Life of John Claudius Loudon his wife
Early life London
Country Residences Ferm
ornee Russia Loss of
fortune Hothouses France and Italy Gardeners
Magazine Marriage Birmingham Scotland Arboretum Suburban
Gardener Cemeteries Last illness Death Anecdotes Elegy
Encyclopaedia of Architecture
In 1832 Mr. London commenced his Encyclopedia of Cottage,
Farm, and Villa Architecture, which was the first work he ever
published on his own account; and in which I was his sole
amanuensis, though he had several draughtsmen. The labour that
attended this work was immense; and for several months he and I
used to sit up the greater part of every night, never having more
than four hours' sleep, and drinking strong coffee to keep
ourselves awake. The First Additional Supplement to the
Hortus Britannicus was also prepared and published in
1832.
Arboretum Britannicum
The great success of the Cottage Architecture, which is
perhaps the best and most useful of all Mr. Loudon's works, tempted
him to publish the Arboretum Britannicum also on his own
account. He had long intended to write a work on the hardy trees of
Great Britain; but he did not contemplate the expenses which he
should incur by so doing. When, however, the Arboretum was
once begun, he found it was impossible to compress it into the
limits originally intended; and, in his determination to make the
work as perfect as possible, he involved himself in the
difficulties which hastened his death. Notwithstanding the immense
labour attending the Arboretum, which was published in
monthly numbers, Mr. London, in March, 1834, began The
Architectural Magazine, the first periodical devoted
exclusively to architecture; though, like The Magazine of
Natural History and The Gardener's Magazine, it only
served as a pioneer to clear the way for others, which afterward
followed in tile same Course with much greater success.
From the year 1833 to Midsummer 1838 Mr. London underwent the
most extraordinary exertions both of mind and body. Having resolved
that all the drawings of trees for the Arboretum should be
made from nature, he had seven artists constantly employed, and he
was frequently in the open air with them from his breakfast at
seven in the morning till he came home to dinner at eight in the
evening, having remained the whole of that time without taking the
slightest refreshment, and generally without even sitting down.
After dinner he resumed the' literary part of the work, and
continued writing, with me as his amanuensis, till two or three
o'clock in the morning. His constitution was naturally very strong;
but it was impossible for any human powers to bear for any
lengthened period the fatigue he underwent.
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