: then I went
to Thouars in Brittany, where the duke of Tremouille hath his best
house. Thouars is looked upon as one of the best manors in all
France, not so much for profit (a great extent of land there sometimes
affording not much rent), but for greatness of tenure; five hundred
gentlemen, it is said, holding their lands from it. Going to wait on
the duke, I found him very kind when I told him my country, the late
earl of Derby having married his sister. [1] He commanded me to dine
with him, and the next time mounted me upon one of his horses to wait
on him a-hunting in his park, which, not being two miles about, I
thought of little compass to belong to so great a person, till I found
that few are allowed to have any there save the princes of the blood.
So true is it that there are more parks in England than in all Europe
besides."

A large park would appear to have been among the many luxuries of the
princely Medici, for Reresby says: "Ten miles from Florence the duke
hath another country-house, nothing so considerable in itself as in
its situation, standing betwixt several hills on one side, covered
with vines and olive trees, and a valley divided into many walks by
rows of trees leading different ways: one leads to a park where the
great duke hath made a paddock course by the direction of Signior
Bernard Gascoigne, an Italian, who, having served our late king in
his wars, carried the pattern from England. Near to this house,
Poggio-Achaiano, is another park, the largest in Italy, or rather
chase, said to be thirty miles in compass."

Foremost amongst English parks is Windsor. The immense tracts by which
Windsor was formerly surrounded consisted of park and forest. Windsor
Forest has gradually diminished in size. In the time of Charles I. it
contained twelve parishes, and probably covered not less than 100,000
acres. According to a survey in 1789-92, it amounted to 59,600 acres,
of which the enclosed property of the Crown amounted to 5454. Like all
the other forests in England, it has been much encroached on, and now
consists of only some 1450 acres adjoining Windsor Great Park. The
rest of the land formerly composing it has been sold or leased. Enough
of the forest remains, in conjunction with the park, to enable the
visitor to make many delightful excursions. The most agreeable way
of seeing this sylvan country is on horseback. Perhaps nowhere in the
world can one get a more delicious canter. By a little manage