104 



Thirdly, Where a property is bounded by a natural river, 

 it is surely advisable to take advantage of so interesting a fea- 

 ture ; especially where islands or brushwood, on the opposite 



■ 



shore, prevent any nuisance or intrusion from a neighbour; but 

 at |) resent the shores appear more wet and swampy than they 



really are, from the willows and aquatic plants, which have 

 been suffered to grow, in preference to the alders, which have, 



not improperly, been called, " the Aquatic Oak." But when 

 new channels are dug, and the ground raised on the island, it 

 will be found capable of bearing all sorts of trees and shrubs, 



which will do away the present apparent swampiness of the 



s hores . 



Th< re is still one other objection, which may perhaps be 

 made by those who consider that a house in the country must 

 not only stand in the middle of its own property, but also that 

 it should be surrounded by park or lawn of great extent. This 



may be necessary to give the mock importance of space to a 







modern mansion, but the ancient manor-house generally stood 

 near a public road, and derived its importance from the neigh- 

 bouring village, or cottages, or pastures, rather than from the 

 destruction of every other dwelling near it, to produce one 

 overgrown grass-field; or by « lawning a hundred good acres 

 of wheat," to produce a bald naked park, dotted with starving 

 trees, or belted and clumped with spruce firs, and larches, and 



Lombardy poplars. 



The sketch subjoined is an accurate portrait of the present 

 view from the south-east front of the house, encumbered by 



