The Garden of Cyrus

First published in 1658, along with its companion Urn-Burial, in modern times it has been recognised as Browne's major literary contribution to Hermetic wisdom.

[2][3] The book begins with the biblical creation, allusions to Plato's discourse the Timaeus and speculation upon the location of the Garden of Eden.

[4] Written during a time when restrictions on publishing became more relaxed during Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, The Garden of Cyrus is Browne's contribution to a "boom period" decade of interest in esoterica in England.

[5] Browne's discourse is a neoplatonic and neopythagorean vision of the interconnection of art and nature via the inter-related symbols of the number five and the quincunx pattern, along with the figure X and the lattice design.

[6] Its fundamental quest was of primary concern to Hermetic philosophy: proof of the wisdom of God, and demonstrable evidence of intelligent design.

Frontispiece to The Garden of Cyrus (1658). The Latin text, from Quintilian 's Institutio Oratoria , translates: "What is more beautiful than the quincunx, that, from whatever direction you regard it, presents straight lines?" [ 1 ]