•.'»^it» . 



Note 



scape gardening, and, finally, in the development 

 of the great estate of Muskau, to which he gave 

 years of personal attention. His letters from Eng- 

 land, which were published at the time not only 

 in German, but also in English and in French, 

 give most valuable and discriminating criticism 

 of landscape art, with descriptions of natural and 

 artificial scenery. He refers in these letters to a 

 great range of places, including Oxford, Kenil- 

 worth Castle, Tintern Abbey, Regent's Park, Lon- 

 don, Eaton Hall, Warwick Castle, Blenheim, 

 and Buckingham Palace. Better than anything 

 else they give evidence of his understanding of 

 the art of landscape architecture during one ot its 

 most fruitful periods. Goethe wrote at the time 

 that Prince Piickler's letters were a pattern in all 

 that relates to landscape gardening, and ** be- 

 long," he adds, " to the highest class of litera- 

 ture. 



In his writings Prince Puckler not only gives 

 vivid concrete pictures of the great English es- 

 tates, he also points out repeatedly the fundamental 

 principles of the art of landscape gardening which 

 they illustrate, and on w^hich their convenience, 

 beauty, and perfection depend. 



The great work of art, however, to which this 

 talented gentleman and greatest of amateur land- 

 scape gardeners gave the best years of his life 

 was the development of his estate at Muskau. It 

 comprises a beautiful valley, with irregular rising 

 land skirting the river levels, hills supplying the 

 frame tor his picture. He treated this private park 



