157 



nor can I suppose it possible to produce one." Many of his 

 imitators exhibited so little talent in their creations, that Mr. 

 Browne's name considerably suffered in the estimation of 

 many. 



Mr. Gilpin speaks of Browne's improvements at Blenheim 

 in high terms. Mr. Marshall in his Survey of Stowe and 

 Fisherwick, in vol. i. of his " Planting and Rural Ornament," 

 and at p. 384, pays a fair tribute to him. Much general in- 

 formation respecting him may be seen in Mr. Loudon's 

 chapter " Of the rise, progress, and present state of garden- 

 ing in the British Isles." The candour and rich conciseness 

 of this review, embraces the whole magic of the art, as re- 

 spects landscape gardening.* 



Francis Zavier Vispre wrote " A Dissertation on the 

 Growth of Wine in England, Bath, 8vo. 1786. Mr. Vispre 

 died poor, between thirty and forty years ago, in St. Mar- 

 tin's Lane. He excelled in painting portraits in crayons: 

 Sir Joshua much esteemed him. He was a most inoffensive 

 man, of the mildest manners, and of the purest integrity. 

 I have seen his portrait in crayons, in an oval, finely finished 

 by himself, but know not now where that is. On his mode 

 of training the vine very near the ground, see p. 757 of the 

 Encyclop. of Gardening. 



William Mason, precentor and canon of York, died in 

 1797. His friend, Sir Joshua Reynolds, painted an impres- 

 sive portrait of him, which is engraved by Doughty. A 

 masterly copy of this fine portrait is in Mr. Cadell's Con- 



* Mr. Browne was not an author ; yet the title of the present volume is 

 " On the Portraits of English Authors on Gardening." Neither was old 

 Bridgman nor Kent authors on this subject; still I could not prevail on 

 myself to pass over such names in total silence. 



