IT, will doubtless appear an in­tollerable presumption in the to prosecute that part of the perfectest Work of all Anti­quity, which was omitted by the most accomplished Poet that ever wrote. Few are ignorant of what he says in the fourth of his Geor­gicks.

[Page] You would think in this place that Virgil was pleased with his own fancy, he is so fluent; nor without cause, where he is invited by the charm of so liberal a Subject. But whether he was hastened by his design'd Poem of Bees; ot that he reserved his time for the setting forth of his Hero, not m [...]ch after he leaves off what he had beg [...]n; yet not without a commendation of the Argument, as worthy to be han­dled by all posterity.

Now to go on where so great a man left off, to treat of a matter, which if we may believe Pliny, was able to de­ter so expert a Writer, makes me fear I can scarce free my self from the guilt of an extream confidence, besides in the imitation of so divine a Pattern, I [Page] raise a greater expectation then I can satisfie: And the example which I propose to my self is not so much an advantage to me. as it leads me to an infallible despair. What a rashness is it to attempt that which partly for the difficulty of what Virgil has omit­ted, partly for the excellency of what he has perform'd, none ever yet dared to undertake? The Culture of Gardens also being arrived to that height, that nothing can render it more perfect; and their dignity is such, that when I have done all I can, I shall have done less then they deserve.

Nor was I a little discouraged by the defects of the Latine Tongue, since it is an insufferable arrogance to write of a thing in Latine, of which the Latines were wholly ignorant: For the method of Gardening which is now in vogue, either of disposing Flowers in Beds, or the planting, and [Page] ordering of Wall Fruits, was not used among them. But yet if I trans­gress either through the penury of the Language, or my own ignorance. I am so vain as to hope, that our Age which admires Gardens above all others, will forgive me, if I fall short in an Essay which none have made trial of before me. On the other side, I was encouraged by the kind reception which Gardening finds eve­ry where, even with those of the highest and noblest rank; insomuch, that I question whether it was ever in greater esteem. And it was requisite since we are grown more curious in this affair then formerly, that some­what of the delightful part of it should be communicated, which as well by the discipline of the times, as the industry of the improvers, is come to its utmost perfection. For cer­tainly that symmetry of parts, which [Page] is now visible in every Garden, is that exact beauty to which nothing can be added.

I need not say much here of the nature of that Verse, in which Pre­cepts were wont to be delivered; the Georgicks of Virgil are the best pat­terns of it; whose natural Ingenuity is such, as will hardly admit of that more elegant dress which I have put on; considering also the humility of that style, in which a naked and un­mixed simplicity is most sought af­ter. I will not go about to excuse my self, since I have happened on a Subject in which Virgil could not easily contain himselfe; though it was no difficult matter for him to do it, especially in that duller part of Hus­bandry; in which nevertheless, as Pliny observes, he onely cull'd the flowers of things, leaving out no­thing that was capable of any splen­dour [Page] or ornament: hence proceeded those frequent digressions from his purpose, that he might avoid the in­convenience of being tedious, which Ma [...]robius speaks of in the 5th. book of his Saturnalia. In the Georgicks (says he) after the precepts which are naturally harsh, he concludes each book with the interposition of some quicker argument: As the first with the signs of the Weather; the second with the praises of a countrey Life; the third with a mortality among Cattel; and the fourth with a per­tinent story of Orpheus and Aristaeus. Nor have I bin wanting in that parti­cular: having made it my business to teach with as little rudeness as I can: and to advance the dulnesse of the in­struction by the freedom of my fancy, that I might allay the harshness of those places, which the humility of the subject has so debased, that [Page] otherwise they would be displeasing to the Reader.

Yet if I appear too curious: I can defend my self by the authority of all those Greeks, who have written of Flowers, or their Culture. What can be more elegant then the descrip­tion which Nicander makes in the se­ond of his Georgicks of those Gardens in the territories of Pisa, which were water'd by the river Alpheus? In which he so often makes use of those ornaments, which Poetry derives from its fabulous times. It is almost incre­dible how copious and eloquent the rest are in that argument, of whom Athenaeus makes mention in his 15th. book. Those who in verse treated of flow'ry Garlands, as Cratinus, Hege­sias, Anacreon, Sappho, Pancrates, Chaeremon, Eubulus, and innumerable others. But I should not have so freely made use of Fables, in a matter that [Page] is expected to be grave and instructive: I should have inquired into the nature of Flowers and Plants, have described their properties, and estimated their virtues. I confess I should; and I think I have done so: Yet not for­getting that I act the part of a Poet, and not of a Philosopher, to gain credit by the raw simplicity of a scru­pulous discourse. But though this be a middle, and more contracted way of writing, yet it sometimes takes courage, and exalts it self, that the slenderness of the matter may not make it appear too mean and deject­ed. To prevent which, the Soul must be excited, that so the mind (as Ana­creon has it) being raised to a poe­tique height, may breath forth divine raptures.

