Part 6

1, The complete Vineyard, 8vo. 1670, and 1683.

2, The American Physician, or a Treatise of the Roots, Plants, &c. growing in the English Plantations; 12mo. 1672.

3, The Flower Garden, 12mo. 1672 and 1734.

SAMUEL HARTLIB, ESQ. published Sir Richard Weston's "Discourse of Husbandrie used in Brabant and Flanders, shewing the wonderful improvement of land there, and serving as a pattern for our practice in this Commonwealth." Lond. 1645, 4to. 24 pages. Mr. Weston, in his interesting Catalogue, says, "It is remarked in the Phil. Trans. that England has profited in agriculture to the amount of many millions, in consequence of the Flanders husbandry having been made known by this little treatise. In another edition (I believe 1655) Hartlib, in order to enlarge, and better explain it, annexed Dr. Beatie's Annotations to it." Mr. Hartlib also published,

1, Legacie; or an Enlargement of the Discourse of Husbandry; 4to. 1650. A second edition in 1651, and a third in 1655.

2, Concerning the Defects and Remedies of English Husbandry, in a letter to Dr. Beale; 4to. 1651.

3, A Designe for Plentie, by an universall planting of Fruit-trees; tendered by some Well-wishers to the Public. Lond. without date, but probably (as Mr. Loudon observes) 1652, 4to. "Published by Hartlib, who had the MS. from the Hon. Colonel John Barkstead, Lieutenant of the Tower. The author was an aged minister of the Gospel, at Lovingland, near Yarmouth."

4, The Commonwealth of Bees, 1657.

Mr. Weston gives much information respecting Mr. Hartlib. I select only the following:--

"He was a German gentleman by birth, a great promoter of husbandry during the times of the commonwealth, and much esteemed by all ingenious men in those days, particularly by Milton, who addressed to him his Treatise on Education; Sir William Petty also inscribed two letters to him on the same subject. Lond. 4to. 1647 and 1648. Cromwell, who was a great favourer of agriculture, in consequence of this admirable performance, allowed Hartlib a pension of £100. a year; and Hartlib afterwards, the better to fulfil the intentions of his benefactor, procured Dr. Beatie's excellent annotations on the Legacy, with other valuable pieces from his numerous correspondents. This famous work, attributed to Hartlib, and called the Legacy, was only drawn up at his request, and, passing through his correction and revision, was published by him." His name will ever stand honoured, from Milton having dedicated his Tractate on Education to him, and from his having, in this tract, painted with affection, and with warm and high colours, the character of Mr. Hartlib.

Dr. JOHN BEALE, author of that celebrated little tract, the "Herefordshire Orchards, a pattern for the whole of England." London 1657, 12mo.; 1724, 8vo. He addresses this to Mr. Hartlib, and thus commences it:--"Your industrious endeavours for the benefit of all men, and particularly for the good of this nation, hath well deserved the grateful acknowledgement of all good men, and of my self in special; for that in my rural retirement I have received some profit, and very much innocent and refreshing delights in the perusal of those treatises, which are by your diligent hand communicated to the publick." He thus affectionately concludes it:--"I briefly hint unto you what esteem we do truly owe unto your labours. I pray the Lord to remember your diligence in the great day of his appearance in glory. Your hearty well-wisher." In vol. 6 of the works of the Honourable Robert Boyle, are many letters from Dr. Beale. That dated Oct. 26, strongly paints his attachment to the fruits of Herefordshire, or whatever may tend to the benefit of that his native county. Mr. Boyle says of him, "There is not in life, a man in this whole island, nor on the continents beyond the seas, that could be made more universally useful to do good to all." And Mr. Gough, in his Topography, records the benefits he conferred on that county. Such a testimony as the above, from such a man as Mr. Boyle, is, indeed, honourable. The learned Boerhaave tells us who Mr. Boyle was: "Boyle, the ornament of his age and country, succeeded to the genius and enquiries of the great Verulam. Which of all Boyle's writings shall I recommend? All of them. To him we owe the secrets of fire, air, water, animals, vegetables, fossils, so that from his works may be reduced the whole system of natural knowledge." His charities amounted to £1000. annually. Dr. Beale resided chiefly at Hereford, (1660) when he was made Rector of Yeovil, Somersetshire, where he died in 1683, at the age of eighty. His other works are enumerated in Mr. Loudon's Encyclopædia of Gardening. Mr. Evelyn, in the greatest of his works, (his Sylva,) adds to it Dr. Beale's advertisement concerning Cyder.

