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8

The PREFACE.

Luke xv. 30.

?nous an Heap> as to fill some Thousand Pages; and yet be compre-bended within two or three Acres of Ground ; nay, within the Squareof less than One {skilfully planted and cultivated) sufficient to fur-nijh and entertain his Time and Thoughts all his Life long, with amost innocent, agreeable, and useful Employment. But you may just-ly wonder, and condemn the Vanity of it too, with that Reproach,This Man began ro build, but was not able to finilh. This has beenthe Fate of that 'Undertaking, and I dare promise, will be of whoso-ever imagines (without the Circumstances of extraordinary Assistance,and no ordinary Expence) to pursue the Plan, ereB and finish the Fa-brick as it ought to be.

But this is that which abortives the FerfeBion cfthe most gloriousand useful 'Undertakings ; - the unsatiable coveting to exhaust all thatshould or can be said upon every Head: If such a one have any thingelse to mind, or do in the World, let me tell him, he thinks of Build-ing too late ; and rarely find we any, who care to fuperstruB upon theFoundation of another, and whose Idea’s are alike. There ought there-fore to be as many Hands and Subsidiaries to such a Design {and thoseMasters too) as there are distinct Farts of the Whole, ( according tothe subsequent Table ,) that those who have the Means and Courage may{though they do not undertake the Whole) finish a Part at least, and inTime unite their Labours into one entire, compleat, and consummateWork indeed.

Of one or two of these, I attempted only a Specimen in my SIL-V A and the KALENDAR; Imperfect, I fay, because they are bothcapable of Great Improvements: It is not therefore to be expelled,{Let me use the Word's of an old and experienced Gardiner) CunctaColumelk At me dicturum, quæ vastitas ejus Icientiæ contineret, fed plurima; namr.r. Lib.v. ,[{ uc j , n un j us hominis prudentiam cadere non potent, neque est ullaDisciplina aut Ars, quæ singular! consummara sit ingenio.

May it then suffice, aliquam pattern tradidiste, and that I have donemy Endeavour.

Inutilis olimNe Videar vixisse.

Much more might I add upon this charming and fruitful SubjeB (Imean, concerning Gardening: ) But this is not a Flace to expatiate,deterr’d, as 1 have long fince been , from so bold an Enterprise asthe Fabrick I mentioned. I content my self then with an HumbleCottage and a Simple Potagere, Appendant to the Kalendar; which ytreating only {andthat briefly) of the Culture of moderate Gardens,nothing seems to me should be more welcome and agreeable, thanwhilst the FroduB of them is come into more Request and Ule amongus, than heretofore (beside what we call and distinguish by the Nameof Fruit) I did annex some particular DireBions concerning S AL-LETS.

Cap. I.

THE