DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42863#0402
372
TRISSINO’S GARDEN
and Emilia Pia walked hand-in-hand together under
the trees.
The Marchesa herself took great interest in the
practical side of gardening, and was careful to see
that the fruit-trees were pruned and the box and
yew hedges clipped at the proper season. She often
sent her gardener to see the finest gardens in Venice,
and occasionally allowed him, as a great favour, to
give advice to her friends. In April, 1537, the old
humanist, Trissino, wrote to tell Isabella of the
neglected state in which he found his garden at Cricoli
—“ A villa,” he explained, “ no farther from Vicenza
than Porto is from Mantua”—and begged that her
gardener might be allowed to come there for two or
three days and teach him how to trim his box-
trees and give him advice “ as to many other things
which the garden needs sadly.” The Marchesa
graciously complied with her old friend’s request,
and sent the gardener to Cricoli with the following
note : “ Dearest and Magnificent Friend,—My natural
wish to oblige you renders me prompt to satisfy your
prayer for a visit from my gardener. I send him to
you to-day, only begging that, as soon as he has done
what is necessary to your trees, you will send him
back at once, because my place at Porto is in great
need of him just now. Let me know if I can do
anything else to help you.” April 4, 1537.
At the end of six days the gardener returned to
Porto, bearing with him the following note from
Trissino : “ Most Illustrious and Excellent Lady,—
The coming of Your Excellency’s gardener has
proved of the greatest value to me, especially as
the weather has been very rainy of late. His advice
has been of great use to my garden, which has been
TRISSINO’S GARDEN
and Emilia Pia walked hand-in-hand together under
the trees.
The Marchesa herself took great interest in the
practical side of gardening, and was careful to see
that the fruit-trees were pruned and the box and
yew hedges clipped at the proper season. She often
sent her gardener to see the finest gardens in Venice,
and occasionally allowed him, as a great favour, to
give advice to her friends. In April, 1537, the old
humanist, Trissino, wrote to tell Isabella of the
neglected state in which he found his garden at Cricoli
—“ A villa,” he explained, “ no farther from Vicenza
than Porto is from Mantua”—and begged that her
gardener might be allowed to come there for two or
three days and teach him how to trim his box-
trees and give him advice “ as to many other things
which the garden needs sadly.” The Marchesa
graciously complied with her old friend’s request,
and sent the gardener to Cricoli with the following
note : “ Dearest and Magnificent Friend,—My natural
wish to oblige you renders me prompt to satisfy your
prayer for a visit from my gardener. I send him to
you to-day, only begging that, as soon as he has done
what is necessary to your trees, you will send him
back at once, because my place at Porto is in great
need of him just now. Let me know if I can do
anything else to help you.” April 4, 1537.
At the end of six days the gardener returned to
Porto, bearing with him the following note from
Trissino : “ Most Illustrious and Excellent Lady,—
The coming of Your Excellency’s gardener has
proved of the greatest value to me, especially as
the weather has been very rainy of late. His advice
has been of great use to my garden, which has been