88 ON CHINESE HARDENS. 



are very attentive to lead them successively to all the principal 

 buildings, fine prospects, and other interesting parts of the com- 

 position ; that the passenger may be conducted insensibly, as it 

 were by accident, and without turning back, or seeming to go out 

 of the way, to every object deserving notice. 



Both their straight and winding walks are in some places kept 

 at a considerable distance from each other, and separated by 

 close planted thickets, to hide all exterior objects, as well as to 

 keep the passenger in suspence with regard to the extent, as to 

 excite those gloomy sensations which naturally steal upon the 

 mind, in wandering through the. intricacies of a solitary forest. 

 In other places the walks approach each other, and the thick- 

 ets growing gradually less deep, and more thinly planted, the ear 

 is struck with the voices of those who are in the adjacent walks, 

 and the eye amused with a confused sight of their persons, between 

 the stems and foliage of the trees ; insensibly again the planta- 

 tions spread and darken, the objects disappear, and the voices 

 die in confused murmurs ; when unexpectedly the walks are 

 turned into the same open spaces, and the different companies 

 are agreeably surprised to meet, where they may view each other 

 and satisfy their curiosity without impediment. 



The Chinese gardeners very seldom finish any of their walks 

 en cul desac, carefully avoiding all unpleasant disappointments; 

 but if at any time the nature of the situation obliges them to it, 

 they always terminate at some interesting object, which lessens 

 the disappointment, and takes off the idea off a childish conceit. 



Neither do they ever carry a walk round the extremities of a 

 piece of ground, and leave the middle entirely open, as it is too 

 often done amongst us ; for though it might render the first 

 glance striking and noble, they think the pleasure would be of 

 short duration ; and that the spectator would be but moderately 

 entertained, by walking several miles, with the same objects 

 continually obtruding upon his sight. If the ground they have to 

 work upon be small, and they choose to exhibit a grand scene, 

 either from the principal habitation, or any other capital point, 

 they do indeed leave a great part of the space open ; but still 

 care is taken to have a good depth of thicket, which frequently 

 breaks considerably in upon the open space, and hides many parts 

 of it from the spectator's eye. 



(To be continued.) 