[Page] But the mention of the Heathen Deitys, by a Christian Authour, per­haps will seem absurd to those, who are ignorant of the Genius of Poetry, which by the services of the gods, and a feigned terrour of their decrees, ought sometimes to elevate the mind, that it may create admiration; and for this the liberty that is usually al­lowed the Muses is warrant enough, if we had not that of Religion too, which neither thinks it self, or mora­lity injured, by that licence which a Poet takes to set off the truth, by the beauty and gracefulness of ficti­on.

I have not been so nice in Wood, and Water, as in Flowers, whose charms forced me to be a little more exuberant: unless it be in some places, where it was convenient to make the excellency of Poetry shine forth in the delightfuliness of Fables; [Page] that so the work might not wholly la­bour under the barrenness of the pre­cepts, which it treats of.

In the Orchard, I fear I have not satisfy'd their expectations, who look­ed for a long Catalogue of Fruits and Apples, which are so numerous that it were endless to go about it; in de­scribing the different kinds of Fruit, I have only touched the heads of things, after the example of Virgil, who in the second of his Georgicks, speaks but of a few of those wines which Italy affor­ded with so much variety and abun­dance; nor dos he take notice of any more then three sorts of Olives, and as many of Pears: for nothing is more abhorrent from the nature of that verse, then the hateful enu­meration of particulars, which cannot but be very tedious, when it descends so low as to divide every thing into atomes, like that impertinent [Page] workman whom Horace speaks of in his Poems.

A correct writer can never fall in­to this errour, he will rather make choice with judgment, then be volu­minous. But since I cannot avoid being faulty in many things: I were unwise if I should endeavour to excuse all. Therefore not to tire the Reader (whose favour I implore) with a long Preface, I will make no more apolo­gies for my self, but only add a word or two of the end, that is proposed in an instructive Poem: which as it is the same with that of all Poetry, is very easie. Not but that it is more [Page] generous, then to insist wholly upon vanities and trifles: although its chief talent lies in being delightful: that which makes Philosophy it self ap­pear wiser then other things, is the harshness, by which it renders the truth more difficult to be attain'd. The end of that Poetry is as of all the rest to teach: which as Horace intimates to Lollius.

Though Seneca in other things is no inconsiderate writer, yet here he is so confident a Critique, that I have no pa­tience with him, when he censures Vir­gil in his Georgicks, for making it his business not so much to speak truth, as what was graceful and ornamental; [Page] and to have rather aimed at the delight of the Reader, then the improvement of the Husband-man: Thus he de­stroys the main design of the Gentiler sort of Poetry, which was never more happily carryed on then by Virgil. Therefore as to this point, I value the opinion of Seneca but little; from whom I may appeal to the judgment of antiquity, which is ever to be re­verenced by all wise men. It is ma­nifest enough, how improbable it is, that a man so well seen in the works of nature, and one who acts with so much strictness in other things, should play the fool where he intends to in­struct. For what is more below a ge­nerous man, then to trifle where he should teach; or to dwell upon nice­tys, where he promises that which is serious: and no one who is not very stupid can impute this to Virgil?

In Varro I find innumerable of the [Page] ancients to have written of agriculture. But of all those none but Menecrates the Ephesian, and Hesiod wrote in verse, and Hesiod was the first, who as Pliny testifies: Thousands of years ago, in the infancy of learning, gave the first rules of Husbandry; though indeed Hesiod treated of the manners of men, more then the nature of things; which was what he proposed to himselfe: so that he acts the part of a Moralist, rather then of a true Poet: Yet he deserves infinite praise; but not so much as Virgil, whose perfor­mances in that kind, are above admi­ration. This is the reason that makes me look upon him, as one who con­trary to the mode of the rest of the Poets-promises nothing of himself, but without modesty and plainness, which in my opinion, is the most approved method of a good understanding; whose clearness is the perfect accom­plishment [Page] of that wisdom, which Horace ad Pisones requires as the stan­dard of sound and correct writing.

Scribendi recte, sapere est & principi­um, & Fons.