PLANTING. 141 



hensive spirit that pervade the Essays on the 

 Picturesque, as a guide to the man of taste, 

 argues, surely, but a slender acquaintance 

 with that quality. Neither are the peculiar 

 circumstances under which the Essays were 

 composed, and which impugn their authority, 

 at all apparent ; nor have I, at least, been 

 able to discover the bitterness of controversy 

 ascribed to them by Sir Henry Steuart. Mr. 

 Repton's name, if 1 mistake not, occurs but 

 twice in the whole work, and each time in a 

 note. The first is upon the impropriety of 

 breaking; an avenue, where Sir Uvedale Price 

 says, — " The bad consequence of this system 

 " of separating trees which had long grown 

 " together, is no where more apparent than 

 " when an old avenue is broken into clumps ; 

 " yet it may very well happen that a land- 

 " scape painter, however strongly he may 

 '^ condemn the alteration, as it affected the 

 " general views, and the character of the 

 " place, might find some particular advantage 

 " from it, wdth respect to his own art : for, as 

 *' he is not obliged to make an exact portrait, 

 " it is sufficient for his purpose if he discover 

 " the principal materials for composition from 

 " the spot where he places himself He, there- 