William Brome, a principal ornament of Christ Church, a native of Herefordshire, and who afterwards lived in retirement at Ewithington, in that county, "formed the plan (says the late Mr. Dunster in his edition of Phillips's Cyder) of writing the Provincial History of his native county, a work for which he was eminently qualified, not only by his great and general learning, but as being particularly an excellent naturalist and antiquary. After having made a considerable progress, he abandoned his design, and, which is still more to be lamented, destroyed the valuable materials which he had collected." I merely introduce this to state, that from Mr. Brome, much information, in all likelihood, might have been gathered respecting Dr. Beale. We have to regret, that time and mortality, have now obliterated every fading trace of contemporary recollection of a man, who, in his day, was so highly esteemed.

ROBERT SHARROCK, Archdeacon of Winchester, and Rector of Bishop's Waltham, and of Horewood. Wood, in his Athenæ, says, "he was accounted learned in divinity, in the civil and common law, and very knowing in vegetables, and all appertaining thereunto. He published The History of the Propagation and Improvement of Vegetables, by the concurrence of art and nature. Oxford, 1660, 8vo., and 1672, 8vo.: an account of which book you may see in the Phil. Trans. No. 84, page 5002." He also published Improvements to the Art of Gardening; or an exact Treatise on Plants. London, 1694; folio. This must have been a posthumous work, as he died in 1684.

---- ILIFFE, in 1670, published in 12mo. The compleat Vineyard.

JOHN REA, the author of "Flora, Ceres, and Pomona." It is enriched by a frontispiece engraved by D. Loggan. He dedicates the above folio, in 1665, to Lord Gerard, of Gerard's Bromley. His lordship, it seems, about that time, determined to erect that noble mansion, which Plot has given us a plate of; and Rea, in this folio, enumerates those plants, fruits, and flowers, which he thinks this then-intended garden ought to be furnished with; and a small bit, or a piece or parcel, of which once most sumptuous garden, Plot gives us. "Altho' (says Rea) our country cannot boast the benignity of that beautiful planet which meliorates their fruit in Italy, France, and Spain; yet, by reflection from good walks, well gravelled walks, the choice of fit kinds, we may plentifully partake the pleasure, and yearly enjoy the benefit, of many delicious fruits: as also the admiration and delight in the infinite varieties of elegant forms, various colours, and numerous kinds of noble plants, and beautiful flowers, some whereof have been heretofore handled by a renowned person of your name; but since his time, nature hath discovered many new varieties, not known to former ages, as I hope shortly will appear in your own collections, gloriously adorning your spacious garden, which I wish may correspond, both in fashion and furniture, with that noble structure to which it appertaineth. Accept then, my honoured lord, this humble offering, which may possibly live to do you service, when I am dust and ashes, and, according to my highest ambition, remain as a testimony of my sincerest gratitude for the many favours I have received from your honour, your most accomplished lady, and that noble family from whence she is descended. I should here add my prayers for your honour's preservation, did I not reserve them for my morning sacrifice, daily to be presented to the immortal deities by him that is, your most humble and most devoted servant, John Rea." He addresses also a long poem to Lady Gerard, on Flora inviting her to walk in this garden, in which he celebrates her "bright beauty."

