58 THE HISTORY OF GARDENING. 



how cold, how insipid, how tasteless, is his account of what he pro- 

 nounced a perfect garden. I speak not of his style, which it was not 

 necessary for him to animate with the colouring and glow of poetry. 

 It is his want of ideas, of imagination, of taste, that I censure, when 

 he dictated on a subject that is capable of all the graces that a know- 

 ledge of beautiful nature can bestow. Sir William Temple was an 

 excellent man; Milton a genius of the first order. 



We cannot wonder that Sir William declares in favour of parterres, 

 fountains, and statues, as necessary to break the sameness of large 

 grass-plats, which he thinks have an ill effect upon the eye, when he 

 acknowledges that he discovers fancy in the gardens of Alcinous. 

 Milton studied the ancients with equal enthusiasm, but no bigotry, 

 and had judgment to distinguish between the want of invention and 

 the beauties of poetry. Compare his Paradise with Homer's Garden, 

 both ascribed to a celestial design. For of Sir AVilliam, it is just to 

 observe, that his ideas centered in a fruit garden. He had the 

 honour of giving to his country many delicate fruits, and he thought 

 of little else than disposing them to the best advantage. Here is the 

 passage I proposed to quote ; it is long, but I need not make an 

 apology to the reader for entertaining him with any other words 

 instead of my own : — 



" The best figure of a garden is either a square or an oblong, and 

 either upon a flat or a descent : they have all their beauties, but the 

 best I esteem an oblong upon a descent. The beauty, the air, the 

 view, makes amends for the expense, which is very great, in finishing 

 and supporting the terrace walks, in levelling the parterres, and the 

 stone stairs that are necessary from one to the other. 



" The most perfect figure of a garden I ever saw, either at home or 

 abroad, was that of Moor Park, in Hertfordshire, when I knew it about 

 thirty years ago. It was made by the Countess of Bedford, esteemed 

 among the greatest wits of her time, and celebrated by Doctor 

 Donne ; and with very great care, excellent contrivance, and much 

 cost ; but greater sums may be thrown away without effect or honour, 

 if there want sense in proportion to money, or if nature be not fol- 

 lowed, which I take to be the great rule in this, and perhaps in every 

 thing else, as far as the conduct not only of our lives, but our govern- 

 ments." 



We shall see how natural that admired gardener was : — 



