86 ON CHINESE GARDENS. 



exact resemblance of a wild duck) the ever living poplar the 

 pau-lu, (a tree very common in Bengal, and some parts of China, 

 to which the large Indian bats have a particular attachment, in 

 so much, that during day-light, they almost cover its branches 

 hanging upon them in clusters, like fruit,) with all kinds of sen- 

 tive and other extraordinary trees, plants and flowers. They 

 keep in them a surprising variety of monstrous birds, reptiles, and 

 animals, which they import from distant countries, or obtain by 

 crossing the breeds. These are tamed by art, and guarded by 

 enormous dogs of Tibet, monstrous dwarfs, and African giants 

 in the habits of eastern magicians. 



They likewise have amongst the plantations, in which are col- 

 lected all the extraordinary productions of the animal, vegetable, 

 and minreal kingdoms ; as well as paintings, sculptures, medals, 

 antiquities, and ingenious inventions of the mechanic arts ; which 

 are a fresh source of entertainment, when the weather is bad, or 

 when the heat is too intense to admit of being in the open air. 



The communications to the different scenes and other parts of 

 the Chinese Gardens, are by walks, roads, bridleways, navigable 

 rivers, lakes and canals ; in all which, their artists introduce as 

 much variety as possible, not only in the forms and dimensions, 

 but also in their decoration ; avoiding, nevertheless, all the ab- 

 surdities, with which our antient European style of Gardening 

 abounds. 



" I am not ignorant," said one of their artists, " that your Eu- 

 ropean planters, thinking nature scanty in her arrangements, or 

 being perhaps disgusted with the familiarity and commonness of 

 natural objects, introduce artificial forms into their plantations, 

 and cut their trees in the shape of pyramids, flower pots, fishes, 

 and birds. I have heard of colonades, and whole palaces formed 

 by plants, cut as precisely, as if they had been of stone; andnf 

 huntsmen, horses, dogs, boars and tigers, in full speed, made of 

 yew and holly. But this is purchasing variety at the expence of 

 reason; such extravagancies ought never to be tolerated, except- 

 ing in enchanted scenes, and there but very seldom, for they must 

 be as destitute of beauty, as they are of propriety, and if the 

 planter be a traveller, and a man of observation, he can want no 

 such helps to variety, as he will recollect a thousand beautiful 

 effects along the common roads of the countries through which he 

 has passed, that may be introduced with much better success." 



The roads, walks, and avenues, are either directed in a single 



