vicente on 12 Sep 2004  •  Link

"So from him to Dr. Williams, who did carry me into his garden, where he hath abundance of grapes;"
july 22nd .. So by degrees till I come to Hatfield before twelve o'clock, where I had a very good dinner with my hostess, at my Lord of Salisbury's Inn, and after dinner though weary I walked all alone to the Vineyard, which is now a very beautiful place again; and coming back I met with Mr. Looker, my Lord's gardener (a friend of Mr. Eglin's), who showed me the house, the chappell with brave pictures, and, above all, the gardens, such as I never saw in all my life; nor so good flowers, nor so great gooseberrys, as big as nutmegs

GrahamT on 12 Sep 2004  •  Link

Gooseberries and Grapes:
Old childrens rhyme (don't know how old, but at least Victorian)

You won't find much hair on a duck egg,
But there's plenty of hair on an ape,
And its only the hair on a goosegog,
That stops it from being a grape.

Goosegog is old slang for a gooseberry.