DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.50017#0131
THE GARDENS OF EPICURUS
Si
in the figure and disposition, that I have ever seen, I
will describe it for a model to those that meet with
such a situation, and are above the regards of common
expense. It lies on the side of a hill, (upon which
the house stands) but not very steep. The length of
the house, where the best rooms, and of most use or
pleasure are, lies upon the breadth of the garden, the
great parlours open into the middle of a terrace gravel-
walk that lies even with it, and which may be, as I
remember, about three hundred paces long, and broad
proportion ; the border set with standard laurels, and
at large distances, which have the beauty of orange-
trees out of flower and fruit: from this walk are three
descents by many stone steps, in the middle and at each
end, into a very large parterre. This is divided into
quarters by gravel-walks, and adorned with two foun-
tains and eight statues in the several quarters ; at the
end of the terrace-walk are two summer-houses, and
the sides of the parterre are ranged with two large
cloisters, open to the garden, upon arches of stone, and
ending with two other summer-houses even with the
cloisters, which are paved with stone, and designed for
walks of shade, there being none other in the whole
parterre. Over these two cloisters are two terraces
covered with lead, and fenced with balusters ; and the
Si
in the figure and disposition, that I have ever seen, I
will describe it for a model to those that meet with
such a situation, and are above the regards of common
expense. It lies on the side of a hill, (upon which
the house stands) but not very steep. The length of
the house, where the best rooms, and of most use or
pleasure are, lies upon the breadth of the garden, the
great parlours open into the middle of a terrace gravel-
walk that lies even with it, and which may be, as I
remember, about three hundred paces long, and broad
proportion ; the border set with standard laurels, and
at large distances, which have the beauty of orange-
trees out of flower and fruit: from this walk are three
descents by many stone steps, in the middle and at each
end, into a very large parterre. This is divided into
quarters by gravel-walks, and adorned with two foun-
tains and eight statues in the several quarters ; at the
end of the terrace-walk are two summer-houses, and
the sides of the parterre are ranged with two large
cloisters, open to the garden, upon arches of stone, and
ending with two other summer-houses even with the
cloisters, which are paved with stone, and designed for
walks of shade, there being none other in the whole
parterre. Over these two cloisters are two terraces
covered with lead, and fenced with balusters ; and the