A calculating political economist will little sympathise with the peaceful triumphs of those active and generous spirits, who have thus propagated the truest wealth, and the most innocent luxuries of the people.  The project of a new tax, or an additional consumption of ardent spirits, or an act of parliament to put a convenient stop to population by forbidding the banns of some happy couple, would be more congenial to their researches; and they would leave without regret the names of those whom we have held out to the grateful recollections of their country.  The Romans, who, with all their errors, were at least patriots, entertained very different notions of these introducers into their country of exotic fruits and flowers.  Sir William Temple has elegantly noticed the fact.  “The great captains, and even consular men, who first brought them over, took pride in giving them their own names, by which they ran a great while in Rome, as in memory of some great service or pleasure they had done their country; so that not only laws and battles, but several sorts of apples and pears, were called Manlian and Claudian, Pompeyan and Tiberian, and by several other such noble names.”  Pliny has paid his tribute of applause to Lucullus, for bringing cherry and nut-trees from Pontus into Italy.  And we have several modern instances, where the name of the transplanter, or rearer, has been preserved in this sort of creation.  Peter Collinson, the botanist, to “whom the English gardens are indebted for many new and curious species which he acquired by means of an extensive correspondence in America,” was highly gratified when Linnaeus baptized a plant with his name; and with great spirit asserts his honourable claim:  “Something, I think, was due to me for the great number of plants and seeds I have annually procured from abroad, and you have been so good as to pay it, by giving me a species of eternity, botanically speaking; that is, a name as long as men and books endure.”  Such is the true animating language of these patriotic enthusiasts!

Some lines at the close of Peacham’s Emblems give an idea of an English fruit-garden in 1612.  He mentions that cherries were not long known,[68] and gives an origin to the name of filbert.

      The Persian Peach, and fruitful Quince;[69]
    And there the forward Almond grew,
      With Cherries knowne no longer time since;
    The Winter Warden, orchard’s pride;
      The Philibert[70] that loves the vale,
    And red queen apple,[71] so envide
    Of school-boies, passing by the pale.

USURERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.