The Landswoman 2012 | Page 6

I'll E L .\'\ D~ \\ 0\1 \~ A Medireval London Garden. WE how publi~h('u som~ tim<· ago an ~trt id< ... howing trace-> of th(• rural char.u.·t(·r of pnrt .. of London ... un iv•• in the n:tme!:> whkh thl'\ . . till htM. I h• . . c cov~r, of coursf·, in manv di.,tr'<'t...., fit IJ-. and g :Jrd~n .... , or<;h.m.ls, and far m ).trd.... long -.inr< obli- tPratcd by !>tr('('t., of houS{·<... of whi<:h no ... u( h n mmder, if indcetl :tO} re-l.ord, ... urvivf's. .\nd there .tre othet"-. who ... ~ ... it1·~ ma\ b<· di'>(OH'If cl un- .twarcs bv th~c who'>(• mu ... t\ * IJu~mc ...... 1t i-, to.., .trf the Ouch) of L~tn<'n..,t• r , and \\'<' c.ln imagine thf' gn·y-hair('(l old anliquar) wh(•n lw h.tp- pencd upon it ... ighing for a reorn in the tw< nty-fourth y<'ar <~f the t!'ign of Ed'' .tr<.l I th.tt i-;, in 121)6. \\'t l• ·arn from it that appl<">, l)( ., .. ,, large nut... (probabh \\ .d- nu r-.)~ ~ tnd < hf r ric.., \\« r<• produt c•d in -..utlh.·t• nt quan- ti t iC'-., not <"mly to suppl) thP E.trl'-. t:tbl<- nu -.m
n Wf H ' h t•ltb, onion ..... ~arfk, 1(:-<•ks, .tnd ,c,om{' olh<'r'- \\h i., ... ihl) -.on rl \ c·qutu '' u ... mu< h u ... c d 11 thro ~.tun•.., and othc r nllin.tr\ prcyarat ion~ vf t ho;;;;e cl:n -., and it .,<.., llh to ha-ve b~n pu·p.t rcd ' «·i tll«·r from 'orr< l or ft 0111 grapt- jui( c· or \'IIH' )pa\'(•.... J lw E.1rl lt.td \ itH -., too, in hi-. g-.trdt·n, ~t nd ",. rn.ty g-.11 hN· th.tt tht y \\ rn' lwfd in -.om• ' ''tim.1tion , tor rut- ting ... <' f tJwm \\<'rl' ...,ofd ' J hf' -.tor k putrhn-.;(·d for tlw g .u d< n {olllpt j..,. d tu tting-... or t.. ( h of four \ •rit·li''' of (>('·11 tn '( -.. a nd i t i... "t . • t 1 ·d that tiH ">(' <' u t- ting-. Wf rP for plnntJng. Tlw 11.11n•.., of tlw p~' a Hu1 gu nm, fo-r th<') "'' t (• Ct-t·t.unl) ndtiV.t tf d ;;, l._ngland m:tny \ <'~r~ IJ<•fon tlw d:tl l' c,f thi" xi .. t<>n<:(' of one onw--dn} Book \ r>plt., \\f'r(' con<..idf•rrtl IIIOrf' \\holc• ... onll th.tn [X.tr-., whit h, unl•·..,.., rOOkf'l) ,,.,.r,. 1 t ~.u dtd ,,.., l'!)ld and indig<•..,t iiJIP, \\hf'tc·as ·.tppJ 1., \\ r re cla~sed a!'> " soft '' fruit. lt i-. t)llitr po-. ... ibJ 1 md(•( d orob.lble , that th(' Earl grc· w J)(•aclw,. fo; thcr< i ... a r<'rord that 1-.clward I. pi.11H<'d the ,'11 in hi . . p.tlacc g:1rdt•n .tt \\"<>-. tminsl< r in 12i6. 'j lw Ktng ,tl"o plantc•d goo...d>< rrie-., !Jut th1s was not •lll inno\ati<,n, and \\'<' may })(•li<>ve that the E.tt'l had th<>m "" \\dl. Doubtlc~"• too, lw had mulbnt 11 ... \'vhi<-h :.pp<>,tr to have b<'<.'n grown in England fron~ ,1 very earl) {H'riod . Str.lwb<'rri<'q anq ra...,pbrn iN \\<'l<' probabh not includ('<.l . 1 hf'y were ccrta1 1 \' ( .1tc n ,1t thf' um<', but thf'.\ w e re looked upon as '' tld frui t .tnd not g<•nf't.dly <'ultivatcd, since th<') , u 'd be found pltn tifully in the woods. T h<' o nlv tlow~rc:; mcnt ion~d in the Earl's gard<'n w ere bought in l2jl> for the ro)al gardf'n at \Vestm in<>t<'r which we h t\' C alr<'ad\ . men tio n<·d , a nd sunAowrt s ' violets , and popp ic·s arc among th( flowe rs noted in a V<'ry old m.utu!-><:ript ac; proper to a " noble gardPn. '' l he nardc;.;;uc: j.., also includ<'d, and douut- lt ..,.., the Earl, or the CountC's'>, in- -.i ... tl'd on h.tving all of thc~e. U n- qw• ... uonably, too, the g illy tlow<·r, (Contmurd on Page 281.) t ' the < r P.t..,-pli('C'Il P, and llu "~' t\\0 -. t '{'tn to h:\\·1' l>N•n thf' 01 t of till four, for th('il' prid rang-rei from tod . to 2" or 3 .t h undt <•d. \[Hrlinc; sold nt ~d wtd Cnillou .tt ' "· Th1• Earl's IJ:tili ff -.rt>m to ha\'C made .1 f.til'l) go«td ..,f•lf'ction, for then• \\U(' l~l hr-r 4u:.ll itit" to be bought at :.~ d • • tnd J«l. :..t hunJn cl. A :Medireval Garden- from an old MS. ..