15 



mer situation : stone of a dark colour, or brick, would 

 perhaps be more proper ; but as these, particularly 

 the last, are disagreeable, the dazzling stone might he 

 concealed by the mounting of ivy or moss along the 

 walls. 



Corresponding to the same taste in the buildings, 

 the plantations should consist of evergreen groves, 

 and the trees be set very near to each other. Our 

 ancestors the druids inhabited thick groves. One of 

 the finest passages in lucan, is the religious horror 

 which seized CiESAR's array in cuttingd^jwn a^cred 

 grove; and all the magical diescriptions of tasso 

 pass in such places. The closeness of the trees to 

 each other, will produce a mel^ichdy whistling of 

 the wind, whicfe the more open method of planting 

 does not. Those trees should be planted in the 

 quincunx order, arrd sometimes produce long straight 

 walks, with broad and high arches at the top, like the 

 inside of a gothic cathedral. The quincunx order 

 in planting, from the sameness, never rouses the at- 

 tention except on first sight ; and a long arched walk, 

 from its dimness and length, composes the mind at 

 once to meditations, at the same time that the simpli- 

 city of its figure prevents the mind from being over 

 xlisturbed in them. 



To these solemn walks the river should be made 

 to contribute a solemn silence. For this reason it 

 should be protected from the winds, all obstructions 

 should be removed from the course of its current, 

 and it should be deepened, and made to run more 

 smoothly thaw it is naturally Inclined to do. It should 

 he made to lose itself at the end in a thick wood : the 

 fancy naturally pierces into these recesses, and follows 

 the river with awe in its unknown course. For the 

 same reason, this silent river should be shaded with 

 trees hanging over it: all the world is sensible of the 

 beauty of the weeping willow hanging over a smooth 

 stream, so that the banks ot it cannot be seen. There 

 was a fine instance ot this beauty on the banks of 

 MR. pelham's serpentine river at esher; but as 



