m one of the most luxurious men
living; and as I am such, I take care to make my pleasures lasting,
by following none but such as are innocent and refined, as well as,
in some measure, improving. You have in your labours been so much
concerned to represent the actions and passions of mankind, that
the whole vegetable world has almost escaped your observation: but
sure there are gratifications to be drawn from thence, which
deserve to be recommended. For your better information, I wish you
could visit your old friend in Cornwall: you would be leased to
see the many alterations I have made about my house, and how much I
have improved my estate without raising the rents of it.

"As the winter engrosses with us near a double portion of the year
(the three delightful vicissitudes being crowded almost within the
space of six months), there is nothing upon which I have bestowed
so much study and expense, as in contriving means to soften the
severity of it, and, if possible, to establish twelve cheerful
months about my habitation. In order to this, the charges I have
been at in building and furnishing a greenhouse will, perhaps, be
thought somewhat extravagant by a great many gentlemen whose
revenues exceed mine. But when I consider, that all men of any life
and spirit have their inclinations to gratify, and when I compute
the sums laid out by the generality of the men of pleasure (in the
number of which I always rank myself) in riotous eating and
drinking, in equipage and apparel, upon wenching, gaming, racing
and hunting; I find, upon the balance, that the indulging of my
humour comes at a reasonable rate.

"Since I communicate to you all incidents serious and trifling,
even to the death of a butterfly, that fall out within the compass
of my little empire, you will not, I hope, be ill pleased with the
draught I now send you of my little winter paradise, and with an
account of my way of amusing myself and others in it.

"The younger Pliny, you know, writes a long letter to his friend
Gallus,[295] in which he gives him a very particular plan of the
situation, the conveniences, and the agreeableness of his villa. In
my last, you may remember, I promised you something of this kind.
Had Pliny lived in a northern climate, I doubt not but we should
have