Who, that has reason, and his smell,
Would not among roses and jasmine dwell,
Rather than all his spirits choke

With exhalations of dirt and smoke,

And all th' uncleanness which does drown,
In pestilential clouds, a populous town?
The earth itself breathes better perfumes here,
Than all the female men, or women there,
Not without cause, about them bear.

When Epicurus to the world had taught,
That pleasure was the chiefest good

(And was, perhaps, i' th' right, if rightly understood), His life he to his doctrine brought,

And in a garden's shade that sovereign pleasure sought :

Whoever a true epicure would be,

May there find cheap and virtuous luxury.

Vitellius's table, which did hold

As many creatures as the ark of old;
That fiscal table, to which every day
All countries did a constant tribute pay,
Could nothing more delicious afford
Than nature's liberality, i

Help'd with a little art and industry,
Allows the meanest gardener's board.

The wanton taste no fish or fowl can choose,
For which the grape or melon she would lose ;
Though all th' inhabitants of sea and air
Be listed in the glutton's bill of fare,

sisted all in mommery and madness; the latter be ing the chief glory of the worship, and accounted divine inspiration: this, I say, a severe man would think; though I dare not determine so far against so customary a part, now, of good-breeding. And yet, who is there among our gentry, that does not entertain a dancing-master for his children, as soon as they are able to walk? But, did ever any father provide a tutor for his son, to instruct him betimes in the nature and improvements of that land which he intended to leave him? That is at least a superfluity, and this a defect, in our manner of education; and therefore I could wish (but cannot in these times much hope to see it) that one college in each university were erected, and appropriated to this study, as well as there are to medicine and the civil law there would be no need of making a body of scholars and fellows, with certain endowments, as in other colleges; it would suffice, if, after the manner of halls in Oxford, there were only four professors constituted (for it would be too much work for only one master, or principal, as they call him there) to teach these four parts of it: First, Aration, and all things relating to it. Secondly, Pasturage. Thirdly, Gardens, Orchards, Vineyards, and Woods. Fourthly, all parts of Rural Oeconomy; which would contain the government of Bees, Swine, Poultry, Decoys, Ponds, &c. and all that which Varro calls" villaticas pastiones," together with the sports of the field (which ought to be looked

Yet still the fruits of earth we see

Plac'd the third story high in all her luxury.

But with no sense the garden does comply,
None courts, or flatters, as it does the eye.
When the great Hebrew king did almost strain ́
The wondrous treasures of his wealth and brain,
His royal southern guest to entertain;

Though she on silver floors did tread,

With bright Assyrian carpets on them spread,
To hide the metal's poverty;

Though she look'd up to roofs of gold,
And nought around her could behold
But silk and rich embroidery,
And Babylonish tapestry,

And wealthy Hiram's princely dye;
Though Ophir's starry stones met every-where her

eye;

Though she herself and her gay host were drest
With all the shining glories of the Est;

When lavish art her costly work had done,
The honour and the prize of bravery

Was by the garden from the palace won ;
And every rose and lily there did stand
Better attir'd by nature's hand *.

The case thus judg'd against the king we see,
By one that would not be so rich, though wiser far
than he.

Matth. vi. 29.

Nor does this happy place only dispense
Such various pleasures to the sense;
Here health itself does live,

That salt of life, which does to all a relish give,
Its standing pleasure, and intrinsick wealth,
The body's virtue, and the soul's good-fortune,
health.

The tree of life, when it in Eden stood,
Did its immortal head to heaven rear;
It lasted a tall cedar, till the flood;
Now a small thorny shrub it does appear;
Nor will it thrive too every-where:

It always here is freshest seen;
"T is only here an ever-green.

If, through the strong and beauteous fence
Of temperance and innocence,

And wholesome labours, and a quiet mind,
Any diseases passage find,

They must not think here to assail

A land unarmed, or without a guard;
They must fight for it, and dispute it hard,
Before they can prevail :

Scarce any plant is growing here,

Which against death some weapon does not bear.
Let cities boast that they provide
For life the ornaments of pride;
But 't is the country and the field,
That furnish it with staff and shield.

Where does the wisdom and the power divine
In a more bright and sweet reflection shine?