ful in this land. Afterwards also their
maintenance did cease. And now, being revived, where are any better
to be found? Where any greater commodity to be raised by them? Only
poles are accounted to be their greatest charge. But, sith men have
learned of late to sow ashen kexes in ashyards by themselves, that
inconvenience in short time will be redressed.

Madder hath grown abundantly in this island, but of long time
neglected, and now a little revived, and offereth itself to prove no
small benefit unto our country, as many other things else, which are
now fetched from us: as we before time, when we gave ourselves to
idleness, were glad to have them other.

If you look into our gardens annexed to our houses, how wonderfully is
their beauty increased, not only with flowers, which Columella calleth
_Terrena sydera_[3] saying,

"_Pingit et in varios terrestria sydera flores_,"[4]

and variety of curious and costly workmanship, but also with rare and
medicinable herbs sought up in the land within these forty years: so
that, in comparison of this present, the ancient gardens were but
dunghills and laistowes,[5] to such as did possess them. How art also
helpeth nature in the daily colouring, doubling, and enlarging the
proportion of our flowers, it is incredible to report: for so curious
and cunning are our gardeners now in these days that they presume to
do in manner what they list with nature, and moderate her course in
things as if they were her superiors. It is a world also to see how
many strange herbs, plants, and annual fruits are daily brought unto
us from the Indies, Americans, Taprobane, Canary Isles, and all parts
of the world: the which, albeit that in respect of the constitutions
of our bodies they do not grow for us (because that God hath bestowed
sufficient commodities upon every country for her own necessity), yet,
for delectation sake unto the eye and their odoriferous savours unto
the nose, they are to be cherished, and God to be glorified also in
them, because they are his good gifts, and created to do man help and
service. There is not almost one nobleman, gentleman, or merchant that
hath not great store of these flowers, which now also do begin to wax
so well acquainted with our soils that we may almost account of them
as parcel of our own commodities. They have no less regard in like
sort to cherish medicinable herbs fetched out of other regions nearer
hand, insomuch that I have seen in some one ga