368 ON CHINESE GARDENS. 



it is luxuriant : in short, the Chinese are scrupulously nice in pre- 

 serving the same character throughout every part of the compo- 

 sition ; which is one great cause of that surprising variety with 

 which their works abound. 



They are fond of introducing statues, busts, bas reliefs, and 

 every production of the chissel, as well as in other parts of their 

 gardens as round their buildings, observing, that they are not only 

 ornamental, but by commemorating past events, and celebrated 

 personages, they awaken the mind to pleasing contemplation ; 

 hurrying our reflections up into the remotest ages of antiquity ; 

 and they never fail to scatter ancient inscriptions, verses, and moral 

 sentences about their grounds, which are placed upon the back 

 of colossal tortoises and elephants ; on large ruinated stones and 

 columns of marble, or engraved on trees and rocks : such situa- 

 tions being always chosen by them, as correspond with the sense 

 of the inscriptions; which thereby acquire an additional force 

 in themselves, and likewise give a stronger expression to the 

 scene. 



They say that all these decorations are necessary to characterize 

 and distinguish the different scenes of their compositions ; among 

 which without such assistance, there would unavoidably be a tire- 

 some similarity. 



And whenever it is objected to them, that many of these things 

 are unnatural, and ought therefore not to be suffered, they answer, 

 that most improvements are unnatural, yet they are allowed to be 

 improvements, and not only tolerated, but admired. Our vest- 

 ments, say they, are neither like leather, nor like our skins, but 

 formed of rich silks and embroidery, our houses and palaces bear 

 no resemblance to caverns in the rocks, which are the only na- 

 tural habitations ; nor is our music either like thunder, or the 

 whistling of the northerly wind, the harmony of nature. Nature 

 produces nothing either boiled, roasted or stewed ; and yet we do 

 not eat raw meat ; nor doth she supply us with any other tools for 

 all our purposes, but teeth and hands ; yet we have saws, ham- 

 mers, axes, and a thousand other implements ; in short, there is 

 scarcely any thing in which art is not apparent, and why should 

 its appearance be excluded from gardening only ? Poets and 

 painters soar above the pitch of nature, when they would give en- 

 ergy to their compositions. The same privilege, therefore, should 

 be allowed to gardeners ; inanimate simple nature is too insipid 

 for oui purpose ; much is expected from us, and therefore we 





