O34 
Recurring to Mr. Repton’s observations 
on taste,and after attentively reading his 
few cursory remarks, we were greatly 
disappointed ; for we sought in vain for 
some new ideas, or a new illustration of 
those already published. The author has 
however contrived a singular: mode of 
giving his opinions, by a series of nega- 
tive axioms; a plan which he adopts, 
he says, to avoid giving offence to those 
persons who may differ from him in opi- 
nion. “At the same time,’ be remarks, 
«Tam conscious my opinion may, in 
some cases, be deemed wrong, The 
same motives which induce me to men- 
tion what I recommend, will also justify 
me in mentioning what I ‘disapprove ; 
a few observations ate, therefore, sub- 
joined'to mark those errers or absurdi- 
ties in modern gardening and architec- 
ture, to which [ have never willingly 
subscribed, and from which it will easily 
be ascertained how much of what is 
called the improvement of any place in 
the list, may properly’ be attributed to 
my advice.  Itisrather upon my opinrons 
in writing, than on the partial ‘and im- 
perfect manner, in which my plans have 
sometimes been executed, that I wish my 
fame.to be establisied.”” 
Mr. Repton’s picturesque maxims are 
to beinferred from the ten following od- 
jections, as he terms them, though we 
‘cannot perceive the strict application of 
the term to some of the sentences. 
OBJECTIONS. 
Now1, “There is po error moye prevalent 
jn modern gardening, or more frequently car- 
tied to excess, than taking away hedges to 
unite many small fields into one | extensive 
and naked lawn, before plantations; are made 
“to give it the appearanee of a park, and 
where ground is subdivided by sunken fences, 
imaginary freedom is dearly bought at the ex- 
penceof actual confinement,” 
~ No. 2. ** The baldness and nakedness 
round a house is part’ of the same mistaken 
system, of concealing fences to gain extent. 
‘A palace, or even an elegant villa, in agrass 
field, appears to me incongruous ; yet IT have 
~ seldom had sufficient influence to correct this 
“common error.” 
No, 8. «* An approach which does not 
_ evidently Jead to the house, or which does not 
take the shortest course cannot bé right.” 
No. 4. ‘* A poor man’s cottage, divided 
into what is called a pair of lodges, isa mis- 
> taken expedient to mark importance in the 
entrance toa park.” 
io No’s eT 
. be visible from the mansion, unless it opens 
into a court Yard.” : . 
No. 6: «* "The plantation surrounding a 
place, called a Belt, Ihave never advised ; nor 
. moving earth, are adduced. 
he ¢ntranee gate should not 
ARCHITECTURE AND THE FINE ARTS. 
- have I ever wi'llitigly marked a driye, or 
walk, completely round the verge of a park, 
except in’ small villas, where a dry path 
round a person’s own ficld is always. more 
interesting to him than any other walk.” 
, No.7, ‘ Small plantations of trees sur- 
rounded hy a fenee, are the best expedients to 
form groups, because trees ptanted singl 
seldom grow well; neglect of thinning and 
removing the fence, has produced that ugly 
defornuty called a clamp.” J, 
No. 8. «© Water on an eminence, or on 
the side of a hill, isamong the most common 
errors of’ Myr. Brown's followers: in nume- 
rous instances I have been allowed to remoye 
such pieces of water from the hiils.to. the 
valleys; but in many my advice has not pre- 
vailed.” 
No. 9. ‘© Deception may be allowable ia 
imitating the worksof nature ; thus artificial 
rivers, lakes, and rock scenery) ean only be 
grest by deception, and the miad acquiesces 
yn the frand after itis detected: butin works 
of art every trick onghtto be avoided. , Shan 
churches, sham ruins, sham bridges, and 
every thing which appears what it 1s not, 
diszusts when the trick is discovered.” ' ~ 
No. 10. ‘* In buildings of every kind the 
character should be'strictly obsefved. No 
inconarnous mixtore can be justified: To 
add Grecian to Gothic, or Gotnie torGrecian 
is equally absurd ; and a sharp pomtcdyarch 
to a garden guic, onadairy window, however 
frequently it occurs, is not less offensive than 
Greeian architecture, in which the standard 
rules of relative proportions are neglected or 
violated. 
«The perfection of landscape gardening 
consists in the fullest attention to these prine 
ciples, Utility, Proportion, and Unity or har- 
mony of parts to the whole.” 
We now. cometo the body of the work, 
the first chapter of which contains a few 
remarks.on genezal principles, utility, and 
scale, with various examples of compara- 
tive proportion. The use of perspective 
is shown, and. several examples of re- 
The two 
first sentences, iu, this chapter we lay be- 
fore our readers to exercise their saga- 
city, for we have vainly endeavoured to 
comprehend the author’s _meaning.— 
.% The theory and practice of land- 
-scape-gardening have seldom fallen ua- 
der the consideration of the same author, 
because those who have delivered their 
opinions in writing on this art have had 
little practical experienge, and few of its 
professors have been able to deduce tl:eir 
rules from. theoretical principles. To 
such persons (what. persons?) had its 
practice been committed, that it required | 
no common degree of fortitude and per- 
severance to elevate the art of land- 
scape-gardenirg to its proper rank, and 
