JOHNSON, the learned editor of the enlarged and valuable edition of Gerarde. Wood calls him "the best * The fate of this poor man reminds one of what is related of Corregio:—~ "He received from the mean canons of Parma, for his Assumption of the Virgin, the small pittance of two hundred livres, and it was paid him in copper. He hastened with the money to his starving family; but as he had six or eight miles to travel from Parma, the weight of his burden, and the heat of the climate, added to the oppression of his breaking heart, a pleurisy attacked him, which, in three days, terminated his existence and his sorrows in his fortieth year." If one could discover a portrait of either of the authors mentioned in the foregoing list, one might, I think, inscribe under each of such portraits, these verses: Ce pourtrait et maint liure Feront reuoir et viure Ta face et ton esprit. They are inscribed under an ancient portrait, done in 1555, which Mr. Dibdin has preserved in his account of Caen, and which he thus introduces : "As we love to be made acquainted with the persons of those from whom we have received instruction and pleasure, so take, gentle reader, a representation of Bourgueville." D |