INTRODUCTION. XI 



before alluded to have abundantly proved, is 

 only to be perfected by the united study of 

 nature and the works of the best landscape 

 painters. A taste, thus formed, can alone 

 produce that variety which the natural cha- 

 racter of each place will suggest to an eye 

 conversant with the principles of composi- 

 tion ; whilst he, who is unacquainted with 

 those principles, must be in danger of repeat- 

 ing the same scheme of operation, with little 

 or no relation to the character of the different 

 places to which it is applied. 



The object of the following pages being 

 (as I have already stated) to suggest a few 

 leading hints, whereby, at least, the great 

 outline of taste may be preserved, it will be 

 necessary to accommodate these hints to 

 places of various sizes ; for the hand of taste 

 may be discovered in the embellishment of 

 half an acre, though the want of it will not 

 be so offensive as on the more extended scale 

 of a pleasure ground or a park. This diversity 

 of application will unavoidably create occa- 

 sional repetition of such remarks as are equally 

 suited to places of different extent. 



In order to render the principles here sug- 

 gested more practically useful, a few ill us- 