Self-loved Narcissus, if he look On your fair eyes, will leave the brook, And undeceived, soon will rue He ever any loved but you. If to the hyacinth you turn, He smiles, and quite forgets to mourn. The enamoured heliotrope will run To your bright stars, and leave the sun. Our lilies here do make no show, They whiter on your bosom grow, And violets appear but stains, Compared with your bluer veins.

* * * * *

New-blown buds, all scents excelling, As you pass by, invite your smelling.

* * * * *

Mark the glorious tulips rise In various dress, to take your eyes, And how the fairest and all the rest Strive which shall triumph on your breast.

* * * * *

Thus your rich beauty and rare parts Excel all flowers, exceed all arts. Live then, sweet lady, to inherit Your father's fortune, and his spirit, Your mother's face and virtuous mind.

Throughout this long poem, John Rea's warmth much exceeds that of the most romantic lovers. One of the latter only observes, that the flowers courted the tread of his fair one's foot; that the sky grew more beautiful in her presence, and that the atmosphere borrowed new splendour from her eyes. Rea's passion seems even warmer than this. In his address to the reader, he says, "I have continued my affection to this honest recreation, without companion or encouragement; and now in my old age, (wearied and weaned from other delights) find myself more happy in this retired solitude, than in all the bustles and busie employments of my passed days." He thus concludes his book:--

---- this is all I crave: Some gentle hand with flowers may strew my grave, And with one sprig of bays my herse befriend, When as my life, as now my book, doth end.

Laus Deo.

Rea gives us also another very long poem, being that of "Flora to the Ladies," which he thus concludes:--

Silent as flow'rs may you in virtues grow, Till rip'ning time shall make you fit to blow, Then flourish long, and seeding leave behind A numerous offspring of your dainty kind; And when fate calls, have nothing to repent, But die like flow'rs, virtuous and innocent. Then all your fellow flow'rs, both fair and sweet, Will come, with tears, to deck your winding-sheet; Hang down their pensive heads so dew'd, and crave To be transplanted to your perfum'd grave.

These love poems seem all to have been written in his old age; and that passion causes him thus to open his first book:--"Love was the inventor, and is still the maintainer, of every noble science. It is chiefly that which hath made my flowers and trees to flourish, though planted in a barren desert, and hath brought me to the knowledge I now have in plants and planting; for indeed it is impossible for any man to have any considerable collection of plants to prosper, unless he love them: for neither the goodness of the soil, nor the advantage of the situation, will do it, without the master's affection; it is that which renders them strong and vigorous; without which they will languish and decay through neglect, and soon cease to do him service. I have seen many gardens of the new model, in the hands of unskilful persons, with good walls, walks and grass-plots; but in the most essential adornments so deficient, that a green meadow is a more delightful object; there nature alone, without the aid of art, spreads her verdant carpets, spontaneously embroidered with many pretty plants and pleasing flowers, far more inviting than such an immured nothing. And as noble fountains, grottoes, statues, &c. are excellent ornaments and marks of magnificence, so all such dead works in gardens, ill done, are little better than blocks in the way to intercept the sight, but not at all to satisfy the understanding. A choice collection of living beauties, rare plants, flowers and fruits, are indeed the wealth, glory, and delight of a garden." He seems enamoured with tulips. He describes no less than one hundred and ninety different sorts. He calls them "Flora's choicest jewels, and the most glorious ornaments of the best gardens. Such is their rarity and excellence, and so numerous are the varieties, that it is not possible any one person in the world should be able to express, or comprehend the half of them, every new spring discovering many new diversities never before observed, either arising from the seeds of some choice kinds, the altering of off-sets, or by the busy and secret working of nature upon several self-colours, in different soils and situations, together with the help of art." Switzer says, "the practical and plain method in which he has delivered his precepts, are admirable." There is a second edition of the Flora, with additions. What these are, I know not; unless they are the cuts of parterres, which were omitted in the first edition. There is an edition in 1696.